Antidote to Venganuary

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
That’s been sold as an extra along with rib joints. (Though I’ve snaffled both for myself 😂)
Can't beat a rib joint. We had one at Christmas...
20211228_130036.jpg

😋😋
 

N.Yorks.

Member
Thanks. Why do folks feel the need to bang on about 'no hard feed', 'outwintered' etc ?
If it is specific to an individual farm marketing their product, then fine. but too often it is said as if it should be an industry standard.
It is divisive, and serves no useful purpose. Local, yes. Direct from the farm, yes. They are the important bits, environmentally and economically. Beyond that, it's just farmers doing what farmers do best. Having a dig at each other with the only winners being those opposed to animal agriculture.
I get most of your points BUT, if you have a system set up where concentrates aren't used and it's a grass based system (covering a longer finishing period perhaps) surely that system will be lower carbon? I've not worked it out, but the longer grass based finishing period may or may not result in lower overall C, I don't know......... OR does the 'hard feed' just cut the overall finishing period and the net result is actually the same C per kilo of meat produced?

Sorry, thinking as I type here.......

I suppose it all boils down to feed quality of the grass produced. Hill/Upland swards would be quite different to lowland ryegrass reseeds...... but then establishing and maintaining those lowland 'productive' swards probably come at a price financially, and carbon wise too??

I'm sort of seeing your point about letting each farmer do what suits their location etc! There must be optimum scenarios though in each different situation..... it won't be a one size fits all approach will it.
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
I always sell a fair bit of lamb through the spring/summer/autumn direct to individuals, pubs, restaurants and it does very well for me.

But a couple years ago I decided to run a small pedigree Devon suckler herd with the ideal to sell beef boxes direct. Partly selfish reasons as I always wanted a few Devons around the place.

Well today I picked up the first steer from the abattoir in the form of 16 10.2kg boxes plus 10 fillet steaks and 6 rib roast.

I stick an add on Facebook and within 24 hours its all sold, and I could have probably sold another beast such was the demand.

So no sign of veganuary nonsense and people genuinely interested in local quality food.

And the best bit, well steak taste testing starts tomorrow night for us. Rump vs Sirloin vs Fillet!

Happy days!
What deadweight and age was the beast? Doesn’t sound like much meat back for box scheme - our customers prefer aged (flavour) and bigger steaks.
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
Just over 30 months and he was 328 kg dead i think.
Better keeping it under 30 months to keep the abattoir costs down. 328 kg feels light though - is that typical of the breed? I’m getting over 400 kg at 29 month from putting a Lim bull over shorthorn cross cows. Best it tastes good though - can’t beat a bit of age to give flavour.
 

Jrp221

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
He probably was pretty low carbon. No hard feed, outwintered, only grass or roots, grass being old perm pasture with no fert . Abattoir 14 miles away.

Never had antibiotics or been touched since being born.

The story behind such food/meat is very important. As is social media these days. Having a few thousand followers on Facebook certainly helps.

here he is a few months ago..




View attachment 1009682
BUT.......did he give his permission to be slaughtered? ;)
 
Vegans are like the small Dogs in the park. They bark at everyone to make up for their lack of size / numbers.

My FIL does the same thing, demand for his box’s is huge, mostly from family!

I think a few are slowing up and have a meat free day every now and then but I think general demand has not faltered nor will it for some time come,
 

DaveGrohl

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cumbria
I get most of your points BUT, if you have a system set up where concentrates aren't used and it's a grass based system (covering a longer finishing period perhaps) surely that system will be lower carbon? I've not worked it out, but the longer grass based finishing period may or may not result in lower overall C, I don't know......... OR does the 'hard feed' just cut the overall finishing period and the net result is actually the same C per kilo of meat produced?

Sorry, thinking as I type here.......

I suppose it all boils down to feed quality of the grass produced. Hill/Upland swards would be quite different to lowland ryegrass reseeds...... but then establishing and maintaining those lowland 'productive' swards probably come at a price financially, and carbon wise too??

I'm sort of seeing your point about letting each farmer do what suits their location etc! There must be optimum scenarios though in each different situation..... it won't be a one size fits all approach will it.
Thing is, you won’t find any official carbon calculator that will calculate it properly. They all use the not-fit-for-pirpose GWP100 metric. Shortening the period the animal is alive might make some sort of twisted sense to people who don’t understand methane and use this metric (such as the NBA etc) but if you use the correct method (GWP*) to assess it you get a very different answer.

A slower finishing period will certainly use less fossil fuel generated starchy feed (whilst sequestering more carbon) and so will ultimately "lower carbon" whatever TF the observer understands that to be……

The crucial bit is to understand that there is no actual additional warming of the planet from the longer finishing period.
 

farmerm

Member
Location
Shropshire
I always sell a fair bit of lamb through the spring/summer/autumn direct to individuals, pubs, restaurants and it does very well for me.

But a couple years ago I decided to run a small pedigree Devon suckler herd with the ideal to sell beef boxes direct. Partly selfish reasons as I always wanted a few Devons around the place.

Well today I picked up the first steer from the abattoir in the form of 16 10.2kg boxes plus 10 fillet steaks and 6 rib roast.

I stick an add on Facebook and within 24 hours its all sold, and I could have probably sold another beast such was the demand.

So no sign of veganuary nonsense and people genuinely interested in local quality food.

And the best bit, well steak taste testing starts tomorrow night for us. Rump vs Sirloin vs Fillet!

Happy days!
Its Lambuary (y)
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,291
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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