organic lamb suppliers

A thing or two about lamb...

Since the collapse of the market for wool, which we are trying to reverse with our wool fleece box liners, sheep farmers in the UK have been onto a hiding to nothing. If it wasn’t for our antipodean cousins in New Zealand, where land is cheap and so are the sheep, lamb would be a luxury that we probably couldn’t afford to put it in the meat boxes.

Think about it; ten organic ewes to the hectare giving around 1.7 lambs each at a completely unpredictable price of anything from £25 (for conventional) to £80 (for an organic new season lamb) would mean a gross turnover (not profit) for a 300 ewe flock of between £12750 and £40,000. Hardly enough, once rent, feed, vets bills etc are paid to turn a profit let alone go on holiday. Admittedly few farms are stocked with lambs only. Normally they would be part of a traditional mixed farm or hill farm where sheep would be sold for fattening on more fertile farms in more temperate areas. Sheep will eat grass that cattle won’t touch. Up until the end of January they are in demand to clear the last of the previous years grass prior to the ‘spring bite’ of new succulent growth. So it is hard to say how much land would be needed but, at up to £10,000 per hectare, you wouldn’t be paying for it with the proceeds of sheep farming.  300 ewes will keep a man fairly busy. Obviously the work load varies enormously during the year meaning your sheep farmer has time for something else – like another job.

The sad thing is that lamb has never been better. With virtually year round lambing the spring/winter dichotomy is a thing of yesteryear and the lamb in your boxes is only a couple of months older than one that has been hurried along for Easter.
Ben Watson

Featured organic lamb supplier

All our lamb suppliers are to be applauded for their dedication, and for the quality of the meat they produce, but occasionally we would like to give one of them an extra cheer by featuring them here.

George Welch, Allerton Farm, Dartington, Devon

George and Becky Welch have been supplying us with lamb for three years. The 120 hectare farm is 1.5 miles from Riverford and has been farmed by the Welch family for 400 years. Rearing all their own replacements, they keep a closed flock of 500 ewes. George also keeps a bit of beef.