Animal welfare has long been the Gardners’ number one priority; their farm is 100% Soil Association-certified organic, guaranteeing the highest welfare standards of any farming system, including free range. They also source from a network of other organic South-West farms where all the birds are truly free to roam, ranging across healthy green fields. The farms are peaceful, natural environment, way out in the sticks – and because the land is organic, it’s full of natural wildlife.
“The birds have access to forage naturally, roam around, eat as much as they like. The pastures are rich in clover, and there’s plenty of bugs and other things about for them to have a go at,” Ross says.
Top of the valley, ruling the roost so to speak, are the organic Pekin-breed ducks. After a couple of weeks staying warm and cosy in their brooder, the ducklings are ready to head outside – enjoying (or maybe Ross and the team enjoy it more) views over the turkeys and geese in their own pastures, and across the mouth of the River Exe.
With the freedom to pad about and express their natural behaviours, it becomes clear how curious and determined these splendid birds are.
“The turkeys are so inquisitive – alongside the geese, they’re just great creatures to work with. Great, friendly animals,” says Ross. He chooses traditional breeds for all his birds, including the much-prized Kelly Bronze turkeys. A naturally slow-growing breed, they take around 24 weeks to reach full maturity at their own pace.
“If you compare it alongside a fast-growing supermarket turkey, some – not all, but some – they’ve just been raised for 10-12 weeks. There’s a huge difference in flavour,” Ross says.
The Gardners also run their own certified organic slaughterhouse on the farm, meaning the birds don’t have to make any long, stressful journeys – maintaining the highest welfare for the full span of their lives.
Treating our suppliers fairly is at the heart of what we do at Riverford, guaranteeing a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s growing to small-scale farmers like Ross.
“I’ve been working with Riverford for about 10 years now,” he says. “Working alongside another farmer, they’ve got the understanding of how farming poultry works. It’s not a 100% science; there’s give and take. They pay an exceptionally fair price, and it’s all agreed at the start of the year for everything we’re going to produce.”
