Making Hay While the Sun Shines: Our July Summer Update From The Farm

While the nation's been reaching for the ice cream, our farm team has been out in the fields making the most of every sunny hour. Farmer Rory and Farmer Joe took us round the farm to show us what July's really looked like, heatwave and all!

Watch our July farm update videos HERE!

First stop was the top of our silage clamp, think of it as a giant grass larder. We cut the grass, pack it in tight, seal it under plastic, then weigh the whole lot down with old tyres (yes, that's Rory and Joe stood on a mountain of them). Left alone, it ferments over the summer and turns into silage: preserved, nutrient-packed feed for the herd when the fields aren't growing. Rory talked us through why this cut matters so much: we've got about 2,500 tonnes clamped so far, and it's the most nutrient-dense grass we grow all year. It's what feeds our cows through the winter, or whenever they're not out grazing. No pressure, then.

It's a funny old summer for growing things. Over in one field, Joe picked us a handful of grass, all stalky and dry, without much nutrition left in it, struggling on in the dry spells. Head to a different field entirely, though, and our maize is having the time of its life: tall, green, and loving every minute of the heat. One crop's dream weather is another's headache, and this year they couldn't be telling more different stories.

That maize won't just sit there looking lovely, either. Come autumn, we'll harvest and it will become an energy-rich addition to the herd's winter diet that pairs nicely with the grass silage.

We've also just weaned a group 200 Friesian heifers and moved them out to a field of their own, where they've got space to run around and stay out of the worst of the heat.

Back in the shed, the cooling fans have been working overtime keeping the milking herd comfortable and out of the heat. Rory reckons they're doing their job, because the milk coming through is as lovely as ever, proof that a bit of engineering and a lot of care keep the cows happy even when the temperatures are soaring.

This is the bit people don't always see when they're picking up a tub of Vanilla Clotted Cream. Every scoop starts here, with real decisions made in real time, when to cut for silage, where the heifers get the best of the grazing, how to keep 1,100 acres and 250 cows comfortable through whatever the weather throws at us.

It's hard graft in this heat, but there's something satisfying about clamping silage under a blue sky, knowing it'll see the herd through the colder months. Rory, Joe and the rest of the team have had long days and not much time to enjoy the ice cream they're helping to make. We'll make sure they get a tub or two when the dust settles.

So next time you're enjoying a scoop in the sunshine, spare a thought for the team out chasing grass, cooling cows, and keeping 200 heifers entertained. It's all part of getting milk from our cows to your cone in 24 hours, heatwave or not.