Welcome to some organic farms in Cumbria

Whiteholme

Roweltown, Carlisle, Cumbria CA6 6LJ

016977 48058 & Fax

whiteholmefarm@hotmail.com

Farming organically was something Jon and Lynn gradually fell into. The Perkin family, in Cornwall , had always farmed extensively, and organics was a natural extension of that. Jon and Lynn couldn’t afford to take on an ordinary farm, but the added attraction of the on-farm butchery at Whiteholme Farm, near Roweltown, proved an attractive proposition.

Jon enjoys the day-to-day challenges of organic farming; of solving problems as they occur, with a holistic approach, rather than just treating the symptoms.

The farm sells its pork, from Saddleback and Tamworth stock, and beef, from traditional herds of Galloway and Blue Grey, direct to customers at farmers’ markets or by mail order. Lamb from their Scottish Blackface sheep is sold in the same way.

The pig enterprise will be expanding in the future, to cater for the growing organic pork market. A poultry enterprise is one of the next challenges, as well as a vegetable growing scheme. Jon sees this as the way forward; being able to supply a diverse range of organic products to an increasing number of consumers who are keen to know how and where their food is produced.

A recent innovation is the start of a Community Supported Agriculture scheme, which allows customers to contribute a regular amount of money in return for fresh produce from the farm. This helps to ensure financial stability for Jon and Lynn, and customers have the added involvement of financial commitment and extra interest in the farm.

Howbarrow Farm, Cartmel, Grange over Sands, Cumbria LA11 7SS

015395 36330 Fax 015395 36330

enquiries@howbarroworganic.co.uk

www.howbarroworganic.co.uk

Paul Hughes and Julia Sayburn had always been keen organic gardeners, and felt organic food, as well as tasting better, was good for their health. Howbarrow Farm, near Cartmel, became fully organic in 1998 and since then, Paul and Julia have tried their hand at growing field scale vegetables, and had a brief flirtation with pig keeping [and in the process, gained a reputation as the area’s leading organic pork producers!]. But they realised that if they were going to have a viable business, they needed to concentrate on their ‘growing’ enterprise. To extend the growing season and increase their range of vegetable and salad varieties they put up polytunnels and now have five, another one will be added soon.

As well as selling everything they produce themselves, including turkeys at Christmas, a lot of fruit and vegetables are bought in to fill the 200 vegetable boxes which they supply to both local, and county wide, consumers each week, and also to stock their farm shop. They have recently expanded into growing medicinal herbs and produce tinctures, which they sell direct or through health food shops. They also grow an extensive range of culinary herbs.

Paul acknowledges that not everyone can sell direct, but to have a profitable organic business, it’s important to be able to process in-house and have control of the activities from beginning to end. Howbarrow has recently been given the accolade of ‘the area’s leading grower and distributor of organic food’.