The Story Meat

It seems a long time ago now since we changed all of our farming practices towards an organic future. The farm has changed, the life on it has improved dramatically, there is more wildlife, happier livestock and healthier soil.    With so much discussion around greenhouse gases and climate change I think ruminant farmers do have a responsibility to ensure that their practices do not cause further harm to the environment, I at least want to make sure my operation is truly beneficial and that is why we are producing Pasture For Life meat.

It is certainly frustrating as a producer of the best beef in the world to have to continually listen to the mainstream media going on about eating less meat and turning vegan.  I know there are a lot of people that believe it is not humane to eat meat and avoiding meat is best for sustainability and the planet but we need herbivores and that is the exact reason I farm and produce pasture for Life meat, building a case and solid reasons for people to choose mine over all factory-raised meat, that i certainly do not support.  

I certainly do not wish to be classed as the enemy in the battle against climate change, i am an environmentalist and I believe my animals at Herons Green Farm are carbon neutral, as the wonderful cartoon above demonstrates, grazing animals are beneficial for the soil, the work they do in carbon sequestration is amazing, "chewing the cud", as we say, stimulates new grass growth, the manure and urine they leave behind works microbes into the land, increasing the biodiversity of the life under the ground which helps in the process.  We therefore store more carbon in the soil than our cows emit during their lives, the permanent pasture that makes up the farm and 70% of the nations farmland acts as a massive carbon sink.  

At Herons Green Farm and The Communtiy Farm I have certainly seen a change in the soil diversity and its productivity since we have not routinely wormed our cattle or applied any artificial fertilisers since 2003.   Agriculture is probably the most vulnerable industry to climate change, we are dictated by the weather, floods, droughts as our animals, environments and landscapes are too.  However we are also in a unique position as we can correct it and sequester 50% or more of current greenhouse gas emissions in our soil.   It is however not without its additional costs to the farmer and this obviously needs to be recognised and we need the consumers support for these farming systems that mitigate climate change and build residences to its impacts.

The Case for Eating Meat - There’s a Story behind everything we eat

So back to the argument of eating less meat and or turning vegan.  I love the fact that extinction rebellion, XR are raising the bar on environmental issues that the governments have ignored for a generation.   However the intensification of agriculture, the use of biofuels from cereals are all supported by big corporate finance, so is the vegan market, more plants, more agro-chemicals to grow them, more machinery, more for their shareholders.   We have been reported to by the media with the wrong information, biased flawed science and so we have reached this juncture with millions of people reaching the wrong conclusions.  It seems that if a point is presented as environmental then we are supposed to support it regardless of the consequences, a move to greater reliance on plant based protein for example will not benefit climate, ecology or human health and certainly not rural communities.   As an organic farmer i believe we are offering solutions however we are being unfairly tainted with a brush that says a plant based diet is the answer?  The disconnect with our population looking for environmental answers is huge.   I want to stay open minded about the future, but people also need to investigate the truths more and look into the misrepresentations as regenerative farming cannot be pigeon holed along with other industrial led agriculture practices.

Is a vegan diet really more sustainable from a land use perspective.  Most land is not suitable for vegetable production and therefore protein from animals is an important part of our diet and even more important from a land use perspective.    It is a shame that other studies are not truly reflective of the meat industry as a whole, it mainly includes factory-raised meat in the figures which has a massive effect on the environment when you consider these cheaper factory produced animals are fed protein in the form of grain and soy that is imported from Brazilian rainforests and other countries.  I found an interesting info-graphic which helps explain the environmental impact of pasture-fed beef.  

http://rxprimal.com/2016/02/19/infograph-meat-and-the-earth/

For the first time, consumers have the knowledge to choose to, or choose not to, do their part in helping mitigate climate change.  The production of these emissions can be reversed if people only eat regeneratively produced meat and vegetables.    We have been doing it for it years but at last it has come to this juncture that we can ask our customers to buy more meat and vegetables from us and other producers that are farming in this way.  

There is a snippet in the Guardian article which provides some common ground on which we can build: “

The large variability in environmental impact from different farms does present an opportunity for reducing the harm without needing the global population to become vegan”.  

