Langage Farm's Partnership with FareShare South West Enhances Sustainability

Langage Farm, a family-run dairy producer in Devon, has formed a partnership with the charity FareShare South West to address the issue of surplus food waste. For over 40 years, Langage Farm has been producing clotted cream, yoghurt, ice cream, and other dairy products. However, managing partner Ben Harvey faced challenges with disposing of excess products that did not meet their quality standards.

Through their collaboration with FareShare South West, Langage Farm now provides surplus dairy products to be distributed to schools, charities, and food clubs across the region, ensuring that good-to-eat food reaches those who need it most. Daniel Leite, FareShare South West Food Manager, emphasized the value of this partnership for local communities, highlighting the appreciation of receiving high-quality produce from a local business.

Additionally, any inedible food waste is sent back to Langage Farm for processing in their anaerobic digestion facility. This facility converts waste into green energy and produces a bio fertiliser by-product that is used to enrich the fields grazed by the farm's Jersey and Guernsey cows. As the UK's first carbon-neutral dairy, Langage Farm exemplifies sustainable practices through this closed-loop system.

Ben Harvey expressed the mutual benefits of the partnership, noting that while the farm supplies surplus food to FareShare South West, they also receive non-distributable food waste from the charity to generate green energy. This initiative not only reduces environmental impact but also strengthens the community support system.