Prince of Wales delighted as farm declared organic

Dumfries House farm has been declared as organic after a two-year conversion process.

The new organic status of the farm in Cumnock, East Ayrshire, marks the realisation of a major element of the vision of HRH The Prince of Wales, who saved the estate for the nation 12 years ago.

Home Farm, which is a commercial farm located on the 2000-acre estate, attained full organic certification earlier this year from the Scottish Organic Producers Association in recognition of its commitment to good farming practice.

John Rowell, farm manager, said: ‘Full organic certification is something we have been working towards for several years as there are countless benefits to organic farming and organic food. We are very proud to have achieved it.

John Rowell and Denise Richardson-Rowell take care of the farm at Dumfries House

‘As an organic farm, you can’t use any artificial fertilisers or pesticides, and we are making better use of manure. The farmland contains more clover and improved soil. Animals typically take a little longer to get fat from grass, which means keeping them longer.’

As a result of the certification, Home Farm plans to bring organic lamb and organic beef to market later this year. Breeds on Home Farm include Cheviot and Border Leicester sheep and Beef Shorthorn and Whitebred Shorthorn cattle.

The farm sits adjacent to Valentin’s Education Farm, which welcomes hundreds of school pupils from East Ayrshire and beyond to observe and engage with animals while learning about the importance of having a balanced diet as part of The Prince’s Foundation’s farm education programme.