New Sheepfold Farm
Farming, accommodation, local food sales & education
Mark and Louise Day aren’t just farmers, they're nurturers.
The couple believe strongly in regenerative farming, nurturing their land at New Sheepfold Farm in the North York Moors into a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly enterprise.
They're also passionate about helping the public to understand more about about how farming can work in harmony with nature, and the important role that good, locally-reared meat can play.
They’re nurturing people too, providing four luxury shepherd huts for guests to slow down and relax while looking out across the restful landscape near Ingleby Greenhow.
Regenerative farming
Their regenerative farming path began in 2017 when they re-thought how they could build the health of the soil and biodiversity by coming out of dairy and re-stocking with native sheep and beef breeds. In came a flock of rare breed Soay sheep, followed by Herdwicks and a herd of pedigree beef shorthorn, a breed known for its slow rate of maturation and ability to thrive on pasture.
Now the farm is also home to a number of rare and traditional breeds including Exlana and Shropshire sheep and Golden Guernsey goats – each breed chosen carefully for the contribution it makes to the farm’s regeneration, whether it's managing vegetation that would otherwise dominate wildflowers or, in the case of the sheep, naturally shedding their wool without the need for shearing.
The regeneration aspect ripples beyond the farm itself though as Mark and Louise are very aware of the need to help find a way to reconnect people with the food they eat. They’re working with schools to organise farm visits, providing a living, multi-sensory classroom for the next generation to see how the land is used to produce food in parallel with wildlife habitats being preserved and improved.
For Louise, sharing the farm’s story is important, whether it’s youngsters on a farm visit or helping people decide on the best cut of meat to buy from the vending machine. They’re finding people love popping in to buy from the vending machine, not just because the meat tastes good but also because they trust its origins.
This has led the couple to begin a nationwide meat box delivery service, enabling people to buy a range of beef cuts that will fill a freezer and are perfect for batch cooking, whether its mince or braising steak.
No wonder then that New Sheepfold Farm has been a finalist for the 2nd year in a row in the British Farming Awards in the small/medium diversification category; an accolade that underlines just how deep rooted regeneration has become in this pocket of the North York Moors and gives confidence to others to follow a similar path.
