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Farming in general is changing and over the past two years we have been making changes here at Park Farm.  Following many emotional  discussions on how the farm should evolve in the changing world we decided to make some radical changes and we are continuing to work towards making the farm more sustainable, profitable and creating something resembling a work / life balance.

This led us to the decision to disperse our more commercial herd of Holstein Friesian cows and return to a family herd by investing in some beautiful pedigree Jersey cows. Our Holstein Friesian cows were sold to other dairy farms and the majority of our Jersey cows have been purchased from the superb farms based on the island of Jersey.

So why the change? Commercial Holstein Friesian cows are bred for their volume of milk. They are likened to athletes, requiring top notch nutrition, and  are very labour intensive and very high maintenance, which in itself is not a problem, but this is not what we wanted out of our dairy herd. We wanted to get back to a more natural way of keeping our herd, which would be better for the cows, for the environment and for us too. Unfortunately, we felt this was not possible with the Holstein Friesians and rather than stop the dairy side of the business completely, we felt the Jersey cows would be able to give us that option. So we have chosen quality over quantity.

Jersey cows are much smaller and tend to be hardier. They also have the most brilliant personalities. They may be small but they are definitely more inquisitive and often more opinionated. Whereas the Holstein Friesians can produce 60 litres of milk per day, the average Jersey only produces around 30 litres. We have reduced our herd size from 180 milkers to 70. This has dramatically reduced our income but has also reduced our outgoings and allowed us to focus on providing a more natural lifestyle. Now, instead of producing high volumes of good quality milk, we produce high quality milk with high levels of butterfat. Some of you may remember the days of trying to be the first to the milk bottle to get the cream for your cereal!

What next? We have some ambitious plans for the future that are progressing steadily. We are installing a pasteuriser to enable us to process the milk ourselves, cutting out the middle man.  Current legislation means our  raw milk can only be sold from the farm gate and not everyone is able to consume this, for example those who are immunocompromised and pregnant ladies .  The vending machine will be able to dispense both raw and pasteurised milk. Being able to offer pasteurised will also allow us to continue to sell milk in the event of any of our cows reacting during the regular TB testing, at which point we have to cease selling the raw milk until the heard is clear again.  We also hope that being able to offer  pasteurised  milk will allows us to supply local shops and cafes and offer a milk delivery service within the local area.

We will eventually be able to produce and sell homemade cream, butter and ice cream with the amazing milk our Jersey girls produce and hope to be able to offer semi skimmed milk in the future.   As well as beautifully creamy milk, the majority of Channel Island cows produce milk with the A2 Beta Casin, which is often more easily digested. We are continuing with our original breeding program using specifically A2 bulls and are starting to test the herd for the A2 gene.

On the arable side, we  are continuing to grow a variety of crops, including rape, wheat, beans and maize. We use the straw from the wheat as feed and bedding for the cows and the maize is grown specifically as cow feed. Our rape seed is sold to make rape seed oil and the majority of the wheat is sold for breadmaking, due to its high quality. 

We are trying to do as much in house to reduce our reliance on contractors. This means that we can do the work that is needed when the weather is right and we aren’t reliant on contractors being available at the right time.  As an example we need to harvest many of our crops when the moisture level is below 15% otherwise we incur addition charges for drying the grains when we sell it. By harvesting the crop ourselves it means that we can take regular moisture level checks and combine it at its peak. We are also preparing the land using minimum tillage (no ploughing) as this reduces soils erosion, sowing (drilling) the seed, fertilising, spraying and  bailing straw and silage ourselves.  The reduction in the number of cows has enabled us to turn more land over to crops and to place more of the farm into environmental schemes. These environmental schemes allow us to use more of our land as wildlife areas, with the aim to encourage pollinators and nesting birds. It also gives the wildlife a safe area when the crops are combined.

We have enjoyed welcoming the public onto our farm as part of the Open Farm Sunday scheme in the past and look forward to welcoming you all again to see how things have changed and to meet our beautiful pedigree Jersey girls at Open Farm Sunday in June 2022.

Jersey heifers at Park Farm

James and Louisa Edgar
James, Louisa and Maddy joining the protest in London against low milk prices

The Farm

Park Farm is a dairy & arable farm, one of three on the Chevening Estate, in Brasted, north Kent close to the Surrey border. The farm is run by James Edgar, who is the 3rd generation of the Edgar family to farm this land. Over the years the farm has evolved but the essence is still the same – to produce high quality crops and milk. The farm is made up of approximately 900 acres which is divided into arable land and a dairy enterprise.

The arable part of the farm is approximately 600 acres and a mixture of wheat, barley and beans is grown which is sold through a Farmer Owned Co-operative. In addition to the arable part of the farm producing quality crops for sale, we also aim to produce as much feed for our cows as possible, growing silage, maize and fodder beet in house.

The Farm currently has a milking herd of 60 Pedigree Jersey cows, with all year round calving. We raise our own dairy youngstock and overall we have approximately 250 head of cattle, including 1 Pedigree Jersey bull. The bulk of our milk is purchased by Freshways and is taken away for pasteurisation to be sold in shops. In addition to this in July 2016 we also obtained our license to sell raw milk at the farm gate. This is milk which is unpasteurised and unhomogenised. Our raw milk is full fat and you will be able to see the cream settle on top of the milk.

We breed and raise some Fleckveigh cows for beef and we have hand reared a small number of sheep in order to create a small flock for lamb. We have a number of ex commercial chickens for eggs, although we also sell locally produced eggs.

We are also able to offer interesting and educational school/ club visits to the farm. These tours can be tailored to the needs of your group and include a tractor and trailer ride to view some of the arable land and a tour of the dairy unit. For more information contact Louisa on 07909 510340 or email us at admin@edgarandson.co.uk.

Park Farm Aerial View

Raw Milk

Jersey Cows

The Jersey cow originates from the British Channel Islands. They are a small, compact cow, capable of producing good volumes of milk with high protein and butterfat levels. Jersey cows tend to be hardier and more efficient than the traditional dairy Holstein/ Friesian, which leads to greater longevity. They are extremely inquisitive and have great personalities, although they are often stubborn and opinionated (don’t be fooled by those pretty eyes and long eyelashes)! Their size means they tend to be lighter on their feet, enabling them to spend more time out at pasture, even with the great British climate.

Jersey Milk

Our gorgeous girls produce the most amazing milk. It is creamy and full of flavour. It has a slight yellow tinge to it due to the Beta Carotine (a fat soluble yellow pigment and antioxidant which naturally occurs in the grass and diet of the cows) and the high fat content of the milk. On average Jersey milk contains 18% more protein and 20% more calcium than traditional milk.

What is Raw Milk?

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurised or homogenised, in short it is natural milk. It comes from the cow, through the parlour filter and into the bulk tank, where it is chilled. We do nothing more to it at all. It is nutrient rich, including calcium, vitamins, minerals and iron, as well as healthy fats. It is also a great source of protein. It has not been processed like many of the non-dairy milk alternatives and the lack of processing also means that the cream will separate and rise to the top (just like the good old days). It can often be tolerated by those with a mild lactose intolerance.

Is it safe to drink?

There are strict measures placed on the sale of raw milk and we must be licensed to sell it. Our milk is tested every other day, with more detailed tests being carried out monthly. The World Health Organisation does suggest that children, people who are pregnant, or have a compromised immune system do not consume raw milk. We work with our Environmental Health Officer to ensure we trade within the law and that our dairy maintains a very high standard.