PASTURE FOR LIFE GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Ten years ago The Pasture-Fed Livestock Association (PFLA) was formed by four farmers in the back room of a pub. Now, with more than 600 members and almost 2,000 consumer supporters, the organisation is looking ahead with confidence and excitement. Sara Gregson reports…
The PFLA is a diverse and growing community of farmers, butchers, food retailers, academics and consumers, who all champion the regenerative use of grazing animals to produce 100% pasture-fed meat and dairy. More than 100 members are certified ‘Pasture for Life’, which means they can use the Pasture for Life rosette in the promotion of their food products. Consumers can be sure the animals their meat and dairy came from only ever ate grass and pasture, no grains. This year has seen the publication of a new mission and strategy in which the PFLA seeks to encourage more agroecological farming methods, promoting higher environmental outcomes and animal welfare and the production of nutritionally dense food. The PFLA aims to achieve its mission through three strategic pillars: • Culture – spreading awareness of the benefits of 100% pasturefed farming systems, through education, marketing and events, which will bring more people into
the network • Certification – providing a set of standards that act as a benchmark and developing market mechanisms so that certified products achieve premium prices and certified supply chains are suitable assured • Collaboration – working with the UK farming community to ensure that pasture-fed principles are at the forefront of agricultural thinking and the PFLA benefits from strong networks with funders and other like-minded organisations.
Regional groups Building on a number of existing groups, the PFLA is now seeking to support its membership at a more local level. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has granted the association significant £250,000 seed-funding to help do this over the next three years. “As the PFLA has grown the collegiate culture of the organisation which developed naturally from the start, will be served better by a regional structure,” says the PFLA’s Jimmy Woodrow.
“We shall nurture existing groups like those in the South East and Cotswolds and seek to establish additional groups around the country including in the lowlands of Scotland, South Wales, Cumbria, Herefordshire, Wessex, Devon and Cornwall. “Working locally will deliver many benefits, including being able to deliver more farmer-to farmer education, which acknowledges the variations in local traditions, soils, terrain, breeds and climate. “Certified producers will be encouraged to work together to develop local supply chains, identify regional processing hubs and work with butchers and retailers to promote Pasture for Life branded food. “The groups will also be encouraged to develop relationships with like-minded partner organisations spanning the farming, food and conservation sectors in their areas, such as the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB.” For more information visit www.pastureforlife.org
Pasture for Life farmer - Case Study Ollie White, Somerset Pasture-farming from scratch
Somerset born Ollie White always knew he wanted to farm, but it had to be low cost and low-input as he was working full time out of agriculture and had next to no money. “I did a lot of reading and came across Joel Salatin’s ‘You can farm’,” Ollie explains. “I was excited about the opportunities for grass-fed meats, stacking enterprises to maximise returns from the land and direct retailing to consumers.” A UK agricultural costings notebook stated the most profitable pasture-based enterprise to run was geese. So, in 2010 Ollie bought 57 goslings, which he set up on an original 1.6 hectares. He quickly set up a website and with the help of a Google Ads campaign, managed to sell all the birds. Ollie slowly added 7.3 more hectares and in 2014 he applied for, and was awarded, a 51-hectare Somerset
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Ollie White with his girlfriend
County Council farm on a ten-year tenancy, on the outskirts of Ilminster. After a lot of remedial work and 14km of fencing, Ollie moved his 11 beef cattle, 30 ewes and 250 goslings to Greenway Farm. The predominantly Aberdeen Angus beef cattle are bought as weaned calves to raise and finish on
ISSUE 12 | JANUARY 2021
