Taverner's farm is a fourth generation 650 acre family farm in Devon.

We have a herd of 260, autumun calving Friesians crossed with Swedish Red. The herd is milked through a 24 herringbone parlour and has been fully organic since 2000. Most of our milk is sold through OMSCO, the Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative.

Benefits of Organic Farming

We believe we can make the best food, naturally, by working with nature.

Farming organically, we don't use any pesticides. Our feed is GM free (containing no genetically modified material). We don't use any growth promoters and do not make use of routine antibiotics. Our land practises work with nature rather than against it, supporting a diversity of wildlife.

Research indicates that organic milk can contain up to 71% more Omega-3 ALA fatty acids than conventional milk as well as up to 50% more vitamin E and 50% more beta carotene.

But farming in this way also helps to protect the environment, by using natural cycles of rotation.

Lamb

The lamb we sell in the butchery has been grazed on our land and at an adjoining farm. The Dorset ewes crossed with Suffolk ram calve predominantly in Autumn producing some of the earliest Spring lamb in the country. The sheep are grazed in rotation with the cattle because sheep graze grass more closely than cows. The sheep graze the grass the cows leave promoting the clover and grass to "tiller" (grow outwards rather than upwards) and grow back more richly.

By grazing the cows and sheep in rotation, we make maximum use of the land available as well as using a traditional farming practise that reduces pests such as worms specific to each animal. In this way, we naturally reduce the instance of pests, but using traditional farming practise and not chemicals.

The meat is hung for one week to develop a rich taste and tenderness - and is available in the farm butchery.

Beef & Dairy Cattle

We also have a herd of South Devon suckler cows with calve predominantly in Spring. They are pure bred pedigree South Devons. We also have a bull (Billy). The calves stay with their mothers for a full Summer. Find out more about South Devon Cows.

The meat produced by South Devon cows is finely grained and well-marbled. The beef is hung for 3 weeks to allow the taste and tenderness to develop fully.