Our August climate heroes

Good Food team

Published: July 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM

loading...

Meet Helen and Richard Roderick, champions of soil health, biodiversity and top-quality meat from their farm in Bannau Brycheiniog, South Wales

‘Our grass-fed meat nourishes the soil’

Our family has worked this land for generations, raising cattle and sheep on steep, rain-fed pastures that are not best placed for growing crops, but can grow something equally valuable: grass. By managing how and where our animals graze, we’re helping the land do what it does best.

Sheep

We rotate livestock across fields, allowing grass to recover between grazings. This simple practice deepens root systems, builds organic matter in the soil, and stores both carbon and water. It helps build much-needed resilience in our changing climate: in heavy rain, the soil holds more water; in drought, the pastures stay greener longer. And healthier soils bring richer biodiversity, from the birds in our hedgerows to the bats roosting in an old pillbox we’ve preserved on our land.

Farming this way isn’t just an environmental choice, it’s a practical one. By nurturing our soils, we reduce the need for fertilisers. By growing nitrogen-fixing crops like red clover, we produce protein-rich forage, meaning less imported feed. Research* shows that Welsh grass-fed beef and lamb have some of the lowest carbon footprints in the world, a result of our low-input, pasture-based systems.

Field of cows

And as recent studies suggest, meat from these natural systems offers not just lower emissions but higher nutritional value when compared to industrially farmed alternatives. Welsh farming is built on family farms like ours: small-scale, mixed systems shaped by hedgerows that support biodiversity in ways intensive farming cannot. When you choose Welsh lamb or beef, you’re supporting that tradition; meat raised with care for the land, the animals, and the people who depend on it.

5 ways to support sustainable farming

Look for PGI Welsh lamb or beef: This certification guarantees provenance, welfare, and high standards.
Buy local: Reduce food miles and enjoy meat at its best.
Choose grass-fed: Pasture-based farming builds soil health and biodiversity.
Explore lesser-known cuts: Reduce waste and support nose-to-tail eating.
Support family farms: Ask where your meat comes from and choose suppliers who farm with nature.

More on sustainability...

Top sustainable foods
Best sustainable gifts: eco-friendly gift guide
Sustainability myth buster: Food miles, meat and plastic packaging
The Good Food Podcast – Melissa Hemsley on ultra-processed foods, feeding fussy eaters and sustainability without judgement
Ways to eat out sustainably

Comments, questions and tips

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

CommentQuestionTip

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.

Subscribe now