Richard and Miranda Smallwood, with working collie Jill.

"Outstanding in their fields".

About the Farmers.

Richard bought Churndon Ridge in 2001 and is only 1/2 mile away from where he was born and some of his family still farm. He has known this land and been involved in farming bovines here all his life. As a three year old he was running up and down the old  shippen passage demanding "More milk" for his beaker cup whilst his parents milked, and 30 odd years later has still not sense enough not to stand behind cows. After studying  Electronics to Degree level, he subsequently worked in industry for several years, but is delighted to be back where it all started, and avoiding any queuing down the M6 or round the M25!

Miranda holds a a Phd in Biochemistry and comes from Louth in Lincolnshire where her parents still farm; hence the Lincoln Red connection. After publishing research at King's College in London, Miranda is now in charge or poorly calves, tame lambs, bale wrapping, field rolling and generally helping out when the going gets tough. It is she who wears the trousers!

The Farm.

The farm is of a heavy clay soil typical of Northern Dartmoor, with the upper half of the holding on shillet, and the lower half on clay pans. Not the easiest of land to work but extremely productive for grass in the right hands. We use a low artificial fertilizer input system that relys primarily upon light applications of high-straw-content cattle dung, correct maintainance of soil ph, soil aeration through harrowing and subsoiling, and weed control through grazing and cutting rotaion.

We do not use pesticides, and use cattle medicines sparingly and only when actually required. The cattle range free at grass for the majority of the year, and are only housed for winter when inclement weather persists, the grass ceases to grow, and ground conditions are too soft for grazing. During the indoor period, the cattle are deep littered on straw and run open yards, being fed silage and hay from bales we harvested on the farm during the summer months.

The cows give birth mostly in the mid spring at grass, and their offspring are only weaned from their mums at nine to ten months after birth, allowing the cows a two month window of winter rest. After weaning, the calves are kept and fed for another 21 months and finished on a primarily grass/silage diet to give us the quality  flavoured beef, high in omega/3 and trace elements that we aim to produce.

All feeding, harvesting, animal husbandry, machinery and general farm work is undertaken by ourselves and results in a long working day/week. When you are enjoying our meat, (and we know you will), it is only by virtue of our own hard work. We are part of the Entry Level Stewardship Scheme and needless to say, all our animals are of fully traceable origins.   

Our Beef.

Our meat is hung and butchered locally, normally hanging in licensed chilling rooms for just over three weeks before cutting. This hanging process is expensive, both for the hire of the room, and as we can lose 20% of the carcase weight through drying,  but well worth the wait for the superior flavour and texture that results from this traditional method of producing good beef that is difficult to find from the ordinary large retailer. Our orders are dispatched straight from our butcher by courier, or delivered personally by me if closer to home.

Richard Smallwood.