We were absolutely delighted to be visited by the Slow Food Farms project back in the summer last year. They visited four farms to film what farmers around Scotland are doing with agroecological practices and animal husbandry.
Opening our shop back in 2005 has changed everything we do on our farm. Selling our produce direct to local people and listening to what is important to them has had a big impact on our farming practices. Through talking to customers we realised that they aren’t bothered about the 300g perfect head of broccoli we were told was important by supermarkets. They also aren’t bothered about huge animals that yield well. What is important is how our animals are treated, what our animals eat and where they graze. What our vegetables are treated with and how long they’ve been harvested for before they arrive in the shop. Through working with Wendy Barrie from the Scottish Food Guide and the Slow Food movement plus help from Pasture for Life and other supportive organisations our farm is now focused on soil health, animal health and ultimately producing the most nutritious food we can to ensure our customers are healthy. This, of course, all comes back to working with nature, biodiversity and slow food.
We hope you enjoy the film showcasing some wonderful small farms. We certainly enjoyed having them visit Ardross.
