We have farmed organically and with wildlife and habitat conservation principles since 1998. Part of the ground is Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve – the largest remaining raised bog in the British Isles.
Shetland cattle are a very rare breed and are perfect for West Moss-side land. They are light weight and small and do well on poor land, so are great for the moss ground where they spend some of the summer months grazing and browsing the unwanted regenerating birch, heather and rough grasses.
The cattle are a suckler herd which means that the calves have the milk and the herd stay together as a family group. The bull is with the cows late summer and calves are born in May/June. It is a small herd (or ‘fold’ as it is known in Shetland) with no more than nine breeding females. The bull calves are castrated and remain on the farm grazing and growing for two to two and a half years when they go to the butcher.
You can buy the beef direct from the farm freezer – just let me know when you are coming.
I also sell through the local Stirling foodhub. You can join (no cost) on the NeighbourFood website. It is a weekly market with a pickup at Stirling High School.
Of course if you come and stay in the yurts then it is a must to try some of the beef, barbeque or cook in the oven of the wood-burning stove and explore the farm too.
The kitchen garden
The organic fruit, vegetable and herb garden is very productive and provides produce for the house and for Andy the chef. We are working on developing it at the moment and we have help from a student from the Green Routes project. It will soon be tamed and back in full production after some years of neglect!
