More quality family time

If we hadn’t invested in one A3 Lely milking robot over 13 years ago, then we wouldn’t have the cows today. Robots have the potential to give a small-scale producer without staff the flexibility and lifestyle offered to a larger scale farmer who employs a team, and for us that evolves around family time with 15-year-old Tom; James, 13 and Hannah, nine.

We can spontaneously take a day off with the children, take the boys to rugby and stay to watch the match, and pop down to Cardiff to watch an International, whilst Hannah’s condition means we frequently have to make a 70-mile round trip to hospital with overnight stay at the drop of a hat, and all without having to worry about the cows back home. If there are issues while we’re away, then I’m sufficiently confident they can be remotely fixed. We can even go on a week’s holiday leaving the unit to be overseen by a neighbour knowing the cows will be consistently milked.

Chris and Caroline Jerman, Shropshire: 75 cows