We are thrilled to announce that our dairy, established in 1948, won the Rural Business Award at the Yorkshire Post Rural Awards on September 26^th 2024. We eagerly awaited the results after discovering we were one of the finalists in early August. The wait was well worth it; this recognition marks a huge milestone in our extraordinary 76-year journey. The support has been overwhelming, with our announcement online receiving over 360 likes with one person commenting “Many congratulations;  since a child I’ve loved your products and still love them now. Always feel proud to see them all over the UK”.

Our founders Joseph and Edgar Dickinson began our story in the late 1940s with 30 acres of land specialising in farm-bottled tuberculosis-free milk. By 1954 when rationing ended J&E Dickinson started to sell cream to a market that had been closed for fifteen years. The sales went through the roof and by the late 1960s, we were one of the first dairies to make yogurt. Jimmy Dickinson who took over management in the mid-90s talks about our famous cottage cheese and how it came into production.  “Around 1972-73 my father, who had been in the Pacific Campaign with the Royal Navy and had spent time with the American fleet, had been inspired by having seen cottage cheese on board their ships. He subsequently visited America a couple of times and took the plunge to become the first in the UK to make cottage cheese commercially.”  

J&E Dickinson, known today as Longley Farm, has become an international community,  expanding the dairy from Yorkshire to around the globe. With ventures in Uruguay and Australia, our dairy is broader than most people expect. We have one of the top five Jersey herds in Uruguay and make dairy products in New South Wales.

Yorkshire has always remained our heart and home, where Jimmy Dickinson now spends most of his time. “I’ve never been as interested as now, particularly with climate change and regenerative agriculture”. We look after 930 acres of land,  between Longley Farm and Tyers Hall Farm. We recently celebrated the 50^th anniversary at our farm in Barnsley, showcasing our achievements and what lies ahead for the future. We collect milk from 29 local farms with just under half of the milk taken from pedigree Jersey herds. We have been dedicated to producing high-protein milk from the beginning. Now, we are working towards expanding our Jersey herd from 150 to 200 milkers. This expansion is being overseen by farm manager Paul Robson and his team, who are committed to ensuring that our dairy Longley Farm receives only the highest quality of milk ready for production. Our Jersey products remain as rich and creamy as ever, made exclusively from Pedigree Jersey milk.

Sustainability has always been at the core of what we do long before it became a buzzword. We are increasingly hands-on with regenerative farming a passion that has grown as we adapt to climate change. We are now aiming to have 20% of our land dedicated to biodiversity with hedges, ponds, shelter belts and woodlands.

 

Let's not forget about our beloved Red Poll cattle. They are brilliant at restoring soil health and foraging, while naturally helping to fertilise the land. The cattle enjoy eating blackberry bushes, bilberries, and heather, which work well for clearing up these areas. This year, we haven’t had to use any bagged fertiliser on our grassland, marking a positive step forward. Our Pedigree Jersey cows and Red Poll cattle are still stars of the show, nurturing the environment that sustains us. 

This award is a celebration of everything we’ve worked towards. Thank you to our team and the continued support of our customers, farmers and local communities. Here’s to over 75 years of forward-thinking and all that’s still to come.