The Sheepdrove story began over 30 years ago, when Peter and Juliet Kindersley bought a dilapidated farmhouse on the top of the windswept Berkshire Downs to practise their dream of self-sufficiency. Today, Sheepdrove is a thriving 2,100-acre organic farm at the heart of the local community. Compassion recently took the opportunity to learn more about the Sheepdrove philosophy and what has driven its owners to farm the way they do.
"Be passionate about what's important in life"
Peter Kindersley has always believed that it is possible to change things. “I believe you have to be passionate about what’s important in life to drive it forward” he explained from his organic farm, nestled in the Berkshire countryside.
Peter cites the beginning of his ‘story’ as when he was a publisher at Dorling Kindersley, producing books on the environment in the 1970s. He explains how one book quite literally changed his life: The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency by John Seymour. The book went on to become a best seller around the world and it is still in print today. Upon getting to know the author, Peter was taught the important distinction between agriculture and agri-business.
“Back in 1974, we weren’t talking about organic, we were talking about self-sufficiency; doing things properly, manure, compost and all those things. The TV programme, The Good Life, had just come out and I think they must have been inspired by this book as there was nothing else like it around.”
The Kindersleys’ original aim was to protect themselves from the polluting chemicals used by farmers surrounding them and to recreate the original downland landscape that they had fallen in love with so many years ago. Since then, the conversion to organic farming has been an immensely positive experience.
“We have witnessed the miraculous generosity of nature as the countryside around us has come back to life and, with the return of myriad birds, wild flowers, small mammals, reptiles and insect life, land which was turning into an arid prairie has been transformed to a rich tapestry of wildlife.”
When asked about the threat of a new wave of intensive farming, such as ‘mega-dairies’, Peter is deeply concerned but believes the tide can be turned. He continues, "With almost 10,000 factory farms in the US producing 300 million tons of manure per year, that's more than double the amount generated by the entire US human population. How can we allow this?” He adds, “many Americans are now quite rightly saying, ‘No more!’” Despite the challenges, Peter feels positive that with the right kind of people power, changes can be made.
“The idea that intensive farming can feed the world is absolute rubbish, it just puts lots of people out of work. The United Nations, countless scientists and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) all agree that industrialised farming is not the answer. Agriculture is not just another business. Most of the world relies on it for employment, community and a good environment as well as food of course. It is really a social enterprise. Changing this model could have dire consequences for the future."
A free-range turkey at Sheepdrove farm
Sheepdrove farm manager, Chris Blunt, talks about these strong principles and vision being at the heart of everything that goes into managing the farm. Their commitment to animal welfare runs deep – it is about more than just the little touches but fundamentally working with the animals’ natural behaviour rather than being at odds with it; calves are separated from their mothers at eleven months rather than the typical six months, making it a far less traumatic experience. Breed is chosen to support good welfare, for example favouring hardy breeds that do not need to be kept indoors unnecessarily. Sheepdrove follows the very best Soil Association organic standards and also innovates to go beyond them. Peter and Juliet’s team has developed a number of unique approaches that create a happy and healthy environment for their farm animals. Particularly striking is the Sheepdrove turkey flock. Rearing a mixture of traditional and heritage turkey breeds, these beautiful birds live extremely free-range lives with plenty of access to woodland. When you arrive at the turkey field, these inquisitive birds literally charge across and come to meet you.
Peter sees the future of Sheepdrove as a working farm that can run efficiently whilst continuing to remain uncompromised on their standards.
“That’s what I learned all those years back from the self sufficiency book and what I continue to stand by today.”
To find out more about Sheepdrove, please do visit the website at sheepdrove.com