From Floods to Cuddles: Reinventing a Dairy Farm with Cow-Hugging Experiences

Dumble Farm, once a traditional dairy farm, now offers cow cuddling experiences due to pressures from climate change causing floods and low milk prices. This reinvention funds their wildlife conservation efforts, allowing visitors to enjoy interactions with the animals and support habitat protection for species such as lapwing birds.

Years of devastating floods and declining milk prices have led a dairy farm in northeast England to rethink its operations. Once specializing in milk production, Dumble Farm now welcomes visitors with the chance to cuddle cows, an activity that helps fund their conservation initiatives.

Co-owner Fiona Wilson stated that climate change's impact on agriculture, including frequent floods, rendered their traditional farming approach unsustainable. As a result, the farm sold most of its dairy cows and introduced cow cuddling as a unique offering that supports wildlife preservation.

For £95, visitors can pamper the cows, enjoying a close encounter once considered only part of farm life. Farmers like James McCune highlight the positive effects on both animals and conservation efforts, emphasizing the broader significance of adapting to climatic challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)