The Farm

At the Orange Elephant, the milk for the ice cream comes our own dairy herd of 300 cows here at Taverners Farm. The cows graze outdoors for most of the year and only come into the sheds in the depth of the winter to have their calf.

The calves are born and reared on the farm and looked after by Helen and Will. The Summer Meadow, enjoyed by members in the summer, becomes the calf nursery when we close in September. By the time they reach two years old, they would have had their first calf and will be producing milk and running with the main milking herd.

The Taverner family have farmed Lower Brenton for 100 years.

Robert and Helen have been on the farm for the last 25 years. In 2016 son Will became the fifth generation in the business, having just graduated from Exeter University.

While making milk and ice cream that everyone can enjoy, we have a responsibility to look after the land, soil, rivers, wildlife, as well as our cows, sheep, pigs, and hens. Growing food hand-in-hand with nature can help limit global warming, reverse dramatic losses to biodiversity, keep soils fertile for the future, and maintain the beautiful Devon landscape that belongs to us all.

We are looking to introduce more Regenerative' or 'Regen' farming practices on the farm to help us achieve these goals.

‘Regenerative' or 'Regen' farming encompasses a range of techniques that collectively improve the environment. Practices we have started or are planning to introduce include:

• Rotational grazing, using the cow’s manure to fertilize the soil
• Planting pasture with diverse grasses, herbs, legumes, and flowers
• Regular monitoring of soil health, including organic matter and carbon content
• Laying new traditional Devon hedgerows for wildlife to thrive
• Planting native trees to extend existing woodland
• Breeding healthy cows well suited to grazing outdoors
• Using renewable energy for farm buildings and switching to electric vehicles

Keep up to date on our Regen journey on Dadmore Dairy Instagram page for stories and pictures as our plan takes shape.