How 100% Pasture fed livestock is better for You

At the story you will be pleased to note that we have become members of the PFLA, Pasture Fed Livestock association because we believe that you will reap the benefits of meat that is reared in this way.  The Health benefits of grass fed meat is huge not only to you but also the environment and the future of our food supply.  

It is no secret or new thing but the emerging trend is that people are trying to source better meat and that usually means slowly reared and on grass fed diets.  The new research proves that red meat reared on pasture based diets contains more omega 3, fatty and cancer properties.  

The Story are giving you access to something very few people have as you can not only visit our farms to understand more about pasture fed livestock and what it means to how we rear our animals but you can also pick up some of the finest meat in the country at our butcher shop in Blagdon.  

You will find that the meat far outweighs the grain fed non-organic mass produced meat that you can buy elsewhere.  At Story butchers we ensure that our non-organic meat is also sourced from farms that do not feed grain as a substitute and because it is also hung for 30 days it easily gives you an unrivalled taste and tenderness.  

Naturally we ensure our quality is maintained by using an Abbatoir that is close by at Langford, Bristol University because reducing the effect of stress on the animals during transit is paramount to the animals health and well being but also the end quality of the meat and hence taste.   We ensure 28 days minimum of dry ageing process and hanging  which enhances the meat further.  

Well farmed pasture with many species of grasses and plants creates a soil that is able to absorb and hold massive amounts of water, is the way forward. If you compare this system to the land that continually grows cereals, the results are so dramatic that is hard to believe such a simple approach could have such incredible results.

How do we do this? How do we encourage farmers to have much more grass as part of their farming practice? The main answer is to switch from eating animals fed with cereals, soya, maize, that they were not designed to eat. Also stop eating animals fed on the residue from the production of oils from soya, corn, and rapeseed.  Switch to eating animals that are grass fed and finished from grass. This one small thing would make such dramatic changes to the ability of the soil to absorb and retain moisture.

Gradually these changes would not only improve the structure of the soil but bring back micro-organisms so important for a healthy soil. Soils are depleted at the moment; an easy way to understand this is to remember how many mushrooms that could be collected for food, these have almost disappeared with the march of industrial farming. I do not completely blame farmers for this undesirable change as they have been sucked into a regime by farming policy and also their desire to produce food more economically I was also one of these farmers falling prey to the insidious march towards industrial production.

I now see that we must change our direction. Change would have another side effect, we would be healthier. I understand that these changes would take a couple of generations and that, I think that is slow for us impatient humans. At the beginning we must take the best practice from both organic and conventional farming to ensure we can feed ourselves. There is no danger of starving as so much food is thrown away.

Changes will mean more jobs, more satisfaction as our connection to the earth increases. The work of making food to keep us healthy will soon impact all areas of our lives in a very positive way. I think the popularity of the many cooking programmes does point towards the fact that people are becoming more aware of the role of food and health.

This is just a short “at a glance” blog to get the ball rolling and to paint a picture in your mind that will help to get you to think about change as a long term answer to one of the most difficult problems we have at the moment. It is clear that much suffering is caused by the flooding and there is light at the end of the tunnel and that light, is you, you can be a leader for change and I think I am right to say that it is your duty to change for the futures sake.

I encourage you to visit the pasture fed livestock assoc. web site and see what some truly amazing people are up to.   http://www.pastureforlife.org/  We are about to join as a farm and as a butchers which is exciting as we will be actively promoting this form of agriculture through our shop and box scheme.  

I was fortunate enough to be asked to speak at a conference in Hertogenbosch.  I left the uk feeling pretty excited about about joining in with an international congress but as always reluctant to leave so many things at home including my family and a long list of things that needs doing, which is nothing new really as running a farm and business in general there is always something that becomes more important than the tasks in hand, this week was no exception, to present my story about the farm and my life over the last decade.   However despite my concerns It was an absolute pleasure to meet so many great people that are inspiring and trying hard to enable change to take place in their homeland. 

I did prepare a slideshow of photos to help steer the audience and show them pictures about what I talked about.  I am usually nervous as hell but this time I felt really positive about what I was going to say, after all just telling my story from the heart and why I feel so passionate about food and farming. It Is easy to be pessimistic about the future when the world that surrounds us is so so messed up but I really do believe the future is bright, we have so much to look forward to because there are so many individuals out there that are trying to make a difference.

