0:00:02 > 0:00:04Milk - we pour it on our cereals and stick it in our tea.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08In the UK, we consume over nine billion pints every year.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10But have we forgotten where it comes from?
0:00:10 > 0:00:14I don't think people really know how much work goes into getting milk
0:00:14 > 0:00:16onto our shelves.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Along with the dairy farms and cows that produce it,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23milk has shaped our countryside and our way of life.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25The dairy industry is just one piece of the jigsaw,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27within the whole countryside.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32But now the industry is facing a crisis like never before.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36This is the worst period I've seen in my working life.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Over the past 15 years, the number of dairy farmers
0:00:39 > 0:00:41in Wales has halved.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45On average, three farmers leave the industry every month.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49It's an embarrassment on me and myself that I can't make it pay.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53The traditional family dairy farm is in serious trouble.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55There isn't a future for every dairy farmer.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Milk is now a global commodity and dairy is big business,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02at the mercy of the world markets.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Can Welsh farmers survive in this new cut-throat world?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10There must be room for the small family farm.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12My name is Gareth Wyn Jones.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17I'm a hill farmer and campaigner for the best of Welsh food and farming.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Do you know how much you are paying for your milk?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22I want to explore the dairy industry from the inside,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24from the cow to the consumer
0:01:24 > 0:01:26and from the farm to the supermarket shelf.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30I want to see what it takes to satisfy our thirst for milk
0:01:30 > 0:01:34and find out if there is a future for the Welsh dairy farm.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42On my journey through the Welsh dairy industry,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I've seen the challenges dairy farmers face
0:01:45 > 0:01:47in an increasingly volatile global market.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51The underlying thing is that we don't know
0:01:51 > 0:01:53what's going to happen tomorrow.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I've seen how the big retailers source their milk and challenge
0:01:56 > 0:01:58them on their prices.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00As a farmer myself,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05I feel supermarkets have played a big part in devaluing milk.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09And how milk is processed on a huge industrial scale.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14This is what it takes to supply the major supermarkets.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17So, I want to see what the future holds for the dairy industry
0:02:17 > 0:02:20in Wales and if there is another way of working.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27I'm in the hills outside Lampeter to meet organic dairy farmer
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Patrick Holden, a man with a different vision for the future
0:02:30 > 0:02:32of Welsh agriculture.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38In my opinion, as a kind of direction,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42we need to try to think of the farm as being the main source of all the
0:02:42 > 0:02:45food that the animals eat.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47What we are trying to do here,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50we are trying to feed our dairy cows to the maximum extent
0:02:50 > 0:02:53from this hill.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Feeding the livestock is one of the most expensive parts
0:02:55 > 0:03:00of the farm's outgoings. So, Patrick aims to grow as much as possible
0:03:00 > 0:03:02on the farm, all organic,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05keeping the business as sustainable as possible.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09With a bit of luck, and some clement weather, this crop,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13which is oats and peas, will constitute about 50% of the grain
0:03:13 > 0:03:15that we are feeding to the cattle in the winter.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18So, you are going back to the old-fashioned way of farming,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22really? This is what would be here maybe 50 years ago.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Yes. After the war, there was still a lot of mixed farming in Wales,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30a mixture of sheep and cattle, including dairy herds,
0:03:30 > 0:03:36and arable land, growing grain, very often to feed the cattle.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40So, this is really a way of you being self-sufficient, saving money,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- isn't it, really?- Our ideal would be to produce as much food as we can
0:03:44 > 0:03:47from this hill, with the minimum reliance on outside inputs.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54At a time when farmers are under pressure to increase herd sizes
0:03:54 > 0:04:00and cut costs, Patrick is swimming against the tide and staying small.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Do you think some of these bigger companies have driven people just
0:04:04 > 0:04:08for that end goal, which is profitability?
0:04:08 > 0:04:10During the time that we have been here,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13farmers have been encouraged to get on a treadmill of intensification,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17to have more and more animals, and I think that has done no-one any good,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20especially the farming community, ironically.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Are you telling me big is not better?
