Oaklands Milk

Situated in the hills behind stoke, Oaklands farm has 170 years of farming history and 80 years supplying milk to the local Nelson region. Julian and Cathy Raine are the current custodians of the family farm, which has been held by the Saxton and Raine families for 8 generations.

Their current herd of cows has been bred over many years so that all stock has the double A2 gene and every calf born is tested to ensure the integrity of the herd. The cows are truly loved. They are fed predominately healthy green grass, supplemented with hay, silage, Nelson fruit pulp from the local juice extraction facility, and spent grain from a local boutique brewery. These happy, healthy cows have access to a robotic back scratcher so they can get a massage whenever they want, now that’s pampering!

The Raine family are passionate about ethical farm practices, reducing their carbon foot print and leaving the land better for generations to come.

To this end they store surplus winter water for use during summer, use compost tea on the paddocks to improve soil and grass health, and supply their milk in glass bottles or from vending machines, like the one at The Junction, to reduce plastic waste.

Extensive tree planting has created natural sanctuaries for the birds and wet lands have been developed to provide stream filters. They are continually looking for ways to improve what they do both on the farm and in the market.

If you haven’t tasted the exceptional quality of the milk produced by Oaklands, give it a go and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.