Well, we think we have the luckiest herd of cows, because they are 100% grass fed, doing what cows should be doing – grazing in fields, lying under trees and in the winter eating silage and hay in the cowsheds.

We don’t feed any grains, soya or supplements. Cows are out in the fields grazing fresh grass for most of the year. When the weather turns cold and wet we bring them inside to eat their winter diet. The fermented, stored grass – called silage, is fed to the cows through the winter months. Drier grass called hay is also fed, that is if the British summer allows us enough days to dry the grass!

The motives for grass-fed milk, the key ingredient in our ice cream is many fold. In fact the benefits are numerous in terms of animal welfare, environment and health. At Daltons Dairy the cows are central to ensuring we farm the land to produce quality, tasty milk from grassland whilst caring for the wildlife and environment.

Without getting too geeky and scientific, after all, dairy farming is a science in itself. I’ve outlined why we are passionate about 100% grass feeding our cows;

Pasture is better for the cows

-A completely natural diet

-Grasslands support diverse wildlife

-Cows allowed to exhibit natural behaviour

Produces higher quality milk and meat

-Lower saturated fat content than grain fed milk

-Higher levels of Omega-3

-Higher levels of vitamins and minerals than milk from grain-fed animals

Good for the environment

-Positive carbon footprint

-Reduces food miles. All feed is home produced.

-Greater carbon storage of grassland

-Soil fertility improvements

Phew! There are undoubtedly more reasons, but in a world where cows are getting a lot of the blame for methane production; the cows on our farm are doing their bit in so many ways.

Written by Suzie Dalton