2023-12-03 15:26:32
Morag the cow comes out of the main barn at Dimple Farm in northern England, and stands ready to meet her guests… At this farm near Beverley in East Yorkshire, visitors come not to buy milk, yoghurt or cheese, but to enjoy hugging the Highland cows.
Fiona Wilson and other cattle farmers at Dumbbell Farm began offering cow hugging sessions in February, after the economic difficulties facing the dairy industry became unbearable.
“Some people like to interact with dogs, cats or horses, while others find cows to be the animals they want to be with,” Wilson told AFP.
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“People come from a well-being point of view,” she added. “Being with animals relieves anxiety, like a kind of therapy.”
The owners of Dumbbell Farm sought to diversify because sharp declines in milk prices and rising inflation led to the decline of their dairy business. Within a few decades, tens of thousands of farmers left the sector.
According to a report by the House of Commons Library, there were 196,000 dairy farms in the United Kingdom in 1950. By 1995, their number reached only 35,700 farms.
Falling milk prices and rising costs of energy, fuel, feed and fertilizer since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022 have led to the departure of many others.
In October 2023, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Council, which represents livestock keepers and farmers, estimated that there were 7,500 dairy and cheese producers in Britain.
For Dimple Farm, floods over the past few years have presented an additional challenge, often submerging the farm for months.
Wilson said she and her farm partners, including her husband and brother, were working 14 hours a day and losing money.
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She added, “It was impossible to live like that. There was no future.” In January 2022, they decided to diversify their sources of dairy and cheese production, and sold their herd except for five cows.
“She was a friend to us with her friendly, easy-going nature,” Wilson said. “We thought we could try hugging cows, just to make a little extra money, with our plan to conserve the environment and also get people involved in what we were doing here,” she said.
The farm prepared the cows for months before inviting customers to come and hug them, and the cows seemed happy about it.
This experience, which also includes educational activities on environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture, attracts couples, families and cow lovers from all over the country.
Inside the barn, the cows seem happy with visitors scratching their chins and combing their soft fur. Stephen Close said he wanted to offer this experience to his wife, who loves Highland cows.
He added, “I love all kinds of animals, especially pets, so being able to hug a big animal is wonderful.” “It’s very easy to clean,” his wife, Emma, said. “I didn’t think I would find it comfortable, but it’s very therapeutic,” she added.
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