MEET: Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy
Formed in 2019, Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy sits on the northern edge of the Lake District, Cumbria, and has fast earned a reputation as one of the UK’s most innovative and forward-thinking dairy farms.
Run by husband and wife team, Mark and Jenny Lee, Torpenhow is certified organic, and a member of British farmer-owned regenerative dairy co-op, First Milk – all part of the Lee’s commitment to happier herds, healthier soil, increased biodiversity and producing more nutritious dairy.
Here, Sam Brice chats to Mark about the farm’s work with Pasture for Life, an organisation that champions the benefits of pasture-based farming, while certifying member farms that meet its standards.
WHAT DOES ‘PASTURE FED’ MEAN?
Pasture fed means we just feed cows grass, herbal leys, leaves and hedges. No soya, grain or waste food products are fed to our herd.
WHAT IS PASTURE FOR LIFE?
Pasture for Life is an active and passionate community of farmers and growers who are committed to feeding ruminants on pasture.
WHY DID YOU FEEL THIS WAS RIGHT FOR YOUR FARM?
We felt this was the right direction for our farm after reading about the effects of grain on the cows’ rumen, as well as gaining a better understanding of the correlation between pasture fed and nutrient density in the milk and cheese. We’ve also been motivated by thinking about, and trying to eliminate, ‘ghost acres’. These are essentially acres of land located on other farms, or even in other countries and continents, which we don’t control, but crops could be being grown there to feed animals in this country.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED WHILE IMPLEMENTING A PASTURE FED SYSTEM?
The challenges are largely mind set. We have had to drop the ‘crutch’ of bought in feed, and spend more time improving our grazing and observing our animals’ behaviour
YOUR FARM IS CERTIFIED ORGANIC AND REGENERATIVE TOO - HOW DO THESE FIT TOGETHER?
Organic farming is officially certified and recognised by DEFRA, which involves cost and time, but ultimately provides an independent guarantee that the food produced is chemical free. Regenerative farming is a more generalised term to encapsulate the outcomes that a farmer wants to achieve; ultimately healthier soil, increased biodiversity, clean waterways and healthy, profitable animals. Organic is regenerative, and if practiced in the correct way, regenerative should be chemical and artificial fertiliser free too.
WHAT ELSE ARE YOU UP TO?
We have recently hosted our last commercial wedding on the farm, a business we ran for nine years. This has allowed us to develop our other ideas about educating farmers, school children and the general public about how we farm, make cheese and produce gelato. We will be releasing some dates in the near future for a new cheesemaking course, and we also hope to deliver a regenerative farming course aimed at college students. Coupled with this, our daughter is making soap from the whey leftover from the cheesemaking process, and we are researching distilling the whey to make a gin-style drink. Our herd will move to once-a-day milking next year and we intend to grow our ‘calf at foot’ dairy, which is an emerging system where the calf is kept with its mother until it’s old enough to wean naturally. It is nearly planting season again and we aim to finish our 100 acre wooded pasture scheme this month.
WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR CHEESE?
You can but our cheese online at www.torpenhoworganic.co.uk, as well as at lots of independent cheese shops and food retailers. Our current range includes Darling Howe, a wonderfully creamy, British brie-style cheese; Binsey Red, a sweet, nutty hard cheese similar to a Red Leicester; and Trusmadoor, an award-winning crumbly, creamy fresh hard cheese with a delicate citrus tang that lingers in the mouth. We have also recently gained our SALSA accreditation, so there will be organic, pasture fed Cumbrian cheese in a restaurant or deli near you very soon.