Fresh From The Farm – Askerton Castle Estate
Do you know where your meat is coming from this Christmas?
As the season of eating, drinking and making merry fast approaches, Christmas markets pop up across the region and Cumbrians prepare festive fare to serve at their table. It’s the busiest time of year for Askerton Castle Estate.
Situated on the outskirts of Brampton, just three miles from Hadrian’s Wall, Askerton Castle Estate, is an organic livestock farm, run by Jane Eden and Chris Evans, since 2002. As their website states: “from the onset concerns about animal welfare and the routine use of medicine, biodiversity and conservation made the decision to farm organically a logical one.”
The farm became fully certified as organic in 2004 and since then Jane and Chris have become regular faces at farmers markets across the county, building up a loyal customer base. Home to a variety of traditional and rare breed livestock, the farm produces everything from beef, lamb, mutton and pork, to eggs and poultry.
With the exception of slaughtering, they use an organically certified abattoir, everything else is taken care of on site – they even have an on-farm butchery – and Jane and Chris keep an open farm policy. Customers are welcome to see first hand what they do, and to voice any questions or concerns, as Jane explained: “It’s traceability, people like to know how things are produced.
“There’s no hidden doors, if you want to know what we’re doing you can come and visit us, see the farm and get to know us. They feel part of a community a system and that’s what they like.”
Chris added: “Welfare is paramount, as well as the sense of contact between producer and the end consumer.”
While the extra expenditure from buying feed and employing staff on the farm, may mean that their meat prices are slightly higher than the average supermarket, to help with this, the estate runs a scheme called ACORN. This allows regular customers to sign up for a membership which offers discounted rates on produce and free delivery in the local area.
Jane believes what they offer is something of much more value than the large retailers, she said: “We are supporting the area we live in. It is critically important to us that we support the local people or the heart goes out of the towns. When people buy online or go to large supermarkets towns lose their hub, which I think is terribly sad.”
For more information visit www.askertoncastle.co.uk
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