Achpopuli Farm

30/11/2024

It’s the last butchery session for us this weekend until next summer! So if you would like some beautiful native breed, pasture-fed mutton, I’ll be out delivering fresh meat on Monday, or you can find me at Glen Urquhart Farm Cluster markets in Drumnadrochit and Cannich. The age ranges are 2-8 years old, hung for 9 days for some deep flavour, with all the usual cuts available plus some delicious juniper sausages, and thyme & jelly sausages.

Order a box through my website, or message me if you’d like something specific.

https://www.achpopulifarm.net/meat

21/11/2024

Some of the sheep very reluctant to get out of their little sheep-gloos this morning, keeping cosy with their heat producing rumens, layer of incredible wool and then extra snow insulation on top - look at how deep it is on Frankie’s back before she shook it off! Just need hay fuel for that tummy heater and they will be toasty warm. I did make everyone get up just to check they could, and that everyone got into the breakfast buffet. I’m also keeping a close eye on the handful of lambs born this year - their first snow experience and they need to learn to eat hay, taught by the adults. Most get the hang of it pretty quickly but there’s a couple that are being a bit slow - and are determined to just carry on digging, but the snowy faces are a give away!! The sheep do have somewhere more sheltered they could go, but choose to be close to where the hay enters the field 😂 unless it is really windy usually.

18/11/2024

Yesterday we welcomed the first dusting of snow for the season - a quick change from the balmy temperatures of last week! So the ducks are not impressed, the sheep have been brought over to near the shed and offered some hay - most took a few mouthfuls but then some would rather dig out the grass that was still growing last week!

16/10/2024

Each autumn/winter, I choose an action to spend a bit of money on as an investment in the future health of the land here, and my farming system. Last year I planted a hedge, and this year I bought a kilo of yellow rattle seed to sow throughout the undiverse pasture here. This decision was partly because I needed a less physically demanding task this year, and also very sadly the wildflower hay I usually buy to feed over winter couldn’t be cut (for various logistical reasons of timings and weather) - so this hemiparasitic flower will hopefully help to weaken the strong grass and make room for other less vigorous grasses and flowers to flourish. I’m using the molehills as the ‘prepared ground’ where little pockets can start to make inroads through the very thick sward 🤞. I couldn’t get any Scottish seed, so went for north England instead from which I hope will be happy here! In past years I have scattered seed I’ve collected from the farm in different locations which has been working well, but there is just not the quantity to make a proper impact in the big field!

14/09/2024

The sheep are now grazing down by the burn - eating back the summers growth, spreading and trampling seeds in and getting an injection of nutrients from the diverse forage. Though the scabious are still in flower, a lot have set seed already and there are so many that if the sheep eat a few it shouldn’t make too much difference! This is Purdi, with her massive nostrils on ‘that hot day’ a week or two ago - keeping cool by panting and lying in the long grass. It’s hard to capture that how diverse this area is on camera - it doesn’t look that interesting but I promise it’s totally gorgeous!!

27/08/2024

I’m butchering this week, which will bring the return of the Achpopuli Sausage - hurrah!!! This month will be honey and mustard, with a dash of garlic, super scrummy and gluten free 😋 along with all the other usual cuts - slow grown, pasture fed, native breeds as always. I’ll have a mix of ages this time, from 2-5 year old mutton, if you’d like to try some with a stronger flavour.

If you’d like to preorder a box (out for local delivery on Saturday) please go to my website www.achpopulifarm.net/meat , or if you’d like to order something specific ping me a message. I’ll also be at the Kirkhill Monthly Market on Friday, and the Glen Urquhart Farm Cluster market on the 7th September.

15/08/2024

There are some glimmers of hope this summer in the main field (which I have really struggled to increase biodiversity in) - pockets of red clover, self heal, vetchling (mostly along the fence lines) and plantain. The yellow rattle is from scattering some seed I collected elsewhere on the farm. There have also been a handful of orchids, lots of white clover and mouse ear too. I’m not sure if it’s to do with the change in management, the scattering of wildflower hay beginning to pay off, or just that it takes 5 years without ploughing/fertiliser to see some change - but I’m delighted, and really needed the encouragement as I was starting to loose motivation, so just in time! I will graze this field hard now, then give it an autumnal rest before feeding hay and scattering yellow rattle seeds on it over winter again. Hopefully there’ll be even more pockets of hope next year 🤞

26/07/2024

It feels great to be fully stocked* again! (*Although the burgers have already sold out with preorders) - I’ll be at Kirkhill market til 12:30 today, and at Drumnadrochit next Saturday 3rd August 😋

23/07/2024

I’ll be butchering the first mutton of the season this week, so meat boxes available out for delivery on Saturday! £40 small, £80 large, or come down to kirkhill market this Friday to have a look! This month I’ll be making simply seasoned burgers and koftas too. Message me to order. Pasture fed, slow grown and native breed, as always 🥩

26/06/2024

The orchids are at their most spectacular, so I’ve been doing orchid sweeps of the undiverse pasture and getting waylaid frequently while crossing the orchid heavy areas of rough grazing. The fragrant Heath orchid is looking particularly stunning this year, I’m hoping my sense of smell comes back before they’ve faded - it’s one of my favourite summer scents! Down in the rough grazing the numbers are really exploding in certain patches - they definitely seem to like the winter grazing system we have. I have found a handful of spotted Heath orchids through the undiverse pasture, I think probably due to the wildflower hay, but may have blown in. As that field is getting a good long rest this summer I’m hoping they’ll seed and spread for next year 🤞

24/06/2024

Doberman doing the obligatory post-shearing poo 💩 he is now free of his winter coat! This one is reserved for a special commission which I’ll get on with over the next week or two - I was totally flattened by illness last week so trying to catch up with farm jobs now!

07/06/2024

We have a very special event up here this Sunday for in collaboration with Highland - Palestine - a day of exploring our relationship with land, and how our stories are intertwined across the world. There's still (free) tickets left if you'd like to come along!

You can also catch up with my other news!

From the Scottish Highlands to Palestine. Dùthchas ~ Sumud; Reslience within land. Sunday 9 June 10am - 3pm Achpopuli Farm Tickets are free but there are limited places. For full information and to book a place, see: