Keeping it in the family

This micro dairy is paving a new ethical way to produce milk, where kindness and family come before profit.

When Cathy Palmer found out about the darker side of the dairy industry, she decided to take the bull by the horns. Instead of giving it up, she set out to find a solution to the problem.

The former music industry executive and her partner Dr Les Sandles (a third-generation dairy farmer, who like Palmer was becoming increasingly disenfranchised with the state of the industry) decided to see if they could defy the inhumane practices and founded How Now, a small farm near Victoria’s Shepparton where cows live alongside their offspring.

In order for cows to produce milk they must produce offspring regularly – the dairy industry typically kills these bobby calves (the term given to newborn calves that are less than 30 days old and not with their mothers) as they are seen as surplus. How Now challenges this, keeping these calves for the mother cows to raise. “I was determined to prove everyone that told me you couldn’t have a cow-andcalf dairy wrong,” says Palmer.

Palmer’s dairy farm has proved it’s possible, and has been in operation for

almost three years, with no cow/calf separation and no slaughter. Their milk is stocked in independent grocers across NSW and Victoria.

As one of just five commerical cowand-calf dairies, How Now is carving out a new niche. “I am in a unique spot where the vegans hate me, and the dairy farmers hate me,” says Palmer.

The herd of cows and calves each have names and have the ability to graze and roam. “We’ve identified that 50 to 60 cows in the dairy is the sweet spot,” says Palmer. Instead of growing their farm, Palmer hopes she can continue to bring more dairy farmers into the fold. “I’m passionate about Aussie dairy because it’s some of the best in the world. I would like to continue to champion it, and bring more farmers into the How Now way.”

As for the cows, they have all settled into their roles well, with new calves arriving regularly. “They are very clever, and organised,” Palmer says. “They all take care of each other – they are just mums. Once you see this, it changes you forever.” hownowdairy.com.au