Ganders Goat's story
Gander's Goat founders and partners have always dreamed of being self-sufficient within their own family. In 2010, Lauren and Ian approached their local council to discuss restoring and taking over disused allotments, which were behind their house. After months of discussions with the council about how they planned to manage the land and strike a balance between crops and wildlife, they were able to take over control of the plots. They grew rotating crops, sought to repair and establish habitats for wildlife and reared chickens for meat and eggs. Soon, Lauren and Ian felt too restricted by the rules and regulations surrounding this plot of land, so they searched for a different plot of land to move to.
In 2013, they bought Ganders farm (10.69 acres) at auction, which is in the Welland Valley, right on the Northampton/Rutland/Leicestershire border. Since then, Lauren and Ian have centered sustainability in their business. In 2019, they were the regional winner for the small-to-medium green business of the year!
During the covid pandemic, Lauren and Ian used their time to start their soil improvement and carbon project, which aims to improve diversity and wildlife on the farm. They have planted half an acre of native broadleaf woodland and long strips of diverse hedge rows with a variety of tree species: Elder, Field Maple, Sloes, Brambles, Ash and Oak. They also leave patches of tall grass and nettles completely alone throughout the nesting season for ground birds. During June and July time, the meadow is cut to produce hay-cut, which is fed to their goats. Lauren and Ian also focus on protecting the land's many natural springs.
In terms of energy and farming practices, Ganders Farm utilise renewable energy, from solar, wind and biogas digesters. They have also changed farming practices from standard sheep grazing, to strip grazing with higher numbers of animals in a smaller space, which increases the amount of carbon that is being stored in the soil.
Useful learnings from Ganders Goat
Look at what the business is using in term of carbon to start with, if you are in farming the My Farm Carbon Toolkit is a free online help tool that you can use.
Ganders Goat's metrics
Community engagement.
