THE laying hens and beef cattle at The Slow Farming Company are now Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW).

Located near Castle Cary, The Slow Farming Company has met the AGW programme standards developed to maximise practicable, high-welfare farm management.

The Certified Animal Welfare Approved label verifies animals are raised outdoors on pasture in accordance with world-renowned welfare standards using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent farm.

The beef cattle at The Slow Farming Company are managed outdoors on organically farmed pasture and herbal leys.

From spring to autumn, they are bunched into mobs of approximately 50 cows, which are then grazed over small paddocks for up to 24 hours at a time before being moved on to the next paddock.

The farm’s flock of laying hens are also raised outdoors on pasture, giving them space for natural behaviours such as running, dust bathing, pecking and scratching for grubs and seeds.

After cattle move through pastures and herbal leys, the chickens are sent in to clean up pest larvae and other insects attracted by the cows.

The beef cattle at The Slow Farming Company are also Certified Grassfed by AGW, guaranteeing a 100 per cent grassfed diet and ensuring farms meet rigorous animal welfare standards.

The laying hens and beef cattle at The Slow Farming Company are also Certified Non-GMO by AGW.

Ed White of The Slow Farming Company said: "The way that we farm and manage our animals is all about producing food that nourishes people, as well as the land that grew it.

"We are proud of our new certifications through A Greener World.”

A Greener World UK and Europe executive director Wayne Copp said: "We are thrilled to partner with The Slow Farming Company in celebrating their farm, and our growing family of farms in the UK and Europe.

"It has never been more critical for farmers to be fully understood by consumers, and we are honoured to support this through an uncomplicated, independent and credible certification marque that can be trusted to mean what is says on that label.

“The Slow Farming Company’s certifications from A Greener World recognise that high standards of animal welfare and environmental management are not only good for farmed livestock and the planet, but that labelling with our seal makes good commercial sense in speaking clearly and directly to consumers seeking food they can feel good about.

"What The Slow Farming Company has achieved is nothing short of an inspiration for all forward-thinking UK producers.”