Focus on Farming

Nestling into the landscape of the beautiful north Cotswolds, between the villages of Broadway and Willersey, sits Gorsehill Abbey Farm. Gorsehill Abbey is an organic dairy farm with a side-line of a milk vending machine, milkshakes and really delicious ice cream. The farm is set on 160 acres and owned and run by Nick and Jenny Shaylor and their three children. 

On a splendidly sunny late spring day I turned up to chat to Jenny and have a tour of the farm. Gorsehill Abbey is at the end of a long bumpy drive and as you enter the driveway, you’re greeted by a simple, hard to miss sign saying, ‘Milk For Sale’. As the farm comes into view, you’re flanked by apple trees and lush green fields, it’s unquestionably idyllic. But I already know that farming is no easy gig and am really interested to find out more about the family’s life in this delightful place. 

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Jenny grew up in the Cotswolds, but the couple had been living with their children in Hampshire for a number of years. Jenny worked as a physiotherapist and Nick managed a mixed organic farm.  

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Over the years Nick and Jenny had begun to feel very strongly that farming with less chemicals and minimal disruption to the land and wildlife made more and more sense. They felt driven to put their vision into practice on their own farm. So, three-and-a-half years ago – and after a ten-year search for a suitable property and land – Jenny and Nick made the move to Gorsehill Abbey Farm. Historically it had been a cheese farm, making it ideal for them to turn into an organic dairy farm. The side-line of milk vending, milkshakes and delicious ice cream came later.  

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Jenny is softly spoken and easy to chat to; we talk all things family, and this leads to their kids and how they help out on the farm. Obviously, Jenny tells me, big machinery and dangerous dirty jobs are out of the question, but they all do something within their capabilities like feeding calves or labelling ice cream pots. But, as she points out, this isn’t a novel way to keep the kids involved – this is farm life. As Jenny says, it’s a family business and that means everyone pitches in. This is the story of farmers across the country and I find it comforting. It feels healthy and wholesome for kids to be out and about helping on the farm. But it also brings the conversation around to another important truism about modern farm life – it’s getting harder. Jenny describes how farming is rewarding but tougher than ever. Whilst the government encourages farmers to diversify to bring in more money, they still have to do all the normal farming jobs that consume the day – making it absolutely necessary that if you diversify, everyone has to pitch in. 

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Diversifying for dairy farmers is particularly important because of the fluctuating monthly milk prices. They never know what the price will be from month to month, making it impossible to budget realistically year on year. Especially worrying when prices hit an all-time low. When Jenny and I spoke, milk prices had been steadily falling for six months. This means the same amount of work for less money and high levels of anxiety. As Jenny quite rightly points out, this is particularly ironic when there’s a cost of living crisis and the food prices are rising. Yet the price the farmers are receiving is going down – they play no role in what’s happening. This means that many farmers will no longer be able to survive and their farms will have to close. The off-shot of this is that further down the line there may be a milk shortage. I’m stunned and wonder how such a vital industry is expected to manage in such precarious circumstances? 

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We inevitably talk about how farmers can realistically diversify and add value to their milk. Jenny and Nick didn’t know they’d vend milk, sell milkshakes and make ice cream when they purchased Gorsehill Abbey Farm. But lockdown and a series of unexpected events meant they found a way to add value to their milk and safeguard themselves against milk price misery. It is a lot more work, of course, but they count themselves as some of the lucky ones and have a small buffer. Also, the Milk Shed, from which they sell their wares, brings them into contact with their lovely customers and this is really rewarding for them. It’s unusual for dairy farmers who, so often, don’t meet the end consumer. 

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We stroll around the farm and I chat to Jenny’s husband, Nick, who is toiling away around us. It’s easy to see that Jenny and Nick are two people with incredible integrity and commitment to their work. They aren’t in this to get rich or for an easy life – farming really is vocational as well as vital. Of course, in an ideal world they feel it would be best for everyone to farm organically but they know it’s just not that simple. They know different farms suit different ways of farming and lots of farmers are just doing the best that they can. 

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I’ve visited the Gorsehill Abbey Milk Shed many times over the past few years for milk and treats and I adore it. It’s clean, professional and welcoming plus it’s on a real working farm which is charming. When we have friends and family staying, we quite often bring them down to Gorsehill Abbey, we’re very proud to have them on our door step. It feels good to fill your bottle with non-homogenised milk from cows you can actually see – and these are beautiful well cared for cows.

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