Two cows that launched a Staffordshire family farming legacy

An award-winning farm that began with two cows has grown its herd to nearly 200 and is exploring new ways to increase profits.

Many farms are looking to diversify their businesses as they face challenges to remaining profitable while keeping produce on local tables.

Wrights Family Dairy in Tixall, Staffordshire produces about 1.8 million litres of milk a year from its Jersey cow herd and has recently started using milk vending machines to generate a new arm to the business.

Lowri Wright said the farm’s new machines allowed them to “keep more of the pound that would otherwise be kept with the manufacturer or the retailer”.

The farm itself was started by her father-in-law Andrew Wright, who was gifted two Jersey heifer calves for his 13th birthday. The entire current herd has been raised from those first two.

“It started from nothing” the 71-year-old said.

“When I was sixteen, I used to milk them by hand before I went to school.”