Ethical Farming

Shepherds and herdsmen in the stunning rugged countryside of the north of England are renowned the world over for their passion and commitment to tending their flocks and herds by being with them day and night. These are people who often think more of the welfare of their animals than themselves and for whom an outdoor life, even in some of the most severe conditions, is as normal as it is for others to go to work in a car.

When you see bales of straw placed in fields during winter, either in galvanised steel feeders with sheep and cattle eating from them or simply in stacks with sheep clambering on them as well as receiving sustenance, they haven't been positioned there by accident. The farmer concerned has ensured and keeps ensuring daily that his or her livestock receives enough to consume regardless of whatever the weather brings to bear.

Farmison & Co believe that tenderness, succulence and taste sensations in quality meat start from these roots of traditional animal husbandry from farmers who care, know their animals, love the rural life and understand that natural native breeds still have an important place to play in our nation's culture and on our plates. That's why considerable time is taken over sourcing from those countrymen and women who share their own principles.

Animal husbandry is a job as old as the hills. Over centuries and one would imagine for millennia the men and women who tended to their flocks and herds understood that while the animals they raised inevitably lead to consumption this did not stop them from looking after them as they would themselves. There has always been an inherent feeling that animals are also friends and this still leads to many farmers, even today, having names for each of them - even though this may not be the case if you have one thousand sheep on the moor!

Experimenting with bloodlines is as much a part of husbandry as preserving them. Farmers have historically paired breeds to combine the most desirable traits of each and also to ensure consistency in the meat. This often also improves the health of the animal, as part of a process called hybrid vigour. Take the Northern Mule sheep breed for instance, one of Northern England's most recognisable breeds and a cross between a Blue Faced Leicester tup and a hardy Swaledale ewe. The cross ensures consistent, quality meat from the paternal line, which can cope with the harsh life on the upland fells as Swaledales are bred to. We sell pure bred meat as often as we can but we also sell cross-bred meat too. This meat still provides the quality and unique characteristics of the heritage breed with the consistent finish of the paired breed.

When you purchase any of the meats from the Farmison & Co range you are assuring yourself of a quality product from farmers who embrace the principles of naturally grown, sustainable, well-tended, and stress free animals.