FOOD AND FARMING PROJECT
At Carlton Towers, we are working on a very exciting ‘Food & Farming’ project for 2024/2025, which aligns with our mission statement:
Real, Honest, Proper, True
Our commitment to agroecology not only includes our grazing pastures but also extends to our woodlands.
Under the stewardship of Lord Gerald, our incredible farm team are helping a traditional British, heritage breed of pig to spend its life in the great outdoors. The woodland is the natural environment for pigs, and better suited for the Oxford Sandy and Black breed which we work with.
During their time at Carlton Towers, the pigs are helping to clear the woodland floor of brambles and other invasive species of vegetation. This would otherwise choke the woodland floor and limit the diversity of other species, vital to a biodiverse ecosystem.
Our pigs are enjoying their beautiful woodland home where they can exhibit their natural behaviours.
They also benefit from the calming effects of organic, airborne chemical compounds that are naturally produced by the trees. Called phytoncides, these organic compounds have a calming effect on all living creatures, creating a wonderful environment for the animals.
Symbiosis, connection and diversity are at the heart of everything we do at Carlton Towers. The pigs help regenerate the woodlands whilst enjoying and more natural diverse diet. They have greater access to a much more diverse, naturally occurring range of minerals, which they use to instinctively balance their own diets and self-medicate when needed. This natural diet means that its highly unlikely that our pigs will ever need antibiotics or vaccines, which in turn means that the meat produced from the pigs will be as healthy and natural as it can be.
Our diverse, connected farming system can sometimes produce “Happy Accidents” some would call these challenges, we prefer to call them opportunities.
Due to the climatic challenges that the farming industry has suffered this year, our grape harvest from our vineyard has been slightly compromised. These grapes where not suitable for wine making, but perfect as a supplementary sweet treat for the pigs. This Happy Accident couldn’t have happened at a better time as it resulted in an energy rich introduction to the pig’s diet just before they took their final journey to the abattoir.
As we our eager to share the health benefits of our products with our local community, we have called on the services of another member of our local Agriculture & Food community.
We have used the award-winning local livestock collection and butchery services offered by the brilliant young, entrepreneurial Dan Binns. This will give us the opportunity to share our nutrient dense, clean label products with our local community much more quickly than we had hoped.
Our commitment to “Regeneration” extends well beyond just the soil and environment. It is our mission to help regenerate human health by producing accessible nutrient dense food for our local community, as well as creating employment opportunities and collaborations with other local businesses who share our ethos.
The collective attention to detail extends throughout every part of the Carlton Towers Food & Farming project and naturally includes the development of our meat products. We believe that the best way to honour the livestock and to give thanks to all that they have contributed, is to ensure that the nutrient dense meat they have provide us with is not compromised by the addition of non-essential, artificial preservatives, bulkers, or fillers.
Members of our local community will be able to enjoy our incredible range of sausages, bacons, cooked meats and salamis early in the New Year!
We would not be able to continue to evolve without the help of our wider community. Special thanks to our continued, dedicated collaborators:
Rich Summers: https://www.summersandco.uk/
Dan Binns: https://www.drbinnsbutchery.co.uk/
