What Does Organic Mean?

In today's world, we often hear the term ‘organic’ thrown about loosely, and we often have customers ask us what does it truly mean to be organic? Here at Gazegill, organic farming isn't just a label or a buzzword, it's a way of life which is deep rooted in centuries of tradition, and giving nature the respect it deserves. As you can see on our boxes we package our orders in, we like to it up with the phrase “It's what's in it that matters, rather what's not”. 

How Do You Become an Organic Farm in the UK?

Before a farm can legally be defined as organic, it must undergo a lengthy process and meet lots of legal requirements that are enforced by the government, which are then enforced by certification bodies. We are certified by Organic Farmers & Growers, who conduct yearly reviews to make sure we are compliant with organic rules and regulations. To be certified organic, some things a farm must adhere to are: 

• A conversion period of at least 2 years, where farms must show they can adhere to organic standards. 
• Avoid all synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs.
• Ensuring high animal welfare standards. 

What is Organic Farming? 

Fundamentally, organic farming encompasses the idea that we must work with our land and nature, as oppose to working against it. 

This means we do not use any pesticides or herbicides, and instead we allow a natural, thriving ecosystem to develop, and our land to flourish naturally. We have some of the only ancient wildflower meadows in Lancashire, which have over 60 species of flowers, plants and grass, which are the foundation of everything we do. 

All of our livestock are free to roam as much as the Lancashire weather allows, as we strive to have the highest animal welfare standards possible. When you visit us, the first sight you are greeted with are dozens of Piglets freely roaming and foraging! 

Our 500 Year Legacy

Gazegill has remained in the Robinson family for over 500 years, and the name ‘Gazegill’. Our current custodians, Emma Robinson & Ian O'Reilly have continued the legacy left by Emma's family. When Emma's Dad, Tony, inherited the farm around 65 years ago, he stood firm in the face of rapid intensification which many farms were switching towards, and instead stuck to his principles of working with nature, and prioritising the health of our soil and animal welfare. 

Sadly, Tony passed away in May 2025, but his legacy will continue and we will honour his farming principles and beliefs.

Animal Welfare

Ensuring our animals live a happy, healthy, and natural lifestyle is one of our biggest priorities here at Gazegill. Our cows & sheep are free to roam our wildflower meadows for a vast majority of the year, giving them a natural diet which allows them to flourish, as they are biologically able to digest natural plants, grass and herbs far better than unn atural grain heavy diets. 

Under organic rules, our animals must be outside for at least 200 days per year, but our animals are outside for much more than that. 

We also use no antibiotics on our animals, and have not done so for over 12 years! Good breeding, knowing our animals well, and allowing our animals to self medicate, means we have no need for them, despite being allowed in limited usage under organic regulations. 

Championing Biodiversity 

At Gazegill, we love our insects and creepy crawlies! They help build the foundation of our ecosystem, and we allow them to thrive with our wildflower meadows. Every handful of soil, every insect, and every animal contribute to creating a biodiverse ecosystem. 

Our rich biodiverse environment provides the perfect habitat for endangered animals, including the Curlew. We are honoured to host these ground nesting birds in early Spring, where they can safely raise their offspring in our wildflower meadows, and we ensure each and every Curlew has left us for the season before our annual harvest. 

We think the Curlew symbolises what we do to a tee, so we honour the Curlew by featuring it on our packaging, and throughout the business. 

Sustainability: Farming for the Future

Everything we do at Gazegill is geared towards being as sustainable as possible, and building for a better future. Our farm and restaurant are nearly entirely self-sustained thanks to our wind turbine and ground source heat pump, and we have plans to install a solar battery array to take us fully off-grid. 

Our packaging is eco-friendly, and utilises 100% British wool liners instead of plastic, which helps reduce plastic waste. We also use 100% recycled cardboard boxes, and 100% biodegradable sugar pulp packaging, and are always on the search to find the best eco-friendly packaging possible. 

We also host around 250 school trips and educational visits a year at the farm, as educating the next generation is very important to us. 

The Gazegill Difference

The culmination of our organic practices results in some of the highest quality organic meat and raw milk. When you order with us, you know you are buying ethically sourced produce straight from our farm from people you can trust, and not just a warehouse on an industrial estate which labels themselves a ‘farm’. 

We are committed to providing the best quality produce available straight to your door, or if you would like to witness what we do first hand, you are welcome to visit our farm and look around for yourself, where we have our on site farm shop, and our restaurant Eight at Gazegill.