PIPERS FARM

Pipers Farm is a 50-acre, all grass, family farm, located just north of Exeter in Devon. It lies in an area of rolling hills and nutrient-rich red soil. Their fields are small and the 400-year-old hedgerows surrounding them are 2 or 3 metres wide. They are priceless reservoirs of biodiversity and natural corridors for wildlife. Their valley has a rich heritage of small mixed family farms, some growing crops as well as grass, and many of them with a cider orchard that used to supply the Whiteway... s cider press at the end of the road. As they walk up the farm they have a breathtaking view of rolling hills and a tapestry of vibrant greens of grass and crops traditionally grown in their valley such as swedes and potatoes, punctuated by ploughed fields of ruby red soil. The pasture under their feet is a perfect illustration of the timeless values of the traditional systems. The old-fashioned grasses and herbs are deep-rooted, drawing nutrients from the Devon soil, with red and white clovers naturally drawing nitrogen from the air to fertilise the plants around them. It gives their animals the perfect “5-a-day" nourishment with no need for health supplements. At Pipers Farm they have at least one herd of native Red Ruby Cattle grazing the farm year round. You'll also find a flock of their Suffolk tup sheep grazing their deep-rooted permanent grasses. In the Summer months through to late Autumn, their ancient orchards become the perfect home for their Saddleback pigs, munching windfall apples, rooting up turnips and wallowing in deep mud baths. More