Caithness dairy farm explores market potential for doorstep deliveries
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A DAIRY farm at Thrumster is looking at the possibility of bringing back doorstep deliveries to the county.
The downturn in demand for milk has seen the tanker pick-ups at Thrumster Mains decline from three times a week to only once a week – a worrying drop in income, especially with animals to feed and take care of.
There are only two milking herds left in Caithness – Thrumster Mains and Nicolson's at Sibster – and this downturn is affecting them both, said agricultural consultant Karin McGivern.
"I currently consult with David Campbell of Thrumster Mains on various aspects of his farming enterprise and we have been discussing ways of adding value to his farm milk for some time," Karin said.
"We have been exploring the options of butter and yoghurt production but not gotten as far as actually having a marketable product yet."
David runs an organic farm at Thrumster Mains and has a small pedigree Jersey and Ayrshire herd with approximately 25 cows and followers.
Karin said: "When the Covid-19 situation started to become more serious, a conversation with David led to a survey going out on social media to see if there was a demand."
She said that 97 per cent of respondents expressed an interest in having milk delivered to their doors along with other products such as butter, yoghurt, cheese, veg boxes, potatoes, eggs and breakfast packs – all products that could be added in time.
"There was a fantastic response to the survey with almost 200 people taking the time to reply," she said.
"After analysing the data and crunching some numbers, David and I had a long chat and we decided that a secondary survey – collecting customer data – would be in order."
Thrumster Mains' milk currently goes to Highland Fine Cheeses, which needs less milk due to a downturn in orders but is delighted that David is exploring new avenues.
The cheese producer is supportive of the project and has provided invaluable advice and assistance, according to Karin.
"If demand reaches a certain level, David hopes to be able to expand his bottling capacity and utilise milk from other dairy farms to provide a secure future for dairying in Caithness," she said.
If you are interested in helping with the survey follow this link https://forms.gle/X5Vsi3DUDqRru59D8
