A DORSET farmer wasn’t kidding around when she transformed her farm five years ago.

Fiona Gerardin, runs Bere Marsh Farm in Shillingstone, north Dorset. The 80 acre farm was previously part of the family’s larger dairy farm. In 2010 she brought three Cashmere cross Boer goats and now has a herd of about 100. The farm produces kid goat meat each autumn, which they sell from the farm.

She chose goats because they were “interesting,” after having seen an article on the goats at Launceston Farm near Blandford Forum.

About 60 of the current goats will be going for meat, leaving a herd of around 30 breeding does, who will go to see the resident Boer buck goat, Rooney, in a few weeks time, to start the next year’s cycle off again.

The farm also has a small two acre woodland burial site and a small flock of 21 chickens. The farm also sells hay and they have been affiliated with the Soil Association for about ten years and certified organic.

Mrs Gerardin runs the whole operation and is passionate about the farm and about teaching people about where their meat comes from.

She said goat meat was very lean and should be cooked a bit like lamb or venison.

She said: “It’s low in cholesterol. You cook it like venison. Because it hasn’t got much fat you want to slow cook it. You just want to make sure you have some bacon or wine, a little bit of moisture in there.”

And her favourite recipe? Slow roasted shoulder cooked for six hours with north African spices rubbed in beforehand.

Mrs Gerardin said: “I think its really important to educate people about where their food comes from.”

The goats get to roam about the farm and enjoy eating willow, scrub, grass and of course, their favourite treat blackberries.

For more information about the goats at Bere marsh Farm visit beremarshfarm.co.uk, call 01258 860284 or search for them on social media.

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e: catherine.bolado@dorsetecho.co.uk

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