

Dear All,
Harvest Supper
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed in any way to the Harvest Supper. It was a great village evening and we all were spoilt with the delicious food and wine.
A particular thank you to those who contributed to the raffle and auction prizes. This raised over £1800. Also a big thank you to those who paid for the wine, John Rutely and Lucy Boggis-Rolfe. This meant that more of the ticket money was able to go towards the fund raising.
St John the Baptist
Another thank you to Richard and Margaret Maslen for taking the Harvest Service last Sunday. The sun shone and we were able to have the service outside – followed by coffee and Pauline Curthoy’s delicious shortbread.
There is no service in church this Sunday as it is the Tetbury Festival this week
There will be a service at St Marys’ Tetbury on Sunday 3rd October at 10.30am Benefice Festival Eucharist.
Please note this is the only service in the benefice that day.
There will be a collection for Christian Aid after the service in support of Mary Hinton running the London Marathon.
Frederick Bernard Lorimer dob 26.2.1926
A message from Jane Fawcett
My dear Dad, Frederick Bernard Lorimer,is 95 years old now. He is a wonderful man who is full time carer to my 88 year old Mum who is housebound with severe disabilities. Recently, he has been telling me how he spent his childhood around Shipton Moyne, Easton Grey and that his Grandparents set up a Mill in the village of Pinkney (which I am now trying to find out more about) He also told me that he never knew which exact house he was born in, within Shipton Moyne as his Birth Certificate only states ‘Shipton Moyne’.
Would anyone be able to help me to try and track down the house/address where Dad was born? I would so like to drive him out to the village just to show him.
My Dad’s Dad was Alec Lorimer and he married Lillian Clark(e?)
Luckington Farm Beef
Dear Luckington Farm Customer,
Our pop-up shop will be open during the afternoons from 12 noon on Wednesday 29th September to Sunday 3rd October at Fosse Tillery Farm SN16 0JL. Please, feel free to come and browse and shop our range of delicious 100% Grass-fed beef. We will also have a selection of locally sourced Lamb.
Please call Aly on 07966524283 if nobody is around.
Janie
Luckington Farmers
www.luckingtonfarm.com
Contact: Will Rose, Retail Manager,
T: 01666 333 250
M: 07703 446 903
E: w.rose@thefarmbutcher.co.uk
For all future updates and beef availability dates for Luckington Farm Beef, please sign up to the Farm Butcher’s mailing list https://www.thefarmbutcher.co.uk/
OUR BEEF
The essential elements for farming cattle at Luckington Farm are ensuring they are 100% grass fed and get to eat fresh pasture every day (“mob grazed”). They are native breeds, locally bred, reared, slaughtered and consumed. We are organic and use no chemicals, but more than that aim for a very low input system. We aspire to have pasture that has a diverse variety of grasses, legumes, herbs and wild flowers that are allowed to flourish which provides a healthier diet for the animals, is super important for sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and supports a vibrant ecosystem of wildlife. All of this goes hand in hand with improving the quality of the soil every year.
After growing up with farming, studying agriculture at University and more recently learning and being inspired by others, Janie has set out to farm animals in a natural and holistic way. Using a combination of methods both old and new we believe that better tasting meat can be produced on a sustainable and regenerative basis with added benefits to the environment, the soil and the animals themselves.We want you to taste the difference.
SOIL
“Mob grazing” cattle means keeping the herd closely bunched together, (mimicking how they would graze in the wild when they need to protect themselves from predators) and moving them very often, normally every day. This means that the pasture has a short, intense period of being eaten, pooed on and trampled; which builds soil and soil carbon. The pasture is then left alone for many weeks allowing it to grow, flower and seed. This encourages a more diverse array of pasture – grasses, legumes, wild flowers and herbs; which in turn means more varied root structures below ground as well. The above ground pasture volume reduces rain water evaporation thus preserving moisture and the more robust root system aids water retention and reduces water run off, thus preventing soil degradation. We aim to create a nutrient rich environment above and below ground for wildlife, insects, earthworms, mycorrhizal fungi; all of which is vital for soil health.
TASTE
What is “grass fed”? Surely all cattle are grass fed. Well, most cattle live in a field and eat grass when it is available but are then “finished” (ie fattened up quickly) on grain (or cereals / soya). Grain is simply a way of getting cattle to put on weight; it is not a natural diet for ruminants. (Incidently the production of grain itself is often damaging for the environment). Being 100% grass fed on a diverse mix of grasses, herbs, flowers and legumes means the cattle fatten slowly and naturally; the meat is lower in total fat, higher on Omega 3 fatty acids, higher in linoleic acid and higher in vitamin and mineral contents than grain fed beef. All of which means it is a lot better for you. But what is more it tastes better… please try it for yourself and let us know what you think.
ENVIRONMENT
Organic farming and “mob grazing” mean the grasses and pasture have a short intense period of being eaten and then long periods of just doing their thing: growing. Because the grasses are allowed to grow to maturity there is an exponential effect on the amount of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere back into the ground. The mid-range growth of grasses (say from 10cm to 30cm) is by far the most efficient sequester of carbon as compared to trees or shrubs. (To appreciate this, imagine the volume of grass that would grow on your lawn over a few weeks in summer if left to its own devices, versus the growth in a tree or bush over the same period). Grasses that are permanently grazed are prevented from doing this. In addition, longer grasses and a variety of species, promotes a rich habitat for insects above and below ground which in turn support a much more vibrant ecosystem of bugs, butterflies, birds etc.
ANIMAL
The cattle are moved every day and are thus presented with fresh grazing daily. They are given a measured area, the aim being that they will take approximately the top third of the plants, leaving two thirds behind. They eat a fresh variety of grasses, herbs, legumes, flowers etc which this system allows and is healthier and more nutritious for them than a ‘set-stocked’ (put in a field for a long period) system when diversity gives way to monoculture. Diversity also allows the cattle to self-select plants some of which have medicinal properties; the cattle know what is good for them. We aim to avoid them eating the bottom third of grasses where the worms hang out, thus reducing the need for worming and having a positive impact on the soil as wormers in cattle get pooed out and end up killing soil life as collateral damage. We aim to have the cattle outside as much of the year as possible and if they do have to be inside, they are only fed preserved pasture forage (haylage or hay).
Any news please let me know.
Beth