0:04:22 > 0:04:23I think small is beautiful.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28We walked very slowly up to them all together.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Patrick moved down to West Wales in the '70s,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34as part of the first wave of organic pioneers,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38determined to start a quiet revolution in food.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Come on, girls. Let's do a fan shape and get them in now.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47He's farmed the 130 acres of Bwlchwernen Fawr ever since,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and now milks around 70 Ayrshire cows.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Problem with modern dairy cows is that we've chased the yield...
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- Yeah.- Resulting in cows that never get out,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00give 10,000 or 12,000 litres of milk.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Do we really want to drink the milk from those cows?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Ayrshires don't produce as much milk as other breeds.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10But the milk is rich in butter fat and protein.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15It's the perfect raw material for another product.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Since 2006, we took a big step,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19we commenced cheese-making.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Before that, we were selling our milk away.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But we felt that we wanted to add value to the milk here on the farm.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28And as we speak, 80% of all the milk that is produced here on this farm
0:05:28 > 0:05:32is going just across the yard there through an underground pipe
0:05:32 > 0:05:34into our cheese vat.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37We are making it into a cheddar style cheese called Hafod,
0:05:37 > 0:05:42so, really, the whole story is right here.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Working with expert cheesemakers,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Patrick and his family developed their own recipe.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51They now produce 200kg every other day
0:05:51 > 0:05:54and sell to shops all over Britain.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Wow!
0:06:00 > 0:06:03That is a sight to see.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- This is a cathedral of cheese. - It is! It's amazing!
0:06:12 > 0:06:15It's just something that you don't expect to find on a farm, do you?
0:06:15 > 0:06:18And these big lumps... When I looked in to begin with,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I thought they were just logs.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23And you can just smell it.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26There's 30 tonnes of cheese in this store.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30And there's something wonderful about this place holding the fruits
0:06:30 > 0:06:34of the farm's labour for a whole year.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I'm just getting a strange smell of hay.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Like I'm in a barn, a hay barn, an old-fashioned hay barn.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45The cheese is a product of the farm, so the smells are of the farm,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48of the grass, that the cows ate.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- Yes.- So, this cheese is unique to this farm.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56This store is full of microbes that are slowly transforming the raw milk
0:06:56 > 0:07:00into cheese and giving it its distinct flavour.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06That is just to break the seal, is it?
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Yes, that's right. Right, now, what you do is take a piece off...
0:07:11 > 0:07:13That's it. That's perfect.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23That is just so creamy.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- Beautiful.- You can taste another one if you want.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Just to try the difference.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Do you know what? I am definitely wanting to try another one.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31But that was amazing.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35The cheese tastes strongly of the farm and the land that made it.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41This is your pride and joy now, isn't it?
0:07:41 > 0:07:42Yes, it is and all food has a back story,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44it's just that mostly we don't know it these days.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Because it is hidden from us.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- People have lost that connection with how this is done.- Yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52It must be really lovely for you to come in here and see the fruits
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- of your labour.- It is, it's quite moving, really.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Of course, it's also scary, because we've got probably a quarter of a
0:08:00 > 0:08:04million worth of cheese in this store, which all had to be borrowed,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08because we didn't have capital to put into this business.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09So, it's high-risk,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12you do the best you can with all the different variables,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and then you wait and you cross your fingers.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19We are just about climbing out of this big debt mountain that we've
0:08:19 > 0:08:22accumulated. It looks as if we are going to start really paying off the
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- borrowing now.- But a massive gamble, a massive challenge.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30The truth is that we had to go on this journey of adding value to our
0:08:30 > 0:08:32milk as part of our survival strategy,
0:08:32 > 0:08:37because you will know as well as I do that a dairy farm of 70 cows,
0:08:37 > 0:08:42which in my opinion is the right size for a family scale dairy,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44is not viable any more.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46So, unless you add value to the milk one way or another,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49it's difficult to survive economically.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54I believe that this model of taking a raw material, in our case milk,
0:08:54 > 0:08:59adding value to it on the farm and then selling a product with a story
0:08:59 > 0:09:00is the right way to go -
0:09:00 > 0:09:04not just for us, but for all farmers who have the capacity to do that.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16Patrick found his farm at this size was not going to be sustainable
0:09:16 > 0:09:21and he's looked for another way to make a profit out of what he's
0:09:21 > 0:09:28producing and it's a big gamble and he has invested everything he's got.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30But the control is in his own hands now.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32If we can get more people to do this,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36maybe if there could be more of a sustainable future for some of our
0:09:36 > 0:09:41smaller family farms, this might be, you know, a way forward.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51This isn't the first time that dairy farmers have had to adapt
0:09:51 > 0:09:53in the face of adversity.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Now, the figures are startling.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58More than 4,000 dairy farms have closed in the past four years.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01The National Farmers Union says the industry is on the verge of
0:10:01 > 0:10:02collapse, with thousands of...
