Dairy deal expansion for farming business with historic links to Robert Burns

Mossgiel Organic Dairy’s sustainable farming efforts began in early 2015, when farmer Bryce Cunningham – the third generation of his family to work the farm of Mossgiel, where Scotland’s national bard lived and ploughed the fields between 1784 and 1786 – grew frustrated with a dairy industry dominated by large corporations.

Now, Mossgiel has taken on the supply from three dairy farms across the north of the country. Auchlea Farm in Kingswells, Aberdeen; Wester Manbeen, just south of Elgin, Moray; and Connage Highland Dairy in Ardersier on the Moray Firth near Nairn are all now part of “team Mossgiel” as sustainable, direct milk suppliers.

Taking full, independent control of its milk pool will allow the team at Mossgiel to expand even further across the UK.

Cunningham said: “For too long, our industry has just ticked along with the same system, same rules, same outcome; the slow death of small farms. We’ve spent years proving there’s another way, and now we’re stepping fully into that space, not just shouting from the sidelines, but taking it on directly.

“At Mossgiel, we live by Burns’ words: ‘Dare to be honest and fear no labour.’ What’s happening now hasn’t been easy, it’s been messy, pressured, at times near impossible but it’s also been driven by a growing community of people who’ve chosen not to accept the status quo. Taking on these farms is the next step in that journey.”

The move grows Mossgiel’s capacity by more than 10 per cent.

Jill Clark of Connage Highland Dairy added: “This new Mossgiel and Connage relationship is a fantastic collaboration between Burns country and us as Highlanders.

“Bryce and the team will take our excess milk after our cheese production and, having been let down by our previous milk wholesalers, we are so excited to be working with Mossgiel. Bryce’s enthusiasm and business acumen has given us a new spring in our step, and we very much look forward to seeing what the future holds.”

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