Rush Farm's cattle keep their horns, which eventually have a part to play in the farm's biodynamic preparations. Traditional Hereford beef and Lleyn lamb, at Stock Wood near Inkberrow in Worcestershire. The cattle and sheep are pasture fed, and Rush Farm is Pasture for Life certified. Rush Farm's flock is predominantly Lleyn, alongside a smaller flock of Shetlands kept for their wool and fibre. The ground had been intensively cropped before the Parsons family took it on in 2005, and the first job was putting life back into its heavy clay soils. It sits in the valley of the Bow Brook, with around twenty acres of Gannow Wood along the southern edge. Rare brown hairstreak butterflies are found here, which tells you more about the hedges than any label would. The unusual part is the ownership. The farm and business park are owned by Stockwood Community Benefit Society, with the Biodynamic Land Trust acting as custodian trustee. If the family stopped farming tomorrow, the land would still have to be farmed biodynamically. The farmhouse is over 500 years old, and early episodes of The Archers were recorded in the kitchen in the 1950s. Buy the beef and lamb at The Pantry, the farm shop and café on site, or through the farm's online shop. Most farms are one bad succession away from becoming something else. This one is not.

Awards and Recognition

What distinguishes the farm is the combination of certifications and the ownership structure behind it. Rush Farm is Pasture for Life certified, the holding is Demeter certified for biodynamic practice, and the land itself is owned by Stockwood Community Benefit Society, with the Biodynamic Land Trust acting as custodian trustee, which fixes the farming method to the land rather than to whoever happens to be farming it.

Social Media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.rush.farm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.rush.farm

Can people visit or buy direct?

Yes. The Pantry, the farm shop and café on site, opens Wednesday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 8.30am to 3pm, closed Sunday to Tuesday. Meat, vegetables and other produce can also be ordered online, and the veg box scheme runs seasonally from mid-May.

Website

https://www.rush.farm

Address Summary

Stock Wood, Inkberrow, Worcestershire, B96 6SX