0:10:02 > 0:10:05The union believes up to a third of all dairy farmers
0:10:05 > 0:10:08could go out of business in the next year, if they don't get more cash.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12In the '80s, the European Union introduced quotas on the amount of
0:10:12 > 0:10:17milk farms could produce and putting a levy on any surplus.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Milk prices crashed.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Here in Wales, some dairy farmers took to the streets in protest.
0:10:25 > 0:10:31Leading the charge was Pembrokeshire dairy farmer's wife Thelma Adams.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Thelma, how bad was it 32 years ago?
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Well, it was pretty bad.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39We were told that any milk that was overproduced and that we would send
0:10:39 > 0:10:44to the dairies would incur a charge of 30p a litre.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48So, a lot of people just threw their milk down the drain.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Because there was no alternative.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53People's livelihoods were at stake.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55What were we to do on the family farm?
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Was it worth carrying on?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00But you felt very strong about it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Your feelings were that something needed to be done...
0:11:03 > 0:11:05- Yes.- And it needed to be highlighted.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10I thought of this idea of sitting in the bath and bathing in milk.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28And we rode through the town of Carmarthen
0:11:28 > 0:11:32on tractors and completely snarled up the country town.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Thelma, along with a handful of other farmers' wives,
0:11:36 > 0:11:41took inspiration from Cleopatra, the Queen of ancient Egypt,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43who was said to bathe in milk.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48So, did the campaign work?
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Yes, yes. In a light-hearted way, but getting, hopefully,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55getting the message across that it was serious.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26One of your catchphrases back then was that milk is cheaper than water.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31The sad thing is that things are still just as bad, or even worse,
0:12:31 > 0:12:3332 years later.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Because what other product can you say now is cheaper
0:12:37 > 0:12:41than it was 32 years ago?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43As a result of the crisis in the '80s,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Thelma and husband Gwynfor decided to steer their farm
0:12:47 > 0:12:50in a new direction.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54This is the curds that are actually being formed.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57We are making sure they are the right sort of moisture for the
0:12:57 > 0:12:59natural starter cultures to do their work.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03And today, their business continues to thrive under the watchful eye of
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Thelma's son, Carwyn.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08They now produce a variety of speciality cheeses,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11including Thelma's original Caerphilly
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and their award-winning Perl Las.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16So, this is all one type of cheese, this one?
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Yeah, this is all Perl Wen, this one.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Perl Wen wheels, they'll be about 1.2 kilos in weight.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- Oh, there's a weight on that. - There is some weight.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- But there's still a lot of moisture left in that.- Yes.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28So, that will drain slowly overnight. They are quite big,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31but they'll end up about half that size by tomorrow morning.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Right, this is tough. - Is it?- Really tough, yeah.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- OK.- Whatever you do, don't let go.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- You pick it up and turn it over. - Just... Just be gentle now, OK?
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- Because...- Up off this and flick it over...
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- OK.- Ready?- Yeah.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46That's it.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49That's not easy. That's not easy.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- That goes back, then?- Yeah.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Leave it to the professionals.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The farm no longer has its own dairy herd, but instead,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01sources all of their milk from farms in the surrounding areas.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04And the farmers that supply you are quite happy with the price
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- they are getting?- I hope so.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09We can actually give them a bit of a premium back
0:14:09 > 0:14:12from what they would get on a commodity market.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13They want stability as much as we do.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16And I also want to be fair as well, at the end of the day.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17- It's a working relationship.- Yeah.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21The last thing I want is an angry supplier, because, you know,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23somebody angry isn't going to put love into the work, are they?
