Field Notes: October at Longbrook Farm

It’s that time of year again when the fields start to soften underfoot, the mornings turn misty, and everything on the farm seems to slow down a little. Well, everything except Sam, who’s spending most of his days carting muck to our neighbour as part of our annual muck-for-straw deal.

For those who don’t know, it’s exactly what it sounds like. We send our cow muck to fertilise their fields, and in return we get straw after harvest to bed down our cows through the winter. It’s good for the soil, good for the cows, and a nice reminder of how local farms work together to keep everything in balance.

Most of our cattle are still out grazing for now. The weather has been kind and the pastures are still holding up well, so we’re letting them enjoy the last of the grass before things get too wet underfoot. In the next few weeks, they’ll start to come in for winter so we can protect the ground and give it time to rest and recover ready for next spring.

Back at home, it’s feeling very much like cosy season. The wood burner is back on, the slow cooker has been dusted off, and the smell of something delicious has been wafting through the kitchen all day.

Tonight’s dinner is Lakeland Spanish-Style Brisket. We’re having ours with jacket potatoes and broccoli from my parents’ neighbouring farms, so it’s truly a meal with minimal food miles for us. It’s the kind of dish that reminds us how good it feels to eat locally and support British farmers.

We’ve got plenty of brisket, braising steak and shin available if you’d like to recreate it at home, and plenty of mince too for Bonfire Night burgers or a big pot of chilli to warm everyone up. We also have steak and ale pies (both family and individual), which are great to have in the freezer for those days when the life juggle means you need something quick, comforting and delicious to chuck in the oven.

We also have beef boxes available, all 28-day hung and packed ready for the freezer, along with individual cuts if you’d prefer to pick and choose.

If you have something special in mind for Christmas, now’s the perfect time to let us know. We can have joints cut to your preferred size and make sure you don’t miss out once the festive rush begins. Some cuts, particularly fillet and topside, always sell out quickly, so it’s worth getting your order in early if you know what you’d like.

As always, thank you for supporting local and for choosing proper, homegrown beef.

Until next month,

Emma x