The Finest Somerset Salt Marsh Reared Beef
The Finest Somerset Salt Marsh Reared Beef
We are grazing Angus beef cattle on Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) land at Steart Point in Somerset. Premium grass-fed salt marsh beef.
Grazed on the Steart marshes in Somerset. Promoting sustainability in farming through conscious grazing working with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).
Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides. The cattle help improve the quality of the habitat on the salt marsh. Low density grazing and light poaching helps to break up the dominating sea couch grass and nibbling at the plants such as samphire and sea aster encourages new growth and a wider insect habitat.
Cattle have not been grazed at the point for almost 30 years. Now, with the help of modern technology, our cattle will help to maintain and improve the condition of the wetland habitat.
By returning the cattle to the marshland we hope that the selective grazing of the herbs and grasses will help with a few things. The sea couch will be knocked back long enough for other salt marsh plants to grow. This increase in plant diversity and photosynthesis helps capture carbon in to the ground, adding to the amazing carbon sequestration marshlands already provide. This salt marsh diet gives a unique quality and taste to our beef!
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 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 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.
Grass fed meat has extra nutritional benefits such as higher in Omega-3, rich in Vitamin A and E.
Grass fed meat generally has lower amounts of saturated fats over corn fed cattle.
Due to the cattle enjoying a completely natural diet they are leaner and nutritionally dense.
Having the cattle grazing the saltmarsh is great for the insects, birds and the bees.
