Life on the Farm
Lower Clopton Farm is located at the base of Meon Hill just 7 miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon at the gateway to the Cotswolds. A family run business, Richard is the third generation to work this 211-acre farm which produces traditionally farmed beef, lamb and turkey as well as a small number of arable crops which are mainly used to feed and bed the stock.
Running a mixed farming system of sheep, cattle and arable ensures a good rotation on the land, which means we can run a clean grazing system for our livestock. This greatly reduces the need for wormers and antibiotics and also helps reduce the need for artificial fertilizers. The farm is Red Tractor registered which means we follow stringent rules and it is inspected annually.
We buy in suckler calves, at around 12 months once they have left their mothers, from local farmers, mainly Aberdeen Angus, Simmental and Limousin, who then graze on the side of Meon Hill. They are reared on until they are 20 - 24 months old and are used to produce the high-quality beef for the shop. During the cold winter months, the cattle are loose housed here on the farm in well-ventilated straw yards and are fed and bedded daily.
We have Suffolk and Texel rams which are used to sire the lambs from our Welsh Mule ewes. Ewes are housed in January ready to have their lambs in February, after which they are turned back out to the lush spring grass.
Suzie looks after our flock of free-range chickens that supply fresh eggs to the shop daily. Roaming freely in the paddocks and woodland, they are fed on homegrown corn, which helps to produce those perfect golden yolks.
Our prime Christmas turkeys are free-range and reared in natural surroundings here on the farm from day-old chicks. All our turkeys are free-range and are either bronze or white. They are reared to TFTA quality standards and are fully mature before slaughter. The Golden Turkey symbol guarantees that the turkey you order has been fed a natural cereal-based diet which is free from antibiotics and growth promoters.
Our produce hasn’t travelled a thousand miles
From our own beef & lamb that graze on Meon Hill, to fresh bread & pastries from our bakery on-site, the farm shop sells a great variety of high quality, fresh and locally sourced, seasonal food. We supply our own free-range eggs, dry-cured bacon, sausages and burgers, in addition to delicious seasonal fruit and vegetables, bursting with flavour from the fields around us.
We’re convinced our meat is the best around. Don’t believe us? Just try it.
Join the converted and start buying quality meat and vegetables from your local farmers... we promise you'll taste the difference!
Richard & Suzie Baldwyn