My name is farmer Sarah and I have worked at the farm most of my adult life, starting on weekends and moving on to a full time job at 21.
Over the years I have done many different roles around the farm. Currently a really exciting part of my job is bringing in rare breed livestock to the farm. After a meeting with the RBST (rare breed survival trust) last year we were inspired to help save our native rare breeds and educate our visitors about why its so important. In this blog I’d like too tell you about some of the rare breeds we have here at White Post Farm including some new this year!
So after looking into the criteria required for RBST accreditation I immediately saw it as a great opportunity for the farm. We already had Golden Guernsey goats (my favourite) which are an “at risk” goat on the the RBST watchlist. The watchlist has become a brilliant resource for me when looking at new animals to bring to the farm.
The farm was contacted by Josh Farrell who helps run a project for the Oxford Sandy and Black pig. He asked us if we wanted to be apart of the project and after a good chat with Josh and a meeting with the team were were very excited to get involved! The project has been great for me. It helped me to unstained and navigate the essentials of breeding and selling as well as the registration of the animals which is a key part of helping the breed to survive. After some careful research the delivery of some Oxford Sandy and Black pigs was arranged. So exciting!
As we awaited the pigs arrival I started looking at our poultry. I visited Folly farm in Wales and they very kindly gave me some Sebright eggs. (Sebrights are a beautiful breed of chicken on the RBST watchlist). We have successfully hatched two chicks who have grown healthily and now live in our Love bird aviary. Turkeys are another bird on the RBST watchlist and we are hoping to breed and hatch them too. We have Hank and his two girlfriends. They are Norfolk Blacks.
We still have plans for some exciting rare breeds to come to the farm. It can be a long, but interesting and careful process. We have to decide exactly which breed are right for us. Will they settle at the farm? Can we give them the exact care they require? These animals are are for a reason so it’s really important to make the right choice.
December 2022 the Oxford Sandy and Black pigs (or plum pudding pigs) arrived; Nibbly and Squash. I was so excited this felt like the real start to the rare breed journey. They were due to farrow in January and they had their super cool ‘pigloos’ to keep themselves and their piglets warm. Pigs are pregnant for 3 months 3 weeks 3 days and true to this ‘Nibbly’ farrowed right on time. Seven beautiful Oxford and Sandy and Black piglets! Hooray! She was a first time mum and she cared for them fantastically. By February half term they were the main attraction at the pig talks twice a day which gave us time to about this amazing breed of pig. It was so rewarding and encouraging to see our visitors reaction to them. Just what I’d hoped.
Squash didn’t settle into White Post Farm life as well as would have liked so it was decided she would return with Josh back to Tom’s farm down south. In the meantime, Josh checked in and trained us to find the best piglet to be kept for breeding the next generation of Oxford Sandy and Blacks. As part of the project Josh gets “pick of the litter” and we get training and confidence to hopefully one day do this ourselves.
January 2023 saw the arrival of 11 new Dorset polled sheep and a really pretty bunch! They are to be part of our seasonal lambing programme which means we needed a Dorset ram too. We registered Captain Morgan, a fine specimen! He’s such a handsome ram, and so well mannered, exactly what we needed.
Our next arrivals were one of my favourites yet! After a trip to Melton Rare Breeds Sale I fell in love with the Grey Faced Dartmoor sheep. They are very rare so knew it would be hard work. But when a full flock came up for sale Farmer Simon and I jumped in the van, with an empty trailer just in case. What do you know? We came home with 17 wonderful Grey Fan Dartmoor, including Douglas the magnificent ram!
I feel I am just starting on this rare breed adventure and have so much more to tell you. I really excited to keep you updated. I have so much to tell you!
Farmer Sarah.
