Graig Farm - What is Organic? > How our animals are reared > Rhos Fiddle Meat - Rearing

Rhos Fiddle Meat - Rearing

Trevor Wheeler has been working the land and rearing animals around the ancient Clun Forest all his life.

For a number of years, Trevor has been grazing stock in partnership with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust at Rhos Fiddle Nature Reserve near Clun. The reserve is the country's leading site for breeding snipe and wading birds.

Trevor rears animals on Rhos Fiddle, using ancient breeds which are ideal for the job of keeping the Reserve in a suitable state for the glorious wildlife it supports.

You can now taste the result of this traditional livestock system by ordering boxes of meat from Trevor's animals. The lambs are seasonally available from September to May.

Rhos Fiddle

One of the quietest places in Shropshire, this heathland hilltop has a feeling of ancient wilderness - a large surviving fragment that has retained its continuity with the past in striking contrast to much of its surroundings, now vivid green agricultural pastures.

 

Small-scale peat-cutting here during medieval times left a legacy of pools; these and the surrounding wet heath make this an ideal place for wading birds, particularly curlew and snipe. Skylarks sing and dragonflies are plentiful too, including the black darter.

Find sphagnum mosses and cotton grass in the wet bits; in April through to June look in the drier grassland for yellow mountain pansy, a characteristic plant of Shropshire's hilltops now scarce, but still plentiful here.

For those unable to walk the tussocky terrain, the big skies and something of the atmosphere of this beautiful place can be appreciated just from the edge of the road.

For more information on how to visit Rhos Fiddle, click here

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The Livestock

The Sheep

Hebridean Sheep Trevor's sheep are based on the Hebredian breed - an ancient, hardy breed of Scottish sheep. They thrive on the limited feed available on the Reserve. The sheep are a cross between the Hebredian and more "meaty" breeds of sheep,such as Texel, which give a better shape and yield of meat.

 

 

The Cattle

The Highland is one of the mostdistinctive breeds of cattle in the UK. Its shaggy coat enables it to survive in the harshest of conditions, and it thrives on the grasses and herbs of Rhos Fiddle.

 

The Meat

Initially, only organic lamb is available from Rhos Fiddle. There are two sizes of selection box. All the meat is, like all Graig Farm meat, able to be kept frozen for up to 12 months.

Standard Rhos Fiddle Lamb Box

Standard box Rhos Fiddle lamb
Contains :
1 boned & rolled shoulder, 2 half legs, 1 rack, loin chops, chump chops, neck, and 1 breasts.
Total weight 3.5-5kg BUY NOW   (seasonally available from September to May)

Large Rhos Fiddle Lamb Box

Standard box of Rhos Fiddle lamb
Contains :
2 shoulders, 1 whole plus 2 half legs, 2 racks, loin chops, chump chops, neck, and 2 breasts.
Total weight 7-10kg BUY NOW  (seasonally available from September to May)

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