Meet Our Animals

Slade Farm is a mixed organic farm that spans 800 acres. You might be wondering what a mixed farm is (and how big is an acre, for that matter - it’s about the size of a football pitch). A mixed farm is what it says on the tin: we ‘grow’ a mixture of animals, arable crops and vegetables. In a future post we can talk about the pros and cons of mixed farming, but for now let’s take a look at our animals. 

Slade is home to a balanced blend of animals – sheep, pigs, and cows – each with an important role in keeping the land productive and healthy. By using lower stocking densities, we protect the pastures and soil from overuse, allow our animals the space they need to stay happy and healthy, all while maintaining a sustainable environment. 

Crossbreeds, all

Before we get into how each of our animals contributes to the farm, it is worth noting that each species (cow, sheep and pig) that we raise is a cross of various pure breeds. The hope is that by mixing different breeds we raise animals that have all the strengths of the pure breeds, whilst minimising the negatives. 

With that in mind, here’s how each animal contributes to the farm.

The Sheep: Productive Grazers and Soil Builders

Our flock of 500 sheep – all a cross between Texel, Suffolk, and Romney breeds – are essential grazers on the farm. The Texel adds muscle and strength, the Suffolk brings a hardy, lean build which is fast to mature, and Romneys are well-suited to our climate.

Sheep with a view - Dunraven Bay in the distance

Lambing season is the busiest time of year on the farm and begins in late February and lasts about seven weeks. Each ewe can have anywhere from 0 to 3 lambs, which averages out to around 1.6 lambs per ewe across the entire flock. So, we start off with 500 sheep and end up with around 1300! Now you can see why it’s such a busy time. If you come to the farm any time in March you’re guaranteed to see escaped lambs prancing all over the place and Polly and Graeme looking in need of a well earned rest. 

Ahead of the ewes giving birth we bring them into the sheds and get them comfortable. This is so we can keep a closer eye on them as they give birth (and lend a helping hand if need be) and so that the newborn lambs are protected from the worst of the unpredictable early spring weather. This close care during their first few weeks helps us ensure each lamb gets off to a strong start.

Beyond providing wool and lambs, the sheep are vital for pasture management. Their grazing keeps grass controlled, and their manure naturally fertilises the soil, adding nutrients for the next crop cycle. All the manure that builds up in the sheds during lambing is composted down and later spread across the fields to improve soil health, and enhance the productivity of the farm.

Pigs: Soil Tillers and Composters

Our 50 pigs, a cross between Duroc and Gloucester Old Spot breeds, are efficient foragers and soil tillers. Duroc (an American breed) is strong and calm, while Gloucester Old Spots are skilled foragers and excellent mothers. Their natural rooting behaviour turns up the soil, which aerates it and adds organic matter through their manure.

Little…

…and large

The pigs also help reduce waste from our two-acre market garden. Imperfect or surplus vegetables that don’t make it into the veg bags each week become a nutritious addition to their diet, keeping waste to a minimum while giving the pigs a varied feed. With space to roam, the pigs naturally enrich the soil, helping prepare it for future planting without the need for non-organic inputs.

Cows: Grazers and Soil Enrichers

Our 150 cows—a mix of Hereford and Angus breeds—are essential in keeping our pastures fertile and productive. We have 50 mother cows, 50 calves, and 50 yearlings (or ‘fats’), rotating their grazing areas to prevent overuse of any single pasture. Herefords, known for their red coats and white faces, are very efficient at turning food (grass, silage, oats, etc.) into body mass, while Angus are renowned for their meat quality.

Calving season begins in January, during which we bring the cows into the sheds to ensure that the calves have a safe, warm environment. This controlled setting allows us to monitor the health of both mother and calf, helping the young ones get a solid start before heading back out into the fields once the ground has dried up enough for them to not churn it into a mud pit. Having the cows in the sheds also creates a bit of fun on the yard as the calves occasionally squeeze through the fence and go on adventures together.

Predominately Angus genes on show

Like mother, like child - Hereford colour on both

The cows’ grazing and natural fertilisation help maintain grass health and soil fertility. Their manure enriches the pastures, and rotating them across fields ensures that no single area is overburdened. This rotation supports crop health, especially for our wheat and oats, by creating a natural cycle of soil enrichment and regeneration.

And there you have it – a little tour of the Slade Farm animal team! Each animal has its own role, from the sheep who keep the grass in check (and give us a yearly lamb marathon) to the pigs who happily handle our veggie leftovers, to the cows who enjoy most of the year out in the fields and occasionally test the fences. So, next time you visit, you’ll know a little bit more about the animals you see, and what they’re doing for the farm.

