Blue Carbon Farming
Our Story
A co-operative of three farming families came together in 2022 with the aim of producing quality beef that not only tastes great but also enhances the natural environment by keeping wetlands as healthy as possible. Living and farming on and around the WWT Steart Marshes (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust), we all have a passion for producing incredible food that enhances our surroundings. Healthy wetlands provide an environment in which wildlife can flourish, flora and fauna can thrive, carbon can be absorbed, and everyone can enjoy.
Returning To The Marshes
By returning cattle to the wetlands, our aim is to create healthy salt marsh beef and thriving wetlands. Healthy wetlands not only keep our cattle in good condition but also help increase flora and fauna, improving habitat quality for birds, mammals, and insects.
By selectively grazing a wide variety of herbs and grasses, our cattle choose what they need to stay as healthy as possible. Light grazing and poaching in some areas stimulate root and foliage growth, while footprints create an environment where different seeds can germinate at a depth that suits them. Harsher grazing in some areas reduces the need for topping with a tractor, especially where invasive species such as sea couch have taken over. This, in turn, gives native species such as sea aster and sea thrift a chance to establish themselves.
We work closely with the WWT to ensure that areas of nesting birds, flowering plants, or reeds are protected through the use of our NoFence collars. This allows rare plants to gain a foothold in an otherwise constantly changing environment.
Meet the Award Winning team behind Blue Carbon Farming
about us
Matt
Matt and Rachel are married and together they have a daughter and a son. They have lived on the Steart Marshes for the last 18 years where Matt manages the local, Award Winning, Dairy Farm providing milk to Tesco for their bottles of milk and other dairy produce. The opportunity to work with Andy and Sam on an exciting new business producing high quality beef & improving the habitat for the local wildlife was discussed over a pint & Blue Carbon Farming was born! In Matts spare time he enjoys spending time on his boat, socialising with his friends at skittles & having days out with his family.
Andy
Andy is married to Lauren and a dad to two sons and a daughter. Happiest in his shorts, Andy’s other farming role includes supplying Award Winning Oakham Gold Chickens to Marks & Spencer supermarket chain They love to cycle and go on walks especially across the Steart Marshes. In Andy's own words: "Having worked with poultry for 15 years we are all excited to be working with cattle and the WWT to see how we can develop the marshes into a thriving habitat for the wildlife."
Sam
Sam is an award winning, third generation dairy and arable farmer. He's married to Natalie with whom they have a son and has farmed on the Steart Peninsula all his working life. Sam has seen it as one of his challenges to adapt his business to the rapidly changing climate and the transition of the Steart Peninsula to an open access wildlife haven, interspersed with traditional farming businesses such as his.
Why Choose Us
Nutritional Benefits
Grass fed meat has extra nutritional benefits such as higher in Omega-3, rich in Vitamin A and E.
lower saturated fats
Grass fed meat generally has lower amounts of saturated fats over corn fed cattle.
Leaner & nutritionally Dense
Due to the cattle enjoying a completely natural diet they are leaner and nutritionally dense.
Supporting more bio-diversity
Having the cattle grazing the saltmarsh is great for the insects, birds and the bees.
Nutritional
The cattle aren't only just great for the insects, birds and the bees. Grass fed beef has extra nutritional benefits for you over corn fed cattle. By grazing on the salt marsh the animals enjoy the freedom to roam and graze on a completely natural diet meaning that the meat will generally be leaner and nutritionally dense. Grass fed meat is generally higher in Omega-3, rich in Vitamin A and E, and has lower amounts of saturated fats. There are also added antioxidants, which the animals consume when eating the huge variety of grasses that are on the marshes.
We see the massive opportunity to enhance the environmental credentials of Cattle Farmers as a whole by working alongside the Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust (WWT) at Steart, using their land to show that we can rear our cattle in an extensive, low carbon and nature friendly way. With this in mind, we aim to produce carbon neutral beef animals, roaming the salt marshes, that may even help us store more carbon for the next generation.
Client Testimonials
