As farmers we tend not to watch much television, unfortunately there’s always something else to be tended to and it’s fair to say we are an outdoor bunch. But when Channel 4 came to ask about letting a couple of our calves head off to pastures new for a TV show there was only one answer…. of course.
In todays world all you hear is about Veganism and how destructive an effect animal breeding is having on the environment. Well what Channel 4 are doing is helping people have a much wider understanding of what happens rather than just taking for granted what others say.
So where does your meat come from? That’s a major point of “Meat The Family” – to have the animals you eat on a regular basis in your garden/home and understand more about them. At the end of the time with them the question is “do you want to send them back to their environment where you know they will end up on the table or not”? From what I’ve read so far the series has made people think more about buying organic or free range products.
At the farm
We try and farm sustainably by having an almost close loop i.e. we don’t kept more livestock than the farm can produce hay/cereals for.
In addition to that all the manure the animals produce is spread back on the farm to fertilise next year crops. And so the cycle continues which is why we are proud as veal farmers. It’s not the same as other intensively reared farms.
For us I guess whats important is how people think about the waste that goes with food, how efficient our farming is and how ethically reared our animals are.
A great article can be read here from Steffan who had our brown eyed calvees living with him. It was really interesting listening to what he came up with in having our calves at his home.
So what did he think of the experience? Take a look on Channel 4, 22 January at 9pm. You can then make your own mind up about veal farming and the Rose veal meat we produce.
If you’re still a carnivore after reading this you can buy online in our veal shop
#eatbettermeat #lessmeatbettermeat