Farm feature

Low stocking rate used to achieve a ‘distinctive’ taste

January 8, 2010

The welcome return of mutton to the kitchen table has sealed the confidence of one Worcestershire farmer, who is promoting its profile on and away from his keyboard. Katie Johnson discovers why age can reap rewards.

Rob Harvard is a busy man, but would not want it any other way. Farming in partnership with his father, David, he rears grass-fed mutton to sell direct to the public, while using creative ways to further develop his customer base.

This is run alongside his full-time job looking after one of the country’s favourite landmarks as conservation officer for the Malvern Hills.

“We are a small farm and have to make it pay better. I like keeping busy,” says David, who farms 80 hectares (200 acres), with his wife, Claire, and two young children.

Phepson Farm is part-owned, part-rented and situated in the village of Himbleton, near Droitwich, Worcestershire.

Bought by Rob’s great grandfather in 1919, Phepson Farm had originally been run as a traditional mixed farm with 500 commercial ewes, 30 suckler cows and arable - until five years ago when it took a different direction.

Now, the Worcestershire holding is all grassland and home to 250 Wiltshire Horn sheep and 20 traditional Hereford steers, which graze nature reserves belonging to the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

The farm is in Countryside Stewardship, and recently some of the rented land has entered into Higher Level Stewardship.

“We’re making the margins on the meat, so we don’t have to push the land. Our aim is to get as much money from as little input.”

The significant change started with the purchase of 20 rare primitive Wiltshire Horn ewes to breed from, selling the lamb privately to friends and family. An instant hit, it was not long before people were asking for more.

“The difference in the taste was incredible. Having produced commercial lamb for years, we were basically producing lean meat as cheaply as possible that tasted like cardboard,” he says. “With the Wiltshire, not only can you taste the difference, you can see it.”

Rare breeds

“I was intrigued by the choice of this once rare breed, which 20 years ago was in danger of extinction. Easycare sheep are coming into their own with the sheep industry, and Wiltshire Horns shed their wool, so there is no shearing or dagging.

“We breed to have as tight a fleece as possible so there is very little fly strike, and if you get it, you apply one treatment and it’s gone.”

The flock has what is classed as a hair fleece - a springy downy covering which is shed as they fatten in spring.

An added bonus is that none of it goes to waste as the birds pick it off the ground for nesting material.

“It saves a lot of jobs and there is nothing in the wool trade now. But the potential is there for selling stock rams as they have a very good carcase on them.”

According to Rob, this downland sheep, with its good feet and killing out at around 55 per cent, has a lot going for it and can be used as a terminal sire.

“If you wanted to breed fleeces off it, usually the first cross will get rid of the belly wool from the lambs. If you go three or four crosses further, you can breed the wool off completely.”

Introducing mutton

The introduction of mutton came about when he heard of a Wiltshire Horn breeder selling up who didn’t want to put his older ewes through a sale.

Rob decided to take them on and, looking for an alternative to market, joined The Mutton Renaissance Campaign launched by Prince Charles.

“The work they do is fantastic. Top chefs using mutton on television makes people aware and makes our life easier.

“We’ve moved away from the image of it being from the old ewe in the flock. Mutton Renaissance focuses on animals aged between two and five years, so it is still classed as prime meat, with an amazing flavour.”

When it comes to selling direct, there are certain things Rob has to take into consideration, and processing costs is one of them. Abattoirs can do most of the work and the business uses one in Gloucester.

This works well for those who are happy to have half a sheep in a box and are not worried how it is cut and vacuum packed - or equally others who want it presented as they see in a supermarket.

For food shows, Rob uses master butcher, Tony Checketts, from nearby Ombersley, who used to buy and kill his grandfather’s livestock.

An average of 10 sheep are killed each month, but that number is growing quickly. With a restaurant from London’s Covent Garden now keen to do business, the balancing act will be keeping chefs happy - bearing in mind they will have to wait at least two weeks for the mutton to hang.

The mutton is sold with its fat gained from wildlife-rich pastures, which gives it a distinct flavour. Carcases of 40kg deadweight will deliver 33-35kg of saleable meat, depending on how much fat there is to trim. It is then sold between £7.50-£8.50/kg, although this can vary between customers.

Grass-fed throughout the year, sheep are only brought in the month before lambing, which starts beginning of March and lasts six weeks. This ties in with Rob’s holiday, but his father helps in the initial phase.

Rob believes the breed makes excellent mothers and offers easy lambing at a normal rate of 150 per cent.

Lambs are weaned until mid-July, and because they don’t stock heavily, 80 per cent will be fat from October onwards, providing the option of being sold as lamb, if Rob wishes.

The breeding programme with this slower-maturing breed means ewe lambs are put to the tup as shearlings, enabling them to grow.

Breeding ewes are kept for as long as good condition scores and soundness in feet, mouth and udder permit. Rob says there is always a market for them as anything over the age of five goes into mince.

If he spots nice ewe lambs, he will buy them as they are cheaper, having got the ground for them to graze.

Everything is pedigree, so buying-in means he gains the best quality stock he can. raising the standard of the flock, which helps when it comes to selling stock rams.

The average price for a pedigree ewe yearling at last year’s Wiltshire Horn show and sale was £160- £170. Rob bought the champion ram, Cynfarwy Ioan, for 650gns and has since let him run with 20 ewes, keeping a close eye on them ahead of lambing in March.

His current stock ram, Doric Gower, was bought in after twice being breed champion at the Royal Welsh Show.

Customer feedback

On the matter of his low stocking rate, he believes commercial farmers would say it is ‘ridiculously low’, but he disagrees and says it has made a huge difference to the health of the animals, with no feet or worm problems.

The biggest challenge is the wet pasture, which can cause fluke, but other than that, he is happy with his decision to bring them on the farm.

As for the future, he wants to continue growing the business and ensure the focus is on its customer base.

“We offer a personal service and I think that gives us a difference. We also listen to what our customers want,” he says, the result of which has seen a purchase of 20 traditional Hereford steers from David Powell in Herefordshire.

“They’re slightly smaller, but are great forage converters. They are out all year grazing on nearby nature reserves, and will be taken to 700kg naturally, finishing at around 36 months.”

Alongside selling online, Rob has become more involved in the use of social networking sites and writes his own blog to promote the mutton he sells.

As recognition for the current trend of people wanting houses with land, he also offers a paddock grazing service for those with more than 4ha (10 acres).

While large scale production is not on the cards, Rob’s enjoyment is divided equally between the farm and his conservation work. He shows no sign of slowing down - “I can’t. I just enjoy it too much.”