I have just had the unenviable task of putting down (shooting) a six month old calf on the farm. The animal in question has been suffering from a respiratory infection for a number of weeks and was obviously in great discomfort, despite our attempts to nurse it back to health. This is a task which…
Resistance to antibiotics is one of the greatest threats to modern health experts say. The Health Protection Agency warns that some bugs such as E Coli and Gonorrhoea have developed resistant strains, following the unnecessary use of antibiotics to tackle mild infections. This Sunday (November 18th) is European Antibiotics Awareness Day, which hopes to raise…
Andrew Opie (British Retail Consortium) I’m really pleased that the BBC1 programme Rip Off Food managed to highlight the imbalance of power that still exists in the milk supply chain. You can find a link to episode 2 of this programme here (opens in a new window). But, how could Andrew Opie of The British Retail Consortium sit…
The first of a new series on BBC 1, called Rip Off Food, was shown at 9.15 this morning. You can find a link to this programme here (opens in a new window). The programme, presented by Gloria Hunniford, revealed how food companies and supermarkets mislead consumers with the labelling they use on food. This…
You can now make the Pasture Promise online. Just follow the link on the home page or click here. All you need to do is provide your name, address and contact details. We are getting more farmers signing up every day and we are well on the way to establishing a network of like minded…
I am really grateful for all the feedback I get on the Free Range Dairy initiative and welcome anyone to submit stories about their own experiences of farming and related matters. Below is a really interesting post from John Lawson who, although no longer farming, finds that his current business faces similar challenges to dairy…
Sainsbury’s have announced that they are dropping the Red Tractor logo on packaging in their stores. This decision follows a review of the information they put on packaging, partly they say, in response to confusion amongst consumers over too many labels on food. Sainsbury’s also say forthcoming changes to EU laws on food labelling…
I hear that Mary Berry, writer of cookery books and Great British Bake Off judge, has a new series on BBC2 called The Great British Food Revival and one episode is all about ice cream. Mary has labeled many ice creams as being almost 99 percent “synthetic junk”. Apparently it only has to contain…
Even my eternal optimism is being seriously challenged by the weather we have had in the first week of October. We have 80 acres of knee-high grass waiting to be cut for a third time, to make silage. We have 200 acres of wheat stubbles untouched since the combine clawed its way around the fields…
8th November 2012, Sixways Stadium, Worcester We often find it difficult to get away from our dairy herds for a day, but if you can find someone to milk your cows on November 8th, I highly recommend you get along to this year’s Pasture to Profit Conference. I went along for the first time last…
Have you seen any good films lately? Well, if you haven’t, may I recommend a real ‘feel good’ movie from Arla Foods? Closer to Nature isn’t packed with high octane action for the adrenalin junkies, but it does contain some wonderful scenery and, for those of you who are animation fans, look out for the…
So, things are looking up – milk prices are on the rise. In recent weeks the UK’s major milk buyers have announced an increase in the price they will pay to farmers this autumn. Arla have said they are going to increase their standard litre price by 2.5 pence from October 1st. At the same,…
I have just read an interesting article by Pat Tomlinson from Old Mill accountants and financial planners, about the role of cost of production based pricing for milk. Mr Tomlinson says “Call me old fashioned, but when I studied basic economics (albeit last century!), the price of a product was determined by the relationship of…
I have long held the belief that our farms have so much more to offer than producing food – we can really make a difference to people’s lives and enrich our society. I have been to visit a farm near Bath, where Jamie Fielden and his team are helping de-motivated and disengaged students find…
Back in December 2011, I put a post on the Free Range Dairy website about the continuing growth of ethical food brands during the economic downturn. This was linked to a report in The Independent, which stated that Fairtrade food sales rose by 36 percent in 2009-10. Much of the recent campaign by UK milk…
Many dairy farmers will feel in need of charity after the suffering they have endured this summer. But, I am not suggesting we set up an appeal to raise money for beleaguered producers, Free Range Dairy is about winning public support through the milk we produce. I am currently looking at how we formally register…
I recently stumbled on an interesting blog site called Grass Based Health. Although the site is very much about farming and food in the USA, the posts by Dr Peter Ballerstedt are relevant to us all. When Dr Ballerstedt took a picture of himself at Christmas 2000 he was alarmed by the sight and could…
Things feel like they are really moving on with Free Range Dairy. The feedback on defining standards for production has been excellent and we now moving forward from a simple belief in the value of pasture-based milk production, to making that milk available to UK consumers. I make no apologies for declaring that Free…
One thing that is becoming very apparent from the feedback I have had regarding the definition of Free Range Dairy herds, is that achieving 180 days at grass has been very difficult (if not impossible) on a number of farms this year – particularly in the north of England and in Scotland. A farmer from…
In order to canvas opinion from as many people as possible in setting standards for Free Range Dairy producers, a short online survey is now available on the website. Simply click on the answer of your choice to our five simple questions and have your say. Although the survey is largely aimed at farmers, anyone…