Home Delivery Carter Fold Farm, Waddington Sarah Bolton and Graham Whitwell
W
“
e got out of dairy farming several years ago, but we took on a small milk round serving Waddington and West Bradford to supplement the farm income,” said Sarah. “It’s been ticking over quite nicely over the last few years, but it took on a new momentum during the lockdown. “As the supermarkets ran out of essential items and the queues grew outside, villagers suddenly saw the benefit of getting their milk delivered and we added dozens of new customers to the round. “The supermarket delivery slots were snapped up almost overnight and many of them insisted on minimum orders, whereas if you just want a bottle of milk, we’re happy to oblige.
“We started delivering extras like cheese, yoghurts and bread and you could see that it really made a difference. For some of the more elderly residents in the ‘at risk’ category, you could see that they saw it as a bit of a lifeline – they were so pleased to see us in the mornings. “The size of the round dropped back as the restrictions lifted and people could get to the shops more easily, but we have held on to quite a few of the new customers. “It was good to be able to keep so busy during the lockdown – we’re farmers – that’s what we do. But it was really heart-warming to see rural communities rally round to look out for each other and to receive letters from quite vulnerable people who really appreciated what we did.”
For further information about Sustainable Tourism in the Forest of Bowland visit:
www.forestofbowland.com/sustainable-tourism 49
