There Is A Comfort In Cows

Just about reaching total physical breakdown (symptoms: cracks like ravines on hands, even the soles of my feet hurt and at 8pm each night I have to eat bags of crisps and Maltesers continuously until bedtime) but I am aiming for a much better April. Please.

Today, respite care was on offer big time, with a visit to a dairy farm that makes... wait for it... ice-cream!

You may recall that last year the Crichton Writers (of which I am a member) did a memoirs project; this year we are working on writing about food and drink in Dumfries and Galloway. So for inspiration some visits to producers have been arranged, and today we went to Halmyre Farm in the Haugh of Urr. It is the home of Glen Urr Ice Cream, and probably more importantly, of the Davidson family and their herd of Ayrshires.

Mrs Davidson (Jane) is the ice-cream maker and was our guide. We started in the clean areas, for pretty obvious reasons. And had to wear Scenes of Crime Officer plastic bags on our feet.

These are the guts of an ice-cream machine

Shiny shiny milk buckets

The ice-cream machine. Only 10 litres handmade at a time!

The freezer. Contains ice-cream

Top shelf of the store cupboard, with some flavours

The very cool logo on the official family jacket. Males of family not overamoured of the colour. The cow's face is a portrait of an actual cow from the herd
The stall Jane takes to Farmer's Markets and Shows

After the production area, the farmyard.

Calves first

Then the main shed. Here's the herd: Ayrshires with the occasional Holstein

The cows are milked twice a day in this Herringbone parlour

The maternity ward: cows about to give birth

Cathie (a Crichton Writer) and a new calf

For the grand finale we were joined by Mr Davidson Snr, who answered technical questions with immense good grace and wonderful phrases ('What makes a good milking cow?' 'A good wide muzzle for a good intake, a sharp top, a good hoof with a depth of heel. And a good engine - that's the belly.' and by Mr Davidson Jnr, who brought one of their best cows to the front for us to look at. So meet Halmyre Urr Louise, who won at The Royal Highland Show, was the Interbreed Champion at the Dumfries Show and was Champion of Champions at the Ayr Show (meaning she beat the sheep and horses, and probably goats and pigs too!). This cow has met the Queen.

And whilst Colin Davidson was busy with Louise, one of his pet cows (which actually had a crumpled horn) wouldn't leave him alone.

Finally, the taste test! We opted to try the pistachio ice-cream and the raspberry sorbet.

Creamy in the extreme, superb flavour

Fruit-tastic. This sorbet was stunning

I have to say if you are anywhere and see this label on ice-cream or sorbet, buy it. Unfortunately it is only available in Dumfries and Galloway.

I was left with a lot of impressions to work with, but the strongest is probably the zen-like calmness of the two Davidson men. I am imagining it as coming from their daily toil - and it must be toil, as dairy-farming is not an easy life - which brings them some connection with the bovine nature. The Halmyre Herd looked like very happy cows to me. Hence a first line has come:

There is a comfort in cows

And after? The others were going on to Sulwath Brewery for a tour, but I had to get home for school. Ah well, it was a brilliant morning, and my hugest thanks to Jane Davidson for agreeing to have us on the farm. Here's a link to the website: http://www.glenurr.co.uk/

Now, crisps or Maltesers next...