AN organic dairy has passed an inspection with flying colours just as another supermarket chain recognises the merits of going green.
Acorn Dairy underwent a rigorous two-day inspection to maintain its organic status first awarded 17 years ago.
Twenty-seven Co-Operative stores have now agreed to take the milk as part of an initiative to provide customers with a local organic option as the dairy continues to flourish and expand.
Acorn’s 250-strong organic herd grazes in the Yorkshire and Durham Dales and produces award-winning milk for 3,500 doorstep customers, as well as Waitrose and Morrisons supermarkets and a host of local independent retailers, from Northumberland to North Yorkshire.
Customers stretch from Leeds, York, Harrogate, Northallerton and Bedale to Middlesbrough, Yarm, Morpeth and Hexham.
Acorn provides the milk for nursery schools in Newcastle and the Freeman Hospital, schools in Darlington and Nottingham City Council
Heifers are reared in Wensleydale, with the cows grazed and milk processed just outside Darlington.
Organic milk is also supplied by two farms in North Yorkshire and Newcastle University farm.
Inspectors examined every aspect of the dairy including cow welfare and land management, feed ration content and weed control to ensuring no pesticides have been used.
The second day of scrutiny looked at the processing and milk handling procedures with the Soil Association inspectors giving the dairy a clean bill of health.
Director Caroline Bell, who runs the operation with her brother Graham Tweddle, said: “The inspection findings are a great achievement and recognition of the efforts everyone at Acorn puts into organic farming. It also gives customers confidence in what we are trying to achieve.
“We are also delighted to be working with the Co-op who understand the benefits of organic production and are prepared to pay a fair price for our milk.
“We remain absolutely committed to the production of organic food, which is better quality, better for the animals and better for the environment.”
