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Our
Farm
About us | What does 'organic' mean? | What does ‘biodynamic’ mean? | Our Vegetables | Our Pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle | Our Cereals | The Environment | Picture Gallery
About Us
Yatesbury is home to our organic family farm established in the beautiful Wiltshire downs over 35 years ago. We have changed our farming methods and combined our experience and tradition with our deep-rooted belief that farming should work together with nature and wildlife, not against it. Our principal goal is to achieve sustainability in a way that chemical farming can’t and to share the benefits of this approach by providing local food for local people.
Yatesbury Organic Farm is what is called a mixed farm. We are not specialising in one single working area but diversify our efforts into four different aspects of farming: vegetables, cereal, cattle and the environment around our farm.
We grow many varieties of vegetables in small plots covering 20 acres. Our farm is also home to various farm animals ranging from four Highland Cattle (Zebedee, Daisy, Dougle and Florence) to our rare breed Kuni Kuni Pigs ‘Rhubarb’ and ‘Custard’ and a substantial herd of Pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows and calves. They all roam extensively around the farm and graze on rich clover pastures, which rotate with wheat, rye and beans. This diversity enriches the soil and benefits the whole farm. Our whole farm is closely linked and interdependent on individual activities, all being as self-sustaining as possible.
All our vegetables, cereals and animals are raised in a balanced natural way that is totally GM free, producing real food that tastes great and is good for us and our planet. We prioritise animal welfare, give neither routine antibiotics nor growth promoting drugs and respect our animals as fellow creatures.
The Soil Association’s organic certification feels to be as much a reward for our efforts as it is a commitment to even more far-reaching changes. This is why we are currently in the process of enhancing our existing organic certification through further conversion to biodynamic farming methods with the relevant Demeter certification.
If you wish to find out more about us and how we farm we would be delighted to talk to you or show you around.
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What does 'organic' mean?
Organic systems recognise that nature has been successful in sustaining life for millions of years, so the basic principle of organic farming closely follows those of the natural world.
The word ‘organic’ is used to describe food, which has been grown without the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides. Organic food has been grown by working with nature rather than against it, by recycling natural materials to maintain soil fertility and encouraging natural methods of pest and disease control, rather than relying on chemicals. Organic farming recognises that our health is directly connected to the health of the food we eat and, ultimately, the health of the soil.
The Soil Association is the leading certifying body for organic farming methods in the U.K. It sets and controls strict regulations, known as standards.
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What does ‘biodynamic’ mean?
Biodynamic (from the Greek meaning Life Energy) farming works to bring more life into the soil by developing the soil humus. This is primarily done by the use of eight preparations which can be produced on the farm.
The first is known a 500 and is essentially carefully composted cow manure. A small quantity of 500 is stired in water to energise it, this adds oxygen to make the bugs multiply and is then sprayed onto the soil to improve the quality of the life in the soil.
The second is known as 501 which is crushed quartz crystal (silica). Again this is stired in water. The very fine crystals bring more light and form to plants especially after too much rain.
The other preparations, 502-507 are used mainly to improve the quality of compost.
The soil humus is the natural source of food for plants. Plants have two types of roots the white thick drinking roots and the thin fibrous feeder roots.
In a natural state and a biodynamic state the fine roots feed on the humus of the soil interacting to take what the plant needs and giving back some exudate substances for the humus to feed upon. The white drinking roots only take up water and facilitate the transpiration of the plant. In unnatural situations the liquid chemicals and fertilisers which are freely available in the soil water are taken up by these drinking roots and unnaturally force the plant to grow leaving it open to pest and disease attack.
Biodynamic farming also looks to a whole, closed farm approach. This means not importing anything onto the farm other than what might be thought of as one offs or medicinal. The farm should be self sustaining and not rely on constant external assistance.
The outcome of Biodynamic farming and gardening should be to produce food that is nutritious, full of life, leaves the farm/soil in a better state that before the food was grown.
