Sep 26 2008

Mary Braithwaite’s FOOD BITES – Meat from Wye’s meadows

Published by Editor at 11:11 am under About Wye

Mary Braithwaite’s FOOD BITES

Nº7 September 2008

Meat from Wye’s meadows

Vegetarians, look the other way! Carnivores are in for a treat. Fresh goat and lamb are now available from two new local farms, Wye Goat Farm and Wye Community Farm. Grazing on Wye’s meadows and woodlands, the quality of the meat could be outstanding. And it’s impossible to get more local (clearly an important factor for many people – 90% of respondents to Damian Green’s recent constituency survey said they would value greater access to local produce).

Fresh goat and lamb can be bought from Wye Goat Farm, started in June this year by Kumar, a long-standing Wye resident and former student and staff member of Wye College. The farm comprises 20 acres of pasture and woodland, 18 in Wye and 12 close by in Chartham. Two breeds of goat, Boer and Anglo Nubian, were chosen to provide meat and milk. The Boer goat (as its name suggests) originates in South Africa, and was developed specifically for its meat, which is low in cholesterol, high in iron and has about the same calories as chicken. Goat is an ideal meat for the health conscious. Unlike many commercial goat farms, Kumar’s goats roam freely, feeding on a lush diet of trees, shrubs (sycamore, hawthorn, beech and hazel), grass and hay. The meat should be delicious.

Wye Goat Farm also has two flocks of sheep. One is a rare breed called Llanwenog, known for its lean and tender meat. Coming originally from the mountains in West Wales, it’s the only flock of this breed in Kent. There’s also a flock of local Kent “New Romney” crossed with Southdowns. The lamb and goat are available as whole or half animals. Diced goat meat, lamb joints and offal are also supplied.

First season’s lamb is also available from Wye Community Farm. In spring this year a surprise offer of grazing land alongside the Wye National Nature Reserve (NNR) enabled the Farm to acquire its first three Dorset Horn ewes. Further offers of grazing land near Withersdane allowed expansion of the flock, to a total of 19 Dorset/Dorset Horn ewes with lambs. Half lambs are available, jointed and delivered to your door (if you’re lucky to live in Wye).

Wye Community Farm beef should also be available in coming months, when the Farm’s three Sussex steers are ready for slaughter. For the moment, they are still enjoying the wildflower-rich downland of the NNR, along with the Farm’s herd of six pedigree British White yearling heifers.

To order meat and find out more about the farms, contact:
•    Wye Goat Farm, 15 Churchfield Way, Wye TN25 5EQ. Tel: (01233) 811771. Email: info@insider-tours.com
•    Wye Community Farm, 2a Briar Close, Wye TN25 5HB. Tel: (01233) 813303. Web site: www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

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