#61 – Being ‘Part of the Herd’ on a Small Scale Organic Dairy Farm
Rebecca Holden looks after a large organic dairy herd in Wales in the United Kingdom and makes raw, cheddar-style cheese from their milk. What made us want to bring Rebecca to you is an article she wrote for the farm’s blog which she called ‘Part of the Herd’ where she talks about the farm being an interconnected community and how she herself communicates with the cows and has become part of the herd.
Mainstream milk/cheese markets seem to be increasingly led by large, chemically-sustained dairies that subvert nature and force cows into unnatural production routines, resulting in inferior dairy products landing on grocery store shelves – and yet, Rebecca’s farm has been there doing things organically for 50 years…. We really wanted to know about her world, and we really wanted to share it with you. This episode will take you right into the milking parlor and then out the farm gate into the lush pastures of Wales, and you will feel the sun on your face and feel the swaying cows as they move beside you and you become part of the herd.
*We had a technical glitch just before the episode started, so had to bring in IT back up. It means the recording is not as clear as it could be, but the conversation is so informative, inspiring and life-affirming that we are sure you’ll love every minute!*
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Resources:
Holden Farm Dairy, Rebecca and Patrick’s farm (the longest certified organic farm in Wales)
If you are in London and want to try Hafod
Rebecca’s article on being part of the Gaia Foundation’s revival of the Welsh black oat
Gaia Foundation’s beautiful video on the story of the revival of the Welsh black oat
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Thank you for listening – we’d love to connect more:
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The podcast is mixed and the music is written and recorded by Alison’s husband, Rob. Find him here: Robert Michael Kay