A Farmer's Initiative Inspired by HM The King when he was Prince of Wales
Our Heritage
Dartmoor Farmers Association unites over 100 farmers across Dartmoor, working together since 2007 to produce exceptional beef and lamb while preserving our iconic landscape and cultural heritage.
Inspired by a visit to Switzerland where farmers and tourism worked together to preserve natural landscapes, our founders recognized the opportunity to create a sustainable future for Dartmoor’s farming community.
Preserving Dartmoor
Our native breeds thrive in Dartmoor’s unique terrain, grazing freely across the windswept granite-strewn moorlands, peatlands and acid grasslands, framed by small field systems and traditional hay meadows. While our animals benefit from grazing these natural landscapes, they are grown and fattened in the fertile valleys and better land on the fringes of the National Park.
This balanced approach achieves both a thriving landscape and nature alongside a thriving, sustainable farming system. It doesn’t just produce exceptional meat—it actively maintains the landscape that attracts over 2.3 million visitors annually.
“DFA are key partners in our shared ambition to make Dartmoor better for nature and people. We have worked closely with them to help support farming systems that are financially viable and good for the environment.”
Kevin Bishop
Chief Executive of Dartmoor National Park Authority
Our Partnerships
Goosemoor: From Farm to Table
As farmers, we focus on what we do best—raising exceptional livestock while preserving Dartmoor’s landscape. For distribution and retail, we’ve partnered with Goosemoor, a family-run premium food service provider in the South West.
Through Goosemoor’s wholesale and retail services, our beef and lamb reaches high-end restaurants, hotels, and direct to customers through their delivery service. This partnership ensures complete traceability while allowing our farmers to concentrate on sustainable farming practices.
We don’t just supply product—we offer brand support, inviting chefs and butchers to visit our farms and understand the story behind the exceptional meat they serve.
Educatering: Nourishing Future Generations
Educatering, part of the Goosemoor group, provides high-quality, nutritious school meals to over 100 schools across the South West, using our Dartmoor beef and lamb as part of their locally-sourced offering.
This partnership solves the ‘carcass balance’ challenge in sustainable meat production—prime cuts go to restaurants while other quality cuts become nutritious school meals, ensuring every part of our animals is valued and used responsibly.
The focus on whole foods rather than processed ingredients helps children’s digestive systems and overall wellbeing, showcasing the real-world benefits of high-quality, locally-produced food.
Farm to Fork: Completing the Circle
Our Farm to Fork project takes education beyond the classroom by inviting schools to visit Dartmoor farms. With support from the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grant and help from the Duchy of Cornwall, we’ve welcomed 25 schools to experience firsthand where their food comes from and to understand Dartmoor’s iconic hedgerows, deep fertile soils, bogs, and the layers of history which exist on Dartmoor.
These educational visits, delivered in partnership with Shallowford Farm, showcase the intricate relationship between farming, nature, and food production. Students who enjoy Dartmoor beef and lamb in their school lunches can now see the farms where it’s produced.
This initiative has been rewarding not just for students, but for our farmers who take pride in sharing their knowledge and passion for Dartmoor’s sustainable farming methods with the next generation.
Our Approach to Sustainable Farming
Native Breeds
Native breeds of cattle and sheep are perfectly placed to deliver the environment of Dartmoor. Our farmers raise breeds like South Devon, Galloway, Devon Ruby, and Dartmoor and Scotch Blackface sheep that are naturally adapted to thrive in our landscape.
These hardy breeds have evolved alongside Dartmoor’s challenging conditions, requiring fewer inputs while producing meat of exceptional flavor and quality. Their grazing patterns help maintain the moorland’s biodiversity and preserve traditional farming approaches.
Traditional Farming Methods
Our animals are reared using time-tested farming practices, including single-suckled beef and grass-based diets, maintaining centuries-old husbandry techniques that work in harmony with Dartmoor’s natural cycles.
Through conservation grazing, our livestock help manage vegetation, prevent scrub encroachment, and maintain the delicate balance of Dartmoor’s ecosystem. This slower, more natural approach not only produces exceptional meat but actively contributes to the health of the moorland.
Environmental Commitment
Every member is committed to maintaining thriving ecosystems across Dartmoor. Our farmers work with the highest standards of environmental stewardship, preserving extensive networks of traditional hedgerows, stone-faced banks, woodland areas, and species-rich pasture across the moorland.
We’re currently conducting detailed environmental surveys of our farms to better understand and quantify our contribution to biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and landscape preservation, allowing us to make informed decisions for an even more sustainable future.
Get in Touch
Whether you’re interested in our products, wholesale opportunities, or joining our farming cooperative, we’re here to help.