The story begins under our feet … in the SOIL
Regenerative Farming Working with Nature
We want to give you a little insight into how our organic grass-fed beef on the family farm next door with Simon Hare and the team is produced, and tell you about our farming system.
The picture above is not any old sod of grass!
You’ll never look at a field of grass in the same way after you have read this. Soil is one of the most precious resources on the earth.
We dug the above clump of meadow to show you how important the soil is in farming, the thick roots with healthy soil, which is nutrient rich and gives more nutritious grass for the livestock to eat.
The taste of Pasture for Life meat reflects the qualities of the grass the livestock have eaten and the health of the soil beneath their feet. Food produced this way is much tastier and healthier for humans to eat. Many of the health benefits associated with pasture-fed meat can be seen here
~ We have a true food system which looks after the land and climate.
~ We farm organically and are certified, we work with nature. We do not use artificial fertilisers or pesticides.
~ We are certified Pasture for Life
~ We are using regenerative agricultural practices for building soil health, grasslands and meat production.
Did you know?
95% of the food we eat comes from soil?
Essentially, feeding the world starts and ends, with healthy soil. Read more about this on the Soil Association Site Save our Soil
We need lots of healthy soil to be able to produce food, and especially for us we need healthy soil to produce your 100% pasture fed beef.
Healthy Soil ~ Healthy Grass Pasture ~ Superior Tasting Grass Fed Beef
Did you know?
Climate change is about too much carbon in the atmosphere … SOIL can help!
We need to put the excess carbon in the atmosphere somewhere to get the cycle back in balance.
The answer is right under our feet, in the SOIL. Soil sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, when managed properly. Have a look at this amazing ‘Soil Story’ to understand the issues with carbon and what can be changed
Plants using sunlight and water naturally perform photosynthesis, they pull carbon in from the air and turn it into carbohydrates (sugars). They pump some of these sugars down through the roots to feed micro organism which then use the carbon to build healthy soil. The soil then acts as a carbon store.
Without healthy soils, we would not be able to combat climate change
Did you know that there is 10 billion tonnes of carbon stored in UK soils?
Healthy well managed soils capture carbon dioxide and store it as soil organic carbon.
This makes them an essential resource in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change.
Soils are degrading at an alarming rate. We have taken soil for granted and now one-third of the world’s arable soils are degraded.
Read more about this here
Kiss the Ground
This is a documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson. It sheds light on ‘regenerative agriculture’ that has the potential to balance our climate, replenish our vast water suppliers, and feed the world. This is a fascinating documentary and well worth watching here
The Sustainable Food Trust reviews the documentary here with some of the warnings about climate change, the film takes a detailed look at what distinguishes a healthy soil, teaming with microbial life and sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere, from lifeless and degrading soil, releasing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and on its way to desertification. It also links the health of the soil with the health and vitality gained from the foods grown in it. All this, familiar to organic farmers, is explained with great clarity in a way that must surely have wide educational potential.
Regenerative Farming Working with Nature
Simon Hare is using regenerative agricultural practices to help build soil health on the farm, he is managing the shorthorn beef herd as a tool, integrating soil health principles into grass and livestock management.
Building healthy soil is good for the climate, if there is more carbon in the soil there is less carbon in the air.
The below image shows a nice long root system below the grass with healthy soil.
Simon does ongoing soil testing to determine the nutrient and pH level of the soil.
Simon is also looking at doing worm counts … as healthy soils have lots of worms!
FOOD YOU CAN TRUST
We want to make you aware of where your meat comes from, so you can choose to buy your meat based on our story and principles.
Make your purchases from farms practising regenerative agriculture.
By changing the way we farm and the food choices made, together we can help protect our soils and climate.
Our superior quality pasture for life beef is available to purchase online here and can be delivered direct to your door 🚚.
If you live locally to the farm shop, we are based just off the A66 outside Barnard Castle, you can pop in and visit our butchers.