PEOPLE who like to grow their own vegetables can now grow their own meat.
A farm near Exeter is thought to be the first in Britain offering a Grow Your Own Lamb service.
Customers of Rowhorne Farm, near Exeter, can rent a ewe for a season and be guaranteed at least one lamb — delivered neatly jointed and wrapped.
The farm runs open days so customers can see the “blessing” of the ewes by the rams and be at the birth five months later.
This year’s season starts on Tuesday and the farm is taking orders on a first-come-first-served basis.
Brett Varker, 48, who runs the 50-acre farm at Whitestone with his wife, Angela, said: “We want to let people see how their food is produced. We want them to find out what is involved and how much we care for our animals.
“I have searched the internet and as far as I can tell we are unique in offering this service.”
The farm, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, is currently involved in the production of lamb and eggs.
Mr Varker, who has two daughters at university, said: “Many of us grow our own vegetables and fruit. Great satisfaction can be obtained from eating the “fruit” of your own labours. We believe in the production of wholesome meat, produced without the need for growth hormones, forced feeding or pumping the meat full of water, which some producers favour.
“Visitors have expressed their desire to produce their own meat for the table but said they lack the necessary land, facilities and knowledge to do this.
“We developed Grow Your Own Lamb, to enable them to sit down to a meal, where they can say they have produced everything on the plate and know exactly where all of it has come from.”
Mr Varker said different ewes and rams would produce different kinds of lamb and advice would be available on what to expect form a particular match.
He is looking into installing web cameras so customers can keep in touch with the animals online and is inviting local schools to join in for projects.
He said: “Farming has been kept behind closed doors over the years. We want to open it up.”
The next Rowhorne Farm visitor day is tomorrow from 10am until 4pm.
For more details or to book,
email info @growyourown lamb.co.uk or call 07590480590.
Source: westernmorningnews.co.uk
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