May 2025

We’ve been blessed with some cracking weather across April. It was much needed as a very wet winter led to quite a few fields being very clogged up and muddy. The sun seems to have dried them out quite well which means we can now put cattle out on these pastures.

Previous ‘springs’ have brought snow and plenty of rain - the unpredictable nature of it is just something we’re having to adapt to as we go along. Always prepared is the moto!

The lambs and ewes all look good out in the fields. They love exploring the woodlands along the River Tern once they’ve established a strong bond with mum and start to feel more confident. They start to put fences and hedgerows to test! We’ll be looking to get the sheep sheered in the next few weeks in anticipation of the end of spring and start of summer.

Shawn has also been busy planting turnips (by hand) into the empty pig paddocks. The hope for this that in rotation each paddock will have a period of rest after a litter of piglets has vacated, allowing these turnips to grow. As well as being a food source the turnips will provide nutrients for pigs and help restore the ground structure as rooting pigs can quickly dig their way through a paddock!

The soil here at Fordhall is very special to us. If you didn’t know the pastures here on the farm haven’t been plowed for over 70 years which is known as foggage farming and was the idea of Ben’s late Dad-Arthur Hollins. By not plowing the land and disturbing the soil, grasses and earth worms it has allowed for a tight root structure of over 70 different species of herbs and grasses, which has created a habitat for sheep, cattle and mother nature to work in harmony. In a recent survey on the farm the average worm count was nearly double what might be expected to be found in Britain, so it goes to show what happens above the soil effects it below too!

To see more about our soil and farming practices click the following link.

Regenerative farming