#beefboxes

Newsletter – January 2014.

The year has started where it left off with yet more rain and flooding.  Down at The Story farms the land is extremely sodden making life a little difficult for the chickens and the pigs who are based outdoors in their make shift houses, the fields so wet that feeding them is a daily challenge not to get stuck.  On our daily rounds at Herons Green Farm and Court Farm we have to feed about 200 cattle from varying ages from Stretchford our 13 year old South Devon Bull to our dearest and oldest cow Lilly who is 15 years old and spends most of her time roaming the ancient woodland at Leigh Woods.

Our main man on the farm, Mike Hurford, who has worked for us for over 45 years, is busy trying to get the miles of hedges that he has to complete before the March deadline.  This is made even more difficult when the cows take up much of our time, feeding and cleaning them up and building a new shed whilst trying to lay hedges, chop up fallen trees, carryout repair works and maintenance to our 40 acre woodland.  

The new barn space will be a welcome home to our growing herd of South Devons who are far bigger framed cows than the original herd that my Father had, which was made up of smaller Angus, Hereford and Simmential’s crosses of which we never took cattle through to a finished grade so always had less head of cattle to feed and look after. 

The Story have been busy as usual keeping up with our wholesale and retail business providing a lot of organic meats to Bristol.  The farms are having to work extra hard to keep up with the demand and this is even more evident at this time of year as our supply of beef become stretched due to spring calving patterns.    We have had some unusual requests from our wedding venue, a bride to be wants a savoury pie to replace the traditional wedding cake, I think I might leave that one to Josh and his team at the Pony and Trap as long as it becomes a four tiered masterpiece and is better than any cup cake tower.      

The Community Farm is also going through a lot of change at the moment with new staff being introduced following our successful bids and lots of educational programmes being developed for 2014 and beyond. 

We have our second Wassail with Les Davies coming along to assist with our celebrations so fingers crossed for the rain to pass us by, please feel free to come along to our merry Wassail on Saturday 25th January from 2pm ’til 5pm.

We’ll have mulled cider and apple juice, a roaring fire to toast your cockles, tea and cake, lantern making activities, a 3 part harmony choir singing Wassail songs, Morris dancing, story telling and a Wassail Ceremony led in true Somerset style by Les Davies, Westcountryman and author of West Countryman’s Diary in Mendip Times. We’ll even be holding a welly wanging contest for your chance to win some great prizes.

The start to year saw the Oxford Real Food conference – “Building the Renaissance” where it looked at ways to actually achieve the agrarian renaissance that is necessary. 

The urgency behind a complete re-think to our agricultural systems has never been more important and we need the public to work alongside the producers in changing the way in which we consume.    

In a converging society a momentum of change is needed from government, local councils to local communities but ultimately the people have the power to make this change happen.  Agriculture affects everything and is affected by everything; in our small way The Farm that we manage are assisting this change that is so difficult for people to make but it is what is needed to feed us all well without destroying the rest of the world.   

If anyone would like a vegetable box delivered to your door then please do not hesitate to visit the web site on www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk we also deliver loads of bolt on items which makes it easier to get all that you need and do not have to get in the car and visit the supermarket. Interestingly our recent price comparison work demonstrates that it is infact cheaper to support your local box scheme than to shop in the supermarkets. 

Alternatively if you wish to order any meat then place your order via [email protected] or 01934 861033 or Come and say hello @TheStoryMeat on twitter or visit us at Wrington where our master Italian butcher will serve you some of the finest meat in the west.   One good thing to come out of this month is my new venture of making some Story Billtong, it is truly amazingly tasty and I am sure there must be a market out there for that much loved South African favourite.  

There is certainly a lot happening in 2014 with Bristol getting ready to become the Green Capital of Europe next year with lots of festival theme foodie delights happening in May.   We are partnering Food Connections with our pop up restaurant in Queen Square coming back for the third year running.  We have some exciting chefs to cook for you with live music and much much more happening across the city.  The BBC are running an educational centre for schools to visit and the food and farming awards are being staged in Bristol so lots going on which will be great for the city and will certainly prove what we have been saying for years that Bristol is truly the food capital of the UK with an abundance of great producers on our doorstep. 

We will inform you all when tickets go on sale at www.eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk

www.thestorygroup.co.uk

www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk

The Story Farm Shop @ WRINGTON

Nates Lane, Wrington, BS40 5RS

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