When Chris and Suzanne Legg organise a tour of their dairy farm in the Sydling valley, the visitors receive a history of the farm and its field systems. Chris explains why he chooses to farm organically, and the advantages of this method of farming.

Sustainability and harmony with the natural history of the area is a high priority and the sowing of wild flower borders around the fields gives protection and food to wildlife. No artificial fertilisers are used on the farm; these have been replaced by dung supplied by the dairy herd which then in turn feed on the harvested crops during the winter months so producing more dung to fertilise the fields again for the next round of crops.

Careful breeding produces the best herds and a national breeding catalogue allows farmers to build herds tailored to individual requirements.

The Legg’s dairy tours give an insight into organic dairy farm life, and finish with the visitors being treated to a hearty ploughman’s lunch served by a real ploughman and his wife!

(Any profit from the event is donated to charity)