0:14:23 > 0:14:26No, no. No. You are the middleman, really.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28You've got the power, as much as anybody else here.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I guess so, yes.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Basically, the plan really is to buy as much milk as I can,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38so we can process more and hopefully have more sustainable countryside.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42That's the challenge for me, really. So I can give something back
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- to the economy.- Is it a nice feeling to take that power back
0:14:45 > 0:14:48to yourself, really? You are helping a lot of people
0:14:48 > 0:14:51within the local economy by doing this, are you?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Yeah, I like to think so.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55At the end of the day, it's a business, but, you know,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57there's lots of other businesses you can do.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59This is something quite close to my heart, really.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02- Yeah.- It's difficult to find work around these areas.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04So, if I can do something in the countryside
0:15:04 > 0:15:07and make other people work in the countryside, then it's great.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Yeah. By diversifying, Thelma and her family
0:15:10 > 0:15:13have secured the future for their farm
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and for other farms around them.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Many people believe this is the way forward.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Dr Sean Rickard is a former chief economist
0:15:21 > 0:15:23for the National Farmers Union.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26He believes there are big opportunities for producers
0:15:26 > 0:15:30who are brave enough to embrace change.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Farmers are going to have to just learn,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35as every other small businesses learn,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38that you survive if you delight your market.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42There's tremendous opportunities out on the world for people
0:15:42 > 0:15:46producing quality dairy products.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49There's not much opportunity for people who are just producing
0:15:49 > 0:15:51bog-standard milk.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Dairy farmers need to turn their milk into a really good butter
0:15:54 > 0:15:58or cheese and offer people something a bit different.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And you can find a number of relatively small farmers
0:16:01 > 0:16:04who have very profitable businesses doing that.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07So you're telling me there is a light at the end of the tunnel for
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- the dairy industry?- Of course. - And that might be a way forward
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- for these people?- Absolutely. If I'm offering you a cheese
0:16:13 > 0:16:17with a certain flavour, perhaps a certain additional whatever,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21which has been produced from the grass grown in Wales, or whatever,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24that's a different value proposition and what you find is that an awful
0:16:24 > 0:16:28lot of people are quite prepared to pay a few more pence for that.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30That's the way to do it. That's the clever way to do it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32That's the sustainable way to do it.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Wales is at the forefront of a food revolution.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41All over the country,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Artisan food producers are reviving traditional methods
0:16:44 > 0:16:46or developing new products.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50- Hi, Gareth.- Hello.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53This is really different to see on a farm, a dairy farm especially.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57- It's great.- At her farm near Ruthin, Anna Taylor and her family
0:16:57 > 0:17:00are using the milk from the organic Swiss Brown herd
0:17:00 > 0:17:03to produce something for those with a sweeter tooth.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Woo-hoo!
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Lovely. It started as a bit of a joke, actually, and we said,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11"Wouldn't it be great to make ice cream?"
0:17:11 > 0:17:13And then once we looked into it more and more,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17it became actually a really feasible option.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19We are going to be making honey and lavender.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22So, it's using a locally sourced honey
0:17:22 > 0:17:25from the Denbighshire area and a really delicious
0:17:25 > 0:17:27lavender essential food oil.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- It's really good.- Wow!
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- So, you're going to do it all. - Oh, right! OK.
0:17:31 > 0:17:37'While most of the farm's milk is still sold into the organic bottled
0:17:37 > 0:17:41'market, some of it ends up here in the family's very own
0:17:41 > 0:17:43'miniature ice cream factory.'
0:17:43 > 0:17:46So, everything is weighed in. A bit of skill to this.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- Definitely.- Honey is not the easiest thing in the world to pour, really,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52is it? You've just got me to do this, haven't you...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54- Yeah.- Because it's difficult, I think.- OK.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Lavender. I love the smell of lavender.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Pure lavender oil. - Yeah.- That is beautiful.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Yeah. That's it.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08God.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12'In a crowded marketplace, packed with big powerful brands,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15'new businesses need to find a way to stand out.'
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Really smells nice.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25'Clever marketing, a unique product, and a positive story.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28'Even the big companies were small once.'
