THE WONKY HORN WAY
FARMING WITH A CONSCIENCE
Westcott Farm is located in the Brendon hills on the edge of Exmoor National Park. We are surrounded by the wonderful Quantock and Blackdown Hills which is a truly stunning dramatic landscape. There have been records of a farm on this site since the 13th Century, and we take the privilege of living and working among such history and such amazing scenery seriously.
All 260 acres of our farm are certified Organic, as is the butchery. We’re committed to giving every one of our animals the best life they can have, and to providing our customers not only with delicious, nutritious high quality produce, but also the confidence that the meat they’re choosing to eat has been raised the way nature intended.
ALL THINGS GREEN...
As well as our Longhorn beef cattle, Exmoor horn sheep, Large Black pigs and chickens, we feel a real responsibility for the protection of the land they roam and the grasses and pastures they graze on.
Since becoming custodians here, we have continued the amazing work of the previous owners in managing the hedgerows. These fantastic ecosystems teem with life all year round, providing shelter and food for our animals and a huge range of birds and bugs. Westcott Farm has over 20km of hedgerows, and we’re adding more! We have created wildlife corridors across the farm, and re-instated hedges where they once were in the past.
We practise regenerative farming here on the farm. In simple terms, this means that we are managing the soil health, growing and nurturing the microbes in the soil to create an eco system that grows wonderful grass whilst also sequestering carbon at the same time. The animals play a crucial role in managing this and our grazing management is all about enhancing soil structure and health.
We also have wonderful wildflower meadows where a plethora of plants and flowers grow. These are perfect habitats for the birds and pollinators, and they make beautiful vibrant splashes of colour across the farmland. We have wonderful woodland that enhances the wildlife diversity and varied ecosystems on the farm.
These practices mean that the farm is now carbon negative – something we will strive to uphold. As the farm and the farm shop grows, we guarantee that our commitment to the local landscape will stay central to everything we do. If you’re ever in the area, why not come for a visit? We’d love to show you around the farm, so you can see how we do things first hand, and learn more about the benefits of organic pasture-fed regenerative farming.
THE SCIENCE BIT...
All of our animals are grass and pasture fed, rather than grain fed. Not only is this better for the animals, it also comes with health benefits for you, too, as you sit down to eat your delicious organic meat. First off, it’s lower in saturated fat. It’s also got higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids, and more balanced ratio of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids, with higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid and higher levels of vaccenic acid which can be turned into CLA. (Told you we were getting scientific!) Grass-fed meat is also particularly rich in vitamin A and E minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.
It also boasts a flavour that far exceeds anything you have had before.