June kicks off with International Milk Day, so we caught up with dairy farmer Rhys Lougher whose family farm, Ty Tanglwyst, supplies the milk to all of our school kitchens across Bridgend County Borough.
The farm in Pyle has been farmed by the Lougher family for four generations. Home to a herd of pedigree Holstein cows, the farm covers 150 acres – including 125 acres of lush pastureland and 25 acres of protected ancient oak woodland. Lying not far from the coast, the farm benefits from the mild maritime climate which provides warm weather and plenty of rain, perfect to grow lush green grass for the cows.
Rhys explains that there’s more to the farm than the dairy operation:
“Education is a really important part of what we do – it’s something we’re passionate about sharing. We supply milk to all the schools in Bridgend plus Bridgend College and about 40 nurseries, so young people across the county borough are already familiar with what we produce.
Showing children where their milk comes from
“But it’s important that children and young people also get to understand where their food is coming from. So, for years now we’ve offered free farm visits to local schools – mainly primary schools – so that pupils can come and learn about how their milk is produced.
“On a visit, they learn about the entire process, from the importance of the soil and the grass we grow for grazing, through to how we raise our calves, milk our cows, store and transport our milk. They see the whole supply chain all the way up to the refrigerated vans we use to deliver to their schools.
“We even give them the ‘Big Fridge’ tour, showing them round our refrigerated storage unit where they get to see the full range of products we make including all the different types of milk (including chocolate milk!), cream and butter. We tie it all in with the curriculum so while they’re looking round they’re also learning about weights and measures and temperatures and lots more.
Supporting the Next Generation into farming
“With the older age groups, we work closely with the Pencoed campus of Bridgend College and their agriculture students regularly visit for work experience, with some attending on a weekly basis to gain hands-on knowledge. We’ll also have lecturers bringing full classes for educational farm tours, which is really important in developing the local agricultural workforce.
Supporting the local economy
“It’s great that we can align the work we do with schools and colleges with some of our biggest contracts for milk. By using a local farm supplier, Bridgend County Borough Council is keeping public money in the local economy. That enables our business to keep that money circulating locally – we employ 35 people who all live in the surrounding area and we’ve had relationships with local suppliers going back generations.
“Buying locally is also helping to simplify supply chains, reduce food miles, and enable us to invest in other community benefits such as our sustainability projects.
Taking care of the land
“We’ve invested in rooftop solar panels which is helping us to reduce the carbon emissions of the farm through energy use. We’re also working on supporting biodiversity on our land through habitat management projects under Welsh Government’s new Sustainable Farming Scheme, on-site beehives to support pollinators and a collaboration with the Glamorgan Bird Club who have installed nesting boxes and carry out bird surveys.”
Ty Tanglwyst is a great example of the sustainable food economy in action. From the use of local procurement to keep money circulating in local communities and investing in sustainable farming practices, to its commitment to education and investing in the next generation of farmers and food producers.