our ethos

Felling trees is an important part of woodland management. We use the trees we fell to create our timber buildings and in fencing for agricultural and domestic clients. For every tree we fell, we try to plant at least three more. 

 We are keen advocates of tree planting and encourage everyone to plant a tree wherever they can. Trees are so important to the climate, the animals who live in and visit the woodland, right down to the air we breathe. 

For ecological and environmental benefit, together with protecting new trees and creating habitats and cover for small animals, we build brash barriers. 'Brash' is the collection of small branches remaining from a felled tree.

Not only do we use as much homegrown timber as we can for our customer projects, we use the offcuts as fuel in our own cabin headquarters’ wood burning stove. We also re-use rainwater, collected from the cabin’s roof to water livestock in dry periods.

As we are all encouraged to do, here at Springfield Rural, we recycle as much as we possibly can and recently created some upcycled sheep feeders made from an old IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container). We also use the wool from our sheep as insulation in our log cabins.  The structure of sheep's wool is highly effective as an insulating material.

We also have a great working relationship with the local brewery! We use the spent starchy grains from beer making to supplement the diet of our pigs and sheep in winter. We keep our livestock two to three times longer than the norm to produce full, flavoursome mutton and pork.

An important benefit of keeping pigs in the woods, is that they clear the woodland floor which means we are able to return the coniferous forest to natural oak deciduous woodland with natural wildflowers. It really is beautiful all year round!.

Not only are we passionate about our love for our woodlands, we also give the best possible life to our pigs and sheep.

 We have a number of rare and critically endangered indigenous breeds of both sheep and pigs here, all of which are so well suited to our extensive, low input stock rearing regime. Hence the recent introduction of Large Black pigs. Large Blacks are the only all-black breed in Britain with origins dating back to the 16th Century.  

We also plan to add to our flock of sheep with some Whiteface Woodlands for the same reason - and we like them! We already have Teeswater and Rough Fell sheep and British Saddleback and Tamworth pigs.

Watch out for our new Livestock pages coming soon where you will be able to find out much more about our pigs and sheep – from how they live here in our woodlands, to their feed and their lifecycles.

... and much, much more!  This is just a flavour of our working life here at Springfield Rural. 

Simply contact us for more information.