Batch End Farm – Somerset, UK

Mat and Jessica Boley raise Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW) and Certified Grassfed by AGW dairy cattle on pasture at Batch End Farm, in Somerset, United Kingdom.

The farm has been running their herd in a low-stress environment and outdoors on pasture for over 15 years. The farming practices at Batch End Farm are not only better for the animals, but also for the wider environment. The cows are rotationally managed, grazing one section of pasture before being moved to fresh fields. This allows grass to recover before cows return to graze again; it also keeps the soil properly fertilised and minimises the build-up of internal parasites, thereby avoiding reliance on chemical treatments.

The Boley family raise 340 dairy cattle, with the milk produced going to another AGW-certified operation, Lye Cross Farm, and then made into a line of Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW cheese being sold in the UK, as well as to new and emerging markets.

The AGW-certified dairy cows are raised on pasture, not treated with routine antibiotics or hormones, and are fed a non-GMO, organic, 100% grass and pasture diet. The handcrafted Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, grassfed, Organic cheeses produced under the Lye Cross Farm brand name have a rich, buttery flavour and strong yellow colour, owing to the beta-carotene in the cows’ 100 percent grass diet.  An optional, additional accreditation to the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW high welfare standards, the Certified Grassfed by AGW label guarantees food products come from animals fed a 100% grass and forage diet, and are reared entirely outdoors on pasture or range.

Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW cow’s milk from Batch End Farm is marketed under the Lye Cross Farm cheese brand and is available in the UK and select export markets. For more information about Lye Cross Farm or to purchase, visit lyecrossfarm.co.uk or contact the farm at enquiries@lyecrossfarm.co.uk. Follow Lye Cross Farm on Facebook and Twitter.