Rosewood Farm

Rosewood Farm Conservation Grazing in the Yorkshire Ings, funded by selling the by-product that is 100% Grassfed Dexter Beef, direct to your door from Rosewood Farm.

More than five generations of the Rose family have farmed the fertile floodplain grasslands of Yorkshire over the last century. Brothers Paul & Robert Rose have continued the family tradition up to the present day. After tasting Dexter beef for the first time we knew this was the ideal breed to turn natural Yorkshire grass into delicious food for us. The Rosewood herd of pedigree Dexter cattle was

established in 1996, and moved to the 37 acre Rosewood Farm in 2002. Today we farm 400+ acres of the last 1% left of the UK's traditional unimproved wildflower meadows & grasslands to produce the finest 100% grassfed beef. Animal welfare is important to us so our animals are slaughtered locally, a literal stone's throw away from the fields where they graze. Our meat is fully traceable every step of the way from the field to your door.

We hooked up the small baler again to join local volunteers in helping the Ellerton Church Preservation Trust to gather ...
20/08/2026

We hooked up the small baler again to join local volunteers in helping the Ellerton Church Preservation Trust to gather in the wildflower hay from among the gravestones of the historic Ellerton Priory church. Back in April the meadow here was awash with cowslips, and as summer started the Yellow Rattle, which we bolstered with some of our own seed last Autumn, was out in force too. Now that most flowers have seeded the crop is cut & removed to gradually reduce the fertility in the meadow and allows more wildflowers to compete over the coming years. Only the Great Burnet now remains around the gravestones as it continues to mature and set seed.

Deciding to use the baler to gather the hay, rather than piling it directly onto the trailer, allows us to compare the yield from one year to the next. Although we only have last year to compare with, at 16 bales in 2026 the yield is down by a massive 24%. No doubt the biggest factor has been the drought we have experienced this year, which has hit grass growth hard, but also we hope the reduced fertility from hay cuts, and the [hemi-parasitic] Yellow Rattle have also played their part.

It is perhaps counter intuitive that a farmer should be trying to reduce yields but wildflower hay is so much more than just a feed - it benefits nature and the character of the local landscape, as well as keeping our animals healthy and also makes the beef taste amazing.

The churchyard meadow is free to visit year-round but on Sunday 13th September 2026 Ellerton Priory church is also hosting a Heritage Open Day. The church will be open from 10.30 am until 5.00 pm with three chances to join Phil's legendary guides tours at 11.30, 1.30 and 3.30. Wonderful home baked refreshments and ample parking. Free to attend with donations to Ellerton Church Preservation Trust.

Location; YO42 4PD ///warmers.clinking.propelled

www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/ellerton-priory-church-churchyard-and-landscape.html

Did you know that Askham Bog reopened to the public last month after a lengthy closure for refurbishment?Hear on BBC Sou...
18/08/2026

Did you know that Askham Bog reopened to the public last month after a lengthy closure for refurbishment?

Hear on BBC Sounds as Yorkshire Wildlife Trust President Alastair Fitter describes what is so special about this ‘cathedral of nature conservation’, so close to York city centre, and what you may see when you visit.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0p2m4hk

The ongoing drought affects the behaviour of many creatures such as this female butterfly that we rescued from the cattl...
14/08/2026

The ongoing drought affects the behaviour of many creatures such as this female butterfly that we rescued from the cattle’s water trough. Usually Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus) butterflies spend their entire lifecycle up in the tree canopy where we barely notice them. Presumably this one only came down to ground level in search of moisture before becoming stranded in the water. The species is the only UK butterfly that depends entirely, from egg to adult, upon Oak Trees, so is perfectly at home in our Oak woodlands and hedgerow trees.

10/08/2026

We’ve tried something a bit different for 2026 - growing a crop of wheat before establishing a new grass ley. Here the combine harvester cuts the crop and literally separates the wheat from the chaff, leaving us with a trailer full of grain for the hens and some straw to use as winter bedding for the cattle.

Before the advent of artificial fertilisers all arable crops were grown in rotation on mixed farms with grass leys & grazing livestock to build up soil organic matter before utilising the resulting fertility to grow a grain crop.

Last year we spread manure on this field before sowing the wheat and although the weather has been far from ideal (droughts & heatwaves do not make for good growing conditions) the manure helped to retain just enough moisture in the soil to produce a modest wheat crop that will be more than enough to feed our pasture raised chickens next summer.

28/07/2026

It's turnout day at
Conservation grazing is at the heart of what we do and we are delighted to be working with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust once again for the 5th year running.
Plenty for these guys to eat!

📢 New product alert!We have teamed up with our friends at Tang of Tang Hall to use up some of the stock bones we have le...
28/07/2026

📢 New product alert!
We have teamed up with our friends at Tang of Tang Hall to use up some of the stock bones we have left over from creating cuts.
Bone broth is perfect for using in recipes or for having as a nutritious drink. With no salt added, just add your own to taste.
Buy it here:
https://www.rosewood.farm/products/chicken-bone-broth

It’s been a busy time on the farm this week, completing the last few fields of meadow hay. After an amazing run of conse...
25/07/2026

It’s been a busy time on the farm this week, completing the last few fields of meadow hay. After an amazing run of consecutive weeks of dry weather the forecast now says that there is a 60% chance of rain tomorrow so we are baling up the non-descriptively-named field 5 tonight. The only problem is that blustery winds are playing havoc with the crop so while Anne rows up, Paul makes sure that it is baled up before it has a chance to blow away!

Freshwater wetland habitats like the Yorkshire Ings & Askham Bog are the kind of sites we specialise in grazing, returni...
22/07/2026

Freshwater wetland habitats like the Yorkshire Ings & Askham Bog are the kind of sites we specialise in grazing, returning cattle to previously ungrazed sites gives a huge boost to biodiversity, opening up the vegetation and creating niches in which wildflowers, insects and birds can all benefit. We're also looking to restore more fresh water ponds and wetland back home on the farm, increasing the amount of fresh water within the farmed landscape, making us more resilient for the future as climate change takes it toll.

15/07/2026

Come with me to move the chickens. We've got one that has castors and two that are on skids. We're working on making new pens to upgrade these ones.
This is what is meant by pasture raised. Outdoors, scratting, grass, bugs. Not a big shed with a "free-range" area that the chickens don't bother venturing into.

Many of England’s hay meadows are now threatened mostly by abandonment and neglect rather than destruction by intensive ...
14/07/2026

Many of England’s hay meadows are now threatened mostly by abandonment and neglect rather than destruction by intensive farming. Many landowners wish to preserve their meadows but lack the machinery required to make hay. We’ve been mowing this meadow by the river In Breighton for over twenty years, to maintain it as a traditional hay meadow. During that time we’ve seen the number of floodplain meadow wildflowers increase every year, with the more competitive grasses reducing their dominance, all by annual mowing and hay making. It’s lovely to return this summer to find it looking better than ever.

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Rosewood Farm, Ruddings Lane, Ellerton
York
YO424PN

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