Inspirational innovation for a new generation.
The only certainty in farming is that it is uncertain...
Izzi Rainey is a woman I have wanted to meet for, and I am not over exaggerating when I say this, years. We’d connected on Instagram back in 2017 when she reached out and sent me one of her very first (and now most popular) designs. It sits pride of place in my tack room back at the yard, keeping all the pens safe.
What’s your favourite thing about farming?, I ask a slightly flushed Izzi, as she prepares for an Open Day in just a few days time. “That feels a little hard to pinpoint right now,” we laugh, “I’ve found myself questioning why I do it today!” Again, we laugh at the irony, “Joking aside, I think it has to be working with the cattle.”
Confident in her answer, Izzi goes on to share how she feels as though modern farming is guilty of being glamourised in recent years, as farmers work so hard to gain the favour of the general public. “In some cases, modern farming can be sugarcoated, especially through social media, but that isn’t reality. I find myself thinking, how do you look like that when there’s me sweating profusely - where am I going so wrong?” A common theme of this interview was laughter, it’s contagious and we erupt again at the truth in her words.
“Calving is an obvious highlight, witnessing and helping animals you’ve cared for enter this world, is super rewarding.”
Though Izzi is keen to point out that the animal husbandry is just one part of it, and actually fencing, bringing in bales, mucking out and fixing things is a huge, and often a more common part.
“A good day makes the bad days less bad,” confesses Izzi as she reflects on the days when things don’t quite go to plan and you find yourself questioning your sanity and life choices. (I can tell you, being in the business of horses, those days are plenty.)
Taking the reins from her father, who she is quick to explain is still an active supporter of the farm, Izzi, and her cattle. “He’s by the ringside at 8:15 ready to watch me show whichever animal it may be that day,” with a beaming smile across her face as she does.
Now solely running the family farm in Foulsham, Norfolk, Izzi wouldn’t strike you as your typical farmer. She greeted me in a casual black tee tucked into a denim skirt and brown dealer boots, hair sculpted into one of those stylish messy buns, a subtle gold nose piercing and gold earrings which complement her strawberry blonde hair and lightly freckled complexion. Though in the world of farming, it could have been spats of mud (or cow poo), it’s anyone’s guess really!
Pictured above, a young Izzi showing a Highland.
“Dad and I have never been in business together, it wouldn’t work. He reached a point where he’d say with increasing frequency, ‘I’ve had enough’ and it was evident the stress and responsibility that comes with farming, and livestock in particular was taking its toll, so I took over.”
“Now, when it’s freezing cold outside, he can comfortably wait indoors until it thaws out, whilst I trudge dutifully out to tend to the cattle.”
As we enter the realms of adversity, I ask her, what is the biggest challenge she’s had to overcome within farming? Very quickly, and with steadfast conviction, she admits, “The skillset required in farming, in order to be a success is so broad. You have to be a plumber, you have to be a whiz on machinery and to fix things all the time, sometimes I just feel out of my depth.” Providing me with an insight into the mind of Izzi Rainey, she continues, “I wish I was so much better at that stuff.” - I’ll admit, I was quite taken aback to hear this from a woman who outwardly I would describe as ‘smashing it’.
At Bates Moor Farm, Izzi farms both the iconic Highland and more commercial Lincolnshire Red breeds of cattle. But it’s definitely been enter innovation mode for her, as in a bid to improve the commerciality of her beef and increase the profitability of the farm, Izzi has mixed both breeds to create a Lincoln Red x Highland.
Pure Highland beef is slow maturing, lean, firm and very low in fat, whilst also rich in protein and iron. It is unsurpassed for flavour, tenderness and juiciness. This, Izzi explains comes from having ‘just the right amount of marbling through the meat’. Highland cattle are non-selective grazers and their foraging habits are widely-recognised as enhancing the flavour of the beef.
Whilst Highlands have been the beating heart of the Rainey family’s farming legacy since her father, Graham introduced the first Molly 23rd of Cladich and Ealasaid Ruadh 19th of Douglas arriving in 1989 thus creating his fold, April Fold of Highland Cattle.
Since then, April Fold is an accredited member of Bio Best's Elite cattle health scheme, blood testing every year for IBR, BVD, Leptos, Johnnes and Neospora and a regular prize winning Highland fold too!
Next though, an innovative Izzy saw an opportunity to future-proof the farm, and build on the her father’s foundations through the introduction of Lincoln Reds to the farm. The Lincoln Reds are a larger, native breed though have similar character traits to a Highland; docile and easy to handle. Izzi brought her first three heifers in 2017 and has experienced steady growth of the Bates Moor herd since then.