The farms I was lucky enough to visit yesterday were shining examples of what can be done with some entrepenerual spirit and determination. Three farms that are making really great connections with the public and care farming at its best.

The farms were exceptionally Clean and tidy in fact the whole country was which says a lot about the people of Holland, very organised, patient and methodical. I was met by C (Kees) van Zelderen, head of ZLTO, soil association equivalent as an accreditation and association to organic farmers. They had kindly arranged for me to visit 3 farms, first of which was a 2.5 ha area of organic veg production in a well established 35 year old garden designed in a stunning way.  Vegetables grown alongside a large glass house with absolute minimum tillage and zero compaction being made to the beds. He has invested £10,000 in a pretty amazing weeding machine, see attached photo. It meant that they could specifically plant the rows so that they could weed the plants without disturbing the plug and the equipments wheels were  placed so zero compaction was created to the actual bed, a very strict policy that they kept which I have take on board regarding the situation at the farm. There has been a lot of discussion about the tractor at TCF and I realise now how vital the problem of compaction is.  Another realisation is that we don't do enough of the basics like set composting piles that would enhance our growing, the piles of compost at this place were a great example of long term thinking and planning, very carefully built and looked after turned once and left for 2 years. It provided the most incredible compost that would grow anything.  It highlighted the very basics but showed that thru good planning and crop rotations we can grow more efficiently. See photos of composting and the fantastically designed garden ever, it was a joy to walk around and I can imagine for children and all ages an interesting adventure discovering plants and flowers and wildlife that was everywhere. The market garden farm also had aspirations to sell shares in the business, infact was pitching for £2500 investment at the congress for best urban farming model. The farmer was pretty cool and relaxed mentioning that this is not normal, must have been something about the company that meant his staff did not bother us for the entire Hour we were there. 

They linked in with local schools for visits and working help with weeding, a volunteer base existed and really helped make a difference, a small farm shop selling the freshest cut crops one could buy. It had a lot going for it and had the benefit of 35 years of operation so without trying to continually feel bad about the conditions at our farm but it highlighted the issues we face and the huge amount of work we need to do in improving the looks and feel of our asset.

The next farm took blew me away, This was an exceptional example of what can be done with some land that would otherwise be developed into the town spatial planning system, but with a plan from a local farmer and his wife and a forward thinking council that in perpetuity wanted to ensure that this would remain farm land for ever they invested heavily in helping create a stunning farm. First of all a new stable, Dutch for cow shed or barn as I kept calling them to much confusion as the first farmer was called BArhl A stunning stable for cows and milk production was created, slated barn with Lower level deck for winter housing and summer events space. Much of the milk was used for cheese production, whey for calf  and pigs rearing. The chesse was unbelievable. They had another excellent composting area and chickens where the public would select their own eggs.    Care farming was big aspect of this farm but how they incorporated this into running a successful 200ha farm, small veg operation, 2.5ha was incredible. 

Great tip to take home to TCF was a whole section of Phacellea for the bees, this was important part of the rotations.

Again it had a lot going for it but it proved to me that with some determined characters u can achieve a huge amount and with supportive landlords that believe in managing land for the future in an organic and holistic way then u have a recipe for success. The fact that this landlord was a council was even more encouraging. I know the UK has hundreds of council farms but have they ever invested in the future of them, the answer is no, currently selling them off because they have become a financial risk and expensive to improve and simple too politically incorrect to put public money into agriculture. What message that says for farming and the future? A depressing one unless u are me and optimistic about what can be achieved.

It is not too late our councils are not all bad, usually quite receptive if u go with a sound plan but I do get that politics can get In the way of progress happening fast. It is frustrating as there is so much to do to make our cities more sustainable with regards to our food systems, the way we source, import, buy and sell, our food print is ridiculously inefficient and unsustainable.

Things will change with time but will it before the next crisis happens , I doubt it.  We only action things when we r forced to and sometimes it is too late by then.  If we act now though and group together to make change happen then our cities might be safe. Collaboration is key, people power can make light work of change but it needs a large collective and people that really believe.

