This week Nigel Logan, Hillstown Farm answers a few questions about his farm and what he hopes to achieve from taking part in Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend.
Nigel Logan, Hillstown Farm
What type of farm do you run? (e.g. dairy, poultry, equestrian etc)
At Hillstown Farm we farm beef cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, goats and llamas. We also have a farm shop, restaurant and brewery on the farm.
Tell us about the farm’s background and how you got into farming.
My father was a farmer and I was keen to continue the family business. When my father was running Hillside we only kept beef cattle and pigs, but once I returned home from Greenmount we decided to introduce a flock of ewes and suckler cows.
Due to unfortunate circumstances within farming, such as BSE and poor livestock prices, we decided to diversify further and opened a farm shop. This has been a great success and we have since expanded further, opening a restaurant/café and a beer brewery. All of which will be open during Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend.
What products would you produce on your farm?
On the farm we produce traditional breed beef, lamb, pork, chicken and eggs for our butchery counter and restaurant. We also brew beer on the farm for our cattle, which are part of the Wagyu beer fed beef project- a Japanese initiative which relaxes the cows to produce a more tender and succulent piece of meat. This meat is available in our farm shop as well as our unique craft beer, which is also now available in 40 off- licenses and bars across Northern Ireland.
Tell us about the process involved in creating this product ‘from field to fork’.
Hillside Farm takes ‘from field to fork’ very seriously and is proud of our ability to trace our beef, lamb, pork and chicken from birth on the farm right through to being sold by our butchers or cooked in the restaurant.
What awards/successes have you achieved, if any, for the products you supply?
At present we are Northern Ireland Pork Sausage Champions, a title we have won 5 times since opening. We have also placed in the UK Top 10 for sausages and have received two gold stars for our sticky toffee pudding and a star for our rib eye steaks in the Great Taste Awards.
What values do you think an initiative like Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend brings to the agri-food industry?
The event is a great way to educate the general public on local food and where it comes from. We believe it is essential to get children involved as early as possible and teach them about food, where it comes from, how it is produced and how animals are kept and reared.
Farmers in Northern Ireland never seem to get enough credit for the excellent work they do and how well they rear their animals. Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend is a tremendous way to highlight this in a fun environment.
What made you interested in participating in Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend?
We feel it’s pivotal to educate society on the ‘farm to fork’ journey and really like the idea of getting families on-board through the initiative. We’ve held open days in the past, so we already had an idea of what to expect.
What plans do you have for activities on your farm during the weekend?
Over the weekend we are planning to have some rides, meet and feed the animals, local produce market, BBQ, farming fun and games, “big food” eating contest and more activities to be announced.
What do you hope to achieve from taking part in Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend?
By participating in this great initiative we hope to increase the local community’s awareness of what we do at Hillstown Farm, from the rearing to the finishing of our livestock, to how we handle the meat in the butchery.
