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Location: Blogs On the farm at Howbarrow
Posted by: Paul Hughes	11/22/2006
Friday dawned for our second Soil Association inspection of 2006. From 8.45am every aspect of our business was checked. It covered record keeping, including a goods in/goods out audit for one month of the year, suppliers, labels, packaging, operating procedures, cleaning procedure, pest control, manures and fertilizers, grazing and feeding, records, livestock management, new butchery records and so on, plus a physical inspection of the farm. Finally, by 4pm it was over and an inspection report was published for me to sign, with only a couple of minor issues needing our attention (resolved on the day), out of 180 aspects inspected ! We came out of the inspection reassured that our processes are robust and that our Organic business is operating to the demanding standards of the Soil Association. Most of the report is the height of objectivity, but it was appreciated that the inspector commented on how “very well” are livestock looked and what “good body condition” they had. An important new chapter for the farm is that Howbarrow is now licensed for organic butchery. Our own livestock will be slaughtered and then returned to the farm for hanging and cutting. This was long overdue and means we are now one of only 3 organic butchers in the county. Saturday saw John Atkinson, one of our growers, teaching me how to butcher a lamb. It was very satisfying to eat our own roasted lamb for Sunday lunch, that I had raised, butchered, and cooked. I was vegetarian for 3 years and Julia for 12. We gave up meat as we were appalled at the common practices used to raise livestock particularly poultry and pigs. Once I became involved in organic production methods and the ethical and animal husbandry issues were addressed, we started to eat meat again. My eldest daughter has gone vegetarian in the past few months and is working hard at understanding her own feeling on livestock and eating lambs you’ve bottle fed etc. Spotlight on Handmade One Earth Organic Chocolates These new fantastic chocolates in the farm shop tick all the right boxes – they are made by a tiny artisan business in Barnard Castle, therefore the food miles are low, they use environmentally friendly packaging and they taste bloomin’ marvellous! So it’s not just buying local and regional organic vegetables that hits all the ethical buttons….truffles, ginger in dark chocolate, white chocolate medallions just to whet your appetite. The chocolates are £2.30/£2.50 per 100g bag and the truffles are £3.25. See the full range in the online shop at www.howbarroworganic.co.uk (confectionary page) or give us a call for more information. Now for the Joke, this time three for the price of one Which carrot is related to a footballers wife? Chantennay (Groan!) Ma and Junior pumpkin are watching the bonfire party. " Yippee," yells junior, "I want to get closer." "Stay away from the flames." cautioned Ma. "Why, will I get burned?" asks Junior. "No," says Ma, with a furtive look behind at a dark row of leaves, "but you might become CHARD." Thanks to Julie Evans, Cark for this seasonal corker! Two caterpillars sitting on a cabbage leaf watching two butterflies overhead. One says to the other, “You wouldn’t get me up in one of those things!”

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