Cover

Contents

with Caroline Watson

April at Yew Tree Farm

Lambing time is here. Caroline sorts out the confu- sion about what ”spring lamb” is, and explains why lambs who have grazed the fells over summer pro- duce meat with a lot more flavour.

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pring has sprung, at last! Like most people, our cattle and sheep are very glad to see some grass growing. Winter fodder, (hay and silage) sustains the animals but there is no substitute for the real thing. Animals are happier and

much healthier if there is some good grass to eat. We are bracing ourselves for lambing time; this is a stressful but rewarding time. It is the start of the annual farming cycle and a successful lambing bodes well for the rest of the year. In foodie terms, ‘spring’ often conjures up images of mouth wa- teringly tender ‘spring’ lamb. This causes horror in others, as the sight of baby lambs bopping around in the fields is enough to turn them vegetarian! That’s why I’d now like to set the record straight. ‘Spring lamb’ is a product of farmers who lamb their sheep through winter. This means they can take advantage of the early spring meat sales, as

The Herdwick lambs born at Yew Tree Farm in spring grow through the following winter before they pro- duce hogget – meat from one-year old lambs. It’s full of flavour, the meat is marbled but still tender.

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