Farm of the Week: Going whole hog with adopt-a-pig

What made it special was that shoppers could ‘adopt’ the pig in its infancy and then follow its progress through to slaughter.

Mr Turnbull garnered attention all over the country for the idea, named Yorkshire Meats, and continued to run the business even during his studies at Oxford University.

Having recently graduated he has since decided to give up the business, handing the reins to like-minded farmers James and Lucy Haxton.

The young couple, who share a passion for local produce and quality food, took on the business in May last year and are now based at Habton House Farm in Little Habton, near Malton.

Mr and Mrs Haxton were looking to get involved in a farming business and jumped at the opportunity to take on Yorkshire Meats. Mr Haxton is a property developer by trade and worked in retail for a period. Mrs Haxton also enjoyed a successful career in retail and the pair met during a business deal.

However, both came from farming backgrounds and wanted a return to rural life.

Mr Haxton is from a farming family near Ripon and Mrs Haxton a farmer’s daughter from Lincolnshire.

Mr Haxton said: “Food provenance is increasingly important to people and more and more people want to know where their food comes from. When you speak to people you can show that they can afford it and get good quality produce for an affordable price.”

The couple came to Little Habton in November 2009 taking on the farm and farmhouse which at that stage had not been lived in for six years. Within a few months they had bought Yorkshire Meats and relocated it to their six-acre holding.

Their first move was to bring in two sows and a boar and begin working on their first herd. Knowing that they wanted to farm rare breeds, the couple opted for Oxford Sandy and Black pigs – a distinctive breed renowned for its good temperament and refined taste. The breed is currently undergoing a return to popularity having been virtually extinct 20 years ago.

They now have four sows and the boar with the farm currently home to around 16 piglets, all of which are kept outdoors and fed an additive-free diet to keep them happy and healthy.

New customers are already flocking to the business’s new set-up.

Alongside the pig business, Mr and Mrs Haxton have been renovating the house ever since moving in and hope to be ready to open a luxury bed & breakfast in April.

Mrs Haxton said: “We have customers who live further south than London and as far north as Scotland. At the moment when customers come to visit the farm from elsewhere they have to stay in a hotel whereas this way they can stay here for the weekend.

“It became available at just the right time. It was a lifestyle choice – both of us love living in the countryside. We want to take the business as far as we can.”

Going into the rare breed pig business has inevitably made for an interesting challenge for the couple. Although both had previous experience in agriculture, the pair admit they have learnt a great deal since the first pigs came onto the farm.

“It has been a steep learning curve,” said Mr Haxton. “I have kept All Spots and Saddlebacks previously but never done any breeding before.

“But I have always loved farming.”

The couple got a bitter taste of the difficulties the elements can throw at farmers over the winter when the cold snap arrived just in time for one of the first litters of pigs.

Temperatures had dropped to -17C and Mr Haxton very much found that his hands were full. “We lost three of them,” he said. It was simply too cold for them.

“It was incredibly hard work. The taps outside were frozen so we were having to carry out 40 buckets of water a day.”

Although newcomers in many ways, farming communities both local and national have been on hand to help with any questions or queries the couple have had.

“It is a really friendly village and we have had some great help from the rare breeds’ societies. Everyone wants to help out and share knowledge.”

Work on the farmhouse and accommodation has proved a challenge in its own right.

The building itself is Grade II listed making the renovation process that touch more laborious.

However, they hope that as well as patrons of the adopt a pig scheme they will attract business from tourists as well.

“You have Scarborough, York and the North York Moors nearby,” said Mrs Haxton.

Already a few people have been through the whole process with several more currently having their adopted pigs reared on the farm by the couple.

Mr Haxton, originally from the Ripon area, said that the new role he has is very much a “refreshing change” from his time in retail. However, the young family are keen not to expand too much and compromise the personal touch that characterises the business.

“Ideally we would be looking at around 100-120 piglets a year – it is all about striking that balance.”

Mr and Mrs Haxton have employed a great deal of local labour on the farm and in the restoration process and agree that they very much made the right move, both in terms of their choice of career and environment.

“I really am enjoying it here,” said Mrs Haxton. “I always wanted to be in farming but just never got the opportunity.

“It is a great community to be involved with.”