Dairy farm's fundraiser after losing milk contract

A Herefordshire dairy farm has started a fundraising campaign to "create a new future" for the business after losing a long-running contract with a milk buyer.

Wicton Farm, which runs Wild Cow Dairy, said it wanted to raise £47,000 to adapt its processes and continue operating, after being deemed too small and its "values and farming methods no longer fitting [with] the industrial dairy model".

The farm has a herd of 50 cows and were told three months ago that its 25-year contract with the same organic milk buyer was being terminated.

It has set a deadline of 1 August to raise the money, with the goal of completing the project by Christmas 2026, the farm said.

The cows are 100% grass-fed, live "a slower, more natural lifestyle" with calves staying with their mothers, and are milked just once a day, the fundraising page said.

"We are a certified organic, antibiotic-free farm working with nature to help create a healthier and more secure local food system," it said.

People who work on the farm "have all found their way to us through different journeys" being refugees, local apprentices with learning differences, volunteers, friends, and family members.

But the farm said it now faced a choice, to stop dairy farming or change the way it worked.

It would "say goodbye to the milk tanker lorry and create a dedicated milk processing space" to continue bottling and selling raw and pasteurised milk, as well as making artisan cheeses and yoghurt and developing new products.

"By processing all our milk ourselves, we can remain independent, sustainable, and deeply connected to the people we feed," it said.

There would also be a dedicated on-farm collection hub for customers, while also improving life for the cows by replacing existing metal cubicle beds with a spacious deep-bedded straw resting area through winter.

"We are practical, hard-working people who believe small farms still have an important role in the future. We are fully committed to making this vision a reality," the post added.

"This is more than saving a farm. It is about proving that local communities can play a direct role in creating a healthier, more resilient food system for generations to come."

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