Conservative Controlled Council Buys Local

Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council is helping local farms prosper by using local milk in its schools and council buildings.

The county council has a contract with Wells Farm Dairy to supply milk to nearly 400 schools across Staffordshire as well as County Buildings and Staffordshire Place.  Wells Farm Dairy sources milk from county farms around Staffordshire, and bottles it at its headquarters in Bradley.  The milk is then distributed to schools across the county, meaning local schoolchildren benefit from fresh milk whilst also boosting the local economy.

County Councillor Mark Winnington, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure said, “Staffordshire’s rural economy is a vital part of our prosperity agenda and county farms are an integral part of enhancing it.  By working with Wells Farm, we can ensure we are helping and the farms they source the milk from to secure business and at the same time benefitting the local community.

“Case studies like Giles Bristol’s, a tenant farmer on one of our many county farms, shows that we can make the most of the assets we have here in Staffordshire and ensure the arrangement is beneficial to farmers and to schools and parents.  It’s also a great educational tool; showing youngsters the process of how milk gets from the farm into their schools and all within a very short distance.  So, not only are we benefiting local businesses, we are also helping to promote a healthy lifestyle for our youngsters.”

One county farm that has benefitted from this arrangement is in Penkridge, South Staffordshire.  Tenant farmer Giles Bristol said, “I currently have 55 cows, and Well’s Farm comes in every day to take milk back to their headquarters to then distribute on to local schools, council buildings and other organisations.  Dealing with such a local business means food miles can be reduced, meaning there is less distance from farm to fork and that produce is traceable back to its original source.

“Well’s Farm is a local family business, which means they are approachable and the produce does not have to travel far.  Staffordshire as a county is the perfect location for this type of arrangement, with a wealth of local resources that can be used to benefit not only local farmers, but local people in general.”