A FAMILY that has farmed in Over Stowey for almost 20 years will see their cows sent off to market tomorrow (Saturday) and their specialised raw milk business come to an end after the tenancy agreement expired and Somerset County Council sold the farm.

Andrew Morgan, 56, and his wife, Sue, 54, have until the end of May to leave White Horse Farm, and are still hunting for a new one to take over.

At the moment, Sue said: “We are just running from day to day with all that’s going on, and it’s stressful until it’s sorted out.”

This week saw the family, whose son Robert, 21, runs their Simply Raw Milk business with them, busy with TB testing and certificates, and the whole business of getting their 100 head of stock to market.

“We knew the end was coming, it was a tenancy, but the saddest bit was losing the raw milk business. There is not much of that around,” said Sue.

“We introduced it two years ago. There’s a very big demand, and it’s getting bigger.”

Raw milk is unpasteurised and the Morgans were keen to promote its health and flavour properties, with nothing taken out, full flavour, and pasture grazed cows – or ‘girls’ as they are referred to on the farm website.

Sue said they hoped to carry on the business but it was not looking likely at the moment, and they would have to start from scratch again if they could find a new farm.

Somerset County Council was granted planning permission by Sedgemoor District Council in January for a change of use and conversion of agriculture buildings at the farm, to form a dwelling with access and parking.

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “The tenant has been aware of the council’s intentions to sell the farm for a long time. They were provided an opportunity to consider a purchase last summer and we have liaised fully with the tenants at White Horse farm on this.

“It is disappointing that they were unable to make alternative arrangements, but they were aware of the terms of the fixed term tenancy from the point that they took it on ten years ago. Previous to that, they held a tenancy of the same farm for the period 2001 to 2009.”