We are so happy to be working with the inspirational chef-turned-farmer Julius Roberts, to help spread the word about how we are making British family farms viable and sustainable in these difficult times. We work with small scale holdings in the west-country and beyond to bring grass-fed, native breed meat and equally outstanding storecupboard staples to kitchens across the UK, guaranteeing prices and a market for what they rear, and protecting our beautiful countryside and its wildlife in the process.
Julius popped down to the farm last week here in Devon where we showed him round, moved the cattle, got stuck into some sheepdog working with Fly and our new puppy Spot and visited one of our partner farms to see the Saddleback pigs and turkeys. Here's what he had to say about the trip!
I had the joy of visiting Pipers Farm this week, a farm that I admire and have followed for years. It was a long day of cooking and learning. Covering everything from animal husbandry to soil health, sheep dog training and most importantly regenerative farming - a practice of working with and improving the nature around you, not fighting against it.
Pipers is a 30 year old family affair, that farms in a similarly holistic way to how I run my smallholding. The welfare is high, the vets are homeopaths, the fields are alive with butterflies and the soil is teeming with life. But where I don’t feed that many people, Pipers do and they’re on a mission to create a model that can compete with industrial farming and prove that the old ways do work and can feed the world sustainably.
We’re all waking up to the impact of industrial farming... the animals suffer, extinction rates soar, nature cries and our health declines. But there is another way, we need to respect and find harmony with nature. Eat less and strive for quality. There is hope, don’t give up and support the practices you want to see more of.
Julius Roberts
You can follow Julius on Instagram and read the story of his journey from restaurant chef to Dorset farmer in our journal post.
