Wark Farm

"Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence"

This quote, attributed to author and journalist Hal Borland might well have been written for an organic farmer. This organic farmer to be precise. In both its inspiration and application it's right on the money. As I write this in early August we are a few weeks away from a year having passed since the butchery and shop here were destroyed in a fire. We are also the same few weeks away from completing the rebuild and pushing into the next exciting stage of the Wark Farm journey. It wasn't the plan that it would take exactly a year until we were back in the butchery, my plan was 6 months; at which point I acknowledge my lessons in persistence through knowing grass. In some of the more tiring times over the last year it has felt like all that I had to offer was persistence. Nothing subtle or enlightened or smart, just the stubborn persistence of grass continuing to grow no matter what. Stupidity? Sure, I've felt that too and wondered. Thankfully there are the trees too. The trees that appear in the face of patience. As it happens we don't really do trees here at Wark. Not actual trees with heavy trunks and big canopies, they would scare away some of the things we love. We are an open landscape and happily so. That suits us and the birds, beasties and plants that flourish in the wild open lands. But we have our equivalents; in the ever greater floral diversity that appears in the meadows as the years pass, in the richness in the ponds as they age, the common sightings of birds that were once rare, the consistent healthy growth of crops with artificial fertiliser and herbicides a distant memory. In my moments of confusing persistence with stupidity these are the trees that I see when I lift my eyes from the task in front of me. The solid and beautiful results of patience that make sense of it all.

We are now open for orders for August. Orders need to be submitted by Wednesday 14th, 5pm.

This month we have the full range of Belted Galloway Beef and Hebridean Hogget (lamb between one and two years of age), our home hatched and gown chicken, dry-cured bacon and pies. As the pies are frozen, they are collect only.

We will be delivering on Friday16th to Deeside, Donside & Aberdeen. Prior to that we will be at Aboyne Farmers Market on the 10th August (10 until 2). Aboyne is a new market this year and has a great selection of stalls, a good location and a fun atmosphere. Well worth a visit. We have our pies and a selection of beef and lamb available there. The following Saturday, 17th August, we are at Banchory Farmers market at the normal time of 9 until 1 in our usual place with our usual selection of pies and meat.

Please note that we won't be open on the Sunday this month for order collections from the farm. Orders for farm collection can be picked up on the Saturday afternoon, after the market, from 2 until 5. Apologies for the change, back to normal next month.

Best Wishes

Laurel