Beef Shorthorn and calf

Tonight we visited Gowbarrow Hall Farm near Ullswater.  The Penrith support group of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust had organised a farm walk and Barbeque.

What a fascinating evening.  The current farmer had taken over the farm 7 years ago.  It was a sheep farm and losing money.  This obviously could not go on.  The new direction chosen was working with a local organisation called Wilderculture (an Ambleside based organisation).  The farm now has no sheep buys no fertiliser or animal food and is making a profit.

Basically the answer seems to revolve round no sheep and forest pasture.  That is provide a wide range of habitats from full forest through scrub to open areas of grass.  This provided year round food and shelter.  The biodiversity has noticeably increased over the 7 years.

We walked down to look at the shorthorn cattle which are slowly being bred back to a "Cumbrian" animal of pre 1940 when continental breeds were introduced to make the breed larger.  Another difference in the herd is it contains mixed ages from mature animals through heifers and yearlings to newly calved and incalf heifers.  The shot shows a calf a couple of weeks old looking back to Mum for reassurance.  Taken with a long lens as a couple of dozen folk among the herd risked upsetting one of the new Mums.