Straightfromthecow

Three generations of the Richardson family have farmed at Carpenters Hill Farm in Beoley. We are currently a mixed livestock farm, using traditional methods and ensuring high welfare for all of our animals. Our farmland is managed in a sustainable, ecologically sympathetic manner. We use nature to enrich our soil, planting mixed clover and encouraging wildflowers to flourish.

Whilst our farm is not certified as organic we do follow many of the guidelines required for organic accreditation. Most importantly we do not use hormones or routine antibiotics in our herd and we also avoid using pesticides and herbicides on grass where the cows graze.

We use natural methods to fertilise our grazing land by using white and red clover in the grass to increase nitrate levels and encourages bees and insects and obviously our own manure helps to encourage a healthy growth of grass.We have decreased our herd size over recent years and now have a select herd of just 30 dairy and 30 beef cows.

Our small herd of 30 Montbeliarde, Friesian and Ayreshire cows have access to fresh grass or silage all year round. During the summer they can roam the fields grazing fresh grass and during the winter are fed silage and hay harvested during the summer months. The milk they produce is high in butterfat and protein and by being raw contains friendly bacteria for good gut health.

The beef we produce for sale is extensively farmed and from our Hereford cross limousin cattle. We only select the best heifers we produce to be sold through our shop so that we can ensure high quality meat which is hung for a minimum of 21 days. Our beef is cut and packaged by the butchers at Long Compton, a family owned abattoir where minimising stress to any animal is imperative.