Wark Farm

Stories from the farm August 2023

(Newsletter written by SaM today)

(I went out today to take a few pictures for you, so I could share some of the wild beauty of our farm. See the farm through my eyes today, on a day that I seek some calm inside me.

Our farm is a home. For us and for wildlife.

I love how untamed it is. There's a certain controlled wildness to our entire farm, which stretches out to our way of being and living. A mixture of solidity, down-to-earthness but also connectedness to the land.

(Red clover, a great soil conditioner. It also contains chemicals that produce estrogen like effects in the body and there's been research in using it in menopause treatments.

(Laurel has been making it a habit of gently picking up beetles and holding them out to me, pointing out their beauty. I have so far resisted taking a liking to them, but the fact that this wee one caught my eye, might indicate that her influence is starting to show :-)

(Blue geraniums. Traditionally they were used as antiseptics, but also to heal wounds and scars.

(View of our farm buildings, with the wetlands in the far distance.

(The hedges between our fields provide shelter for our hardy cattle and sheep, but we also happily use the hawthorn berries, rosehips, crabapples, sloe gin berries, hazelnuts,... in our food foraging. I sometimes think I live in food paradise :-)

(The above picture is probably one of my favourite pictures of today. The abundance of flowers and grasses you see in the front are tomorrow's meal for the cows. Our cattle are constantly being moved to new pastures, to enjoy new abundance in greens but also allowing nature to recover faster. It's hard work for the farmer but you get so much back in return. Meat of incredible quality first and foremost (the choice between meat from cows pumped full with grains and antibiotics etc, or meat from our own coos, is a no-brainer). But just as importance: an eco system that keeps itself in such better balance. The best evidence: all the wildlife teeming around us.

Lots of flowers growing near our rivers too. Every year I can't wait for the yellow monkey flower to appear.

A cup of tea made with my yellow monkey flower. A mild sweetness with hints of saffron and honey. Soothing and calming to me.

I hope you enjoyed my short picture tour. I made many more pictures, but alas, my internet speed is killing me, and neutralising the effect of my calming tea :-) Besides, I also wouldn't want to bore anyone :-) Happy to tell more about our farm if I bump into you at any of our markets.

The August order form is now open.

You can now place your meat and pie order online, and then choose to either collect it at Banchory or Bridge of Don Farmers market, or else to collect it at the farm, or else to have it delivered. FOR MORE INFO SEE BELOW.

On our product range for this month:

* There's our usual list of aged Belted Galloway Beef and Hebridean Hogget/Lamb, and our range of home cured bacons.

* Our famed Wark Farm pies, made with our own hot water pastry recipe and filled to the brim with high quality meat (frozen). Our seasonal special is the Lamb & Wild Garlic.

* We also have a few wild venison and pork cuts available.

All our beef and lamb meat is cut fresh, which means that it can be frozen at home. It also means that, while we try to accommodate everyone's requests, we cannot guarantee not to run out of certain cuts. We treat orders in order of receipt, meaning that the sooner you get your order in, the more likely it will be that you will get everything you requested for.

ORDER INFO:

Ordering deadline: Tuesday 15th August, 5pm.

Order confirmations are not sent out automatically, but will be emailed to you by latest Wednesday 16th August, 6pm.

COLLECTION/DELIVERY INFO:

Customers can choose for either

* collection at Banchory Farmers market, Saturday 19th August 9am to 1pm

* collection at Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, Saturday 19th August, 9am to 1pm

* collection at the farm, Sunday 20th August, from 11am to 2pm

* or delivery, Friday 18th August. Delivery is only possible to certain areas in central Aberdeen and Aberdeen City, Deeside and Donside and is free of charge for orders above £40, otherwise it is £5 delivery charge. If you'd like a delivery of pies only and no meat, we ask you to order a minimum of 8 retail packs to justify having our driver drive out. These are frozen pies, ready to be baked, so they can be kept for a long time in your freezer. Alternatively, you can combine it with ordering some of our delicious meats or bacons or come and collect a smaller order at the farm.

PAYMENT INFO: Invoices will be sent out by email at latest Tuesday 22nd August with information on how to pay by bank transfer.

Best wishes

Laurel & SaM

UPDATED ORDER FORM:

The August order form is now updated and online. You can find the link below.

Our regular customers already know that it's first come, first serve for our delicious meat cuts that are not only full of flavour due to the breeds we use and their grass/herb diets, but also free of nasties such as pesticides and antibiotics. You can find all the info on the order form, including more info about the specials of the month.

As ever please get in touch if you have any queries.

Best wishes

Laurel & SaM

August 2023 Order Form