We had a delayed start to this year’s re-stocking, thanks to the wet weather in late winter/early spring. But now we are getting ready for the busy season. Hogget is back in stock, or available for pre-booking. We have a few ‘Vikings’ coming soon (both pure North Ronaldsay and crosses).
To reflect the increasing prices we are facing for all things on the farm, we have had to do our first (small) price increase for many years. Because we are an agroecological farm, with minimal use of inputs (no fertilizer or pesticides), no muck or slurry spreading and very frugal use of the tractor, we are far less exposed to the global price shocks than most other farmers. Nonetheless, we’ve noticed how cost rises have begun to impact even our lean operation.
Meanwhile, our commitment to improving the land and biotic community around us continues to deepen. We are part of a proposed ‘Landscape Recovery Scheme’, which will place our farm in a wildlife corridor that links land outside Exmoor with the moorland that rises up on our northern edge. This exciting plan will enable us to plant some agroforestry (open woodland that supports both sheep grazing and productive nut trees), re-wet some of the areas around the streams and revitalise areas of old woodland that have suffered from the loss of ash trees. The scheme is currently with the Defra team for their consideration (alongside other great schemes from around the country), so fingers crossed for a good outcome from that process.
As always, if you have questions about the way we farm (or the stuff we do in Southeast Asia when we are not farming) then just drop us a line.
