Hannah shares an introduction to Chapel Farm, where she and her husband Sion (our Farm Manager) live – its history, its quirks, and the thoughtful work being done to nurture it for the future. From growing food to protecting biodiversity, it’s a glimpse into the heart of a farm shaped by people, place, and purpose.

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Summer is here and our seasonal jobs are well-underway.

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Summer is one of our favourite times of the year at Chapel Farm – warmer temperatures and longer days make jobs a little easier and there isn’t a need for so many layers to go outside!

As these months come around again, so does the Summer work.

A few main things on the agenda in recent weeks have included shearing the farm’s flock of 500 sheep, marking and weaning lambs and making silage for the winter months.

Shearing is an annual task and is essential for the welfare of the sheep.

Shearing at the farm went ahead over a few days this year, some of which saw Kendal College students complete their first shearing training course delivered by British Wool shearing instructors.

Marking and later weaning the lambs has also taken place during the last few months.

This included marking the lambs with our unique flock mark, which here at Chapel is a red ‘D’. This stands for Dunning, the family who own Chapel Farm and Westmorland. The mark is applied using a paste and allows sheep to be quickly identified, especially when gathering and sorting them.

Weaning the lambs happened a few weeks later, an annual job each year once the lambs are big enough and eating grass well. This also gives the ewes a few months respite ahead next breeding season, which will begin in the Autumn with tupping (mating).
Once weaned, lambs went straight onto some of the multi-species grass pastures, some of the most palatable fields on the farm to keep them growing well.

We have also harvested a crop of silage which will be used to feed animals inside during the Winter season when they are brought indoors.

Silage is a type of animal feed created by fermenting and storing green forage crops, including grass. This process preserves nutrients and provides a high-quality feed source during a period when fresh forage (grass in this case) is scarce.
The silage crop was harvested in early June and will remain ensiled until it is needed later in the year.

Find out what’s new on the farm in our next blog – coming soon!

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Missed our Lambing Season blog?

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Hannah shares an update on Summer at Chapel Farm, where she and her husband Sion (our Farm Manager) live – its history, its quirks, and the thoughtful work being done to nurture it for the future. From growing food to protecting biodiversity, it’s a glimpse into the heart of a farm shaped by people, place, and purpose.

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The landscape has come to life and livestock is growing.

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The Summer season is well-underway at Chapel Farm, bringing with it longer daylight hours and pastures in full growth.

Narrow lanes are fuller with hedgerows in full bloom and fully leafed trees offer shade on a warm day.

Our cattle and sheep are out in the fields which means daily checks on these animals as well as maintaining of water supplies and fencing across this grazed area.

Some of the grassland species on the farm include herbal leys like chicory, plantain, red and white clover which not only provides a higher quality forage for livestock but brings a diverse root structure to the ground, boosting soil health and supporting pollinators and other wildlife.

This type of multi-species sward is designed to improve soil health, enhance livestock nutrition and benefit biodiversity across the farm – and during the warmer months is when it really comes to life.

To make the most of what the multi-species grassland has to offer, we split the fields up into smaller paddocks to create a rotational grazing system.

This means cattle and sheep are moved every few days onto fresh pasture, giving them access to a varied and nutritious forage diet while helping to regenerate the pasture behind them.

Across this grazing area, cattle will follow sheep into the paddocks meaning sheep graze an area first with cattle coming in behind them once sheep have been moved into the next one.

As cattle and sheep have different grazing preferences, this works well as cattle tend to graze more broadly and can graze down to a certain height, while sheep are more selective and graze closer to the ground. This means that together, they utilise a wider range of vegetation.

This complementary grazing behaviour can lead to healthier pastures, increased productivity and healthier animals and is a natural, efficient way to manage our land and livestock.

There are also woodland pasture areas on the farm which are grazed by cattle only. Cattle are less likely than sheep to damage tress and young saplings, while cattle are ideal for maintain the balance of open pasture and tree cover in woodland systems.

