The Hunter family moved to Brocklands Farm which is situated in the Wharfe Valley in 1969. Originally it was a 48 acre North Yorkshire County Council Starter farm. Today the farm has expanded to 165 acres, on which Richard now runs 80 milking cows.
The cows are of a robust type, bred for longevity rather than high milk yields. All of the farm is in grass and Richard runs a simple, a low cost dairy farming system. The herd calves all year round and is grazed in fields from mid April through to the end of October. In the winter months the cows are housed and fed on round bales of silage made on the farm.
Replacements cattle for the dairy herd are born and raised on the farm and Richard looks after all of the animals with a little part time help with milking and other jobs around the farm.
Richard says “It’s great that the Free Range Dairy Pasture Promise label supports the traditional farming system and allows consumers to choose milk from our farms”.
The left picture below shows Richard?s cows grazing with Almscliffe Crag in the background, which is popular with walkers and climbers.
