History
From the beginning....
The domestication of livestock is believed to have happened during the Neolithic agricultural revolution ten thousand years ago. This was the first ever agricultural revolution and has shaped our farming practices into what they are today. Man made the transition from being a hunter and gatherer to a farmer; this not only involved in the domestication of livestock, but also plants.
During the next millennia small groups of hunter-gatherers formed societies and started to build villages. They were able to radically modify their natural environment by means of food and crop cultivation, irrigation and food storage techniques that allowed for surplus food production. Livestock played a major role, besides being a direct source of food; certain animals could provide leather, wool, hides and fertilizer. Man forgot his nomadic herding life and evolved into “the farmer”.
.....a little more personal.....
We’ve traced our ancestors back to the 1800’s when they were farming the land and producing livestock on the rich local pastures of Airedale. Stock would have been fattened in preparation for the spring livestock fairs. In the midst of the agricultural and industrial revolutions Thomas Penny made his trade as a wool merchant and sold his goods in the Cock and Bottle in Leeds, a place of a bygone time. The newly built Leeds to Liverpool canal was a means of transporting goods easily to major cities and development continued.
In 1892 the Penny family territory expanded with the purchase of Low Green Farm, Rawdon, our base today. Throughout the generations this long standing tradition of a livelihood from livestock continued, seasonal cattle fairs became weekly cattle markets and the Penny family became cattle dealers and producers, trading as “Penny Brothers”.
Shortly after the Second World War, John Penny saw a potential market for supplying meat in addition to raising stock. John Penny and Sons meat wholesale business commenced trading; a new era began and shaped the future for the young Penny boys. Driven by ambition by the 1960’s the business had outgrown its’ simplistic buildings and planning was granted for an extension, providing custom built meat chillers. As vehicles developed John Penny provided a delivery service to local shops by means of a rustic Land Rover and trailer.
Development continued over the years and we now occupy almost 5 acres of specially designed factory on the Low Green site. This incorporates a three species slaughterhouse and a dedicated meat processing and packing plant, in addition to several large chillers and we are still expanding. This coming year will see further development of the farm and factory.
John Pennys’ two grandsons are now partners and leaders in developing the business, having themselves been involved from a very young age. Their experience is second to none, some learned and some inherited, their passion for the industry is unrivalled.
Animals, it appears were first domesticated purely as a source of meat and have carved the history of humans, and of John Penny and Sons. Agricultural and industrial revolutions have allowed us to perfect and develop our production techniques. Knowledge passed down through generations ensures we continue to produce meat and livestock to the best of our ability.
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John Penny is a family run business which uses sustainable farming methods to produce the finest quality beef, lamb and pork.
Buy John Penny meat and support the welfare of animals, the future of farmers and the longevity of your local butcher.