A small hill farm with a big heart in South Wales
Our Story
In 2014 we took the plunge with our three children, moved to a farm and bought our first 10 ewes. Now we have an established flock of Hill Radnor sheep, an upland breed native the the UK. Both of us being conservationists, we chose Hill Radnor as they are classified as 'rare' by the Rare Breeds Survial Trust. Neither of us were big lovers of supermarket lamb before we started breeding our own. There is something so satisfying knowing that the meat we are eating has come from happy and well cared for animals, reared on our native meadow grass fields and the hay we grow in our own fields. There's no doubt that this has an effect on the quality and flavour of the meat - our lamb is the sweetest tasting lamb we've ever had, and our customers return to us each year saying the same.
In early 2018 we decided to diversify and see how successful we could be at keeping goats so we bought a small herd. Currently two of our goats are producing lovely milk for us - Carol and Honey. Never having kept goats before, we were surprised at how calm and loving they are and how much milk they produce! We are enjoying experimenting with making goats cheese at the moment and we hope to start selling our goat milk and cheese soon.
Another recent purchase has been a poly-tunnel and we have fenced off part of one of the fields to create a huge veggy patch. We will be growing seasonal vegetables and selling veg boxes.
While tending our sheep and goats and setting up our veggy garden (and having a weak spot for any animal that needs help...) we have been busy re-homing a small herd of Shetland ponies. They are extremely cute and are growing in confidence every day. We would really love to share these beautiful animals with you and are in the process of setting up 'Shetland Pony Walks' where you can meet us somewhere and join us in leading our ponies on a scenic walk somewhere in the Brecon Beacons. They really are very good company and lift the spirits of everyone who comes into contact with them!
Thank you for taking time to read our story! If you would like to come and sample our produce, meet our animals or even come and share our view (we are on a public footpath) it would be lovely to hear from you!
Deri Isaf
Deri Isaf is a Hill Farm in South West Wales on the border of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name Deri Isaf translates as Lower Oaks. After the last ice age the area was covered in dense oak forests and we still have many old oak trees on the farm. One of the best things about the farm is it's views. To the North we can see the Brecon Beacons including Pen y Fan in the distance. To the South we can see Swansea Bay, the Severn Estuary and on a clear day, the hills of Devon beyond. We pride ourselves in working with our land, using traditional farming methods and treating our fields and our animals with kindness and respect.
Deri Isaf lamb
With an average rainfall of over 1000mm a year, the rain might seem never-ending sometimes, but it gives the grass a succulence and sweetness that transfers to the lamb we produce. Our lambs are born, bred and raised in a completely environmentally-friendly manner, are completely free range from the day they are born and are never given food additives or growth supplements. We give the same care, attention and respect to our livestock that we give to our pets and we are proud to be raising 'Happy Meat'. We hope you find our lamb as tasty as we do and we are certain that once you have tasted it you won't go back to eating supermarket lamb again.
If you would like to order lamb from us, please use the online form to send us your details and we will contact you. Thank you.
Meet the goats
Many people view raw, organic goat's milk as a healthier alternative to pasteurised cow’s milk. It is much easier to digest, containing smaller fat molecules, less lactose, more calcium and more nutrients than cow’s milk. Our milk is not pasteurised so it contains all the healthy bacteria needed for good digestion and a healthy gut. Toxins released by the bacteria killed during the pasteurisation process have been linked to conditions such as asthma and eczema – changing to raw goat's milk can dramatically improve these conditions. Finally, goat’s milk is rich in selenium, an essential trace mineral which boosts your immune system.
Our Shetland ponies
Our Shetlands are as friendly and cute as they look. They love being brushed, talked to and petted so please get in touch if you feel like a cuddle! Horses have very similar emotions to people and interacting with horses has been proven to lower blood pressure and heart rate, alleviate stress, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Learning to interact with a horse teaches us how to manage our own emotions and behaviours - horses respond directly to how we are feeling - they can be very theraputic!
Deri Isaf veg boxes
Veggy boxes are becoming a popular and healthy alternative to supermarket veg. They help reduce food miles because the produce is always local. The basic vegetables are provided on a weekly basis such as potatoes, onions etc. but everything else is seasonal. It's this element of surprise that makes veg boxes so appealing. Our veg business is still in the set up stage but please get in touch if you would like details nearer the time.
Sheep also provide milk!
As well as goat milk, sheep milk provides a huge range of health benefits. Sheep milk has a higher nutrient content than cow or goat milk with 5.4 grams of protein per 100 grams of milk (cow milk has 3.2 grams and goat milk 3.1 grams). The high vitamin A and E content makes it great for your skin and gives your immune system a boost and the high levels of B vitamins give you all the folic acid you need. Sheep's milk contains very high levels of nucleosides and nucleotides which have been linked to lower risks of cancer, better cell growth and reduced oxidative stress in the body. Due to the seasonal nature of sheep breeding, sheep milk is only available at certain times of the year - but it's worth the wait.