0:18:30 > 0:18:32So, do you want to try a bit?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35You made that.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42I can truly say that is absolutely amazing.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Those cows have been milked this morning, we've taken the milk,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46brought it in here and turned it into something
0:18:46 > 0:18:49that anybody can enjoy.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52It's making a lot more money for the farm than you could do ever selling
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- liquid milk.- Absolutely, yeah.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It gives us the opportunity to offer stability for the farm,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01but also something else,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04a different option for our children to have when they grow up.
0:19:04 > 0:19:10And it's quite an easy way to add value to a product, really.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Definitely more value than just selling the milk.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16When you consider what they are charging for milk in a supermarket
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and the farmers aren't getting much, really, as a general rule,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22it is adding value to that product
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and showing how fabulous that milk is.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30It's fantastic to see these new products doing so well,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33but I know it's not the answer for all farmers.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42So, what about good old-fashioned liquid milk?
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Over the past few weeks,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I've seen how complex the milk industry has become -
0:19:47 > 0:19:53a vast national supply chain, very efficient and massively competitive.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57So, you'd think this would be the last place for a small producer to
0:19:57 > 0:20:00take on the big guys.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Well, you'd be wrong.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09On the Lleyn Peninsula at Madryn Isaf is Llaethdy Llyn.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Bore da, Nia. Sut wyt it? - Helo, Gareth!- Ti'n iawn?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- Ydw.- Ti'n iawn? - Pwy 'dy'r hogyn yma?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16In the far west of North Wales,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20they are too far from the motorway system to try and win one of the
0:20:20 > 0:20:22supermarket milk contracts.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25And as a small farm with just 80 cows,
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Nia Jones and her family have found themselves struggling.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33You know, our options are quite narrow, to be honest.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37The farm isn't big, so we can't increase the herd.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41The infrastructure isn't there. You know, we'd need some more
0:20:41 > 0:20:45sheds, we'd need more land, we'd need a bigger milking parlour.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47And it just...
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- The maths doesn't add up at the moment, to be honest.- Yeah.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So, they've been forced to find another way of working
0:20:53 > 0:20:57and Nia believes she's spotted a gap in the market.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00There is no local milk at all in north-west Wales.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05It's all brought in to an area which is full of dairy cattle.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- Yeah.- Absolutely mad.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09But that's what we're aiming for.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11That's our selling point.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16It's fresh, it's local, and it's out on the shelf in a day.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19They are taking back control of the whole supply chain.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21They are milking, processing,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25bottling and delivering their milk to the local area.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29The Jones family are literally betting the farm on the idea
0:21:29 > 0:21:31that people will buy local milk.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34You've taken a big step into the unknown, really.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37We have.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Still nervous about it?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Yeah, yeah. Yesterday was a bit of a...
0:21:42 > 0:21:44"Oh, my God, what have we done?" day!
0:21:45 > 0:21:47And then you have a good day,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50because you've got all these insecurities.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52People, do they want it, you know?
0:21:52 > 0:21:57- Yeah.- And then when they start buying it, "Wow, they do want it."
0:21:57 > 0:21:59- Does that give you a buzz? - Yeah, it does.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02When I saw it on the shelf in Spar in Nefyn for the first time
0:22:02 > 0:22:04and I saw a man putting it in his trolley...
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- Yeah, yeah.- After I'd finished snogging him...
0:22:08 > 0:22:10I put him down.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13That's the best sales pitch I've ever heard.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16And Nia is not just selling milk, she is selling a story -
0:22:16 > 0:22:18a small family farm,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22a traditional way of working and a personal relationship with the cows.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24I've got names for a lot of them.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- Have you?- Mm.- So you've got favourite as well?
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- Oh, yes. Definitely.- This cow behind you keeps looking round.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Yeah, they do. She's called Horny,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- for obvious reasons.- Horny?!