(The keen eyed among you will note we left out two very important animals, our dogs Moo-two and Severus. We felt they probably deserved their own post in the future)

All photos taken on Slade Farm, by Felicity Crawshaw 

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Climate Change and its impact on Farming: Slade Farm

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INtroduction:

We’ve been surveyed and interviewed by a number of national organisations lately around the issue of climate change and its impact on farming. There is a consensus that weather patterns are shifting for farmers here in Wales and it does create some challenges as we work that land. We thought it would be interesting to share how climate change is shaping the way that we farm.

Climate Change and its impact on farming, images of farmland in drought and flood

Our aim on the farm is to achieve a balance between nature and the process of farming. Central to that is implementing ways of farming that develop resilience and in the face of the challenges that nature throws at us. In the recent past the shape of those challenges has changed.

Working With The Seasons:

The Welsh countryside offers a patchwork quilt of green fields, where sheep graze and (less and less) crops sway in the breeze. However, beneath the bucolic scene lies a delicate balance, one that's increasingly threatened by erratic weather. Traditionally, Welsh farmers have worked with the rhythm of the seasons. Farmers sow seeds in spring, harvest in autumn, and hunker down for the winter chill. Yet, climate change has disrupted this traditional tempo, throwing in unexpected twists and turns.

Exposure and Adaptation:

climate change and its impact on farming - Sheep feeding in the barn at Slade farm organic

Farming has become more and more specialised over the years which has created vulnerability to one-off shocks. Our climate, is becoming a source of these one-off shocks, especially in farms that focus on high intensity production. For example, if you focus all your efforts into breeding cattle, and there is a drought, then your food source (grass), becomes scarce. If you have field after field of wheat, weeks of heavy rain can waterlog and saturate the ground, ruining the crop. Here, at Slade Farm Organics, we are highly diversified. We have a low stock density with multiple enterprise; while bad weather impacts, it doesn’t impact equally. The diversification and low intensity spreads the risk.

The Three Day Rule:

Traditionally, British farming is built on the weather changing every three days. Unfortunately, over the last decade this has significantly changed. We are now experiencing long periods of settled weather patterns. As a result, our Spring/Summers are significantly long and dry, not necessarily hot. This is a problem for crop establishment. We do not have water storage facilities to use for irrigation. Likewise, we do not have mighty rivers to siphon from, like in the USA. The results can be devastating, with weaker crops and smaller yields.

Of course, in the Autumn/Winter the complete opposite happens. Planting in Winter and Spring is becoming frustratingly more difficult. Long periods of rain prevent cultivation and ploughing. Getting things into the ground is increasingly challenging. The volume of rain can lead to ground saturation and erosion. Sadly, these have long term impacts on the land, affecting the level of nutrients and therefore crop yields. Winter 2023/24 recorded the eighth wettest winter on record since records began. In addition to this, The Met Office reports that we have just experienced the second mildest winter on record, behind 2016, with hours of sunshine significantly set at 90% compared to 1991-2000 average.

Adaptation and Resilience:

We must adapt, as with all systems we must deal with the externalities if we are to be here for the next generation. Here at Slade Farm, we are investing in rainwater harvesting as a minimum sensible investment. Likewise, we are growing more and more drought resistant crop varieties such as Lucerne, chicory and rye mixes that have much greater rooting depth. (Please click on the link here to The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), to learn more about it in detail.) These types of crops build in resilience, this means even when the rest of the earth is parched, our forage crops (food for the animals) are still in a healthy condition.

Additionally, we have changed the time of year we plant some of our crops. Some of our Spring planting has shifted into late Summer and early Autumn, to ensure a proportion of the land is in production, in case of a wet Spring. How are other farmers coping with climate change and its impact on farming? From investing in renewable energy, to diversifying their income streams, they're finding innovative ways to weather the storm. And let's not forget the crucial role of community support networks, where farmers come together to share knowledge and lend a helping hand in times of need.

Looking to the Future:

We can’t control the climate here on our own. The reality is that it will continue to change, presenting new challenges and opportunities for Welsh farms. At Slade Farm we keep innovating to try and find ways of making the weather and the seasons predictable. For us, it seems that we are entering into a place where we have dry and wet seasons. Hopefully, with determination, innovation, and a healthy dose of Welsh resilience, we maintain and create a future of productive fields here in South Wales.

Conclusion:

A small glimpse into climate change and its impact on in South Wales. The fate of our farmers is deeply intertwined with the health of our planet. By supporting sustainable agriculture and advocating for climate action, we can all play a part in shaping a brighter future for Welsh agriculture and beyond. Thank you for reading. If you would like to learn more about Slade Farm Organics and our produce, please click here.