A PIONEERING organic dairy farm has taken another giant step forward and is processing all its own milk.

The substantial investment in plant and machinery means Acorn Dairy now has 100pc control of its dairy products - from the cow through to the doorstep and shop shelf.

"We believe we are virtually unique in the country," said owner Gordon Tweddle. "We are an organic farm processing its own milk and selling on its own label. There are very few, if any, doing this anywhere else in the country."

Mr Tweddle and his family launched Acorn Dairy in 2000 after detailed consumer research had shown there was a demand for locally-produced organic milk in Darlington and the surrounding villages.

Even so, Mr Tweddle said the 2 years it took to convert the whole farm to organic status at the end of the Nineties was the biggest gamble of his life.

Today, Acorn has a strong customer base but it has not been easy, with the impact of the foot-and-mouth crisis hitting them hard.

The Tweddles have farmed at Garthorne Farm, Archdeacon Newton, on the edge of Darlington, for four generations.

Although the farm did not suffer from foot-and-mouth itself, one field fell within a restricted zone, which affected the business. It also had to change processors twice as they each came under restrictions.

"We were caught by all the regulations and red tape without any compensation," said Mr Tweddle, who has another organic dairy farm at Spennithorne, near Leyburn.

"It created havoc and having to change processors twice was not easy. We were too small in volume for the larger processors in the area; too specialised, being organic, for others, and too big for the existing farm bottlers."

Happily, although a struggle and tremendous strain, Acorn came through and is continuing to grow.

"The logic has always been to have our own processing unit, which means we are 100pc in control of our own products from the cows to the doorstep.

"The success of Acorn produces job security and long-term stability for the farm, and the farm provides stability and job security for Acorn."

The processing unit was fully commissioned in May and is handling about 4,000 litres of milk a day from the farm's own dairy cows. It is producing all Acorn's whole milk, skimmed and semi-skimmed milk and cream for doorstep deliveries and retail outlets.

There are now six delivery roundsmen and adverts have been placed for another, plus an assistant to act as relief. A dairy processing assistant is also being sought.

The processing unit is built to the highest specifications and represents a substantial investment. It did receive some grant aid from Defra's rural enterprise scheme.

"Our landlords, the Church Commissioners, have also been very supportive in our long- term aims," said Mr Tweddle.

S & A Fabrications of Barnard Castle and F A Metcalfe of Toft Hill were involved in building the unit and the equipment was supplied and installed by W Acton & Sons of Wilmslow, another family enterprise.

Apart from doorstep deliveries in Darlington and the surrounding area, Acorn Dairy also supplies delicatessens from Newcastle to Tadcaster and Stockton to Penrith.

Farm shops, including Mainsgill and Thorpe Farm along the A66 Scotch Corner to Penrith road, are also stockists.

Acorn supplies the airlines which fly from Teesside Airport and has received an order to supply a London box scheme.

Sales of Acorn organic milk in Morrison's proved so successful that the supermarket has now introduced its own label organic milk.

Competition is hard, but the ace up Acorn's sleeve is the fact that customers know it is locally produced.

Doorstep customers receive periodic newsletters from Mr Tweddle and his family telling them about new ranges of organic food and drinks available, but what has proved particularly popular are the bits of news - printed on the back of the weekly bills - about what is happening on the farms and to the staff.

"I think really we have already put into practice what Sir Don Curry is encouraging farmers to do through the recent Government initiative," said Mr Tweddle. "We did all our risk assessments back in the late Nineties and what we now have is the conclusion to all that planning and investment.

"We are insulated from a lot of the talk about the euro and just have to get out there and sell to our local community."

Acorn Dairy can be contacted on 01325 466999.