Calf at Foot Dairy
We are a calf at foot dairy, farming with nature in the Devon countryside. Our dairy farming methods are far from conventional. We have gone back to basics, back to our roots and the way Sam’s grandparents kept dairy cows on Dartmoor many years ago. We have a small herd of around 70 Jersey and Jersey cross bred cows, the majority of who have now been born on the farm.
Naturally Farmed
Due to our natural farming system, the cows are only milked once a day. Just half of the milk is taken, to make sure the calves don’t go hungry. Allowing all our cows to rear their own calves is fundamental to our holistic beliefs. It gives the calves the best start in life and saves the cows from the trauma of being separated from their calves directly after birth. Our calves generally leave their mums around 4 months old when their digestive system is mature enough for a pasture diet and they have learnt important behaviours from their mothers with regards to grazing behaviour and herd dynamics. They then spend their days outside grazing with their peers until they are ready to join the milking herd a couple of years later.
Pasture Fed Dairy
Our dairy cows are only fed pasture for their entire lives and are outside grazing, able to express natural behaviours for as much of the year as possible. Last year we managed to keep them out grazing for 326 days! In the spring, summer and autumn they rotationally graze our herbal leys, permanent pastures, river meadows and hedgerows. During the winter months they eat hay and silage (pickled grass) grown on the farm or sourced locally. Their diverse diet produces the best tasting, golden cream topped Jersey milk with gloriously high levels of nutrients in every bottle. Because their foraged diet is natural and diverse, the composition of their milk is different to that found in the supermarket where the cows are fed grains as their main source of energy. Our pasture fed milk is full of phytonutrients which gives great immune benefits. A number of studies have found pasture fed cows milk to have higher levels of desirable omega 3, vitamin E, antioxidants and lower levels of undesirable omega 6. In-fact, pasture fed cows milk contains double the omega 3 fat than conventional milk. As a population, we need to be consuming more omega 3 as this fatty acid reduces inflammation in the body and reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Our milk also contains higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is linked in the reduction of colorectal and breast cancers, diabetes and heart disease.
A2 Milk
The herd produces milk containing A2 milk proteins which are believed to be more easily digestible than supermarket milk (which has A1 milk proteins). We often have anecdotal feedback from customers with supermarket milk intolerances who can happily enjoy drinking our milk and consuming our dairy products with no adverse effects.
A Greener World Accredited
We are confident in our natural farming methods and found A Greener World are the most suited certifying body for food labelling for pasture-raised animals. They annually audit our farm and ensure that food production is good for the environment, the animals and people. We are Certified Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Grass fed Approved. There are so many labels that appear on food products these days and it can be confusing and often misleading trying to make choices that align with your beliefs. We are always happy to chat about how our farm works so that you can make informed choices about how you spend your money and have transparency about how your food is produced.
Sustainable
We are passionate about considering the environment and ensuring sustainability in every business decision we make. From using renewable energy sources, supporting other local businesses, sourcing home compostable and reusable product packaging materials, we want to reduce our environmental impact as much as possible as a business.
Our pasteurised, unhomogenised milk is poured into reusable glass bottles. We have chosen to use a plant-based, compostable shrink wrap for the tamper seals keeping the lids closed on our milk bottles, rather than single plastic. As is often the case, the most sustainable options are not the cheapest or easiest to source, but we believe even the small things need considering.
Luxury Ice Cream
In addition to our creamy milk, we hand make a range of luxurious artisan ice creams and sorbets. We have a delicious range of flavours including our signature Just Jersey with nothing added, our best-selling honeycomb, refreshing range of dairy-free sorbets and more! All of our packaging, including the labels are home compostable.
We are developing various other dairy products this year and hoping to have on sale very soon butter, yoghurt and cheese. Watch this space!
How to buy Taw River Dairy produce
All of our nutritious and sustainably farmed produce is currently available to buy from our Moor Taw Honesty Shop Shed at Westacre, just outside Sampford Courtenay and North Tawton by the railway bridge on the B3215 (what3words://skylights.automate.crackles), open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our sustainable off-grid Moor Taw farm shop will be opening Spring/Summer 2026 and we can’t wait to welcome you!