Working farm
341 acres in total, Low Sizergh Farm has always been working proof that good practice can lead to excellent productivity and enhanced animal welfare.
Our theory remains simple: happy animals create a healthy yield. Almost all the cows have been bred and reared by us. They graze the fields in the summer but live undercover between November and March, eating silage made from grass and other crops grown on the farm. With rubber-floored cubicles to sleep in, plenty of water to drink, and scratching posts for comfort, they winter in the cow building until the weather picks up.
Throughout the year you will find dishes on the menu that are made with our cheeses, ice cream made from our milk, vegetables that are wheeled in from the fields, and traditional fruits picked from the orchard.
Welcome to the Park family’s organic dairy farm. Three generations farm here along with long-standing staff and relief milkers.
- We have 170 red, brown, black, and white cows. They are cross-bred Holsteins, Swedish Red and Montbeliardes. Cross-breeding brings the strengths of each breed for all-round healthy cows.
- We have 150 sheep that are reared for meat. They are Texels, Swaledales and Mules.
- The farm is 375 acres (151 hectares) – a medium-sized dairy farm.
- We get 140 cm of rain per year. The lowest rainfall in the country is 48cm in Cambridgeshire. We have our own water supply, drawn off the aquifer 120 metres beneath the limestone rock. The farm is 45m (144ft) above sea level.
What Happens on the Farm?
Our work revolves around looking after the animals and the land. Grasses, legumes and herbs are
the best crops for our free-draining clay loam soil in a mild wet climate. Silage (fermented cut
grass) is fed to the cows when they are under cover. Peas and barley are grown to supplement
their diet with other organic cereals, maize, and lucerne.
The cows calve once per year after a nine-month gestation period. Three months before calving
the cows move to summer pasture. The female (heifer) calves are kept and the bull calves are
reared to be fattened for beef. We use our own meat in some of our beef and lamb dishes in the
farm shop & café.
Farming with Nature
- Between April and November, the cows are moved on to fresh paddocks every day or two.
Paddocks are grazed only once a month to allow long nutritious stalks and leaves to grow
for the cows to eat. Long roots help feed the soil. - Hedges are managed to keep animals in the fields and also for bird, animal and insect
habitats. Our hedges are ‘laid’ or cut and woven in the traditional way, making sure they
remain bushy and dense. The hedges grow tall, leaving plenty of food and nesting places. - A pond, created from a boggy area between 2 grassy banks, and a reed bed planted to
treat wastewater, offer habitats for water-loving animals, birds and plants. - Three orchards provide apples, damsons and plums. The fruit is frozen to make into café
puddings and our apples are used by a local cider maker. - Bees are essential pollinators on an organic farm. Five orchard hives are cared for by a
local beekeeper. - A biomass boiler provides all our heat and hot water. It is fired by wood from the National
Trust’s Sizergh estate. The National Trust is our landlord. - Animal bedding is composted. Animal waste (slurry) is spread carefully to manage pollution,
protect wildflowers and prevent tractor wheels from compacting the soil.
Growing Well
Growing Well is a mental health charity based on the farm. They grow vegetables in the polytunnels you can see from the farm trail. Their organic produce features on the café menu and in the farm shop, or you can sign up for a weekly crop share on their website.
In the Milking Parlour
The cows are milked twice a day, at 4.30am and 3.30pm, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
The herd is rounded up from the fields using the quad bike. ‘How up’ is shouted to encourage the cows to head towards the farm. Canine assistance is provided by Risp, our enthusiastic sheepdog.
Milking takes about 2 ½ hours, during which time the cows wait their turn, usually arriving near the automatic gate in the same order at each milking.
Why is each cow numbered?
Each cow wears an identification collar. Her health, fertility, rest and rumination levels are monitored. Human observation is also key to a healthy herd.
What are they eating?
As the cow comes into the milking parlour her collar is scanned. The correct quantity of dry meal (called cake, but not the kind we humans know and love) is then released into the feeding trough in front of the cow. Any bought-in feed is certified organic so its origin is traceable. Soya, for example, is always from Europe.
Why are the teats washed?
The auto wash, wipe and dry is for pre-milking hygiene.
How does the milking machine work?
The milker presses the start button and the cluster (the four cupped machine) is attached to the cow’s teats. A vacuum sucks the milk out, though the suction ceases 40 times per minute so the teats don’t turn blue!
How much milk do they give?
On average each cow gives 7570 litres of milk each milking. Amounts are recorded for each cow.
Where do they live in winter?
Each cow has a cubicle and lies on a rubber mattress and sawdust. You can visit them as they eat from the trough near the cattle grid.
How old are the cows?
A cow is 2 before she has her first calf. She then joins the herd and is milked twice a day. The
the oldest cow is 12.
Stewardship Farming
We work to create wildlife habitats to benefit both the surrounding environment and our produce and crops. Many miles of hedgerow, for example, are managed to keep the cows and sheep in the fields, but also to provide homes for birds, bats, and beetles that thank us for our hospitality by feeding on the pests that damage our crops.
We use clover leys to provide nitrogen for grass growth and employ methods such as crop rotation to help with weed control and build soil fertility. Recycled wastes like compost and farmyard manures also enrich the soil and encourage growth.
We have a Countryside Stewardship Agreement with Natural England that helps us to enhance and conserve the landscape, its wildlife, and history, and to help people to enjoy them.
Enjoy a Walk: Free Farm Trail
Start at the little grey tractor next to the car park. The trail map on the board shows the route of the
1.75-mile walk around the fields, pond, and woods. The trail is suitable for assisted wheelchairs
and pushchairs as far as the pond.
There’s a willow tunnel, places to sit, and flower fairy doors around the pond. There are other signs
of little folk too. Watch out!