Our farming community

James and his family run a 2,700-acre National Trust upland farm and are one of Swaledale's longest-standing partners. Driving up to James's farm is quite an experience; beyond Malham Cove, the landscape opens up, and trees disappear, creating an incredibly dramatic, almost moonscape-like setting. Upcoming endeavours on James’s vast National Trust farm include a peat restoration project and a significant undertaking to plant one million trees.

James farms Belted Galloway cattle because they suit the low-input hill farm system. They’re low-maintenance and convert grass to meat efficiently, thriving on the rougher terrain. The Belties forage for a wide range of grass types, as well as reeds and nettles that other animals avoid. This provides a conservation grazing function that refreshes the land and allows nature the opportunity to regenerate. Conservation grazing also boosts small animal wildlife, insects, and wildflower populations, making it a win for the cattle and a win for nature.

Linda and Bill’s farm is situated on the steep slopes of the Walden Valley, with the highest point about 320 metres above sea level. This farming life is not for the faint-hearted; it requires resilience and a willingness to surrender to the environment, allowing nature to dictate what can be reared. Bill and Linda farm a small number of Black Welsh Mountain hogget; their commitment to conservation and rare breed preservation is evident and shines through in the quality of the meat they produce.

Rearing Black Welsh Mountain hogget in this corner of Yorkshire feels fitting. Welsh migration to the area has been ongoing since 1270, and Walden translates from Old English to “Valley of the Welshman”. As the breed name suggests, Black Welsh Mountain hogget are well-suited to steep terrain and wild conditions, and can thrive where other livestock would struggle to survive.

The meat from a hogget sits squarely between that of lamb and mutton on the flavour and texture spectrum. An extra summer on pasture gives hogget a more pronounced and evolved flavour than lamb, but it still retains a youthful tenderness, not yet having grown into the characteristics of mutton. Hogget is the best of both worlds and is truly fantastic meat to cook with.

Andy is a first-generation farm owner, who specialises in outdoor reared, native breed Middle White pigs. He also has a couple of dozen Dexter cattle. Andy rears his livestock naturally and slowly. He believes food consumption needs to take a step backwards from supermarket supply chains and factory farming. That the general public consider where food comes from because as a country we can't afford to carry on with intensive farming practices.

All Robert knows is how to farm his 1,100 acres as he is the fourth-generation of Phillips to farm here. He has a herd of 160 Highland as they are able to live all-year outside; they are best for grazing his type of land and produce the best beef! Robert loves working with Swaledale Online Butchers who champion native breeds which are better environmentally.

Ed produces poultry of the finest quality. He has seen the shift from mass-produced supermarket meat, to a call for provenance and traceability. His hand-fed Ross chickens live in small flocks and have a unique diet which includes a variety of fresh herbs.

Pig farming is in their blood, both coming from farming backgrounds. In 2006 they acquired 8 acres of partially-wooded land where they keep various breeds including Tamworth and Middle White. The pigs thrive in this habitat, living outdoors all-year round, producing the tastiest pork with real depth of flavour.