Don’t forget your Wellies - Meat The Flockers

Five families have come together to raise Pigs, Sheep, Cows, Turkeys and more within their village to produce ethically sourced meat and produce. Between the couples and their children they have a rota to feed, muck out and check on their livestock which they later eat as sustainable meat with the lowest food miles possible from field to plate.

The animals are raised in their village of Chalford, when the time comes they go 20 minutes away to a local abattoir and then just 5 miles down the road to the Woodchester Meat Company. Any excess produce not split between the families is sold to people in the village and nearby who can see them free ranging and know exactly where their meat has come from. I met with Rachel and Jonathan Topps, 1/5 of the team, who showed me around.

Who’s idea was it to begin this venture together?

Each family had been involved in local food production in the past – bees and honey, pork and sausages. Chris Gardiner at Middle Hill Farm had all the kit, plenty of space, but not enough time – he and Nick Hardy saw an opportunity to bring us together and gradually expand our activity and livestock. Meat the Flockers was simply a WhatsApp group between us all which has evolved into a wonderful five-family smallholding now selling local meat.

As a couple what is your favourite type of animal that you keep?

It’s got to be the pigs! You can really connect and interact with them, and they have such wonderful characters – especially Joan, our breeding sow, who loves a good back scratch. Jonathan’s family has a history of pig-farming (although hopefully he won’t go the way of his great grandfather who was squashed by a pig).

How do you split the work between each of the families?

We each have one week on, four weeks off to feed and check on all the animals out in fields right across the village. Then there’s plenty of work at the weekends when we get together to muck out the piglets, move sheep to new pastures, set up fencing, clear the bee hives, collect mash from the brewery, create lambing space in the barn, or pluck chickens and turkeys. Every family gets involved bringing different skills, and we involve all the kids wherever we can.

What is a dream for the future with Meat The Flockers?

We probably all have different dreams. Jonathan and I love looking after the animals, creating our own delicious ethically-reared meat, and getting together with good friends in the fresh air – it’s a really enjoyable and important part of our life now. For the future, producing extra meat as ‘Meat the Flockers’ helps us offset our costs and make the whole venture more affordable. We are both keen to keep it going, gradually growing and evolving, and keep enjoying ourselves.

Why would you recommend people buy local meat?

It’s very simple! First, the taste: Our local, grass-fed meat tastes so much better than mass-produced meat – without question it’s the best we’ve ever eaten. Secondly, all our animals are ethically and lovingly raised – we know exactly where they have come from, and they have a wonderful outdoor life. And lastly, it’s more sustainable – we work hard to maintain our local farmland and countryside, we’re protecting the soil and maintaining biodiversity, our land is free of chemicals and pesticides and our food miles are incredibly low. So, yes of course, eat less meat. But choose local, and choose great quality!

You can find regular updates and stories from Meat the Flockers on their facebook page, or visit their website here.

If you’d like to take part in a future “Don’t forget your wellies’ post please email megan@meganwilliamsphotography.co.uk