Pipers Farm HQ is nestled deep in the Culm Valley, an area famed for its ability to grow some of the finest pasture in the country, thanks to its enviable, rich red Devon soil.
The farm is made up of a series of small fields flanked with wide, traditional Devon hedgerows, with names such as 'Five Acres, Pump Field, River Field and Scotland Field (the most northerly field on the farm) that all give you a clue about the story of our farm.
With 50 acres of rich permanent pasture including ancient grass species, poetically named; Timothy, Yarrow, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Burnet and Cocksfoot, these grasslands are incredibly important to the health of the farm. They take nitrogen from the air and ‘fix’ it into their own systems through a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria around their roots, sequestering carbon. We like to think of our farm as a living, breathing, thriving lung of this part of the world. A haven for wildlife and a very special place to visit.
The pasture is managed by our mob grazed herd of traditional native breed, Red Ruby cattle, naturally fertilising the crop as they manoeuvre their way around the farm.
Our Red Ruby cattle are slowly grown in harmony with nature, only ever eating 100% grass for their entire lives. As the farm lies on a natural spring, and one element we are not in short supply of in this part of the world is rain, the cattle are housed in an airy, roomy barn over the wettest moths of the Winter (end of November, usually until end of March), so they do not 'poach' or damaged the deep root system when the ground is very wet. During this time they are fed silage cut from the farm.
The farm is abuzz with wildlife from; swallows, house martins, owls and bats who swoop over the pats left on the pasture and feast on the billions of bugs that live in the soil. To rare butterflies, hover-flies and native bees. You'll often find toads, lizards and slow worms making their home in the wetter areas of the farm.
At the top of the farm is wonderfully ancient copse that is abundant in wild venison, fungi, magnificent bluebells in the Spring and even a watercress bed spawning out of a natural spring. It is a haven for birds and small mammals and has been the site of many 'wild camping' forays for Peter, Henri and all the family.
