Brays Farm
Brays Farm in South Nutfield is where myself, Matthew Elphick and my partner Betsie Edge run Nutfield Dairy where we have been tenant farmers since 2017. We are dedicated and passionate about producing good quality milk and dairy products from happy cows grazing on our beautiful patch of the Surrey Hills.
Brays is run as a traditional mixed farm as you would have seen many years ago, not just with our 30 cows but also a few sheep, chickens and pigs. We are unusual in that as well as producing the milk we also process, bottle and deliver our products together with other local produce straight to your door.
Our Farm is about 50 acres and is owned by the Countryside Restoration Trust. They are a charity established in 1993 by chairman Robin Page and the late Gordon Beningfield. The aim of the CRT is to support tenant farmers like us to help restore the countryside using a mix of traditional and innovative methods and for wildlife to be welcomed and encouraged. The Farm was kindly left to the CRT by our previous landlord John Collett who wanted to ensure Brays Farm would remain as a working farm.
Our Fresh Produce
Sustainable farming and food production is very important to us, from improving the soil structure by sowing herbal leys, legumes and wildflowers. But also, right up to ensuring the packaging of our products is reusable, biodegradable or recyclable.
The Girls
Our girls are not the standard black and white cows which are widely used on most dairy farms. We mainly have a breed called Dairy shorthorn which is an old traditional breed and are usually red and white or roan. We chose this breed because we wanted a breed of cow that will thrive on a pasture-fed diet and although they may not produce a huge amount of milk, we favour quality over quantity.
Farming in a way that focuses on pasture-fed animals means we have a lower carbon footprint as we do not have to grow cereals to feed our cows and the grassland absorbs and stores carbon. Also, the products we produce are lower in saturated fat and have higher levels of omega-three than cows that have also been fed on grain. As well as making better, tastier products this makes for happier healthier cows that can graze outside for as much of the year as possible making rich creamy milk.
