As the month draws near and I approach another year older I reflect on the fact that we have been running the farm for 20 years since my parents passing. That time flies so quickly that I am also approaching the age in which they passed and perhaps it is time to think more about how the food we eat and the life that we lead can improve and increase the likelihood of living longer.
I started The Story Farms & Butchery to share both the magic and reality of food production with my community. When you have a hand in producing, harvesting, and preparing the food that nourishes your body, you can begin to honour the life that sustains you.
For me, honouring the life that sustains us means taking care of both the animals and the earth. Hence the use of rotational grazing, a practice that entails regularly moving the cows and pigs to new areas of pasture. This principle is key to land restoration. The pigs make quick work of uprooting invasive species that prevent native grasses from thriving and they fertilise the soil with rich manure. Where the pigs and cows have trampled the grasses and turned new seeds into the soil, a regenerated grassland ecosystem regrows.
Land restoration is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to The Story’s ethical production practices. We source organic grains to supplement the pigs’ diet. In addition, we use cover cropping to boost soil health in the soil and train the pigs to eat in the trailer that will someday take them to the slaughterhouse, reducing their overall stress.
Farrowing, or breeding, is also central to the work at The Story Farms. After years of struggling to buy feeder pigs (piglets that farmers purchase, feed, and finish for the meat market) due to limited supply. We decided to start our own farrowing (breeding) operation and closed herd of pigs. A closed herd means that animals aren’t being introduced from new environments or farms, which is better for herd health, especially in organic production. This means that the pigs live their entire lives on the farm prior to being sent to slaughter, better for stress reduction and animal well being.
In most conventional pig farming, the animals are given preventative antibiotics to combat the diseases associated with intensive, confined pig farming operations. This can contribute to stronger bacteria that are more resistant to antibiotics, posing a threat to modern antibiotics that humans rely on. Though this is less of a concern for our pigs which are raised in the open air, we are always working to ensure the pigs are as healthy as possible, bolstering their diet with diverse foods, grains, and probiotics. On the rare occasion when one of the pigs does become sick, we treat them judiciously with the necessary medicines.
Of course, it takes a village to make farms like The Story a sustainable reality for us farmers. There are many ways that customers, community members, and landowners can help. At the community farm we have plenty of farmer days and volunteering opportunities to come and learn more.
Wanting to purchase from The Story? You can find our products at our butcher shops, of course, and also select farmer’s markets, drop sites in Bristol at Betterfood shops / Brockley Stores and Public Market.
Last but not least we are excited to welcome Peter Clements to our team this month who has joined us as our new master butcher. For those who participate in our whole or half-hog shares, The Story can offer a free 30-minute cut list consultation with Peter to ensure that customers get exactly what they want.
Deal of the Week:-
Why not visit the farm and check out www.naturesspectacular.com where we would love to welcome you to our wonderful space over looking the beautiful Chew Valley Lake. We have just moved into autumn rates but it still feels like summer.
Quote I’m Pondering:
“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”
– Dorothy Parker
PS – I had a meeting with Bristol University this week about getting regenerative organic pasture for life meat into the campus canteen, now that would be a good news story for our next generation students.
