Nottinghamshire vegetarian became farmer to 'change things'

A former vegetarian has said she became a farmer after realising "the only way to change things is to be part of something".

Debra Willoughby now runs an organic dairy farm, in Normanton on Soar, Nottinghamshire, with her husband Tom.

She said that in the 80s she refused to eat meat and "would have said farmers were an enemy".

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said: "A healthy, happy animal is ultimately more productive."

Mrs Willoughby said the 98 cows on her 220 acres have a "lovely life".

She said: "They get to choose what goes on in their life, when to be milked, when to come out to the field, when to stay in."

The 52-year-old said her herd use a robot which allows them to milk themselves.

"Most cows [elsewhere] spend their lives in cubicles, especially during the winter," she added. "Here they have a yard they can run round on.

"We have not had to use antibiotics on our milking cows as they live a stress-free life. We have not had cows getting ill, so they don't need antibiotics."

She said she became a farmer 20 years ago because she was "passionate" about food.

"Growing up in the 80s, I wasn't really very impressed with farming," she said.

"I was a vegetarian then - I would have said farmers were an enemy to me then really.

"I figured the only way to change things is to be part of something.

"I realised I wanted to be an organic farmer, as I did not like the way the industry was in the 80s."

Since she became a farmer, she said she had followed principles such as reducing antibiotics and sprays and not using any artificial fertilisers.

"Organic farming is about sharing bits of your land with nature so there are areas for butterflies and bees," she said.

Mrs Willoughby said she started eating meat again because "being organic, it has had a nice life".

The husband and wife team sell their milk locally to reduce food miles.

The NFU said: "A healthy, happy animal is ultimately more productive, and dairy farmers... do everything they can to ensure this.

"Cows should be able to exhibit their natural behaviour."

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