Congleton farmers have been shortlisted for the dairy farmer of the year category at the British Farming Awards 2024.
Tom and Karen Halton and team farm at Chance Hall Farm, Moreton-cum-Alcumlow near Congleton. The farm is home to 500 ProCross (rotational crossbreeding system combining Viking Holstein, Viking Red and Coopex Montbéliarde) dairy cows, producing average annual yields of 11,800 litres, with milk sold via their platform, The Milk Shack.
Mr Halton is a second-generation farmer; his father became a tenant farmer on the Rode Hall Estate in 1968, working alongside the landlord to start the Rode Farms Partnership. Tom joined this partnership in 1989 and grew the business alongside Sir Richard Baker Wilbraham’s son, Randle.
In 2012, Mr and Mrs Halton formed Halton Farms Ltd, growing the herd to full strength and launching The Milk Shack in 2016, selling raw milk from a vending machine.
Since its creation, The Milk Shack has developed its offering to include pasteurised milk, milkshakes, cheese, eggs, cakes, butter and much more.
They have used it as an opportunity to engage with the public, the award nomination said.
The couple commented: “This allows us to connect with a wider audience, helping to dispel the negative information about UK agriculture and develop positive relationships with the local community.”
Furthering their community connections, the duo has a “Moobile” Milk Shack that attends local events and food festivals.
In 2018, the team started farm tours for schools, colleges, universities, Cubs, Scouts and organisations to give people a real view of dairy farming.
Keeping in mind the industry’s Net Zero targets, the Haltons have implemented numerous tactics such as improving soil and nutritional erosion by sewing short-term grass leys after maize harvest, making them less reliant on buying in feed.
The team is working towards removing soya from the total mixed rations by the end of 2024, ensuring they are using protected feeding ingredients.
Alongside reducing waste and ensuring supplies are from sustainable sources, their milking herd is housed indoors, meaning they have more tons of dry matter farmed per hectare, which is immediately followed by slurry, meaning they use less fertiliser.
The 2024 dairy farmer of the year finalists have been chosen because they are excelling in their field. The judges look for the entrants to be exploring new ideas and opportunities, shaping their businesses to become more robust, sustainable and adaptable in an ever-changing sector. Whether they are small scale dairy units or family-run farms, they are all using progressive technologies to improve efficiencies or developing their systems into a niche with challenging conventional thinking.
Taking place on 17th October at The VOX in Birmingham, the event will welcome industry professionals from across the country to celebrate British agriculture and the successes it has had this year.
