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 on the farm. His day typically kicks off at 5 am with the essential task of milking the cows and ensuring their well-being by feeding them, a routine that lasts until around 8 am before breakfast. Dolphenby Farm is a key supplier of milk for Nestlé’s Nescafé range of frothy coffees, manufactured just 20 miles away at the Dalston factory.
Quality milk production from cows at Dolphenby Farm is attributed to the premium grass and soil quality, as per Jonny’s insights. Cumbria’s expertise in grass cultivation allows the cows to graze on it for extended periods throughout the year. Jonny and his farming partner, Robert Craig, attribute a significant portion of their accomplishments to the enduring 21-year collaboration with Nestlé and First Milk, a farmer-owned dairy cooperative in the UK.
Robert emphasizes the exceptional nature of the partnership between First Milk and Nestlé, highlighting the substantial support provided for transitioning towards regenerative practices. In recent times, Dolphenby Farm has placed significant emphasis on soil health and biodiversity while reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers, as explained by Robert.
Jonny echoes the significance of regenerative farming practices in maintaining a holistic farming cycle that integrates nature, soil care, animal welfare, and human well-being. He emphasizes how the presence of cows at Dolphenby Farm has historically shaped the local landscape, emphasizing the farm’s role in producing milk locally for the nation.
While Robert hails from a lineage of farmers spanning several generations, Jonny brings a unique perspective to the industry, having started as a cowman at 16 and progressing to become a stakeholder at Dolphenby Farm. Jonny resides at the farm with his wife, Lucy, and their young daughter, Neave, underlining the enriching environment for children to grow up on a farm.
Jonny acknowledges Lucy’s pivotal role in balancing the farm responsibilities, highlighting the collaborative nature of farming as a family endeavor that extends beyond conventional working hours. The article concludes by emphasizing the local sourcing of milk for Nescafé products in the UK, emphasizing the importance of cows raised on nourishing soil for quality milk production.