Why is Organic Better?
- It’s kinder to animals,
and if an animal has had a happy life it tastes better
- It means that we’re not
eating any unnatural chemicals, which has to be a good
thing
- It’s better for
the environment. Organic
farming encourages a greater diversity of wildlife
and removes the problem of pollution by dangerous chemicals.
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What is Organic?
Organic
meat comes from animals that have been farmed using a
strict set of rules and regulations. These are policed
by a group of regulatory bodies, the largest being the
Soil Association. Once a farm has been passed as organic
by the Soil Association they inspect it yearly thereafter. We
thank our supplier Childhay Organics for the further
explanations below. |
Free Range
The animals
must be kept in natural, free range conditions. For example,
our pigs may live their whole lives outside and have
warm, straw bedded huts to sleep in. Our beef animals
live outside in grass pastures for about nine months
of the year, but because winter weather can be so wet,
making the ground boggy, they are brought into open straw
bedded barns over the winter months. Our sheep live outside
all their lives, but if the weather is cold and wet when
they are lambing they can be brought in for a few days
following lambing.
This helps the welfare of the ewes and lambs at that critical
time. |
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No Pesticides or Herbicides
The land
where organic animals are kept or where their feed is
grown must not be sprayed with pesticides or herbicides.
This is the most important difference between
"Free Range" and certified "Organic".
Organic farming is better for the environment, creating
a much greater diversity of birds, butterflies and other
fauna and flora as well as protecting water courses and
cutting pollution from sprays and other dangerous chemicals.
No Artificial Chemical Fertilisers
Our best friend
on an organic farm is clover. This does two jobs - making
the grass very sweet and tasty and absorbing nitrogen into
the grass. We also use a good, old-fashioned rotation system,
moving crops and animals around the farm to keep the ground
fertile and healthy.
No Antibiotics
Preventative
antibiotics, as regularly used for example in conventional
pig farming, cannot be used in organic livestock. In case
of illness a course of antibiotics can be given,
but we try to use homeopathic medicines wherever possible.
No Genetically Modified (GM) Food
No genetically
modified crops or ingredients are allowed on organic farms. |
Animal Welfare
Under organic
standards, our animal welfare is supported by groups
such as Compassion in World Farming. These standards
cover the whole life of the animal and include issues
such as handling, transport and slaughter. |
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Why Does Organic Meat Cost More?
There are
four main reasons why organic meat costs more than meat
produced by intensive farming methods. Using pigs
as an example:
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The
organic food that we feed our pigs is two and a half
times the price of conventional pig food. Our pigs
also consume more food because they are kept outside
and need to eat more to keep warm and have the energy
to move around.
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An organic
sow has fewer piglets than a conventional one. Similar
to a wild boar, her piglets aren't weaned until eight
weeks old, whereas conventional piglets are weaned
at three weeks. We therefore can't produce as much
from our land as a conventional farmer.
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Homeopathic
medicines are more expensive than conventional ones.
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The
organic system is more labour intensive. Feeding
and handling methods mean that we need to employ
more staff.
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We Are What We Eat
Organic
food contains higher levels of Vitamin C and essential
minerals, and our health is directly connected to the
health and well-being of the food that we eat. But of
course the other main reason that people choose organic
is the flavour - it tastes like real food! |
