Mains of Culsh, in New Deer, Aberdeenshire, is home to 170 pedigree organic Holstein cows and is farmed by the McLean family. The farm converted to organic in 2018 and sell their milk to Graham’s the Family Dairy.
John McLean, who farms in partnership with his parents Jean and Robert and uncle Michael, manages the day-to-day running of the farm.
Rotationally grazed grass is key to their system and they aim to graze, day and night, from April to November with cows receiving a fresh allocation of fresh grass after every milking.
Calving across two nine-week blocks, cows are milked twice daily through a 24/24 Boumatic rapid exit parlour which was installed in 2014. They also rear all their own replacement heifers and keep beef calves until finished.
The McLeans also finish 600 organic store lambs annually and take 200 ewe lambs for wintering. In addition, the farm is also home to a 30 ewe flock of pedigree Beltex sheep and grows 200 acres of cereals including spring barley and oats which are all fed back on farm. Approximately 20-30 acres is leased out for organic carrots with the remainder of the land is one-five-year-old high clover grass mixtures.