The last farm was more on my level with regards to organic beef production and a love of food and cooking. They too struggled with the succession of the farm and what to do with it was too early to talk about their plans as their son who was working the farm suddenly died of a Heart attack last year. It was a beautiful conversation, honest and frank about their feelings, their son was clearly a great man. His vision was still there to see, together they had built a farm that was linking directly with the public, 11,000 visitors last year to their shop and on site kitchen and public restaurant. The building was open for functions on the farm and gatherings 2-3 times per week, a popular destination for locals to eat and what a place. Great stables again with so much character and charm.  I especially liked the BBQ fire set up with old fashioned steel hood, brilliant piece of equipment only wish I could find one if those at home.

Having spent a few days in Oxford this week for the Real Farming Conference i have returned feeling extremely positive about the way in which we are farming but even more concerned about the future of agriculture as a whole.   In England's green and pleasant land was the famous song once written, we can only dream that pastures new will return as they were once back in ancient times.  Over the last few decades of over production and intensification of agriculture we need to ask ourselves some very important questions.

Why do we, as a nation or as a world, grow so many cereals? 

The main reason is that corn is such a productive and versatile crop.  It has incredibly high yields and it can be turned into a staggering array of products.  It can be used as animal feed to help fatten our pigs, chickens and cattle. And it can be turned into bio-fuel, high-fructose syrup or even bio-based plastics.

No wonder we grow so much of the stuff. 

We have also been encouraged to grow such crops and be financially rewarded for growing as much as we can even if the land on which we plant it is not entirely suitable.  Over the years millions of acres have been cultivated, good pasture land has been ripped up.  The land has been continuously worked and the soil has been completely drained of all it nutrients, so much so that the only way to keep on taking is to keep on applying the nitrates / glyphosate's and other toxic materials that assist in making more crops.  The sad thing is that most of the crops are not used for human consumption and we as a nation and a global community need to start questioning why we are using so many cereals as a system for bio-fuels, animal feed and other highly processed foods owned by massive corporations and perhaps most importantly how it consumes an enormous amount of natural resources to create it in the first place. 

The seminar was actually focusing on how our farming system in the UK could benefit greatly from allowing ruminants to be profitably raised soley off pasture.  Afterall we are reaching a tipping point where the industrial farming revolution threatens our countryside, health and the quality of our food.  Whilst some see the future of mega indoor industrial farming disguised and used as a term "sustainable intensification", others see keeping animals on farms rather than factories as the real solution to the worlds problems. 

The current system is inefficient at feeding people.   Most people would agree that the primary goal of agriculture should be feeding people. While other goals — especially producing income, creating jobs, conservation and rural development — are critically important too, the ultimate success of any agricultural system should be measured in part by how well it delivers food to a growing population. After all, feeding people is why agriculture exists in the first place.

The current system is aligned to feed power stations  and animals instead of feeding people. 

Unfortunately it also uses a large amount of natural resources.  Much of this fertilizer, along with large amounts of soil, washes into the  lakes, rivers and coastal oceans, polluting waters and damaging ecosystems along the way.

Looking at these land, water, fertilizer and soil costs together, you could argue that the current system uses more natural resources than any other agricultural system, while providing only modest benefits in food. It’s a dubious trade-off — depleting natural resources to deliver relatively little food and nutrition to the world.  But it doesn’t need to be that way. Innovative farmers are exploring other methods for growing corn, including better conventional, organic, biotech and conservation farming methods that can dramatically reduce chemical inputs, water use, soil losses and impacts on wildlife.

A more resilient agricultural system would start by diversifying our crops, shifting some of the cereal monoculture to a landscape rich with a variety of crops and pastures. It would more closely mimic natural ecosystems and include a mixture of perennial and different seasonal plants — not just rye grass annuals with shallow roots that are especially sensitive to dry spells and hungry for nitrates. Furthermore, it would include conservation tillage and organic farming practices that improve soil conditions by restoring soil structure, organic content and water holding capacity, making farming landscapes much more resilient to floods and droughts. The overall result would be a landscape better prepared to weather the next drought, flood, disease or pest.

There are a number of ways to improve the delivery of food from the global system. First and foremost, shifting cereals away from biofuels would generate more food for the world, lower demand for grain, lessen commodity price pressures, and reduce the burden on consumers around the world.  Furthermore, eating less intensively produced meat and diversifying the cereals into a wider mix of agricultural systems, including other crops and grass-fed animal operations, could produce substantially more food —  and a more diverse and nutritious diet —  than the current system.

