Founded on the not-so-radical premise that keeping dairy calves with their mothers is the right thing to do – The Ethical Dairy is shaking up the milk – and cheese – world for the better.


The tough fact of the matter is that in conventional dairy farming, calves are separated from the heifers (that’s mother-cows for those not in the cow biz) practically at birth. Females go on to become dairy cows themselves and sadly, male calves (generally being the wrong breed for meat) are often killed at birth.


Wilma and David, the brains behind The Ethical Dairy, were already following the organic way and adhering to the strict standards for animal welfare required by the Soil Association. But they were keen to push things even further still. They wanted to allow the herd to ween in their own time, to exhibit natural behaviours, yet still produce incredible organic cheese and milk at the same time.


They keep crossbreeds which allow all calves to be sustainably reared, regardless of sex. The herd is milked once a day, as opposed to the industry standard of two, meaning there’s plenty left to go around for hungry little ones too.


Since beginning their journey in 2016, they’ve noticed that their animals are happier and healthier, and that Rainton Farm (their little patch of Dumfriesshire pasture) is more thriving with biodiversity as a result.