THE FARM (FAQs)

Does Pipers Farm buy meat in from anyone else?
NO! All the meat we sell we produce ourselves. We fully utilise the traditional skills and resources of small, local family farming businesses by paying them to do day-to-day farming activities for us; a sort of B & B for our animals!

It has always been a very important objective of Pipers Farm to help to sustain the local infrastructure of smaller scale farming businesses.

Why does Pipers Farm not use the word Organic?
20 years ago when we started Pipers Farm we knew that we wanted to set the highest possible standards, and be completely responsible for adhering to them. Most importantly we knew that the animals we grow and the meat we sell must never go out of our control. Most of the Organic meat in the High Street is processed in large abattoirs and processing plants - that is simply unacceptable to us.

Because we are completely involved in the whole process, we are very happy and able to answer any precise questions that our customers might have.

In general terms though we believe that we go at least as far, and probably further than most customers would expect us to in setting standards that safe guard the wholesomeness and nutritional values of our meat.

How can I be sure that Pipers Farm meat is reared humanely and without growth promoting additives?
Because we are producing all the meat that we sell. ALL our animals are grown slowly and allowed to reach natural maturity. We are totally committed to allowing our animals to behave as naturally as possible throughout their lives, and thereby minimising their levels of stress. It is completely against our principles to include any artificial additives to try and enhance the growth rate of our animals.

When and why was Pipers Farm started?
Pipers Farm was started in 1987 when Henri and Peter Greig had moved down from a high hill farm in Wensleydale, back to the small family farm where Peter had been brought up. Their eldest son Edward, was 2 and their younger son, Will had just been born. Two factors had a big influence on them and they were the catalysts for the birth of Pipers Farm.

First: Most of the neighbouring family farms which had existed when Peter was growing up had disappeared. Immediately it was obvious to Peter & Henri the enormous value in those farms which was being lost to the countryside.

Second: One day Peter was working in his father's factory chicken sheds. These were intensive broiler chickens destined for a high quality High Street retailer. He was shocked to realise that if one of those shoppers had stood where he was standing at the time they would probably not eat chicken again. Also Peter & Henri felt very strongly that they did not want to feed their young children on meat which had been grown in conditions which required the routine use of antibiotics to keep them alive and also to artificially increase their growth rate.

There had to be an answer to both of these serious issues, and as farmers, Peter & Henri set out to address them. . . Pipers Farm was born!