ABOUT US
Organic, sustainable food from a regenerative farm
Here at Haye Farm, our aim is to make a positive difference to the land. We see ourselves as custodians of this corner of East Devon, and so we farm in a way that increases biodiversity, nurtures the ecosystem that we’re part of and provides for future generations.
For us that means diversity and balance in everything we do. We’re an organic, high-welfare mixed farm with around 90 acres here at Haye on which we have pasture for beef, sheep, pigs and chickens as well as fruit and vegetable gardens. Much of this has been planted up as agroforestry – which essentially means planting wood, fruit or nut trees in our fields. This not only enhances our productivity but encourages biodiversity by allowing wildlife (plants, animals and insects) to make their homes in undisturbed strips between the trees. We also rent an additional 400 acres on nearby farms. On some we grow arable crops and others we keep as wildflower meadows, which we mob graze with our cattle and sheep. Each element sustains another and our aim is eventually to produce everything we need without having to rely on external inputs or unnecessary transport.
It’s a win-win system. By encouraging and mimicking natural processes and environments such as rotational grazing, companion planting and agroforestry, we increase soil carbon and microbiology. Good soil enables us to grow naturally strong, nutrient-rich crops, meaning the animals eating those crops (including us) are healthier. And of course, livestock which eat a varied, balanced diet and which can grow and develop at a natural pace doing what they naturally do - be that grazing, foraging or wallowing - are happier and fitter, providing us with high-quality, delicious produce.
We strive for diversity in our business model, too, working with different producers and partners whose standards match our own to expand our range. These include pork and dairy from Challon’s Combe Organics; chicken from Otter Valley Poultry and beer from our very own brewery, Gilt & Flint. We also work with a number of partners in profit shares on different aspects of the farm. We provide the land, the machinery and the seeds or the animals; our partners provide the labour and the management skills. It makes sense, everyone involved is playing to their strengths and it enables us all to have a much higher output than we could ever achieve individually.
Here at Haye Farm, our aim is to make a positive difference to the land. We see ourselves as custodians of this corner of East Devon, and so we farm in a way that increases biodiversity, nurtures the ecosystem that we’re part of and provides for future generations.
For us that means diversity and balance in everything we do. We’re an organic, high-welfare mixed farm with around 90 acres here at Haye on which we have pasture for beef, sheep, pigs and chickens as well as fruit and vegetable gardens. Much of this has been planted up as agroforestry – which essentially means planting wood, fruit or nut trees in our fields. This not only enhances our productivity but encourages biodiversity by allowing wildlife (plants, animals and insects) to make their homes in undisturbed strips between the trees. We also rent an additional 400 acres on nearby farms. On some we grow arable crops and others we keep as wildflower meadows, which we mob graze with our cattle and sheep. Each element sustains another and our aim is eventually to produce everything we need without having to rely on external inputs or unnecessary transport.
It’s a win-win system. By encouraging and mimicking natural processes and environments such as rotational grazing, companion planting and agroforestry, we increase soil carbon and microbiology. Good soil enables us to grow naturally strong, nutrient-rich crops, meaning the animals eating those crops (including us) are healthier. And of course, livestock which eat a varied, balanced diet and which can grow and develop at a natural pace doing what they naturally do - be that grazing, foraging or wallowing - are happier and fitter, providing us with high-quality, delicious produce.
We strive for diversity in our business model, too, working with different producers and partners whose standards match our own to expand our range. These include pork and dairy from Challon’s Combe Organics; chicken from Otter Valley Poultry and beer from our very own brewery, Gilt & Flint. We also work with a number of partners in profit shares on different aspects of the farm. We provide the land, the machinery and the seeds or the animals; our partners provide the labour and the management skills. It makes sense, everyone involved is playing to their strengths and it enables us all to have a much higher output than we could ever achieve individually.