Schoolchildren in Wootton are getting the chance to enjoy milk produced less than 2 miles away as part of World School Milk Day.
Briddlesford Farm is delivering milk from its own herd of pedigree Guernsey cows to Wootton Primary School today (Wednesday), helping pupils learn more about where the food and drink they consume comes from.
The Guernsey cows graze in fields at the family-run farm in Wootton, meaning the milk has only a short journey to make before reaching the classroom.
Paul Griffin, owner and fourth-generation farmer at Briddlesford, has said:
“We thought World School Milk Day was a golden opportunity to take our milk from farm to school and help children understand where it comes from.
“Our Guernsey cows are right here in Wootton, less than 2 miles from the school, so there’s a lovely connection between seeing the cows in the fields and then enjoying the milk at school.
“We’re very proud of our Guernsey milk. It has a naturally golden colour, partly due to the beta-carotene naturally present in Guernsey milk, and it’s lovely to be able to share that with the children.”
Briddlesford has been farmed by the Griffin family since 1923, when 15 Guernsey cows first arrived at the farm.
More than a century and 4 generations later, the pedigree herd remains at the heart of the business, with today’s cows descended from that original herd.
Milk is produced and processed on site and is also used to make a range of dairy products including cream, butter, cheese and milkshakes.
Briddlesford also processes milk from other Isle of Wight farms, including Crockers Farm in Cowes, before it is distributed across the Island.
Jane Wilford, headteacher at Wootton Primary School, has said:
“Knowing that the cows in the field near their school had produced the milk they all had a chance to try brought much excitement.
“This helps bring learning about food and farming to life. The school values the link they have with the local farm and look forward to working together more in the future.”
World School Milk Day is held on the last Wednesday of September each year and celebrates school milk programmes around the world.
