Wark Farm

Newsletter April 2020

While we continue to adapt to the new order of things, there is much comfort in the seasons continuous flow. The cold winds blowing across the hillside have done their best over the last couple of weeks to slow springs progress but happily it hasn't given up and there are now plenty signs that we have turned the corner from winter, despite the occasional snow shower still rushing past. Patches of mud mysteriously become more brown, as the surrounding grass assumes a fresher green. The cocksfoot grass, one of the earliest to grow, in the herb pastures is now lifted enough to move the hogget on to to enjoy some fresh grazing after a winter on silage. The pregnant ewes will move onto their now fresh lambing grass this week for a boost in their final four weeks before lambing starts. We've had very little snow of consequence this year, but it has felt like a very long grey and muddy one so the sense of life revving up for spring now is really very welcome. The next month with see the wildflower meadows jump into life and lambing and hatching start as the farm is engulfed in that tangible and exciting sense of urgent biological vibrancy that arrives with early summer on the edge of this hill.

Following on from our intermediate orders which were despatched last week, in theory we would be back to our ‘normal' April open days now, but not quite. Next deliveries will be at the usual time in the month (in the run up to the third Saturday), though there is no Banchory Farmers Market in April. Deliveries will be made on Friday 17th and collections from the farm on Saturday 18th (11am - 2pm). Our product list will also be a little different. Our usual abattoir has shut down their lamb processing line as they are not able to implement safe social distancing, so there will be no lamb for these orders. We have managed to make arrangements with another processor and will be able to offer lamb again at the beginning of May, when we will do another intermediate order round as we did this month. 

SOn the order form now, we have the full range of our Belted Galloway beef with the addition of mini beef burgers/patties to the list for a little variety as we haven't offered these for a while. We have our usual selection of dry cured bacons (back, streaky, collar) as well as the gammon steaks, pancetta, gammon boiling joints and smoked houghs that we put back on the list last month. We also have a selection of fresh traditional breed pork cuts and sausages. The full range of pies, frozen and ready to bake is also on the list. For our 'standing order' regular customers, your monthly meat order will be delivered on the 17th from this order round. Given the level of interest in direct purchasing and home delivery at the moment, we won't post this order form on social media until later this week in hopes of giving existing customers an opportunity to place an order if desired before stocks are too low.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported us with orders and kind words over the last few weeks, we really do appreciate it.

Order Form open now

Link to order: