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8. Fordscroft Farm
The cows that graze at Fordscroft Farm, Hinton St George, can look down from its rolling hills and see the milk they produce entering the Coombe Farm dairy, less than a mile and a half away. When food miles are an ever greater concern, its close proximity to the dairy makes it a model of energy efficiency.
Fordscroft’s land has been in the hands of the same family since 1955 and their association with Coombe Farm now spans almost as long -- more than 50 years. Today it’s run by Peter Irish and his son Andrew, who keep a herd of around 220 Holstein/Friesian cross dairy cows on it, though since becoming organic they have started to move to Swiss reds, a smaller breed that they feel is more in keeping with the ethos of organic farming and food production.
As well as the cows, and a longstanding herd of wild deer that has roamed its woodland for as long as anyone can remember, the land they farm is also the location of the remains of a medieval fort and a massive Roman villa that has been the subject of one of the television Time Team investigations.
Says Andrew Irish: “We try to be not just organic, but also self sufficient, so we also grow our own organic wheat, corn and maize to produce most of our own cattle feed. We were told when we started that growing maize organically here was impossible, as the birds would decimate it if it wasn’t sprayed, but we’ve proved it can be done.
“Having become organic we wouldn’t go back to being a conventional producer, using chemicals to put back all the goodness that has been taken out of the soil. Farming naturally is better for the land, the livestock and the long-term future of the farm. The Roman’s obviously decided this was a good spot when they built their villa and we are keen to continue developing naturally it for the future.”