Johnnie says, “Andrew is able to access a great market for our carcasses and the buyers are then able to know the traceability and quality of their meat. He can tell me where my meat is going and to which butcher. The buyers can then contact me to know more about the meat. I can even tell them which field they were grazing in and when…that’s provenance for you!” Another bonus working with Andrew locally is that Johnnie can ask to get his meat back, cut and prepared, to then sell to his local community.  

 

“I’ve learnt that agriculture is a three-legged stool; the people, the environment, and the economy, each one a leg on the stool. If any of those legs gets cut or grows faster than any of the other legs, it will fall. So, what we need to do is to grow each leg at the same rate, therefore strengthening the stool; getting more people to work in agriculture, use more farming methods that are better for the environment, and help families have more money in their pockets.”  

 

As we scaled the fences and went back to the down the lane towards the farmgate, Johnnie finally noted before we said our goodbyes, “Agroecology (sustainable farming with nature in mind) is all about using farming methods that enhance the natural environment whilst also creating a crop, and what the Pasture for Life does is to encourage this. Using such regenerative farming methods like mob grazing and diversifying into companion crops, we will slowly but surely increase the soil infiltration rate, and by reducing our tillage as well, stop the destruction of fungal networks in the soil. We need more farmers to turn towards regenerative agriculture, it will allow more time for farmers to look after their cattle, and give the environment the much needed chance to regenerate.”