Sitting alongside these more productive pastures on the farm are areas of moorland, some which can be seen from the services – here a herd of Belted Galloway cows can be seen grazing.

A breed that is well-equipped to thrive outdoors in any climate and well-suited to grazing on the exposed, higher ground on the farm.

While livestock are out grazing, Summer work continues…

Find out what’s new on the farm in our next blog – coming soon!

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Want to find out more? Check out a few of our other blogs below.

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At Westmorland, we’ve long championed the belief that eating great seasonal British-grown produce can bring a simple pleasure to life.

At the heart of this is a commitment to understanding where the food we sell comes from and how our buying choices affect the world around us.

We partner with farmers and growers who care as much about the food and the land that produces it, as we do.

They share our vision for British agriculture, but they need your support. Britain is less than 60% self-sufficient in vegetable and salad crops, and this is declining. But, there is brightness in the industry, led by some inspiring producers and projects.

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Growing Well

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Growing Well is a pioneering mental health charity based at the Northbound site of Tebay Services, offering a clinically-governed long term mental health recovery service. People who are feeling depressed, anxious or finding everyday life a challenge, can access free and effective support by spending time at Growing Well.

The site is a “real-world” commercial business, with 100% of the crops grown being used in salads, soups, and sandwiches in our Kitchens or sold in our Farmshops. This circular economy provides a valuable income for Growing Well and a purpose for the growers

Volunteers at the site share tasks and set goals for their recovery, and join a community of growers who find solace and satisfaction in nurturing a crop from seed to plate.

A housing officer recommended Growing Well to Alice, who was struggling with mental illness.

“Being open and honest about mental ill health is important in removing the stigma and helping others get the support they need,” explains Alice.

“I love the sense of community and belonging, working alongside other people who I know are having similar struggles really helps. I leave at the end of each day proud of what I have achieved and what we have achieved as a group.”

Want to know more? Visit Growing Well, here.

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Hannah shares an introduction to Chapel Farm, where she and her husband Sion (our Farm Manager) live – its history, its quirks, and the thoughtful work being done to nurture it for the future. From growing food to protecting biodiversity, it’s a glimpse into the heart of a farm shaped by people, place, and purpose.

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New year, new beginnings and new life – The start of the farming year.

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Longer days, blossoming trees, grass growth and warmer temperatures are sure signs that Spring has arrived.

And with that comes one of the busiest periods on our farm – lambing season!

An incredibly busy six weeks has not long come to an end for our farm team, during which time the bulk of the farm’s 500 ewes (female sheep) gave birth, mostly to twin lambs, although some will have a single lamb and a handful will have triplets.

A five-month gestation means discussions around lambing began long before this, with tups or rams (male sheep) joining the ewes in early November for a period of time so they can become pregnant.

Ewes are then pregnancy-scanned in mid-February which identifies which are carrying a single, twin, or triplet lambs. They can then be grouped and fed accordingly, with those carrying more lambs fed that bit more to meet the extra energy requirements that come with growing multiple lambs.

Ewes are brought into fields and paddocks close to home as due date approaches so that a watchful eye can be kept on them as they begin to give birth.

It is an intense time of year, with sheep checked at first light and again several times throughout the day.

Lambs are born outside, with ewes given space to bond with their newly born lambs in the open air – although those which do need it are given a helping hand and occasionally taken into the shed where a closer eye can be kept on them if necessary.

We were blessed with a fantastic Spring this year, with bright sunshine and warm temperatures making for pretty ideal lambing conditions and happy and healthy lambs enjoying the bright sunshine, growing and getting stronger everyday.

It is a joy to see them frolicking in the fields as they grow in confidence to leave mum behind and run with the other lambs having fun.

It is a season that brings challenges and joy every year and as it draws to a close for another year, thoughts on the farm have already turned to Summer work.

Keep up to date with our farm in our next blog, coming soon.

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Check out our latest blog, below: Shearing, Silage & Sunshine.

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