Toby Baxter’s farming and contracting business is based at Compton Abdale. Main enterprises are sheep, arable, contract spraying, primary cultivations, and farm track repairs.  There are four full time and two part time people working in the business.

There are 728ha of arable cropping mainly under contract farming agreements and they also do the primary cultivations on a further 350ha.  

The sheep enterprise consists of 2857 ewes: 2495 Romneys and 380 Lleyns and lambed 2389 ewes this year; the majority of lambs are sold fat.

In 2005 new shepherd, Geraint Powell, arrived and changes began: from North Country Mules to Romneys with flock numbers expanding mainly from retaining ewe lambs.  With the aim to improve lamb carcass quality, this year pure Romney, NZ Hampshire, NZ Suffolk, South Down and Berichon rams were used.

The grassland area is 411ha which is predominantly permanent pasture under ESA or HLS agreements. There are 27 ha of grass leys including 6ha of chickory and red clover.  Stubble turnips and fodder beet are grown for wintering ewes and lambs and extra grass keep is taken in the autumn.  Full stocking rate has now been reached.

In 2008 another block of land became available complete with a herd of sucklers which are managed for the owners.

Renutrack is the other farm enterprise, rejuvenating farm tracks, yards and driveways.

The event took place on Tuesday 10th May.  Group member Richard Gale hosted the event at Binley Farm, Kingscote. The weather and setting could not have been more perfect. A number of group members attended to promote the group’s Cotswold Lamb to about 40 companies represented by chefs and buyers. Invited guest including celebrity TV chef Brian Turner, enjoyed a buffet lunch of Casterbridge Cotswold Lamb. Delegates from the the supplier; the Cotswold Sheep Group, the processor; RWM Food Group and Fairfax Meadow,  the reseller joined top chefs and meat buyers in a farm tour and buffet lunch. Guests sampled rosemary and garlic studded whole legs of lamb, herb crusted racks of lamb, tender slow braised shoulder of lamb and a Moroccan Tagine of diced shoulder of lamb. The quality of the food was fantastic and the wonderful, relaxed setting was perfect. Following a farm tour, Eblex, who helped bring members throughout the supply chain together, provided an informative butchery demonstration on-site.

Casterbridge Cotswold Lamb is already proving a commercial success, being a feature on the menu at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. Clare Smyth, the restaurant's head chef attended the event and told Fairfax Meadow how pleased she was with the lamb and how interesting it was to meet the farmers and "witness their passion for the product".

This successful day was organised by Fairfax Meadow and Eblex. Special thanks to Richard Gale and his workforce for providing the venue and the use of the fabulous Kingscote Barn for the meal.