Andrew Stewart keeps his herd of 380 organic dairy cows on 700 acres in Lanarkshire. The farm produces milk and a small amount of organic beef.
When the Stewarts began the organic conversion process in 2018, their approach to farming was already well aligned with organic principles, as it made good environmental and financial sense. The growth of information on organic production in recent years helped the process a great deal and Andrew is grateful that he now doesn’t have to buy fertiliser or – thanks to their windmill – electricity.
The herd is predominantly Holstein-Friesian and Andrew is gradually moving the herd to more of a cross-breed in order to attain better fertility. He is also focusing on getting more red clover into the fields to provide increased protein for the cows.
The Stewarts supply most of their milk to Muller but during lockdown in early 2021 they introduced a vending machine in order to sell locally, which is going well. They now sell milk and milkshakes in reusable glass bottles and local cakes.