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 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.
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 sheep flock are the Easycare breed with short fleeces so they can graze safely around brambles without getting caught up. The brambles are maintained as part of the wildlife habitat around Abberton reservoir. They lamb outdoors from the end of April. The lambs may be finished indoors on grass and home grown cereals.
Our first New Season lamb is available fresh from 9/9/21
We also have cull ewes who are no longer suitable for breeding available as mutton - the next fresh mutton will be after we have scanned the ewes in March. Any not in lamb will be availabler as mutton.
ALL LAMB currently available has had agrass only diet - as the weather has been mild, they are still outside and 'finishing' on grass.
Our Suckler Beef Herd
The calves are born and reared here and fathered by an Aberdeen Angus bull, currently either Edmund or Eadred ( we are going through the Kings of England ).
The beef animals are grass fed outdoors, coming indoors for winter and calving and then fed on homegrown silage (fermented grass conserved in round bales). The cows are a mixture of breeds including; Hereford, Charolais, Red Poll and Angus cross.
Taken in April 2021 from left to right.
Phil Pratt - stockman and general farm worker joined us in January 2016.
Phil Gladwin - farm partner with overall responsibility for farming activities.
Kate Gladwin - farm partner responsible for Wigborough Meats and the pig herd.
Tango - currenly the only breeding bitch in the Bretongarr Kennel Stud since Poppy has deservedly 'retired' with a hysterectomy after 48 pups from 4 litters.
Dean Knight - stockman and GFW joined the tem in March 2020.
The canopy installed outside the shop at Garr House Farm in August 2020 to safely serve customers outside the shop during the pandemic - we bring out the produce for you to select.
Various staff :
Kate in the shop doorway.
Rosie Abbott with one of the free range egg laying flocks. Rosie is responsible for WM social media and contimnues to do Farmers' Markets along with working full time with Essex Wildlife Trust as Volunteer Development Manager.
Karina Tarling - meat collection and deliveries plus shop cover and Sudbury Market .
Sarah Gidlow - meat collection and deliveries with some shop cover and Farmers' Markets.
Tony Coppin - meat collection and deliveries.
Harry Gladwin with Poppy. Lockdown meat shop cover, tech trouble shooting and order collation.
Maya Patel - shop cover and market assistant.
Laura Pratt - Thursday shop help, deliveries and Colchester Market
The volunteer helpers who made the final Open Farm Day on Good Friday 2019 such a success.