Peter Hobbs

Milton Keynes

Beef

BEEF (REGENERATIVE), MILTON KEYNES: Peter is the third generation of his family to farm on the edge of Milton Keynes. The farm covers 375 acres (152 hectares), but 215 acres (87 hectares) are rented to a neighbour to grow cereals.

The farm used to produce milk, wheat and barley but in 1989 switched to beef, which it sold to the local abattoir. When Peter took the farm over in 2022, he replaced the farm’s Simmental crosses with Shorthorn crosses as he wanted a hardy native breed that could survive almost entirely on grass. Peter still sells to the abattoir (which sells the meat to supermarkets etc) but has also introduced beef and steak boxes which he sells direct to customers through the farm’s website.

Another income stream is provided by a childcare day nursery housed in some farm buildings.

Peter always wanted to work on the family farm and with this in mind, took a degree in agriculture at Aberystwyth University. While there, he attended Groundswell regenerative conference-festival, and had a “light bulb moment” when he realised the damage that agriculture can have on the land. “From then, I was determined to rear our cattle in a nature-friendly way,” he says.

He went on to work as an assistant stockman at FAI Farms, a leading agricultural consultancy and research farm in Oxfordshire. He then worked as livestock operations manager on a country estate where he honed his cattle and farm management skills before returning to the family farm to take over from his father at the age of 25.

Peter now farms with a view to supporting nature and biodiversity. The cows are moved every one to three days to mimic natural cattle behaviour. The grass is grazed only for short periods of time and is allowed to recover, which means it grows strong roots which can access their own nutrients and water. This helps prevent erosion too.

Field hedges are allowed to grow tall and wide, creating plentiful nesting sites for birds, flowers for pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies, and fruits for birds and field mice over winter. The cereals are grown with minimal soil disturbance, so that soil structure can be maintained and erosion minimised.

Peter says he enjoys being able to make real changes, to increase the farm’s biodiversity and improve the landscape around the farm. “By encompassing nature in everything we do, our beef is not only highly nutritious but benefits our local village environment too.”

Contact Peter

Peter plays hockey for a local team on Saturdays and trains during the week. He also enjoys cooking, with roasts and short-ribbed beef lasagne being his sought-after specialities.

Talking Point

“People might not always realise it, but beef production is very important for protecting the natural environment,” says Peter. “Without the light grazing by the cattle, the farm would not enjoy the rich wildlife and biodiversity that it does. If farmers like me kept no livestock, there’d be no reason to preserve this landscape.”

Declared interests

Member of National Farmers Union

Happy to talk about

adaptive multi paddock grazing agricultural machinery agricultural policy agritech agroecology agroforestry air quality animal feed animal health animal welfare antibiotic reduction bale grazing beef beef production biodiversity Bovine TB carbon emissions carbon footprint carbon neutral carbon reduction cattle in arable rotation changing consumer tastes cheap food climate change conservation agriculture diet direct sales drought Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) environmental stewardship extensive agriculture family farming farm assurance farm diversification farm to fork flooding foodie culture forage grass fed beef grassland grassland management hay healthy eating herbal leys lab-grown meat local food low inputs nature friendly farming out wintering pasture-fed livestock soil health soil management supermarkets supply chains traceability trees in pasture water quality wildlife