The Farm
Our farm is on the northern edge of the Lake District National Park, the land is in three separate blocks, all within 2 miles of the farmhouse. Each block of land is very different, reflecting its previous management, underlying soil and exposure.
Our pastures
Our pastures contain a mix of grass species and all have a high clover content. Clover fixes atmospheric nitrogen, this is then available to sustain plant growth. So by increasing the amount of clover in the sward we have been able to significantly reduce the amount of artificial fertiliser we apply. Herbs and wild flowers also form an important part of the grass sward of both our permanent pastures and the fields we have re-seeded.
All 210 acres of our land falls within what is classified as Less Favoured Area in agricultural terms and we are designated as Severely Disadvantaged – mainly because we have a short growing season due to our adverse climate and altitude.
Farming WITH nature
As well as summer grazing and winter rations our land provides a variety of natural habitats - woodlands, wetlands, ponds, hedges and non-grazed areas. Having created many of these ‘wild’ areas we invest time managing them to ensure that they continue to provide ample feed and shelter for indigenous flora and fauna.
Organic
Until recently around two-thirds of our farm and all our deer were organically certified; the Soil Association inspected the enterprise and farm records annually. It checked we were complying with its stringent standards in all aspects of the business, from animal welfare to environmental management, and that we have records to prove it! The rest of our land and our cattle, although not entered into organic conversion, are managed in a similar non-intensive manner. After a lot of deliberation we decided to cease being certified as organic, not because we want to make any marked changes to the way we manage our farm or livestock, the stock will still be cared for to high welfare standards, the land will still be manged for extensive livestock production and of course we will continue to work towards reducing carbon inputs. We decided to stop simply because of the extra costs we were having to pay for supplemental organic feed, and organic seed, and the fact that as a small unit involved in farming, meat processing, packaging and marketing we couldn't find the time to do that properly and also keep up to date all the extra paperwork required for the organic audit.
Our pastures
Our pastures contain a mix of grass species and all have a high clover content. Clover fixes atmospheric nitrogen, this is then available to sustain plant growth. So by increasing the amount of clover in the sward we have been able to significantly reduce the amount of artificial fertiliser we apply. Herbs and wild flowers also form an important part of the grass sward of both our permanent pastures and the fields we have re-seeded.
All 210 acres of our land falls within what is classified as Less Favoured Area in agricultural terms and we are designated as Severely Disadvantaged – mainly because we have a short growing season due to our adverse climate and altitude.
Farming WITH nature
As well as summer grazing and winter rations our land provides a variety of natural habitats - woodlands, wetlands, ponds, hedges and non-grazed areas. Having created many of these ‘wild’ areas we invest time managing them to ensure that they continue to provide ample feed and shelter for indigenous flora and fauna.
Organic
Until recently around two-thirds of our farm and all our deer were organically certified; the Soil Association inspected the enterprise and farm records annually. It checked we were complying with its stringent standards in all aspects of the business, from animal welfare to environmental management, and that we have records to prove it! The rest of our land and our cattle, although not entered into organic conversion, are managed in a similar non-intensive manner. After a lot of deliberation we decided to cease being certified as organic, not because we want to make any marked changes to the way we manage our farm or livestock, the stock will still be cared for to high welfare standards, the land will still be manged for extensive livestock production and of course we will continue to work towards reducing carbon inputs. We decided to stop simply because of the extra costs we were having to pay for supplemental organic feed, and organic seed, and the fact that as a small unit involved in farming, meat processing, packaging and marketing we couldn't find the time to do that properly and also keep up to date all the extra paperwork required for the organic audit.