Whilst I update my monthly farm log, I'm happy to report that it is still glorious sunshine outside! 

I've been chosen to attend the Prince HRH of Wales Summer School of Food and Farming this week. This special invitation is due to our links with the National Trust and I feel very privileged to be invited! I'm looking forward to updating you on details of the event. The summer school engages leading individuals from farming, food businesses, research, government and non-governmental organisations in addressing the challenges of producing sufficient food sustainably, to meet not just the needs of current but also future generations. 

The show season is also well underway and we attended the North Somerset Show in May. The event was a success this year with huge attendance and a great mix of people, animals and produce. It's an amazing way of demonstrating what rural communities do to offer produce which we take for granted when we put it on our plates. We have just attended Glastonbury Festival which was an amazing experience having our stall so close to the Arcadia stage I could BBQ a burger on skewer. Check out this link for a stunning example of how one can turn scrap metal into a spectacle. 

Farming News

Last month we began putting our cows out to pasture, unfortunately for them we are 'strip grazing' them as we anticipated the grass getting short what with the hot weather.

This season has certainly been earlier with our first cut of silage being done in record time on the 15th June. During the last month we have made a few more round bales of silage and now we're feeling the pressure on grass availability for the cows. We have to pay close attention to our grazing rotations to take account for the slower grass growth. The calves are still arriving all be it nearing the end, we have a total of 45 calves of which I am happy to report no more caesareans or lost calves.

The fly season is with us again and whether they cause disease or just irritation it is important to take steps to reduce the impact. Fly nuisance can reduce weight gain by up to 0.5 kg per day in growing cattle and milk yield by up to 20% in diary. We have recently treated our animals with an approved treatment called ‘Spot On’. This does not keep flies off the animals but kills them after contact when the damage to the farm animals may already be done. The treatments are aimed at reducing the build up in fly and midge populations, hence the risk of disease. This yearly treatment plan forms part of our Farm Health Plan.

We have recently re-introduced 5 cows and Lilly our 12 year old North Devon back into the wilderness that forms Leigh Woods National Trust area. See this link to the National Trust and for more details about the beautiful Leigh Woods. If you get a chance to take a walk up to the woods then be sure to count the cows and check out for any fly nuisance which is worse amongst the trees but there are plenty of open areas for the cows to escape. Leigh Woods is a nationally important area of ancient woodland and wood pasture. It contains a rich variety of native trees including the rare Bristol Whitebeam and ancient woodland plants. Grazing this area will help to open up the site and compliment the clearance of trees and scrub work carried out by the wardens and volunteers. Together this work is aimed at protecting the ancient hill fort, the veteran trees and the limestone grassland. Red North Devon cattle were chosen because they're well suited to rough grazing and have a very docile temperament. 

For more meaty delights then visit our Blagdon Butchers and Farm Shop in the lovely village of Blagdon. We look forward to meating you - and of course do not hesitate to place an order for your BBQ meats or Sunday roasts, the finest tasting grass fed meat there is to offer and we take great pride in its presentation and curing process.

Place your order today at www.storyorganic.co.uk.

See you all soon, 

The New Year has well truly flown by and we’ve all been waiting patiently for our cows to start looking like they are ready to calve, to date nothing looking imminent apart from my Wife, Mel, who is clearly not a cow but does have one named after her in the barn, full name, maiden heifer, Melanie Hasellhoff.  

With the mornings and evenings getting lighter it will soon be time to start getting our spring crops in the ground and some livestock out into the fields.  The onslaught of rain has made the ground completely unworkable so we’re hoping for a much nicer March so we can attend to all the important jobs coming up.  Our hedgerows have also suffered this year as we’ve not been able to get on the land due to all the rain! The end of February is the deadline for trimming hedges due so we can protect theground nesting birds, so these hedges will now have to wait until Autumn.   

The farms are having to work extra hard to keep up with the demand - this is even more evident at this time of year as our supply of beef becomes stretched due to spring calving patterns and the growth rates of both the pigs and chickens slows up due to the cold weather.  

