| Director | Alex Lockwood |
|---|---|
| Budget | £1,000 |
The film is told through interviews with Jay and Katja Wilde of Bradley Nook Farm, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, along with footage of them, their farm, and their cows. They introduce their connection to the farm: Jay inherited it from his father, but came to see cows as individuals with feelings and personalities. This made him uneasy about eating them and about raising them for food. Katja came to the UK on a two-month educational assignment, and lived and worked at Bradley Nook. Jay told her about his unease with cattle farming, and invited her to live with him. She then planned to change the farm so that cows were not slaughtered.
Jay discusses his feelings about taking cows to the abattoir, and his feeling that he was betraying his cows. Katja explains that, for a decade after her arrival, cows were still slaughtered, but that this was having a very negative impact on Jay. Katja feels she was more able to harden her heart than Jay, but she, too, felt that what they were doing was horrible. Selling the farm and fields was an obvious solution, but not one they wanted to make.
Jay explains that they first installed solar panels, and then unsuccessfully sought planning permission for a wind turbine. They then explored vegan organic agriculture. Katja talks about the excitement and difficulties faced by the prospect of switching to vegan organic agriculture; this was, ultimately, viable. Jay expresses his desire to support and maintain the farm, and then the challenge of what would be done with the remaining cows. Sending them to slaughter, he felt, would be a bad start to vegan farming, and so they sought space for them at animal sanctuaries. This novel possibility led to tension with other farmers. Katja explains the pressure on farmers, and how £40,000-50,000 would be lost by sending the cattle to a sanctuary rather than slaughter. The process of finding sanctuary space for the cows was long and stressful, but the Hillside Animal Sanctuary, in Norfolk, agreed to take the entire herd. This was, for Jay, an ideal result. After the cattle had moved to Hillside, Katja and Jay began receiving letters of praise and support. Katja explains that sending the cattle to Hillside changed Jay.
Jay and Katja visit Hillside, and Jay says how the cows are clearly no longer his. He talks of his relief at no longer being involved in beef farming, and how the cows can live out their lives peacefully.