Husband and wife duo Jonathan and Allison Raper, shared their inspiring journey in sustainability on their farm and café
Allison has always had a growing passion and love for the environment, from recycling before mandatory to choosing a veggie diet for seven years and described herself as feeling ‘calm with nature’. So, when they purchased their twenty acres of land she found her nature-filled haven, awakening the green thumb and eco champion within her.
The couple started Teesdale Cheesemakers in 2016 in their home kitchen and in 2019 they expanded into the shop “Cheesedale café and shop”. Becoming climate friendly wasn’t the first aim but it is a perfect example that it can come hand-in-hand with saving money.
What are they doing?
The café is well known for their amazing cheese, made fresh with milk from their farm. They actively work to reduce waste by feeding excess cheese to their pigs, saving on feed costs, and minimizing waste. Sustainable packaging is a priority, and they supply only to local businesses, encouraging others to support local cheesemakers to reduce carbon miles related to food all the while helping boost the local and circular economy.
On their farm, they’ve adopted eco-friendly practices. Instead of costly machinery, they use pigs to rotavate the fields, providing the pigs with free-range happiness while preparing the land for a vegetable garden. Allison has also begun beekeeping, with two hives directly pollinating plants (improving vegetation quality) and supplying fresh honey for the store.
The couple own twenty acres of land, two acres of that being woodland with incredible nature and wildlife such as curlews and rare flora and fauna. They have started collaborating with Durham Wildlife Trust to expand the woodland and enhance the natural environment. They are also avoiding mowing the grass instead allowing the sheep to graze it down, and are trying out clover crop cover, this has many benefits like added nutrients and it prevents weeds from growing. The pigs that they let turn over the fields also create holes across the fields, allowing natural ponds to form in the winter and introducing wildlife such as dragonflies and frog spawn. ‘Allowing nature to take its course,’ said Allison.
The couple have also grown their business to accommodate, they have a couple of charming wooden pods which are powered by solar and located on a picturesque side of their farm surrounded by trees and the everlasting beautiful and calming sounds of nature. They prioritize local purchases and regularly assess their stock for better or more locally sourced options. Jonathan also has a handy side and finds the beauty in the battered, turning old apple boxes into stock shelves and old fencing into seating for the café, wall panels, and bookshelves for their home.
Future goals
The couple are still keen to make further changes and are working on being as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. One of the biggest waste problems they have is with water, and unfortunately it isn’t an easy one to tackle. They are considering rainwater and water recycling however due to health standards this isn’t an option for all parts of their farm. Another thing they are aiming to improve on is the glamping lodges, as they are currently connected to gas canisters, so they are looking at alternative options.
Allison and Jonathan have proven to be a perfect inspiration for people looking to make a difference on a low budget. ‘It doesn’t matter how small a change you make, what’s important is that you make a start. Once you start, more ideas will come and one day you look up and realise you are making a difference.’ Their dedication to environmental consciousness creates hope, encouraging us all to take the first step toward a greener future.
