Culmore Organic Beef goes on sale to the public for the first time this week as part of a groundbreaking initiative.

Kilrea farmer David Laughlin has joined forces with Ballymena butcher Oran McAtamney to sell his organic beef through a dedicated in-shop till system.

His is the first organic farm in Northern Ireland to form a partnership with an independent butcher and hold a joint license. He will be offering sales of sides, quarters and freezer packs.

“We've adopted a really simple, chemical free, natural approach to produce the tastiest organic beef in the country,” David said.

“Because we take time and great care rearing our animals, we wanted to do the same for our customers and create a more personal, dedicated service.”

David says his organic beef is high in Omega 3 and is full of flavour, thanks to the lushness of his summer grass pastures, rich in herbs and wildflowers.

He’s also in the process of creating a free community organic garden and is working closely with Kilrea Primary School to develop its Eco Schools programme.

David was the country's first organic dairy farmer and has gradually been developing his organic beef herd to complement sales of milk.

All his animals are fed only home-grown feed, reducing the carbon footprint by cutting out imported feed. The animals travel just 30 miles to reach the abattoir, reducing the carbon footprint even further.

Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association, said: “It's great to see one of Ireland's finest organic farmers lead the way and create a closer partnership between everyone in the community.”

For more information on Culmore Organic beef go to www.culmoreorganicfarm.com