Sustainability is at the heart of everything at The Lakes – and the farm, with its rescue animals, and vegetable patch, with organic forms of crop management, is no exception.

With a menagerie of animals – including four goats, sheep, pigs, two turkeys, and around 80 chickens – and a real mix of produce, from peppers and chillis, cabbages and cauliflowers, to aubergines and artichokes – Will Axel-Berg, manager of the farm and vegetable patch, has his hands full every day. “I am down here mostly full-time with the animals – feeding them, making sure they’ve got clean water and that they’re all healthy – and at the veg patch, weeding, planting and potting. And then
I try and do a good harvest at least every Friday.”

This selection of harvested vegetables – along with a supply of very popular eggs, freshly laid by the farm hens – goes into the residents’ honesty box, so those that live at The Lakes can reap the rewards of freshly grown food – as it doesn’t get any more local than that!

The growth of fresh, healthy and great-tasting crops literally starts from the ground up – they need an optimal environment from the start in order to thrive and be of the best quality. As winners of the ‘Best Sustainable Holiday Resort for Families (UK)’ award in the Marie Claire Awards, The Lakes recognises the importance of sustainability in this growing process, so they use an organic – and rather entertaining – form of pest management: “Our natural slug deterrent is the ducks,” says Will.

“I say, ‘you can’t have a slug problem, it’s called a duck deficiency!’ Yes, we’ve got ducks running around, fertilising soil and eating any pests like bugs and slugs. We avoid any pesticides on our vegetables, instead opting for natural solutions and, as much as possible, keeping everything in-house. It also gives the residents something to look at when they’ve got the Indian Runner ducks going past, as they’re looking at the vegetables and flowers!”

Another big plus for sustainability practices at The Lakes is that produce wastage is not an issue. “Everything is for the residents; however, if there happens to be a mega surplus amount, it will go to the restaurant… or the pigs may get it first!” says Will.

A number of the older residents on the farm – including two of those aforementioned pigs, Kevin (Bacon) and Frank (Furter) – are also rescue animals. The two younger pigs – Gin and Tonic – albeit not rescues, and now much larger at two years of age, have been at The Lakes since they were piglets. The two rescue turkeys – Charles and Camilla –were ‘extras’ from a Covid Christmas.

Speaking on a future vision for the farm and vegetable patch, Will shares that there has been a plan to have a ‘Farm to Fork’ approach, encouraging the use of local produce. :“I’d quite like to see that progress,” he says. “We’d keep Kevin, Frank, and the others as part of a petting farm, while also developing a main farm where residents can ‘make a meal’ – with fresh vegetables and ingredients all sourced directly from The Lakes.”