I was lucky enough to sit down and talk to Claire Llewellen a little while ago, and I asked her how she and her partner Steve became involved with Water Buffalo, how the business has progressed and what they are doing now. For some time I have been impressed by Claire’s work ethic, her no nonsense attitude and her ability to overcome adversity. She also has a tremendous empathy with all of her animals, pets and livestock alike. I’ll let her tell you the story of how their business “Mattwellyn” came into being:
“Born on a smallholding in Staffordshire, I have always loved the outdoor lifestyle. My parents had pedigree Southdown and Suffolk sheep when I was young, but sadly lost them to the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth. This had a massive impact on their lives and they were very reluctant to let me farm. Despite this I bought a handful of pedigree Southdown ewes from the Stoneridge flock. Upon meeting my partner, Steve, nine years ago we combined his commercial ewes and my Southdowns to form our current flock of around one hundred and thirty breeding ewes.
In 2016 we were looking to expand our little enterprise and were looking for another animal to add to the smallholding. Being soft and easily attached to my animals I wanted to find something that could stay with us long term as well as generating an income. I looked into a number of species but decided that Water Buffalo were ideal for us. I travelled around the UK meeting buffalo farmers (they’re very helpful), to gain knowledge and experience. I was then invited onto a training course in Italy by the International Buffalo Federation for which I am now the UK delegate.
WHY KEEP WATER BUFFALO?
Esta historia es de la edición October 2022 de The Country Smallholder.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 2022 de The Country Smallholder.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
Meet the Bournemouth goats and their supporters
These capricious animals are hard workers preserving the natural habitat
Still warm enough to sit outside with a Pizza
Henrietta Balcon uses fresh figs to create an unusual dish at Harvest time
Goodbye to the birds of spring and summer
If you look and listen you might be able to see them preparing to leave says The RSPB
Get ready for the colder weather in the warmth of late summer
Claire Waring advises on doing the best to make sure your colonies survive until next spring
Preparing the Veg Patch for Winter
Lee Senior says, a well-run plot can excitingly continue to produce good quality, tasty, fresh food for much of winter
Time to prepare to plant your orchard
Wade Muggleton, smallholder and author of The Orchard Book, shares his practical experience so you can create your own fruit collection
Choosing feed for the autumn
As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.
Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet
Reflecting on how much the humble hen has helped people world wide plus advice on stopping the scourge of red mite
Give your hens some support
Paul Donovan looks at the right and wrong ways of handling birds
