Upperfields Farm

15/10/2026

The perfect autumn escape 🍂

“The leaves are turning, the countryside is looking gorgeous, and Upperfields is ready to welcome you for a little autumn escape.

Long walks, cosy evenings, fresh country air and absolutely no requirement to answer emails.

The only question is: how quickly can you get here? ❤️”

15/10/2026

I don’t often talk about farming but this post made me stop and think . I am worried where farming is going . So much knowledge of farming , crops and animals is being lost . Old breeds are being lost !!
What happens if things go wrong in the future and we need to source local food. ?
Where will it be - where will we find it ?

🐷 IS THIS REALLY THE END OF THE ROAD FOR THE SMALL PIG FARMER? 🐷

Nine beautiful, perfectly formed, 7-week-old Saddleback weaners loaded up and off to market today.

Weeks of care, countless hours of work, feed, bedding, water, electricity and all the other costs that come with rearing pigs. Not to mention the responsibility of breeding healthy, quality rare-breed livestock.

And the result?

A dismally small return for nine cracking little pigs. 😞

£2 each!

But wait, it gets better!

After the market has taken its minimum commission and added cleaning costs, the farmer is left with an invoice to pay. Yes, you read that correctly. You can sell nine pigs at market and still owe money for the privilege!

How is this sustainable? How can anyone justify a system where the person doing all the work, carrying all the risk and paying all the bills ends up worse off for taking their livestock to market?

We hear so much about supporting British farming, protecting rare breeds and preserving our countryside heritage. Yet the people actually doing it are being squeezed from every direction.

Rare-breed pig farming isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It's a commitment, a passion and often a way of life. But passion doesn't pay the feed merchant, and heritage doesn't pay the electricity bill.

At what point do we say enough is enough?

🐷 Will there be any small-scale pig farmers left by 2027? 🐷

Or will we look back and wonder how we allowed dedicated breeders of traditional British pigs to disappear because the numbers simply didn't add up?

Every time a small breeder gives up, we lose more than a farmer. We lose valuable bloodlines, experience, diversity and another little piece of British farming history.

Something has to change. Farmers cannot keep producing quality livestock at a loss and be expected to carry on regardless.

🐷 We can't save rare breeds if we can't save the people who rear them.

Please share if you believe our small farmers and traditional British breeds deserve a future.

12/10/2026

🍂 A LITTLE AUTUMN ESCAPE AT LITTLE GAERFIELDS? 🍂

Has October crept up on you too? It certainly seems to have crept up on our booking calendar! 😂

Here at Upperfields Farm, Little Gaerfields has some unexpected availability this October, and we'd love to see it enjoyed rather than sitting empty.
Fancy a few days away from the washing, the shopping and the general business of life?

Come and enjoy a little countryside peace and quiet, a change of scene and some lovely autumn days.
Whether you're looking for a family break or simply a few days to recharge your batteries, we'd love to welcome you.

🍁 Last-minute October dates available.
Send us a message for available dates and our special last-minute prices.

Please share with anyone who might fancy a little autumn escape. ❤️
Little Gaerfields, Upperfields Farm
fans

11/10/2026

This is Heptacodium miconioides - common name
seven son tree
It’s flowering at the moment and has been for ages with new flowers still to open. The perfume is lovely and as the flowers go over it leaves behind red sepals . Also the bees love working over it. A lovely bit of late food/pollen for them.
I bought the tree using a voucher that guests gave me. They have been coming to stay over 15 years . 💕
The most perfect present for me. 👌💕

What would be your ideal gift ?

10/10/2026

Love this colder mornings when the Muscovy  ducks come to greet me.

They will sit on the gate waiting to be fed straight from the bucket.
“NO they are not spoiled “!! 🤣🤣

Technically they are geese but everyone called them ducks.
They don’t quack they hiss .

3 of the 4 have a habit of going over the gate and waddling up through the yard to our garden and having a swim on the fish pond . When they make their way home to the orchard they form a little square with all their heads in the middle and have a little chatter.

