We are a family run farm just outside Colchester and have been keeping stock at Garr House Farm for over 35 years. Since August 2000 we have been retailing meat directly to the public through Wigborough Traditional Meats. Our farming is sustainable with a low carbon footprint and welfare friendly.
All pigs, lambs and calves are born and raised on this farm. We have had a suckler beef herd since 2007 using Angus bulls. The ewes are bought in as shearlings from Wales or home bred.
Our Pigs
The pigs are housed on straw in large pens, the main ingredients of their rations, which we home mix, are locally grown wheat and barley. They are Large White x Landrace and we breed all our own replacement stock.
Our Sheep
The Welsh Mule x Suffolk sheep lamb indoors at the end of March then graze outdoors, the lambs being 'finished' on home grown barley. We also have an outdoor lambing flock of Easycare sheep which graze on land managed for wildlife around the reservoir all year.
Our Suckler Beef Herd
The calves are born and reared here and fathered by an Aberdeen Angus bull, currently either Stanley or Edmund.
The beef animals are grass fed outdoors, coming indoors for winter and calving and then fed on homegrown silage (fermented grass bales). The cows are a mixture of breeds including; Hereford, Charolais, Red Poll and Angus cross.
Taken in August 2016, from left to right starting with the back row. Son in law Dave Abbott ( married our daughter Rosie, October 2015 ) and works part time on the farm especially on various workshop constructions.
Phil Gladwin - farm partner with main farm responsibility.
Phil Pratt - stockman and general farm worker joined us in January 2016.
Bobby Karpinski - farm partner, looked after the farrowing houses until her sudden death in September 2018
Kate Gladwin - farm partner responsible for Wigborough Traditional Meats.
Bob Goodall - head stockman since 1994. Retired June 2019.
Poppy - Fox red labrador, founding member of Bretongarr Kennel, pictured on vermin duty.
The volunteer helpers who made Open Farm Day on Good Friday 2019 such a success.