Slow-Grown Holistic Livestock Farming in North Yorkshire

As custodians of the land that we have been blessed to steward, it is very important to us that we farm in a very mindful and ethical way.  Our way of life has to be continuous for many more generations to come.  It is important that we build up the land. With excellent water and mineral cycles, high flow of energy and rich biologically diverse communities.  In a time when climate change is at the forefront of many people’s minds, it’s imperative to live as nurturing as possible.  Farming with nature at the heart of our actions, we can work in harmony and balance with our environment, providing nutrient dense forage for our grazing animals, which will in turn produce nutrient dense food for us.

As our animals are moved regularly and the pastures are able to rest, it is extremely unlikely that they will need worming medication.  If anything is to be administered, homeopathy is always our first option.  This action alone is fantastic news for all the wonderful insects we need to have healthy soil.  Worming medication and other chemicals often used in modern farming are known to have detrimental effect on the many insects we and our soils rely on.  Because we do not use pharmaceuticals or chemicals to control pests, parasites and flies, means that the animals that feed on the dung, taking it’s nutrients in to the ground, are not adversely affected, so that their communities can thrive which then eat many of the fly eggs that are on the laid on the dung, nature takes care of itself and cleans up after itself, if allowed to do so.

We regularly go through the fields scattering seeds of a variety of plants, many herbs that will be not only nutritional for our livestock but will also act medicinally when they need.  Some plants help to cleanse the blood, others help cleanse the urinary tract, others ease respiratory issues and others help clear unwanted parasites.  Keeping our forage divers, not only helps to keep a healthy diverse environment but helps keep our animals healthy and in turn ourselves healthy.  By scattering seeds just before the animals graze an area of land means that the seeds will get trodden in to the soil and the animal dung provides the nutrients and minerals to assist in the plant growth the following season.  It requires very little input from ourselves, just a little cost and a small amount of effort walking the land, with as little as possible of mechanical machinery used, resulting in a positive environmental impact.