Considered regenerative crofting on Applecross
Kenmore Farm
Kenmore Farm is made up of two crofts on the Applecross peninsula, in two townships. Kenmore looks North East across Loch Torridon to the mountains, whilst Fearnamore looks west across the Inner Sound To Rona, Skye and the outer Isles.
At first glance most see it as inhospitable and barren, but spend a few years working the land and you start to see the way in which it all works together, providing many things that are the staples of life. None more so than the hardy sheep that come from a collective group known as North European Short Tailed breeds. This includes the Gotland and Shetland sheep breeds which Kenmore Farm keep. Their aim is to show that responsible and regenerative management of the environment is not just possible but beneficial.
One of their long term goals is to entice the Corn Bunting back to the area through growing small areas of oats which are fed to the sheep in winter and allowing areas of grass to to remain ungrazed and uncut as late as possible before making hay, which they feed to our Shetland cattle calves which are housed in traditional stone byres over their first winter. Profit is not their main motivation, but bills need to be paid, so being able to utilise every part of the animal, like the skins as well as the meat, allows Kenmore to keep native minority breeds which are the cornerstone of their whole crofting way of life.