A family farm supplying milk to famous yoghurt brand, Müller, is celebrating 100 years of milking some of the ‘happiest cows’ in the country.
The Harcombe family, based at Broadacres Farm, Hanley Castle, has been milking cows for a century against the backdrop of the Malvern Hills.
Today the businesses is run by Francis and Diana Harcombe and their daughter Angela Turney.
Each year, the family supplies two million litres of milk to Shropshire-based yoghurt brand Muller from their 300 dairy cows.
Angela, the fourth generation of her family at the helm, said that the family-run business has evolved over the years, but “we have stayed true to our roots operating as a traditional mixed family farming enterprise”.
“Everything we do is centric to the dairy herd. From growing their feed and bedding through to rearing calves to join the self-contained milking herd,” she said.
“Having a grass-based grazing system under the shadow of the Malvern Hills is a huge challenge in a drought year such as this, but we feel this set up really works for us and is best suited to our cattle.”
We are immensely proud of our free range, healthy, happy cows.”
The farm is spread across 850ac of Worcestershire countryside, and produces a range of crops including wheat, barley, beans, maize and fodder beet for the family’s dairy and beef enterprises.
Changing with the times
When Angela’s great-grandfather, Thomas Escott Harcombe, first started running the farm, the cows were milked by hand.
This has since been moved to an automated herringbone parlour, but Angela says that the hands-on dedication to welfare remains.
“Our cows graze grass for as long as possible during the year and only come inside when the weather turns in the winter – then they are housed in large open plan sheds,” she said.
“Looking after cattle is in our blood. It’s a labour of love.”
We run a self-sufficient low-carbon system which takes dedication and we are hugely grateful to our team, including long-serving Martin Thomas who has been milking the dairy herd for 40 years this summer.”
100 years milestone
The visitors meet the ‘happy cows’ of Broadacres Farm, Hanley Castle
To mark the celebration of 100 years of the family-run business, Angela and her parents enjoyed a surprise visit from Whitchurch Insurance, part of The Country Group, which has handled their insurance for many years providing cover for machinery, buildings and livestock.
Branch manager, Laura Jarman, and commercial accounts executive, Debbie-Lee Towsey, enjoyed a taste of life down on the farm and witnessed the milking parlour in action.
Jarman commented: “Every year our farming clients face challenges, no more so than this year when drought and rising production costs have taken their toll.”
“It was wonderful to see how Broadacres runs like a well-oiled machine and overcomes issues thanks to know-how passed down the generations,” she said.
The animals are given the most wonderful life and it can be tasted in the quality of the product.”
We were delighted to raise a glass, even if it was milk!”
The County Group, which has branches across the country, supports the rural sector with a range of products protecting their livelihoods.
Over the years this has evolved to cover renewable energies such as wind turbines, solar panels and hydroelectric plants.
