Local organic farmers John and Rebecca O’Dwyer truly live what we imagine is ‘The Good Life’, but the lives of this particular farming couple have had some real ups and downs. We caught up with Becca and John to find out more.
THE GOOD LIFE
Until I’d tried an organic chicken, I must admit I placed economy before taste and nutrition. It’s easy to be swayed by supermarkets selling chickens at three for ten pounds, especially when money is tight and, to be completely honest, I’ve never really thought too much about the welfare of the animals whose meat my family are eating and, as a result, have regularly succumbed to these offers.
But, the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ comes into its own when you taste the difference between battery farmed and free range organic and, after sampling what’s on offer at Oaklands Organics, I vow to never go back.
What are your backgrounds?
We are both farmers’ children and grew up on mixed livestock farms in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff area. John worked on the family farm since he left school, milking cows and rearing beef cattle, and we moved to Oaklands Farm in 2005 as an opportunity to spread our wings.
My family have been farming in the Vale for more than six centuries and are Freemen of Llantrisant, an honour which dates back to a charter made by Hugh Le Despenser, Lord of Glamorgan, in 1346. When we got married, Dad took John to the Court Leet to make him a freeman, as it passes from father to son or son-in-law, in which case they are known as ‘petticoat freemen’. Among the entitlements includes the right to grazing your cattle on Llantrisant common!
When and why did you set up Oaklands Organics?
Many people felt out of touch with the countryside and the way their food was produced, and this worried them. They started calling for more traceability and closer contact with producers and we could see a need for a farmer in our area to provide this service. We wanted to farm in balance with nature and produce really good meat for local people to enjoy, so it was a natural decision and Oaklands Organics was born three years ago.
Organic farming uses techniques that have been employed in agriculture for many hundreds of years. Our grandfathers would have farmed in this way with a variety of livestock and a rotation system which makes the most of farmyard manures and the magic they work on the land. The ‘agricultural revolution’ happened very late in the timeline of mankind and brought many changes, not all them sustainable in the long term, as they take from the earth but do not replenish.
How many acres do you farm?
Oaklands Farm is 133 acres of pasture, wetland and ancient oak woodland. The pasture land supports a herd of Welsh Black cattle, historically known as ‘Welsh Gold’ as they were the currency of country folk in medieval times and their most valuable possessions.
We also have a flock of Balwen sheep, a rare breed from the Tywi Valley which were almost wiped out during the disastrous winter of 1947. Our Tamworth pigs, the closest relatives to wild boar, range the oak woodland and chickens roam contentedly in sheltered paddocks with high hedges from dawn until dusk.
Ambitious industrial farmers never reached Oaklands and it is an oasis of calm with all of its habitats and features still intact. We feel honoured to live in such a beautiful place and our intention is to preserve it for future generations. We hold regular farm walks for our customers so they can share the wonderful energy here.
What type of products does Oaklands Organics offer?
We produce four award-winning organic meats which are available to purchase individually from our farmers market stall or delivered in good value meat boxes across the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff twice a month. Our grass-fed Welsh Black beef is dryaged for three weeks and is delicious. The Balwen lamb has a mild and sweet flavour and our pork is tremendous as the pigs spend their day rooting in the woodland. The poultry we produce bears little or no resemblance to that found in most chilled aisles nowadays, with the firm texture and taste of chicken that has lived a longer and happier life.
Who are your typical customers?
Our customers are from all walks of life, students to pensioners and everyone in-between. What they have in common is a desire for local food that really nourishes them and is a pleasure to eat. Now that we are more aware of the levels of anti-biotics, chemicals and other contaminants that can often be found in our food, we have the choice of buying an alternative. Many of our customers are animal-lovers and it is so important to them that the meat they eat comes from humanely-reared livestock, in fact, we converted some folk that had been vegetarian for many years but are happy to eat our meat.
You also supply local restaurants. Which one stands out?
We have some fantastic eateries in this neck of the woods and Huddarts on Cowbridge High Street is a great example of a restaurant sourcing the best local ingredients and turning them into something really special. Huddarts is a family business run by husband and wife team Andrew and Julie who support artisan producers from their region and are true local food heroes. Andrew, the Head Chef, loves our woodland-reared Tamworth leg of pork which won two gold awards in the True Taste Awards last year. They also serve our free-range Glamorgan chicken in a few of their amazing dishes. I keep my fingers crossed John takes me there for a meal on our wedding anniversary!
Farming is a tough business to be in, how are you finding things?
Farming is a way of life rather than a job and you can work very hard to earn a crust. The situation is compounded nowadays as less money is spent on food as a percentage of income, while the costs of production continue to rise. Supermarkets are using food as a lossleader, making their large annual profits on the cheap clothing and electrical goods they sell. Milk is a classic example of an industry in sharp decline – more than three quarters of the dairy farmers in Glamorgan have gone out of production since 1993. The supermarkets are unconcerned, they simply import milk, but with growing concern for food security that puts us all in a very worrying position.
