Month: November 2025

Bringing organic milk to the community…

Posted on November 26, 2025 by - Farming and Dairy

In 2023 we launched our very first milk vending operation, selling our organic milk to customers direct at The Oving Cow Shed in Oving, the nearest village to our farm. So it felt it good time to share an update on all things milk!

Two years ago we set out to bring fresh, organic milk straight to our community and since then The Oving Cow Shed has become a local favourite, offering a wide range of farm produce and locally produced treats. We’ve loved every second of bringing fresh farm goodness to our customers and offering a simple way to enjoy milk at its best.

Milk and beyond…

In the early days, we listened to our customers and quickly added other farm produce to our vending machines. As proud members of the Organic Herd dairy co-operative for 25 years, we share a commitment to sustainable, organic farming. When Organic Herd launched a new range of products in 2023, it offered us a fantastic opportunity to stock their delicious cheddars and creamy butter.

Since then, we have increased our range to almost 20 products including locally produced eggs, honey, chocolate, condiments and handmade treats from a local baker. The Cow Shed has become one-stop shop for local, fresh produce!

On Air with V2 Radio

One of the highlights of this year was featuring on local radio station, V2 Radio. We welcomed the V2 team for an outdoor broadcast of the breakfast show which came live from the Shed this summer. It was a morning full of fun, laughter, and community spirit! Many of our customers came out to support us, and it was a good reminder how much community support means to us.

Welcoming Young Learners

We’ve also hosted regular school visits this year, giving children the chance to learn about farming, sustainability, and where their food comes from. Educating the next generation is something we’re passionate about – our industry needs awareness and support, and who knows, maybe we’ve met some future young farmers along the way!

Second Site Launch at Berries on Tap

In June 2025 we launched our second milk vending location at Berries on Tap, an established vending business in Sidlesham. With a growing customer base Berries on Tap offers soft fruit, vegetables and other locally sourced products. Adding our farm-fresh organic milk means more convenience for customers and more opportunities to share our passion for local produce.

We’re delighted with our decision to offer customers the opportunity to buy Woodhorn Farm milk directly, and it’s been amazing to see this venture develop into a second venue so quickly. We’re looking forward to continuing to supply and champion fresh organic farm milk to our local community and beyond in the months and years ahead.

A Day in the Life – Paul Crawley, Farm Business Manager

Posted on November 18, 2025 by - Uncategorised

Paul Crawley manages our farming operations. As part of our Meet the Team series, he shares some insights into his role and takes us through what a day on the farm looks like.

The time I wake up varies considerably, anywhere between 4:30am and 6am. As well as working at Woodhorn my wife Madeleine and I have a farm of our own, so the start of my day very much depends what needs to be done here! My wife looks after our farm during the day so I head off to drop my two daughters at school on the way in.

I live just ten minutes away and during term time I’m at work by 8.30am. My phone has often started ringing from 7:30am so I’m often liaising with the farm team or contractors at home and on my way in. When I arrive I’ll usually have a catch up with Sam, our Farm Foreman, and Ottis, our Herd Manager, and then it’s into the office to start replying to emails or to join meetings. Otherwise I’ll head out and about to make sure everything is running smoothly.

My role sees me overseeing the farm and dairy, as well as our milk vending operation. We have a separate team for each of these operations, and I support each of them, offering guidance where needed and helping sort out any issues that crop up. It’s a diverse role; one minute I can be helping remove a gearbox for repair and the next I’m designing an improvement to a cattle shed or farm building! I work closely with Cameron, our MD, helping plan the strategy for the farm whilst managing daily operations, from cropping plans to administering the environmental schemes we’re a part of.

Without a doubt the best part of the job is the team – they are a talented bunch and Sam and Ottis are an inspiring pair, who are always sharing fresh ideas. I also enjoy the variation which farming offers; I’ve worked on farms nearly all my life and love working in the environment and the challenges that come with that – from the joys of the weather to machinery breakdowns. There’s never a dull moment and every day is extremely varied; there’s always a new challenge to overcome. It’s part of the job – achieving the unachievable!

One of my most enjoyable responsibilities is preparing a Board Report to update our directors on operations and KPIs. It gives the opportunity to review what we’ve done over the month and share our achievements and the challenges which lie ahead.

I joined Woodhorn in 2024, so am still a pretty new recruit! The biggest challenge has been familiarising myself with the diverse business that Woodhorn is and getting to grips with the systems and protocols which keep everything running so well. It’s an exciting business to be part of; there are crops grown here that I’ve not been involved with for many years so I’ve had to refresh my knowledge. Luckily I’ve got a real interest in exploring new methods and systems for growing food in a sustainable way, and am keen to see systems that support the wild environment incorporated into the way we produce food.

Before heading home I usually catch up with the team to check on progress. It’s important to celebrate the wins as well as understand what hasn’t gone according to plan. And then it’s back to home – and farming news there!