I keep meaning to video it to show you.
It’s so funny.
I imagine that the one left behind is telling them off.

Goodness only knows why she doesn’t go with them. 🤔😏

It’s a lovely autumn - let’s all get out and enjoy it.
Farm Stay UK

07/10/2026

Another special night of awards at Hereford cathedral.

We’ve only gone and won for our group .
Yeehaw

Keri and I belong to Archenfield community nature group.

It’s an amazing group started by the amazing Clare Cherry.

As you guess we are all about nature and the community .

We have been recording the light or darkness at night for 3 years and about to go into our 4th winter.
These readings are sent for national recording.
We record plants , animals , all insects , fungi , moss , birds , bats, trees etc.

Records kept over the years are important to find how nature is doing.
We plant trees , we learn about bats
We have evening film shows and talks.
We have a nature reserve a road side verge that has an extraordinary number of wild flowers. Do Indian balsam pulling as the invasive plant creeps around the parish.

We have members from the local villages from all walks of life.
Who have come together to learn about nature and how we can help

I will shout it from the rooftops.
ITS A BRILLIANT GROUP 
Congratulations to Clare and all the members


BBC Countryfile Magazine
BBC Springwatch
BBC Hereford & Worcester

02/10/2026

It’s October and time for another award to keep the cleaning team on their toes
———-

🏆👑 THE UPPERFIELDS MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2026 👑🏆

Today we are delighted to announce that Sarah has been officially recognised for her outstanding contribution to the cleanliness of the stairs at the Upperfields Holiday Cottages.

After an exhaustive inspection involving several flights of stairs, numerous footprints and at least one suspicious-looking bit of fluff, Management has concluded that Sarah has achieved a standard of stair cleanliness previously thought impossible.

✨ HER ROYAL TITLE SHALL NOW BE:
SARAH, QUEEN OF THE STAIRCASE 👑

Her duties include:
🧹 Removing dust from steps that nobody knew were dusty
🧹 Eliminating mysterious bits of mud
🧹 Chasing cobwebs into early retirement
🧹 Ensuring guests can ascend and descend without encountering anything remotely resembling farm life
🧹 Looking deeply disappointed when someone walks up the freshly cleaned stairs 14 seconds later.
Management would like to stress that this award is not a bribe to encourage Sarah to continue cleaning the stairs.
Although it absolutely might be. 😂

Congratulations Sarah! 🏆

Your dedication, stamina and willingness to repeatedly clean the same stairs despite people repeatedly walking up them is truly inspirational.
Please accept this prestigious award on behalf of Upperfields Management and the entire staircase community.
👏👏👏
Upperfields Management accepts no responsibility for any sudden increase in Sarah’s demands for a crown, a throne or a pay rise.

29/09/2026

Apple juicing has started for 2026.
A real family affair with 165 bottle made and still more to be made.
The weather was perfect for it last weekend.
Keri and I picked apples on Friday .
Saturday everybody turned out to help .
They were washed , scratted, pressed, bottled , pasturized and filled bottles washed again to be packed into boxes and finally stored.





Farm Stay UK

25/09/2026

As the pool slowly fills with water, we’ve realised there’s now one very important decision to make…

WHO IS GOING TO BE OUR LIFEGUARD? 🏊‍♂️🚨

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m rather tempted to put forward my own dear husband, Vernon. 😂
I mean, surely he already has a bit of a head start over the other applicants?
We’ve been married for 53 years this October, so he’s already had extensive training in:

✅ Keeping an eye on me
✅ Knowing when I’m about to do something daft
✅ Being able to spot trouble from a considerable distance
✅ And, most importantly, putting up with me for prolonged periods without calling for assistance. 😂
You could say he’s already got 53 years’ experience on the job.

Although, to be completely fair, I might be slightly biased… 🤔
So I need your help.
Should Vernon get the lifeguard job, or should we give the younger applicants a chance?

I’m trying to be impartial…
…but obviously Vernon already has the uniform. 😂🏊‍♂️
.