Biodynamics is a science of life-forces, a recognition of the basic principles at work in nature, and an approach to agriculture which takes these principles into account to bring about balance and healing. It is part of the work of Rudolf Steiner - a new approach to science, which integrates precise observation of natural phenomena and clear thinking. Biodynamic methods include organic practices such as crop rotation, recycling through composts and liquid manures, and increasing plant and animal bio diversity. The rhythmic influences of the sun, moon, planets and stars are recognised and worked with where possible, just as the moon moves the tides so it affects all liquids including plant sap. These methods lead to a natural reduction of pests and diseases in plants and animals, and an increase in the nutritive and health-giving value of food produced.
The relevant certification system for biodynamic production methods is the ‘Demeter’ certificate. It is used world-wide (in over 50 countries) to verify to the consumer that food or products have been produced by biodynamic methods and standards. The Biodynamic Agricultural Association is the certifying body in the U.K.
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Our Vegetables
Yatesbury Organic Farm has been growing organic vegetables since 2001 on small plots covering 20 acres. We grow many varieties of standard and exotic species, maintaining high food diversity and bringing excitement back into the fields and the kitchen. Some of the most peculiar looking plants tend to turn out to be real delicacies.
All our vegetables are grown in a balanced natural way that is totally chemical and GM free. They simply taste so much better and are full of juice and flavour. On top of that, organically grown, they contain on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micro-nutrients than intensively farmed produce. Science says that it's good for you.
As one of our customers put it: “Delicious – as if straight from my mother’s kitchen garden!”. Our organic vegetables are freshly harvested, often on the day, keeping them full of goodness and flavour. We sell to a local whole saler who delivers to restaurants in Bath and the surrounding area.
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Our Pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle
In organic and biodynamic farming cattle are seen as an essential part of a sustainable farm business as they dramatically improve soil fertility. A fertile soil gives its goodness back to the crops thus improving the quality, taste and hardiness of the produce.
Our herd of pedigree Aberdeen Angus beef cattle is growing steadily from 6 heifers in 1996 to one hundred today. We also keep four Highland pets: Zebedee, Daisy, Dougle and Florence. Our cattle are raised solely on what they find in our own organic pastures and are given no feed supplements. Their welfare is paramount to us in the way we keep them and in the way we treat them. They are given neither routine antibiotics nor growth promoting drugs and, can you believe it, we even attend cow-psychology courses to make sure we understand and meet their needs and treat them with respect.
Every few months we sell fresh beef to customers via beef-boxes, delivered directly to your door. Please click here for more information, the date for the next delivery or to place an order.
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Our Cereals
Here at Yatesbury we produce a variety of organic crops, all year round. The cultivated cereals at the farm are wheat, rye and fieldbeans. Wheat and rye are mainly sold to Dove’s Farm near Hungerford, for processing into the famous Dove’s organic flour (which you can order via our extra list). The fieldbeans are sold as organic animal fodder for pigs, poultry and dairy cattle.
All our cereals are grown in what is called ‘crop rotation’, meaning that every year we change the location of crops in our fields. Every six to seven years we give our fields a complete break, when we seed them with clover for a few years. The clover in this method depletes the soil of pollutants, adds nitrates naturally and gives new dynamism and life in the form of fungi and bacteria. There is a strong interaction between field ecology and the hedgerows and wooded areas on the farm. They provide shelter and winter food for the natural predators.
We also carefully follow another important principal of soil improvement in biodynamic cereal farming, which is the use of a cultivator instead of a traditional plough. While ploughing would mean burying all the built up goodness in the soil, cultivating means a gentle hewing of the top layer. This keeps the disturbance of the soil environment to a minimum and enriches soil fertility and goodness. The results can be seen in our cereals, which are high in yield, resistant to illnesses and full of nutrients and taste.
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The Environment
At Yatesbury care for the environment is seen as the responsibility of a sustainable farm business and a long-term guarantee of its success. We therefore class the environment as one of the four main working areas of our farm, equal in importance to our three business areas: cereals, cattle and vegetables. We are currently in the fourth year of a ten year plan to maintain and improve the environment in terms of planting and caring for hedges, meadows etc. The results are already visible on every corner of the farm: From colourful finches nesting in the many hedgerows to beautiful butterflies and busy bees pollinating veggies, trees and flowers; from ladybirds, helping to keep pests at bay to impressive owls and bats finding shelter in our barns. Please have a look yourself in our picture gallery below – but be careful not to disturb them.
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Picture Gallery
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