0:22:37 > 0:22:38I'm glad it's for obvious reasons.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Yeah.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43My husband didn't do a very good de-horning job with her.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46That's nice, that, isn't it, Nia, but you've got names for them?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48They think I'm absolutely batty.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49No, I don't think so.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52There's one called Nia Mai, which is my name.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57- She was born on the same day as me.- Oh, brilliant.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Milking is just the start of the process.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05While about half of the farm's milk still goes to a large processor,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10the other half is loaded into a tank ready for the next stage.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- All the milking done and all loaded up.- Yeah. Ready to go.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16There's about 1,500 litres in there.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Unlike the milk we buy in supermarkets,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24which can travel hundreds of miles to and from huge processing plants,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27this milk is going just down the road.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31In nearby Pwllheli,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Nia's husband Sion looks after their new processing plant.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37A substantial investment for the new company.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43This looks a really complicated operation.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Today, they are processing this morning's milk.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49In this one room, the milk is separated, pasteurised,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and homogenised.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Everything has to be done to the highest standard
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- and is strictly monitored. - And the gauge on the front
0:23:56 > 0:23:58is like a lorry tracker graph.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Every time we pasteurise, we've got to keep that as a record,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04that it has gone to temperature.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07It's not just milking the cow and sticking it in the bottle.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09No. There is a lot to it, yes.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11They also provide a range of products
0:24:11 > 0:24:13to cater for different tastes.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15This is what they call the separator.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Depending on what milk we want,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22it separates the cream out of the milk and we are left with the skim.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26So, you do the same as any other big dairy, really?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29You've got to really acquire for everybody's taste here.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Yes.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Every week, this plant can bottle almost 10,000 pints of milk.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36And it's all done by hand.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39It's a bit of a different world for you to be in here
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- than to be in the parlour. - It's the only way I can see
0:24:42 > 0:24:44that we can go forward.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48I think this will be a better way of sustaining the farm from now on.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I'm overwhelmed with work, really.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01We've had a bit of a shock how much milk goes into these places.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- Yeah.- We are taking over 100 litres just to the Spar in Abersoch.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10So, you are taking 100 litres to one shop?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Yes. Yes, and I have been every day.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17While most of the major retailers sell four pints for a pound,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21it costs around 50p more for four pints of Nia and Sion's milk,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24but they believe it's worth every penny.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Does it give you a good feeling to see it here in the local shop?
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- It is good actually. It is. - You are in control of the price.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32You are in control of the whole system.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35And that's why we've done it, that's why we've done it,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37more than anything, is to get that control back.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41- Yeah.- You know. It's the only way I can see forward
0:25:41 > 0:25:45for my son, for my children as well, yes.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Nia and Sion have taken on a huge task.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Where once their job finished at the farm gates,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56now they're taking on the whole supply chain.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- So, what's at stake here? - Well, everything.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- I might as well be honest, you know. - Is it?- Yeah.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Put all your eggs into this basket.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Yeah.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Yeah, just hope that it works, you know.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You've taken a massive leap of faith, really, haven't you?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13So, you must have a lot of faith in this product?
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Oh, yes, I do.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21And, you know, it shouldn't be sold for less than it's worth.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24There's a lot of science that goes into that.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Many, many years of experience and if those farmers go,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31where you going to get that experience from?
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- It's time for things to change. - Yeah, yeah.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38And you're taking that first step, taking that change,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- hopefully?- Hopefully, yes. Yes.- Yeah. Da iawn.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49I've got massive respect for Nia and Sion.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52They didn't want to go bigger,
0:26:52 > 0:26:58so they have taken that massive leap of faith and really gone for it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03They are selling the milk, bottling it, processing it, doing everything,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06they are not depending on anybody else.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10They are really standing up for what they are producing.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14And I hope, I really do hope, that they succeed.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20And so my journey through the dairy industry is over.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I've learned so much over the past few months.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29It is an amazing operation.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I think it's changed my outlook.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Farmers are facing a complex set of challenges,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and I know there are no easy solutions.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- Keep going, that's what's important. - Yeah, yeah.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Thanks, Gareth.- No problem. Diolch yn fawr.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49But I really think that we, as the public, as consumers,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52take milk for granted.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56It takes a heck of a lot of work to put it into that bottle,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59to put it on that shelf.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02It doesn't cost a lot to buy, but it's worth a lot to those
0:28:02 > 0:28:04who produce it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07And I think we need to value it more.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09So, can I ask you all,
0:28:09 > 0:28:16to raise a glass of this fantastic white stuff to all the hard working
0:28:16 > 0:28:18dairy farmers out there.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Iechyd da.