Predominantly introduced for their beef, they have a more commercial appeal Izzi informs me. “Both herds thrive living out on our meadows here.”
The spark of innovation had well and truly been struck for Izzi and her additions didn’t stop there, enter the Lincoln Red x Highland.
Talk to me about these, I prompt, “Well, the crosses were a bit of an experiment which has paid off to tell you the truth.” She openly admits, “I wanted to try to bring in some of the attributes of the Highlands and mix these with the Lincoln Reds to improve commerciality of the beef.”
Meet Scarlett, a Lincoln Red x Highland. She is pictured here with her calf born on 15th March this year (picture taken in July), a first time calver, she was put to a Lincoln Red bull at two years old.
Izzi culled her first cross bullock last year (2022), at 30 months which is the same age as she would with a Highland, whereas she explains the more commercial breeds are culled at around 16-18 months.
Bates Moor Beef Boxes have proven hugely popular in recent years, and particular since Izzi appeared on television in ‘My Norfolk Farm’ on BBC1 in February last year. She runs these on a pre-order basis and each beef box will include a selection of cuts including: roasting joints, sirloin/rump steaks, diced stewing steak and mince all packaged by Izzi after being processed and packaged by a local plant.
“We value the traceability of our product and will come from our farm to your home. Our mainly grass reared, high-quality beef has been hung for 21 days creating excellent taste and flavour.”
The British public are often labelled as being so far removed from both farming and where their food comes from. Closing the gap between farms, the meat and the public is vital to preserve our British agricultural industry for the future.
In addition to her beef boxes, Izzi runs workshops at her home farm, in response to countless messages from social media followers asking to come and visit the farm and animals. “I decided to respond to this from a entrepreneurial stance point. I didn’t have time to take 2 hours out of my day to show people around, but if I could sell tickets, my time would be justified and it would further grow and secure the business.”
Izzi’s workshops and meadow walks attract people from all over the country, “some people have never touched a cow or set foot on a farm,” she shares, “It’s a very different experience to an animal park style farm. Guests scrub between the cattle’s hooves, sandpaper their horns and get to walk them in-hand around the yard.”
One of the more recent streams of diversification Izzi is exploring is photoshoots utilising the Highlands, a local photographer had reached out and for a small fee is able to offer clients breathtaking images, featuring these stunning cows, without having to do much, “obviously I am there to oversee and assist if I need, but I care for the cattle on a daily basis, so they’re healthy and happy year round, my job is done before the photographer arrives.”
Farming is renowned for not being a ‘get rich quick’ career path, with this in mind, innovative 31 year-old Izzi supports her growing farming enterprise with her design business, based on the farm in the old dairy.
Having graduated from Glasgow School of Art, farming wasn’t initially Izzi’s first choice career. Talking about the motivation behind balancing the two very different business, she explains, “the design business balances the uncertainty of the farm, despite it being on a smaller scale. The expenses associated are minimal when compared with farming.”
Farming comes with a seemingly limitless number of possible unforeseen costs, cows needing emergency caesarians or a broken down tele-porter to name just two.
Izzi Rainey (the name of her design brand) allows Izzi to pivot based on the market and on consumer trends. “Cards!” An enthusiastic Izzi exclaims, but there is method in her musing, “people always buy cards, they’re always looking for a card for some upcoming occasion, and you can’t re-use a card,” she continues to explain when I ask her what’s next for this side of her enterprise.
Izzi is such a genuinely inspiring lady and I drove away from our encounter feeling hyped and full of innovation myself.
Izzi is an example of someone who has tested the boundaries of traditional farming and turned an old-school farming operation into a viable, evolving and exciting business utilising the power of social media, connection and good old fashion farming. A real pleasure.
For some seriously cute cow content, follow Izzi at Bates Moor Farm on @batesmoorfarm you will also be amongst the first to know about the next batch of beef boxes available for pre-order. You can also shop Izzi’s design collection at www.izzirainey.com
The R.A.B.I is one of the charities we are fundraising through The Journey this month. We are grateful to Izzi for sharing openly with us, her experiences and the internal battles she fights at times as a farmer.
If you would like to donate to support the work R.A.B.I do to support farmers through services such as in-person, free counselling access within 24 hours, then please click the link below to our Just Giving Page:
I love Izzy and her designs