 Our usual supply of cattle into The Story has also been harder to achieve this year as we are seeing the after effects of a poor growing season in 2012, with silage that meant the usual standards of growth were not being achieved.  Never before have we been wishing so much for sunshine so that soon we can think about turning out some of the cows and calves, at least buffer feeding them anyway as the overwintered first bite grass will be very different from the silage that they are used to and soon this will differ hugely again from any spring growth.  The over wintered grass will be higher in fibre than the fast growing spring grassland and in organic leys the proportion of clover will be a lot lower as plants need soil temperature before they start to grow.  

The turnout time always creates a little more work for us all as the usual checking of stock fencing and replacing areas as hedge trimming can take its toll on fences over the winter. We have to check the water troughs are working and not leaking - and more importantly clean them out before the cattle start grazing to remove rotted vegetation and algae, which will reduce the cow’s water intake. 

We have lots going on here at The Story -  we've been busy as usual with our wholesale and retail business providing a lot of organic meats to Bristol and local people. See below for news about Eat Drink Bristol Fashion, my nomination for Farmer of the Year and a sneak preview about our new Butcher's Shop. Look out for our special Organic Meat Boxes - Delivered direct to your door! We've just launched The Story EASTER BOX and LAMB BOX which will be available for you to pre-order on our website `at the end of this week. We'd like to introduce you to some exciting customers who are helping to change the dining scene in Bristol: Poco Restaurant, the The Kitchen in the Old fire station and of course, our very own Yurt Lush at Temple Quay - You can treat yourself to the only Organic Sunday lunch in Bristol for just £10 per person. ~ Enjoy! 

Eat Drink Bristol Fashion!  We have a very interesting collaboration going on next month with Josh Eggelton of the Pony and Trap where we'll be showcasing our produce at a very exciting event in Queen Square - Eat Drink Bristol Fashion. Come along from May 1st - May 18th and taste some of the valley’s finest food offering cooked by one of the best chefs in the west country - Returning for it's third year this pop up restaurant, tapas bar and live music venue is the place to be! It's a true celebration of Bristol's thriving food culture and the event will offer something for everyone's taste!

I have been nominated as Outstanding Farmer of the Year in the prestigious BBC Food & Farming Awards! Read more about the awards here and make sure you listen to BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme which introduces all the finalists and watch Countryfile this Sunday at 18:45. The award ceremony will be held at the opening of Bristol Food Connections on May 1st at St George’s Concert Hall.

I'm excited to let you be the first to know! We'll be opening a New Butcher's Shop very soon.  Our Butchers Shop will proudly stock The Story Organic Meats alongside a whole host of additional tasty and local products.

I'll post all details in our April Newsletter - Please subscribe for the full Newsletter on The Story website

The Community Farm has been busy planning for the year ahead. We are about to take candidates on from the Bristol Drugs Project which is exciting and our pool of volunteers is growing. If you'd like a Vegetable Box delivered to your door - please visit our web site. We've recently started delivering organic eggs - our price comparison work demonstrates that it's cheaper to Support your Local Box Scheme that to shop in the supermarkets!

This great little film from some students at the University of the West of England showcases our neighbours at the Community Farm. 

"The People's Produce is a documentary that follows The Community Farm in Chew Valley, England. This film tells the story of the farm which stands the forefront of organic and sustainable farming in the U.K, meets the people who work their and explores why something like this is vital for the future of farming."

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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The Story Turkey

There is a wealth of information and public perception about the shortcomings of intensive chicken farming yet the turkeys somehow get overlooked.  About 90% of turkeys reared in the UK live their short pre-Christmas lives in purpose-built barns containing up to 25,000 birds. Packed into sheds, deprived of daylight, they are striped of opportunities to express natural behaviours, such as perching and foraging.  Selective breeding, a response to consumer demand for white breast meat, means natural mating is impossible.

An organic turkey from The Story has led a different life, we have 180 turkeys roaming the fields at Wrington foraging in a 5 acre clover ley.   Traditional free-range Bronze turkeys are the best available, and are farmed in the same way as our traditional free-range organic poultry.

Unfortunately for Mandy and Ken our resident flower growers who have to put up with the turkeys taking over their garden, mostly they roam the fields, only put away at night and foraging as well as eating a natural grain diet.  Slow growing Bronze turkeys take 6 months to reach maturity, hence why they are larger than most other poultry and take longer to grow.

