Ahimsa Dairy Foundation, Leicester and North London

The Ahimsa Dairy Foundation is the first commercial dairy operating on principles of Cow Protection which they have called the ‘ahimsa’ standard. The milk is produced for sale directly to customers and some is made into a variety of milk products.

The project initially was working in partnership with an existing organic farm but is now working independently to increase their high standards even further. There are currently about 27 cows and oxen of which 6 are giving milk and 2 of the oxen are partially trained for work.

The cows are milked by a simple single milking machine as well as milking the cows by hand on a rotation basis on the consideration of moving to hand milking at some point.

Their ongoing plans are to increase the milk capacity, secure land for the retirement of the herd, develop an organic vegetable business with the land cultivated by oxen.

The cows will be maintained for their whole lives and the ahimsa dairy foundation have a fund to ensure the cows have a pension plan for their security and health needs.