Parish of Chew Stoke

Luke's Farming News

 

Newsletter - December 2011/January 2012.

 

Another belated newsletter, so apologise for that, but I really do not know where time disappears. With Christmas come and gone and a new year well under way, there have been so many things to get sorted and as usual a never ending list of tasks to complete on the farm. All the cows are now in their Herons Green Farm Hotel, 4 star I hasten to add and they are being looked after superbly with a beautiful bed of straw being applied daily and around 4 tonnes of forage being fed. We have just invested in a new straw chopper, which means no more back breaking work distributing straw around the barn and getting a chest full of dust, thank goodness for the digital revolution, a straw chopper with a internal control box.

November / December usually means the month when all of our cows return to the farm yard to be housed for the winter although this month the extremely mild weather and the growth of grass throughout the year has meant that we have been able to keep the livestock out a little longer. We usually like to have our yearly TB test during these months to make life a little easier with getting cattle back in from the fields.

Most cattle and deer herds are tested regularly to check they are free of TB. TB tests are designed to measure an animal's immune response, either by a skin test on the animal, or by a laboratory test on a blood sample. Herds in low-risk areas, which send most animals to slaughter, may be exempt from testing, because any TB will be identified by slaughterhouse inspection. The frequency of routine tests depends on the TB risk in a herd or area, ours is actually tested yearly so technically we are in a high risk area as it is important to monitor the possible spread of the disease.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease of cattle. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), which can also infect and cause TB in badgers, deer, goats, pigs, camelids (llamas and alpacas), dogs and cats, as well as many other mammals. Bovine TB is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be transmitted from affected animals to people, causing a condition very similar to human TB. However, the risk of people contracting TB from cattle in Great Britain is currently considered very low.

The Community Farm have had another exciting share offer going where we have attracted some more valuable investors. We unfortunately have not reached our overall target and are extending the offer for a further 3 months until the end of Feb 2012. So for, all of the local contingent that are not currently involved with The Community Farm, this is a fantastic opportunity to change the way in which you and others think about food and the way in which you can purchase and eat good honest local food direct to your door. Get involved by checking out our brand new web site at www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk

 

There are a number of ways you can become involved in The Community Farm:

If you need any further information. If you want more information on boxes you can call 0845 617 1174 for details.

The Story Group farm shop in Wrington is going well, with new customers every week discovering our great tasting meat. We are very proud of all of our livestock and are very excited about our new Pig enterprise.

We want to localise where we sell our products so that it is in line with our business philosophy and values. We are called The Story because we are passionate about creating great tasting local and organic food that respects the animals and the environment. We want people to know the story behind the meat they eat and to tell you all about it.

It is not just about Beef, recently we have added Chicken, Pork and Lamb to The Story product range so you can pick up from the shop at Wrington or order direct through our box scheme home delivery service, we supply local restaurants and schools.

We are a small company with a big story to tell about great tasting local organic food and we don’t want to tell it through the supermarkets. It is important to us to engage with our customers to give them what they want and listen to their feedback. We believe our business can play a vital role in reconnecting people with their food. Indeed we are so proud of our farms, animals and the meat we produce we want to be able to communicate with our customers directly. We positively encourage people to come and visit our farms.

And aside from us wanting to tell everyone our story, only good things can come out of localised supply chains, not only on an environmental level but they also strengthen communities and the local economy. It’s positive for everyone involved.

We look forward to supplying you some orders or you can pick up from our local shop with the finest meat in the West Country. Order your meat via emma@thestorygroup.co.uk or 01934 861033 or Come and say hello @

The Story Farm Shop @ WRINGTON
Nates Lane, Wrington, BS40 5RS
Open
Thursday 10 am – 7pm
Friday 10 am – 5pm
Saturday 10 am – 1.30pm