Martin Bartlett,
East Shilvinghampton FARM
W
e’ve been farming here for 70 years or more,” says Martin
Bartlett. “Since my grandfather moved out here.” Originally,
the farm produced dairy, but in 2009 the focus shifted to a
suckler beef herd. Today, there are about 100 calving cows
and 300 livestock on the farm, including pedigree Limousin,
alongside Hereford and Aberdeen Angus.
While the farm is not officially organic, Martin is proud that the
cattle are raised “in a very traditional, local way – they graze in
summer and come into the sheds to eat silage in winter.”
A relatively stress-free life for the animals, he says, makes
the beef better, and Martin keeps food miles to a minimum
by sending the cows to an abattoir in nearby Bridport –
transporting cattle long distances causes them stress, affecting
the quality of the beef. “People say it’s significantly better than
what they can buy in the supermarket. In the summer months,
business is very steak and burger orientated, but our stewing
meat and mince are also popular.”
Limousin cattle produce
lean, tender meat
The ethos at East Shilvinghampton (who are also a member
of the Feather Down Farms glamping group) is sustainability.
“We don’t waste any of our meat. We only send an animal to
slaughter when we need more meat,” he says.
Ultimately, beef farming is a balancing act. “Food is too
cheap and farms struggle,” Martin says. “But if people buy local
produce they can help their local environment and economy.”
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James Sealey,
Jurassic Coast Meats
D
irector James Sealey started Jurassic Coast Meats around nine years ago as the
marketing arm of Fossil Farm to supply local hotels, pubs and restaurants with
dairy-bred bull calves. Today, the farm dispatches two to three animals a week and
specialises in veal and rose veal. The former applies to calves under 8 months, and the
latter between 8 and 12 months. That has meant overcoming misinformation.
"When we started we were doing ques