Shetland Cattle

Shetland cattle are on the endangered list of rare breeds with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. They are very well suited to an organic system on the mainland as the conditions on the Shetland Islands were traditionally much harsher. They will thrive on a grass diet, consisting of hay in the winter. They can be an excellent house cow, the traditional Shetland Islands role, and we have done that ourselves but mostly manage them as a single suckler herd. The beef rates amongst the best in the world.

Castlemilk Moorit Sheep

Castlemilk Moorit sheep were bred on the Castlemilk Estate in the Scottish borders by Sir Buchanan-Jardine.  They were rescued from extinction by Joe Henson of Cotswold Farm Park and are still endangered.  They belong to the Northern short tailed group of primitive sheep and are prized for their wool and excellent eating qualities.  They are naturally lean but full of flavour.  We have some skins tanned organically to make distinctive sheepskins and have wool spun into Aran weight knitting wool in 50gram balls.  Again they are well suited to an organic system and are not prone to some of the common sheep ailments such as foot rot.

Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs

We grow a wide range of organic fruit, vegetables and herbs both outside and under cover in Polytunnels.  Nothing is grown on a large scale but there is a little of just about everything.  For example the fruit we grow includes apples, pears, plums, cherries, quince, damsons, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, rhubarb and jostaberries.

Other produce

We also have organic eggs from our free range chickens.  Some woods suitable for woodturning and other coppice products may be available occasionally.  We have some of our wheat milled at our local organic certified watermill to produce our own wholemeal flour and we make home made preserves from our own produce.