FARMING
A busy summer at Greenwell Farm
bottom on price. So please look for Dartmoor lamb in a Morrisons near you! On the back of the success of Lambing Live we are running a Great Gather event in partnership with The Dartmoor Hill Farm project. We are going to take members Mat Cole of the public with us when we round up our sheep on the s a small business we endeavour to mind our own common for shearing. We are expecting lots of people, and business and get on with our seasonal routines. It we will walk into the heart of the moor; whilst the sheep are has felt good that our prices for beef, lamb and all farm being rounded up around us on the common, I will give a produce have risen to a more sustainable level. The blow-by-blow account of what is happening. I will also take trouble of course is that costs have also been exploding the opportunity to talk about farming on Dartmoor, the as fuel and energy have risen. I suppose it just illustrates living history surrounding us and the symbiotic relationship how we are all tied to world events and it would seem between farmers on Dartmoor and the iconic landscape. that the cost-of-living crisis we are experiencing has Tom, our eldest, will be starting big school this September, very little to do with anything in this country. However, moving up from the small village school in Meavy to the we are all affected and sadly businesses will suffer and much larger Tavistock College. Meavy has done a fantastic fail because of it. As a Dartmoor job of nurturing a happy, little boy Farmers director, I met with We have spent 15 years into a very capable, young person Morrisons to finalise details for the helping to build a sustainable who is looking forward to the next lambs going into stores this season. chapter. It was a funny coincidence future for farmers on Dartmoor that I wrote my first links article I was expecting a catch-up with the lamb buyer and his boss, then sign back in the summer of 2015 when by working together, and off some details and off we would go. championing local, sustainable Tom first started at Meavy. Time But it was made very clear that most has flown as both seem to have beef and lamb customers in stores are downgrading passed by in the blink of an eye! their purchases from finest to own brand, lamb to chicken I have briefly introduced Dave in previous articles and or steak to burgers. Everyone is watching their budget. Our I now have another new recruit to the dream team at lamb is a regional offer in their finest range and although Greenwell. Charles has grown up on a nearby farm we are secure and they love the product, they pointed out similar to ours, and was keen to do an apprenticeship that as a result, sales could suffer for this coming lamb on a farm whilst studying at college. He has done really season. As a group of over 100 farmers working very hard well since he started and has already become a valued to promote Dartmoor, the small family farms which are member of our team. He is on a steep learning curve so important in delivering our iconic landscape and rich and Dave and I are giving him plenty of on-the-job tapestry of thriving habitats for wildlife, it made me feel learning and plenty of stick, obviously! The fact that I pretty vulnerable. But we have spent 15 years helping to have my very own Chas and Dave as entertainment will build a sustainable future for farmers on Dartmoor by be lost on the youngsters but it made me chuckle, and working together, and championing local, sustainable beef they will both be getting ‘Rabbit Rabbit’ T-shirts for and lamb. This has to be a better way than just relying Christmas! n on the global market and getting involved in a race to the Mat Cole, Greenwell Farm
A
“
”
Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts
Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 45
