It’s not often you get the chance to milk a goat named Emmylou Harris – but if you head to Gartur Stitch Farm, it might just be your lucky day.
Turns out my technique is pretty terrible, despite having briefly worked on a dairy farm in my late teens.
Emmylou’s precious milk squirts everywhere BUT the dedicated pail as I clumsily have a bash.
Luckily, goat wrangler Kevin Harrison is on hand to help. He deftly coaxes the milk down into the bucket, with not a drop spilled.
I’m at the launch of Fodder+Farm, a new collaboration between private chef Lucy Pattinson and smallholders Kat Goldin and Kevin Harrison, who run Gartur Stitch Farm near Port of Menteith.
Holistic experience
By joining forces, they hope to offer a holistic experience that not only tantalises taste buds but educates and empowers people to make conscious choices about their food and its environmental impact.
So while guests are getting stuck into fun activities – open fire cooking workshops, foraging walks, botanical printing, cheese and sourdough making, goat milking, and much more – they’ll learn about the entire food journey, from farm to fork.
My afternoon starts with coffee, nettle cake and wildflower cookies made by Kat – absolutely scrumptious. Then we’re off to meet some goats.
Meet the goats
There’s Dolly Parton, Woody Guthrie, Smokey Robinson and Dusty Springfield, to name but a few!
“They’re very smart, social creatures,” says Kevin, stroking Woody’s coat.
“They’re fantastic fermentation machines. They turn the most unappealing nettles, thistles – and Kat’s dahlias – into beautiful milk and manure. You can turn the milk into halloumi and soap, too.”
Kevin then demonstrates a few milking techniques, describing the most basic in terms of icing a cup cake. Despite his instructions, I still manage to mess it up. Poor Emmylou!
Whirlwind tour
Our whirlwind tour then takes us on a walk with the goats, plus Thorn the sheep, Loretta the kunekune pig, and the majestic and very vocal David Bowie the peacock!
The farm is on 4,500-acre Cardross Estate, and run by Alastair Orr Ewing and his family. Alastair’s keen to show us the gorgeous new glamping pods which command epic views of Ben Lomond.
“Sitting here toasting marshmallow by the fire as darkness falls is an experience not to be missed!” he enthuses.
Back at base, Kat and Kevin take us into an old barn they’ve converted – beautifully – although swallows are still nesting in it.
This is where they hold workshops, plus there’s a gorgeous exhibition running, with botanical prints by Jane Lindsey of Snapdragon Life.
Botanical printing workshop
Jane is here today, and keen to show us how to botanically print using her heat press.
There’s rosebay willowherb, dogwood, and sweet cicely to choose from. I keep my design simple by only selecting three leaves.
It’s then a case of shunting it into the press, and waiting. It only takes a few minutes, and the results are gorgeous, with crystal clear prints and eye-catching natural colours.
Open fire cooking
Meanwhile, outside, chef Lucy, who runs The Fodderation, is happily slaving away over an open fire, smoking and grilling venison, and topping sourdough bruscettas with courgettes, peppers and nettle salsa.
Lucy, a passionate advocate for local food and sustainability, explains what drives her is “adventure cooking”.
“There’s nothing better than food that connects people to the land,” she beams.
“It’s been magical to collaborate with local farmers, growers and artisans to create menus and events at Gartur that feed your soul and light the fire in your belly.
“If I can explain where food comes from and how it ends up on your plate – and add in some fire and whisky – that makes my day.
“Kat grows an incredible amount of food and knows so much about foraging. It’s about bringing all this together in an incredibly magical place.”
Wild pizza and cocktails
Then it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for – wild pizza and cocktails! The pizzas use Kat’s famous sourdough, and they’re topped with venison and home-grown vegetables and flowers. Yum!
It’s an epic place to spend an afternoon, or, even better, a few days. And if you stay in one of the glamping pods, you can do just that.
Glamping pods
The luxury pods, run by Further Space, offer a fantastic space for two adults and two kids, with a pull-down double bed and integrated bunk beds. They look out onto the Fintry Hills, Campsie Fells, and of course, Ben Lomond.
Each pod features an expansive glazed entrance, coffee dock, shower room, and somewhere to sit and relax, plus electric, running water, mini fridge and heating.
A night’s supply of firewood is included, plus you can bolt on extras including marshmallows, firelighters and kindling, a continental breakfast, BBQ pack and even a chilled bottle of prosecco.
Welcoming, homely place
Gartur is a welcoming, homely place with a healthy mix of chaos, creativity and professionalism thrown in – and both Kat and Kevin freely admit the chaos bit!
Spend time here and you’ll learn about the landscape and regenerative farming and what Kat and Kevin, a busy couple with four kids, are planning for the next stage of their whirlwind agritourism journey.
Take time to wander around and you never know what you might find. I followed the mesmerising tinkle of bells and found a group of goats guzzling wildflowers and trees in a meadow. If you fancy a wee swim, there are myriad options, with Lake of Menteith four miles away, and secret spots Kat and Kevin will surely share with you.
- For the past nine years, Kat and Kevin have run Gartur Stitch Farm, an education-led smallholding on the Cardross Estate that specialises in craft and food. Their mission is to reconnect people with where their food comes from.
- Lucy Pattinson of The Fodderation has cheffed across the country – from fine dining and tasting menus in cities, to lodges, estates and castles across the Highlands.
- Lucy, Kat, and Kevin created Fodder+Farm as a platform for people to connect with their food, the land, and each other – and to inspire a new generation of conscious food and craft lovers passionate about sustainability. For more details see fodderandfarm.com
- Cardross Estate has various self-catering options, from cosy cottages to glamping pods. cardrossestate.com
