Buy local, Buy British, Support Sustainable Agriculture

It is no secret to everyone in agriculture that public perception is putting increasing pressure on running a more sustainable enterprise.

It is fair to say that we have a responsibility to not only be the most sustainably efficient farms possible, but also to publicise and educate the general public.

We don’t need to go over the nitty gritty of the climate after the COVID-19 pandemic to know that there has literally never been a more crucial time to back British farming. I'm asking you to take this into account in every decision you make on your farm.

For years we, as farmers, have made decisions in our weekly shop to buy local. To purposefully not only put the New Zealand Lamb back on the shelf, but to educate our non-farming friends why they should check the back of their sandwich packet for "chicken from Thailand"

Not because of farming or welfare standards in other countries (that is a topic for another time) but because buying British and supporting local agriculture helps us all to thrive.

So, should we not be using the same rationale when making purchasing decisions on farm.

When purchasing Milk replacer for your farm, it is worth considering the protein sources, and where they come from.

The performance-formulated Volac calf milk replacers you buy from Wynnstay are made from local whey protein sourced from cheese manufacturers across the UK. These cheese producers buy milk produced by British dairy farmers.

The Volac calf milk formula factory, based at Felinfach in Wales processes the equivalent of three million litres of liquid whey every day from British cheese manufacturers, such as First Milk in Haverfordwest and South Caernafon Creameries.

When you buy a calf milk from Wynnstay you really are benefiting from a virtuous British milk circle. What Volac is able to do for us is to filter and concentrate the important liquid whey protein portion of milk from British dairy farms and collect the crucial proteins, fats, sugars and other bioactive components so important for healthy calf growth and development.

Cow’s milk is a complex collection of ingredients designed specifically to ‘communicate’ to the calf.

It provides ingredients for growth, it primes the immune system, assists in pathogen control and shapes the future growth and development of the calf during the critical first few weeks of life. These goals are predominantly delivered by bioactive components in the whey protein fraction of milk. For example, natural cow colostrum contains a much higher proportion of whey protein (65%) than casein protein (found in skimmed milk, 35%).

Production of this concentrated whey protein means that Wynnstay calf milks are precision-formulated based on true protein, which involves looking at the crucial limiting amino acids for calves, such as lysine and leucine, which contribute to muscular growth. The result is a range of whey protein-based calf milk formulas that will deliver target growth rates and provide the right foundation for optimum lifetime cow productivity.

It is worth noting that Volac’s processing plant in Wales is powered by its own sustainable biomass fuel plant. The dedicated calf milk replacer factory at Felinfach – which is a major local employer and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

So, the take home message is: if we can get this quality nutritional product, whilst also supporting our local farmers - Why not?

Buy local, buy British, support sustainable agriculture.