From Field to Fork: Harvest Time on the Organic Farm
There is something special about harvest time on the farm.
After months of watching, waiting, nurturing and sometimes worrying about the weather, the fields finally begin to give back. The machinery is busy, the days are long, and there is a wonderful sense that all the hard work of the seasons before has come together.
For us, harvest is about much more than bringing crops in from the fields. It is about feeding our animals, looking after the land and continuing the natural cycle of our organic farm.
Our harvest will go on to feed the animals that are such an important part of life here — our animals depend on it.
Growing food for our animals
One of the things we love most about farming this way is seeing the connection between the field and the animals.
A crop that starts as a seed in the soil can eventually become food for our cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens. It is a simple idea, but one that is at the heart of what we do. Rather than seeing the crops and livestock as separate parts of the farm, we see them as part of one living system.
The cattle and sheep graze the land, the pigs have their own role to play, and our chickens provide both eggs and meat. Meanwhile, the crops we grow provides feed for the animals through the seasons.
It makes harvest time feel particularly rewarding. Every load brought in from the field represents food for the months ahead.
The rhythm of harvest
Harvest days can be long, dusty and occasionally challenging, but they are also some of the most satisfying days of the farming year.
There is the sound of machinery working across the fields, the smell of freshly harvested crops and that unmistakable feeling that summer is beginning to turn towards autumn. Everything seems to happen at once. There is grain to bring in, fields to manage and animals to care for. And, as always on a working farm, there is no simply pressing pause on the rest of the day. The cattle still need checking, the sheep still need looking after, the pigs still expect their feed and the chickens certainly don’t understand that harvest is keeping everyone busy!
It is a team effort, and one that connects generations of farming knowledge with modern organic farming practices.
Making the harvest last
Once the crops have been harvested, the work isn’t over.
Good storage is just as important as growing a good crop. We want the feed to remain in the best possible condition so that it can be used throughout the year, helping us provide a consistent source of feed for our livestock.
This is one of the great rewards of growing our own feed. We can follow its journey from field to animal. We know where it has been grown, how it has been managed and, ultimately, where it is going. For us, that sense of connection matters.
A farm built around its animals
Our cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens all bring something different to the farm.
The cattle and sheep are part of the wider grazing system, making use of the pasture around them. Our pigs have their own character — inquisitive, entertaining and always seemingly ready for their next meal! And then there are the chickens, busy scratching, pecking and going about their daily business, whether they are destined for the table or providing us with beautiful fresh eggs.
Looking after such a variety of livestock means every day is different, but it also makes the farm feel like a complete ecosystem and the harvest is one of the links that brings it all together.
Organic farming is about the bigger picture
For us, organic farming isn’t simply about avoiding certain inputs. It is about thinking carefully about the whole farm and how each part works alongside the others.
It means looking after our soil, encouraging biodiversity, caring for our animals and working with the seasons rather than trying to fight against them.
There are good years and difficult years. Weather can change plans in a heartbeat, and farming rarely goes exactly as expected, but that is also what makes it rewarding.
Every harvest is different. Every season teaches us something. And every year gives us another opportunity to improve the way we care for the land and our animals.
From our fields to our animals
When you watch the harvest coming in, it must be easy to think simply about the crop in front of us, but we see much more than that. We see nourishment for our animals. We see the continuation of a farming cycle that begins with the soil and ends with the animals we care for every day.
Perhaps that is what makes harvest time so special. It is a moment when the work of the whole farm comes together. From the first seed going into the ground, through the changing seasons, to the final load coming safely into storage, it is all connected.
Field to feed, feed to livestock, and livestock back into the life of the farm.
That is our harvest story — and one we are proud to share.