CAMPO LONGLEY is a Jersey farm located just outside Progreso, a town in the Canelones Department of southern Uruguay and not far from the nation's capital, Montevideo. It is part of Longley Heritage, and was set up in 2009 with the aim of becoming the premier Jersey dairy farm in Uruguay. We produce and sell Jersey milk which is excellent for manufacturing.
We have a herd of approximately 500 cattle, of which we milk around 150. Our Jersey cows produce about 3000 litres of high quality Jersey milk every day. Alongside the Jerseys, we have a small beef herd of Red Poll crosses.
A big part of Longley Heritage’s success has come from the use of Jersey milk , which is rich in protein and butterfat, so Jersey dairy is very much at the heart of what we do. When it came to setting up in Uruguay, a Jersey herd made sense for a number of reasons, one being the breed’s resilience under extremes of temperatures. In cold climates Jerseys can grow thick coats, but they also suffer less from heat stress than other dairy breeds, which means they adapt well to the Uruguayan climate.
Jersey cattle are smaller than many other breeds of dairy cow, weighing around 380-450kg, however the milk they produce is of an extremely high quality. On average it is 18% higher in protein, 25% higher in butterfat and 20% higher in calcium than other milk. Jersey milk is not only delicious to drink, but also its high fat and protein levels mean it is great for making certain dairy products such as butter, cheese and cream.
When the decision was made to set up another Jersey farm outside the UK, one very important thing to be considered was the climate. Uruguay is located in a temperate zone which gets plenty of rainfall, but rarely suffers from extremes of temperature. This makes it a good climate for breeding Jersey cattle and for a completely pastoral system, with the cows grazing outside all the year around.
From a commercial point of view, Uruguay is economically and politically stable , and has good access to South America and the rest of the world in terms of export opportunities.
In Uruguay, Longley Farm Group has focused all its efforts redefining its strategy on migrating to organic practices. As of 2019 we start managing our crops, dedicated to grazing, without the use of chemicals. Since then, it has increased 20% of greens and meadows with organic practices.
It is important to note that the Jersey breed produces less waste (manure) and therefore reduces, on average, 20% of carbon emissions, compared to other breeds. As a way to close the loop, 100% of the cattle droppings are used to fertilize the fields.
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