Joining the Dots: A Welsh Dairy Farm’s Journey to Regenerative Health
From Conventional to Beyond Organic: A Bold Leap
Sally and Garry farm a dairy herd of 200 crossbred cows in southwest Wales. After a long illness which antibiotics failed to resolve, Sally had a lightbulb moment that the synthetic inputs they were using to keep their cows and land ‘healthy’ were having the opposite effect and making everyone sicker.
A journey started which led to Sally studying homeopathy and the farm converting to organic. Today their herd is dual purpose with the bull calves being reared for their own local meat boxes.
The regenerative practices they have introduced on the farm include: homeopathy, herbal leys, silvopasture, beneficial organisms such as Bokashi compost and fermented foods such as kefir and apple cider vinegar for the calves. As a result of reducing soil degrading chemicals, dung beetles have returned to the land and biodiversity is thriving.
The Takeaway: Everything is Connected
In Sally’s words:
“I'm only just starting to connect the dots, but one thing is crystal clear: Healthy soil = Healthy plants = Healthy animals = Fewer drugs = Healthier humans. It all starts from the ground up. Soil is the foundation of everything."
"When I first discovered homeopathy over a decade ago, I wanted to share it with other farmers. I still do. But I now realise it’s only part of a much bigger picture. To farm well and live well - we need to look at the whole picture. Health isn’t just something you fix when it’s broken. It’s something you build, protect, and regenerate - starting with the soil beneath our feet.’’