Meet some of our most local farmers. We wouldn't be anywhere without them! 

Who: John and Marjorie Wood, with their two sons Michael and Andrew.

What: British Friesians milk cows, a few beef cows, and sheep. They have about 60 cows and around 600 sheep.

Where: One of our closest farmers: a mere 15-minute drive away!

Saville House Farm has been in the family since Marjorie’s father moved across the valley to the farm in the 1960s. Marjorie and John have been with us since almost the beginning. They started supplying Joseph and Edgar at Longley Farm in 1962, and have been supplying us in one way or another ever since. When we started dealing with them directly in 2009, we increased their milk price significantly, because being farmers ourselves we knew what a viable price for milk should be. This is why we frequently pay the most for our milk in the UK. It’s not just about the price, the Wood’s value that they can pick up the phone at any point and be able to speak to our Farm Liaison Officer, Rachel. They truly feel like they are dealing with a family run business and are “names not numbers”. This confidence in Longley Farm means that they are just about to put in a new parlour to milk their cows.

The worst thing about farming, they said, was the weather. As you can see from the view, they can see for miles around… which also means they are very susceptible to all the elements. The Winter of 2010 was especially bad: the snow was falling so fast they couldn’t dig themselves out fast enough. That being said, Spring is the best time of year; the longer and warmer days mean the cows can be let out to pasture after the long Winter months, which is very rewarding.