On a rolling 630-acre farm near Launceston, right on the Devon–Cornwall border, the Jones family is milking success… literally. They produce over three million litres of milk each year, their farm waking to the rhythm of cows making their way from pasture to parlour as the sun rises.
For Andrew Jones, dairy farming isn’t just a job - it’s a passion rooted in resilience and family dedication. In 2004, disillusioned by falling milk prices, he stepped away from dairy and turned to beef farming. Eighteen long years later, in 2022, he felt the unmistakable pull back to his first love. Joined by his two sons and buoyed by improved milk prices, he invested in a rotary parlour and dove straight back in.
Milking now takes place twice a day, every single day, even on Christmas Day. “You have to love it,” Andrew says with conviction. “We can work 90 to 100 hours a week, but it’s a process we really enjoy. Seven days a week, purely focused on making the farm work and looking after the cows.”
Their story is one of passion, perseverance, and thoughtful reinvestment, something we deeply admire at Lely.
Inspired by the Jones family’s journey, we leave you with a question:
What’s your next bold move in dairy?
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This piece draws on reporting by Kirk England for the BBC, as featured via MSN: 'Dairy farming is a 100-hour working week'