Around the world there are incredible individuals going about their daily business and making a huge difference to their community. Here at jorg&olif we pause to step into Caroline Tweddle’s shoes, an organic dairy farmer in County Durham, England. Her relationship to the land, the community and food is a harmonious blend of family tradition and environmental consideration.
The fourth generation of dairy farmers in her family, Caroline and her brother Graham have seen how the farming industry has changed. And, while wholly dedicated to this lifestyle, they have a healthy family rule to stop talking business from midday every Saturday to ensure proper family time!
“My great grandfather used to sell milk directly from the home farm near Darlington then stopped when farming became more industrialised. Yet in 2000 and in a difficult market, we decided to convert to farming organically and sell our own milk again so that we could benefit from the end retail price.” In a wonderful reminder of yesteryear, the milk is delivered to the door in glass bottles from its 350 strong herd of Dairy Shorthorn cows based at two separate sites.
“Our switch to organic farming initially began to give us a marketing angle angle to help us sell our milk to local customers in Darlington. Aware that if we couldn’t successfully find customers to sell to directly we would have to expand our herd size drastically to ensure profitability as a non- organic producer . Soon after conversion, the farm staff were fully on board and enthusiastic as they could see the success of the organic animal husbandry skills they were using. We would never go back to non organic farming techniques.”
With a supportive borough council, Acorn Organics Dairy is able to supply its milk and dairy products to primary schools. One of schools included is Skerne Park Primary School, part of the celebrated Food for Life Partnership and led by the Soil Association, which works with 1,800 schools and communities across England to transform food culture, inspiring families to cook and grow food, to reconnect youngster with farms and to revolutionise school meals to a fresher, healthier, organic and local focus. The daily milk delivery, noted to have a higher level of omega 3, is one simple step for the school to take to achieve its Food for Life award. The organic dairy doesn’t just benefit the consumer’s health either.
“Organic farming focuses on preventing illness within the herd rather than treating them, and then concentrating on homoepathic remedies”, Caroline comments. “We’ve seen a massive difference in the herd. The cows are naturally healthy if they have sufficient space, creating many health problems, and due to heavier udders would regularly have severe foot problems. Now, they are content and healthy. W e breed cows that are hardier and can happily survive on a high forage-based diet, grazing on red and white clover leys, they produce less milk but do not require routine antibiotic support.”
Fields went through a transition process of removing chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides. The business has considerately reverted one field back to how it once was- taking drainage systems out – this is now packed with wildlife including amphibians and ground nesting birds not seen on the farm prior to organic conversion. Across the rest of the farm hedgerow quality and size is encouraged. Wildlife studies are carried out by local interest groups and wildlife variety has increase d substantially with birds such as skylarks, kestrels, sparrowhawks and herons.
