Life on the Farm

Autumn has brought a flurry of new life and joyful surprises to the farm.

Our fields are alive with the playful energy of lambs, and all our cows have now calved, including a handsome Ruby Red x Dairy Shorthorn bull calf born in early September.

In a delightful twist, while relocating our chicken houses, the team discovered a hidden nest of warm eggs. The hen had returned to the flock, so we gently moved the eggs to our incubator, and just days later, three fluffy chicks hatched. If you’ve joined one of our farm tours recently, you may have had the chance to cuddle one!

Our dairy cows are now in full milk, with morning milking at 8am, and our Oxford Sandy and Black pigs have been happily bobbing for fallen apples in their troughs, an autumn treat they never tire of.

And there’s more to come: we’re expecting a litter of piglets later this season. It’s been a heartwarming time on the farm, and we’re so excited to share it with you.

FROM THE GARDEN

After a long, dry summer, the kitchen garden is shifting into its autumn rhythm. Harvest is in full swing. Onions, garlic, potatoes, squash, and pumpkins are being gathered and stored for the colder months ahead. Some of those pumpkins will even find their way into our Halloween festivities!

Our summer stars including courgettes, sweetcorn, sunflowers, and over 40kg of tomatoes a week at their peak, are now making way for winter crops. Beds are being cleared and sown with winter salads and green manure to nourish the soil, all by hand and without machinery. It’s part of our commitment to regenerative, sustainable growing, because what ends up on your plate should be good for you and the planet.

Thanks to early planting, we’ll have a steady supply of brassicas including cabbages, brussels sprouts, and purple sprouting broccoli. Meanwhile, our greenhouse crops are winding down, soon to be replaced with hardier varieties.

As the garden shifts, so too does our menu. Expect comforting, seasonal dishes that celebrate the richness of autumn, nourishing, warming, and deeply satisfying.