Meet Frances Sedgwick of Greyfriars Dexters
We’re really pleased to welcome Frances to Sussex Grazed as our newest farmer. With over twenty years of experience, Frances Sedgwick is a passionate advocate for high-welfare, nature-friendly farming across the South Downs. From her 50-acre home farm, she cares for a herd of 30 pedigree Dexter cattle, each playing a valuable role in looking after and restoring the landscape. Her herd is certified Pasture for Life, demonstrating her commitment to regenerative, pasture-based farming.
Grazing That’s Good for Nature
Frances’ Dexters do far more than simply graze the land at the home farm. Their slow, careful grazing helps bring back species-rich chalk grassland, increases biodiversity and supports the recovery of important habitats across the South Downs National Park. Frances works in close partnership with conservation charities and National Park rangers to manage areas that require sensitive grazing, ensuring these habitats can thrive.
A clear example of this is her work with the Steyning Downland Scheme on a Site of Nature Conservation Importance, where the Dexters help restore ancient chalk grassland. By keeping scrub at bay, they create the conditions required for rare wildflowers, insects and birds to flourish.
Her pasture-based system means the cattle graze naturally, roam freely and enjoy a calm, low-stress life. You can learn more about conservation grazing by reading our blog series.
With the Help of Modern Technology
Frances combines traditional expertise with modern tools to care for her
herd. When the Dexters are grazing away from the home farm, they wear NoFence GPS collars, which allow her to track them remotely at their various sites. The collars come with an app where she can see where they are grazing, how they are behaving, and receives an alert if one ventures outside its virtual boundary. This technology also enables her to graze more remote or challenging sites. The herd is calm around people and dogs, which makes relocating them between sites much easier.
Because the cattle graze across several conservation sites, Frances works with a supportive group of volunteer lookerers who also use the GPS app to help ensure the cattle remain happy and healthy wherever they are.
Keeping It Local from Farm to Fork
Frances is firmly committed to keeping her beef as local as possible, cutting food miles and supporting nearby businesses. She uses the last remaining small-scale abattoir in Sussex so the animals travel the shortest possible distance, and she collaborates with local butchers. You can find out more about abattoir provision in our Local Meat Report. Frances believes that the low-stress, pasture-based lifestyle her Dexters enjoy directly contributes to the excellent eating quality of the beef.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Public engagement is a central part of Frances’ work. She regularly attends local events to speak about conservation grazing and why it matters for the environment, for communities and for human health. She also supports young handlers by inviting them to show her Dexters at local agricultural shows. Many have gone on to explore careers in farming thanks to the confidence and hands-on experience they gained.
In September we joined Frances, her Dexters and two young handlers at the West Grinstead Ploughing Match and Agricultural Festival, where they enjoyed a very successful day. The results included:
- First place for Beef Steer
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Sussex Grazed Team and Frances with the Dexters at the West Grinstead Ploughing Match First place for In-calf Heifer
- Third place for Cow in Milk
- First place Young Handler, age 10
- First place Young Handler, age 17
These achievements highlight the dedication Frances invests in her cattle, her conservation work and the young people she mentors, as well as the value of sharing the story of purposeful grazing and truly local meat production.
100% Grass-Fed Dexter Beef Now Available to Pre-Order
We are delighted to offer Frances’ 100% grass-fed Dexter beef through
Sussex Grazed, available in both small and large boxes. Dexter beef is known for its outstanding flavour and is highly regarded by chefs and food lovers. As a small, slow-growing native breed, Dexters produce naturally marbled beef with a rich, full taste and a tender texture with beautiful natural marbling that makes every cut tender and delicious.
You can pre-order through our Open Food Network shop, with collection on Friday 12 December from 4 to 6 pm. It is also a great chance to meet Frances, learn more about her conservation grazing work and discover what makes Dexter beef such a delicious and sustainable choice for your winter meals.
