Jonny Slack, a 36-year-old dairy farmer at Dolphenby Farm in Cumbria, expresses his fondness for mornings as he tends to around 500 cows. His day typically starts at 5 am, focusing first on milking and feeding the cows before taking a break for breakfast by 8 am.
Dolphenby Farm supplies milk for Nestlé’s Nescafé range, produced just 20 miles away at the Dalston factory. Jonny attributes the high-quality milk production to the farm’s top-notch grass and soil conditions, emphasizing their emphasis on allowing cows to graze on lush grass as much as possible throughout the year.
Collaborating with Nestlé and First Milk, a British farmer-owned dairy co-operative, has been instrumental in Dolphenby’s success over the past 21 years, according to Jonny and co-manager Robert Craig. This partnership has facilitated a move towards regenerative practices, focusing on soil health and biodiversity while reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers.
Both farmers stress the significance of regenerative farming, underscoring the interconnectedness of nature, soil health, cow well-being, and community welfare. Jonny highlights the farm’s longstanding presence in the local landscape, emphasizing their role in producing locally sourced milk for national consumption.
While Robert hails from a lineage of farmers spanning generations, Jonny’s journey into farming began at 16 as a cowman. He has since become a stakeholder at Dolphenby, where he resides with his wife, Lucy, and their daughter, Neave. Jonny praises Lucy’s indispensable support and involvement in the farm, recognizing farming as a round-the-clock family endeavor.
Jonny envisions Dolphenby as an ideal setting for his daughter’s upbringing, mentioning her joy in caring for pet sheep, feeding calves, and exploring the farm surroundings. As consumers enjoy their Nescafé Latte in the morning, they can appreciate that the milk originates from UK farms like Dolphenby, where cows thrive on nutrient-rich soil.