The recession has been difficult and some restaurants we were supplying went out of business, while others down-graded to less ethical produce. Customers have been watching their pennies and we’ve had strong demand for the less fashionable cuts with people becoming more inventive with their cookery, returning to recipes that make the best of the ingredients, and make sure nothing is wasted. It was during these challenging times with the business, in August last year, that we found out John had a brain tumour.
That must have been an extremely frightening time for you both.
The tumour had gone cystic and John had fluid building on the brain so he was transferred to Morriston hospital for emergency surgery. There was no time to panic and no decisions to be made – he was having the surgery immediately or he would not survive! The anaesthetists were waiting when we arrived in the ambulance and started scrubbing him up. It wasn’t an option for me that John wouldn’t make it. I just kissed him and told him I would see him in a few hours, and then put all my energy into willing him through it. He was so brave and we are extremely grateful he is still here and still John.
We are a year on now and he is fantastic considering what he has been through. He is a very strong and determined man and is recovering better than expected. The consultant told us two to five years but he is already back on the farm full time. Our labour bills were massive during his recovery and we still rely on part-time help as he has some bad days.
Did people distance themselves from you during this time?
My parents were incredible – they just picked up the reins and kept the business going for us. We’re extremely lucky to have wonderful friends and family around us, helping and supporting, and I couldn’t have got through it without them. Many customers have become friends and were deeply concerned about John in the early days. It took hours to serve at the farmers markets as everyone wanted an update on the patients’ progress! I’m sure I must have forgotten orders at times, with all the stresses and strains, but everyone seemed to understand. It is fantastic to be part of such a lovely community and we are so grateful to our regulars for encouraging us through these difficult times.
Why are you both so passionate about what you do?
Food is the most important thing in the world and we take our job very seriously. Society was not built on an empty stomach. Indigenous people use food as ceremony and families come together around a fire or table. As we reach the end of the ‘oil age’ and imported food becomes less available, people will be relying on themselves and local producers to feed the community. If we all buy local and support sustainable farming practices we will ensure food is abundant in the future.
Choosing organic is a win-win situation. Your body will thank you for respecting and taking good care of it and your conscience will be clear as you are assured the highest animalwelfare standards under organic farming systems. We love our animals and see no reason for any livestock to suffer unnecessarily in the production of food. If you choose humanely-reared meat all the suffering will stop.
As Christmas is not far away, is there anything special that you’re offering for the season?
Our customers have been asking for turkeys so we are rearing organic freerange Norfolk Bronze turkeys to order this year. We will have a special range for the festive season including decorated gammons, lamb guards of honour, beef rib joints, stuffed loins of pork and extra-large Christmas chickens. Hampers are available if you want to spoil the family!
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
A healthy and happy life on the land.
Oaklands Organics’ ethos
Our livestock are home-bred or purchased from Organic sources. We feed Organic, GM-free rations and do not use anti-biotics or additives routinely in the management of our stock. Homeopathy and herbal remedies are favoured in the treatment of our animals. Under organic regulations animal welfare is a priority, which means that stocking rates are low and practices such as tail docking and teeth clipping are not permitted.
As a company, we are committed to protecting the environment and have an ongoing pledge to keep our impact to a minimum. We are off-grid at Oaklands Farm and draw our energy from solar and wind power, backed up with a generator and bank of batteries. All our vehicles are run on home-made biodiesel and food miles are kept to a minimum as our animals are slaughtered either on the farm or at the local EC regulated abattoir.
The farmhouse at Oaklands is a wooden eco-dwelling with a log burning stove that uses firewood gathered from our own 16 acre woodland. The ancient oak woodland, which is sustainably managed, helps us off-set methane gases from the suckler cow herd. We are striving towards a carbon-neutral existence and constantly review all elements of the business as new technological developments are made. We are currently evaluating our packaging and looking at more environmentally conscious, recyclable options – we welcome your input.
Above all, we consider ourselves guardians of the animals, landscape and habitats at Oaklands Farm for our lifetime and work to protect them for future generations.
Awards
True Taste Awards 2007
Highly Commended. Free-range Whole Glamorgan Chicken
Highly Commended. Free-range Glamorgan Chicken Legs
Highly Commended. Free-range Glamorgan Chicken Breast
Great Taste Awards 2008
Gold. Sweet-cured Organic Free-range Woodland Tamworth Short-back Bacon
True Taste Awards 2008
Gold. Dry-aged Pedigree Welsh Black Sirloin Steak
Gold. Organic Free-range Woodland Tamworth Leg of Pork
Gold. Organic Free-range Woodland Tamworth Leg of Pork
Highly Commended. Organic Free-range Whole Glamorgan Chicken
Highly Commended. Sweet-cured Organic Free-range Woodland Tamworth Short-back Bacon
2008 Award for Britain’s Most Beautiful Farm
Highly Commended. West & Wales
Great Taste Awards 2009
Gold. Organic Free-range whole Glamorgan chicken
Oaklands Organics are once again finalists in this years’ True Taste Awards and, in particular, they are confident that their chicken will attain the coveted gold award. |
