open for direct sale to the London public
of organic and biodynamic meat, eggs,
flour and bread from Kent and Sussex
of organic and biodynamic meat, eggs,
flour and bread from Kent and Sussex
Saturdays - 9am - 2pm
104 Druid Street, SE1 2HQ (map)
and other locations here.
This week's butchery here.
Hophurst Farm is rented by Jayne and Michael Duveen and is located in Crawley Down, East Sussex.
Hophurst was isolated from the other terrains by a disused railway line which had prevented access of large machinery, so its fields remained unexpanded in small, traditional plots and un-excavated by industrial farming equipment. This provided ideal conditions for Jayne & Michael to convert the land to the biodynamic principles they farm by.
The farm is now certified biodynamic and Jayne & Michael have established a modest number of Sussex cows, Romney Marsh sheep and rare breed Sandy & Black pigs. They also grow all crops & grasses that would bed and feed them leaving some excess oats and wheat flour for sale to the public.
Sussex are a very ancient breed of British cattle. Described in text at the Norman invasion of 1066, they are thought to have descended from the horned wild red cattle that grazed the forest floors of the Weald and other wooded areas of Sussex and Kent. Their gentle temperament and powerful bodies lead to their common usage as draught animals while young, and in their latter years, they would be put out to graze, gain condition and used for their meat. As horses replaced cattle in these heavy-working farm roles, the Sussex became primarily a beef animal and breeding to this end was seriously undertaken from the 1800s onwards.
Jayne & Michael chose this breed in part for their relevance to the area, for their qualities as excellent foragers, their gentle and attentive maternal instincts and their slow growing characteristics. They now have a herd of around 20 animals. Those destined for the butchery will be finished at between 30 to 46 months and the heifers retained to increase the herd size.
At present, Gilgamesh the bull sires the herd in August and the cows calve in the spring. From early Spring til early Winter, the cattle graze the farm’s permanent grass pastures and clover leys. The rest of the year, they’re housed in a large spacious barn where they can range both outside and in. During this time, they feed on a diet which includes hay, haylage, silage, fodder beet, linseed and oats, all of which are grown and prepared on the farm.
Jayne & Michael’s pure breed Romneys are a similarly ancient breed of sheep, originating from the exposed lowlands of Kent & Sussex. They are hardy, resilient, persistent foragers and while docile, have the independence to successfully fend for themselves over long periods in the open. They’re descendants of the early medieval long wool breeds and were officially recognized for their meat and fleeces under the breed name of Romney in the 1800s.
A flock of around 70 presently dwell at Hophurst with 50 lambs available to supply our counters this coming year.
Oxford Sandy and Blacks are thought to have been the native forest pigs of the Oxford area, with reports of their existence going back 200 years or more. Michael chose to take this breed onto Hophurst Farm when a couple of young gilts became available from a local biodynamic rearer. Now known as Toulouse and Tulip, these ladies have gone on to farrow 20 piglets, many of which will be making their way into London this year.
With all these animals and grasses and crops besides, the industrious energy behind Hophurst Farm not only supplies us with their excellent meats and cereals when available, but also represents the founding force behind the business of Jacobs Ladder Farms.
Hophurst was isolated from the other terrains by a disused railway line which had prevented access of large machinery, so its fields remained unexpanded in small, traditional plots and un-excavated by industrial farming equipment. This provided ideal conditions for Jayne & Michael to convert the land to the biodynamic principles they farm by.
The farm is now certified biodynamic and Jayne & Michael have established a modest number of Sussex cows, Romney Marsh sheep and rare breed Sandy & Black pigs. They also grow all crops & grasses that would bed and feed them leaving some excess oats and wheat flour for sale to the public.
Sussex are a very ancient breed of British cattle. Described in text at the Norman invasion of 1066, they are thought to have descended from the horned wild red cattle that grazed the forest floors of the Weald and other wooded areas of Sussex and Kent. Their gentle temperament and powerful bodies lead to their common usage as draught animals while young, and in their latter years, they would be put out to graze, gain condition and used for their meat. As horses replaced cattle in these heavy-working farm roles, the Sussex became primarily a beef animal and breeding to this end was seriously undertaken from the 1800s onwards.
Jayne & Michael chose this breed in part for their relevance to the area, for their qualities as excellent foragers, their gentle and attentive maternal instincts and their slow growing characteristics. They now have a herd of around 20 animals. Those destined for the butchery will be finished at between 30 to 46 months and the heifers retained to increase the herd size.
At present, Gilgamesh the bull sires the herd in August and the cows calve in the spring. From early Spring til early Winter, the cattle graze the farm’s permanent grass pastures and clover leys. The rest of the year, they’re housed in a large spacious barn where they can range both outside and in. During this time, they feed on a diet which includes hay, haylage, silage, fodder beet, linseed and oats, all of which are grown and prepared on the farm.
Jayne & Michael’s pure breed Romneys are a similarly ancient breed of sheep, originating from the exposed lowlands of Kent & Sussex. They are hardy, resilient, persistent foragers and while docile, have the independence to successfully fend for themselves over long periods in the open. They’re descendants of the early medieval long wool breeds and were officially recognized for their meat and fleeces under the breed name of Romney in the 1800s.
A flock of around 70 presently dwell at Hophurst with 50 lambs available to supply our counters this coming year.
Oxford Sandy and Blacks are thought to have been the native forest pigs of the Oxford area, with reports of their existence going back 200 years or more. Michael chose to take this breed onto Hophurst Farm when a couple of young gilts became available from a local biodynamic rearer. Now known as Toulouse and Tulip, these ladies have gone on to farrow 20 piglets, many of which will be making their way into London this year.
With all these animals and grasses and crops besides, the industrious energy behind Hophurst Farm not only supplies us with their excellent meats and cereals when available, but also represents the founding force behind the business of Jacobs Ladder Farms.