Bronze turkeys were originally the product of crossing domestic turkeys brought from Europe with the wild American turkey.  The two have produced a larger but tamer bird.  We dry-pluck and hang our birds for 10-14 days to relax their muscles and develop a good strong flavour.  This year we are so proud to have won a Gold Award for our meat that we have launched our Christmas meat box range.   Launching three brand new boxes, including one that you can create as a bespoke box and the team of Story elves will be delivering right up to Christmas Eve.  Ofcourse we have a constant supply of 100% grass fed native breed beef, rare breed large black pigs and alternatively why not try a cockerel that can get to 4-5 kg in weight. 

You can order online or by phone at  www.thestorygroup.co.uk or 01934 862156.  Quote INTROBOX for a 10% special discount.  The most sustainable Christmas feast you can find.

The Story Steak Box

OUR BRAND NEW BOX TO CELEBRATE OUR AWARD

We won GOLD! To celebrate winning more accolades for our delicious organic meat, we at The Story bring you our Special Steak Box.   All our beef is grass fed, slowly matured and well hung for 30 days. We have selected some fine cuts for your table ranging from Sirlion, Rump, Fillet, Bavette and Minute steaks for you to taste the difference.   We will send you recipe cards and description of each and every steak to help you decide what meal to cook with each cut. Our last BBQ of the season took us to Tyntsfield Estate for the finale of the Made in North Somerset annual market.  It was great Meating you all there and thankyou for leaving your details.  Our lucky winners for the box are Laurence Copleston and Laura Sharpe. 

WHATS YOUR BEEF

2013 has been a difficult year for beef. The horse meat scandal woke the industry up to the logistical supply problems and as a result the nations supermarkets and commercial buyers are now turning to British beef to redeem themselves. But it's been good news for the organic industry. A recent report commissioned by the Soil Association shows a 20% increase in organic sales as more people have sought to buy fully traceable meat.  There's never been a better time to try our organic, native breed, grass fed beef and we encourage you to re-embrace this versatile meat. Things to look out for when choosing your beef. Look for a native breed and preferably grass-fed and organic. Look for a good spread of fat lines running through the muscle, this is called marbling and melts through when cooked. The colour should be a browny red not bright red, this is a good indication of dry-ageing.

National Organic food award wins for The Story

Last night (19th September) the Story farms received two prestigious national organic food awards at the annual Soil Association Organic Food Awards.

Held in London, the awards are in their 27th year and are the highest endorsement of quality and taste a customer could look for. Previously won by Daylesford Organic and Duchy Originals the Story team are joining esteemed company.

Winning a gold award for rare breed large blacks and then winning the overall Meat & Fish category for a whole chicken. The awards recognises the best quality produce from across the UK. The Story beat off Langley Chase Farm and Astley Farms to win their overall category this year.

Based in Somerset, the business is called The Story because the group of farmers behind it want people to know the story behind the meat they eat. Luke, Jim, Bill and Emma are passionate about creating great tasting organic food, respecting the animals and the environment. They also believe only good things can come out of localised supply chains. Alongside the environmental saving, they strengthen communities and the local economy. It’s a positive story for everyone involved.

On winning the awards Luke Hasell said "We are over the moon to have not just won Gold but the overall category award. Not just because it gives us something to celebrate but because it recognises that by farming sustainably and ethically we can produce food that is of the highest quality and is good for the land and good for our customers."

On presenting the awards Helen Browning, Chief Executive of the Soil Association said: “This year’s Organic Food Award winners prove there is even more to their products than fantastic taste. Organic food producers champion health, and new solutions to the challenge of caring for people, farm animals and wildlife, while feeding an ever-growing population. I am thrilled that there were so many entries this year, reflecting recent research showing an overall return to growth in the organic market. The judges were often hard-pressed to make a decision in many categories as the quality was so high." She continued: "Congratulations to The Story Group with their Organic Chicken –  won for their incredibly high quality meat and their unwavering commitment to animal welfare from birth to end of life"

THE STORY ANIMALS are reared at farms based in the Chew Valley and Wrington Vale, near Bristol.