English In the first of our ‘Meet Our Members’ blogs, where we aim to showcase the diversity within our membership, we chat to Nikki Lake from Thorabella Farm, a 47 acre farm in Moray, Scotland where they raise Water Buffalo for meat. Read on more to find out more about Nikki and her farm!
Tell us about your journey into working the land
My husband and I bought the farm in 2017 taking our first step towards our dream of self-sufficiency and a better life for our 2 children. Quickly we realised that we needed more stock for the land we had so decided to buy water buffalo which we raise for meat and sell locally from the farm and through the local ‘Speyside Producers Market’. The farm needed all new fencing and with limited funds we managed to get some funding to plant hedgerows and a woodland which then, in turn, got fencing also with the funding. We did most of the work ourselves to keep costs low and it was a lot more rewarding. The hedgerows and trees will give shelter for our animals and wildlife, soil stability, diversification and food for our bees.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced on your journey into farming?
Machinery! We are very hands on with everything but mechanics is not our forte which pose a few problems, but having an amazing farm community in the Dallas and surrounding area makes it easier being able to ask for help or advice
What do you love most about farming?
The pride I feel of raising my own meat and knowing how it was raised and cared for and what it was fed is the best feeling ever and being able to show customers this when they come to the farm to purchase meat it very rewarding.
What’s your favourite season and why?
I love spring. Lambs, blossom, grass growing, the bees emerging from their hives, it is a great feeling after a chilly winter on top of a rather blustery hill.
What’s your favourite dinner to end a long day?
In Winter – a lovely buffalo roast cooked in the rotisserie with veg from our polytunnel and garden.
In Summer – a BBQ on our veranda with good friends overlooking the moray firth with great quality produce, produced on the farm and butchered by our brilliant butcher at Cairngorm Butchers.
Tell us about a book that’s impacted you on your journey?
My husband has only ever read one book out of choice in his life and it was a strawbale house building book. This has then inspired us to build a strawbale house on top of an old cottage ruin on our land. We started the house build in June 2020 and will be moved in by end of May 2021. We have done 95% of the work ourselves with help from friends and the house will have spectacular views of mountain ranges, the ocean, moorland, hills, trees, farmland. It’s just spectacular.
What does a normal working day look like for you? What are the main highlights and challenges of your daily routine?
The animals come first, making sure they are fed and checked for the day, then back to the house for a coffee which is a great necessity before we carry on with the house build, which is taking a lot of our time currently but won’t be forever. Between the kids, customers and general running around its soon time for animal checks again and then make dinner and an early night- I know how to rock n roll!!! But I wouldn’t change it for the anything. The biggest challenge currently is making sure we stop and look around and see what we have achieved in such a short space of time and look at the future and how bright it is.
Find out more about the farm at thorabellabuffalo.co.uk
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