17miles

Liberty Dairy

Liberty Dairy is based at Liberty Farm in West Dorset, a family-run organic dairy farm. They take fresh organic milk from the farm, pasteurise it and sell it directly to their customers through fresh milk dispenser machines situated in local farm and village shops.

Pete brings our fresh churns twice a week and picks up our returned glass bottles. In the past we were a raw milk provider but due to changes outside of our control that is now part of our history.

We feel the best alternative for our customers is Liberty Dairy and their Swedish red ladies.

Liberty Farm is committed to farming in a sustainable way; managing the land organically to safeguard traditional habitats, upholding high standards of animal welfare, and allowing the cows in their herd to graze pastureland during the Spring, Summer and Autumn. The cows are only housed indoors in the winter when there is insufficient grass growth to sustain them and ground conditions are too wet.

Liberty Farm cows are kept in a small herds (less than 60), which has been shown to promote their social well-being. They are milked once a day, reducing stress and allowing maximum time to graze and relax in the lush Dorset pastureland.

Here are some of the reasons we feel we backed the right Dairy for our Lensomy Lifestyle.

Liberty Dairy milk is:

• Local – produced within 20 miles of our shop

• Super fresh – delivered to our shop on the day of production

• Organic – produced without use of artificial chemicals

• Non-homogenised (the cream rises to the top)

• Plastic-free – we supply re-useable 1 litre glass bottles

• Healthy – the milk contains high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids as a result of he cows being predominantly grass/clover-fed

• Supportive of the community, retailing through independent local shops

Liberty Dairy’s mission is to supply local milk of the highest quality to local people with minimal environmental impact.

Their key values are summarised below:

• Zero Plastic: Customers either bring their own containers or can purchase re-useable Liberty Dairy glass bottles for £2 each. 10% of the income from bottle sales is donated to the Marine Conservation Society (UK).

• Very low food miles just 17 miles from the Dairy. (Supermarket milk often travels more than 500 miles before it arrives in store)

• Organic land stewardship: No artificial fertilisers or pesticides are used at Liberty farm where we source our milk. This safeguards the natural biodiversity of the landscape and avoids pollution of the environment. Liberty Farm uses a range of organic farming practices such as crop rotation, soil conditioning and composting of farm manure to maintain and improve the fertility of the land.

• High animal welfare standards

• Milk produced on predominantly home-grown feed: 95% of Liberty Farm’s herd diet is produced on the farm, utilising natural pastures which are abundant with grass clovers and herbs. Their milk is produced from grass, a natural diet for dairy cows (but not for humans!) rather than from cereal and soya-based feeds.

• Fair: They are concerned that dairy farming is becoming increasingly industrialised with 30% of all milk in the UK coming from herds which never go outside to graze. It is very difficult for smaller family farms who farm traditionally to compete in this climate. The model they are following can be replicated by traditional milk producers nationwide, to enable them to survive, providing a fair price for their milk.

• They are living a Lensomy Lifestyle and always deliver with a smile come rain or shine!