What and how do we farm?

We grow veg, meat, eggs and milk, but on a small and sustainable human scale that will provide food and fuel for visitors to the farm and the local community.

We want to use the good and wise old ways of doing things whilst not being afraid to think how to do things better and in new ways.

We are looking a lot into traditional small scale farming methods, crofting methods and new ways such as regenerative agriculture, holistic management, renewables and permaculture. I think there is a welsh word for crofting, tyddynwyr. We'd like to know more about that, if anyone can help us?

Much of this is aspirational and ongoing work, so if you do visit please don't be disappointed that we don't have groves of mature fruit, bushels of beets and stampedes of cattle. It's all work in progress, but I have indicated by each crop where we are(ish) with them.

Veg garden

We have a very new and windswept veg garden here at Henbant, it's a bit of a fight, but its one that we will win. We are trying to use as many perennials and as broad a range of varieties and types of plants as we can, so hopefully there should be enough that works in any season (and weather). The polytunnel is very effective.
 

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Sheep

Our sheep are mainly Jacob, shetland and other native breeds (we believe in diversity). They help us with the grazing and provide a great deal of meat and wool each year. We want to sell this directly and don't believe in over charging so please ask if you want to order any lamb, or mutton (we love tasty mutton) for the freezer (£8/kg) Sheep skins, or wool also available at times. 

Poultry

We have a beautiful and eclectic mix of chickens. They follow the sheep round the pasture, and get much of their food by foraging. We sell completely free range eggs from the farm. We also raise some meat for our own freezer. We often have Point of Lay hens available for sale that are well bred and make great outdoor free range birds.

Cattle

We have a few Jersey and Jersey/Welsh Black cattle which are forming our milking herd and we also have some Shetlands. We currently milk them for the family. We also have lovely herd Shetland cows, they are brilliant for conservation grazing and we use them to graze the woods and campsite in winter where they seem very happy even in the worst of weather.  The cattle provide beef, milk and manure.

Hay Meadows

About 97% of the UK's traditional wildflower hay meadows have been lost since WW1 and with those we lose a great biodiversity of not only plants but also insects and possibly mammals.

Welsh farms used to have a 'cae ysbyty' or hospital field, this was a meadow rich with herb species that they could turn sick animals into to feed on the herbs they may need to help them recover.

We are working to create our own flower rich hay meadows, our own 'Cae Ysbyty'. We are very lucky to be working with partners as a trial using green seeding techniques.

Wood

We need wood for building and fuel, our whole farm is heated by wood over the winter and we will soon only use wood as a cooking source as well.

Forest Garden

One of the best ways of farming is to copy nature, she's been producing a lot of food for a lot longer than we have. We are establishing a forest garden, maybe more easily thought of as a food forest, it will have larger nut trees and shelter/fuel trees on the north side, with larger fruit trees well spaced to allow soft fruits and perenial veg and herbs between, there will also be some sheltered spots for annual veg and flowers as well, one thing we need for this is diversity, get in touch if you have an interesting plant we could have a cutting from.

Pig

Pigs play a key role on the farm recycling waste veg and milk, as well as helping us cultivate land, they are a tractor we can eat. We have used pigs to open up sections of overgrazed pasture to use for our small scale market garden. 

Fruit

We have planted a variety of fruit trees, nut trees, rhubarb and soft fruit. They haven't done much yet, but I'll let you know more as they do.

Mushroom logs

With all our woodland we would be mad not to make our own mushroom logs, these are green cut logs of hardwood that are seeded with delicious fungi, these will also soon be for sale. 

The Wild Harvest

With all our hedgerows and rough land we want to share in nature's bounty, if it wants to grow and we can eat it then we should take our share, and we do.

Sunshine (when its not cloudy)

It may sound daft, but this is our most valuable resource here, not only does it make our grass grow but the farm is powered by solar PV panels, and our water is heated by the sun. Sunshine also recharges our lovely campers and illuminates the stunning scenery.