George Holmes with MP Simon Hoare and NFU Vice President, Minette Batters Frampton farmer-owner George Holmes welcomed invited guests, including Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset, to his farm over the weekend. The farm day event is the first in a series of meet and greets and is aiming to drive a greater understanding of the day-to-day role of an Arla dairy farmer. The initiative also aims to spread a greater knowledge of the farmer-owned principles of Arla, where all benefits are shared by its circa 13,000 farmer owners across Europe, including 3,000 in the UK. George was joined at Littlewood Farm by other Arla farmer owners and herd managers from across Dorset and South Somerset, including Emily Spicer, who runs a dairy farm in Dorset, and Shirley Preston, an organic farmer from West Dorset. During the open afternoon, invited guests were given the opportunity to see cows being milked, welcome newly born calves, and sample the range of Arla dairy products made from the company’s farmer-owners’ milk. In recent months, Arla has focused on trying to minimise the impact of the downturn of milk prices, through the launch of a farmer-owned marque, which will appear on Arla branded products from the autumn. The product marque will enable consumers to easily identify and trust that when they buy Arla branded dairy products they are responsibly sourced from a farmer-owned business, where all the profits go back to its owners, and which has the highest expectations for animal welfare and environmental standards throughout its supply chain. Over 20 people attended the event including Minette Batters, Vice President of the NFU. Commenting on the Open Farm Day, George Holmes, Arla farmer owner, said: “As Arla farmer owners, we’re committed to producing high-quality milk which is full of natural goodness. Opening up our farm to the local community is a great way to help achieve this. “At a time when our industry faces unprecedented pressure, it is now more important than ever for consumers to recognise the value of dairy, and know that when they buy Arla, they are buying products that directly benefit dairy farmers.”
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