Latest news with #EmmaHutton
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
UK farm swaps milk for cow cuddles as floods, food prices take toll
Charleigh Gartell takes part in a 'cow Cuddling' experience at Dumble Farm. Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP By Marissa Davison for Reuters Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them. Dumble Farm started as a dairy farm in the 1970s, but in recent years, flooding washed out crops and killed off the type of grass the cows like to eat, while milk prices below cost of production proved an insurmountable challenge. "The amount of flooding and the pressures on our land were just making it unsustainable for us to carry on," said farm co-owner Fiona Wilson. Agriculture is one of the sectors worst-affected by climate change, with farmers in Europe and elsewhere suffering under increasing heat, drought and flooding. In 2022, Dumble Farm sold all but a few of its dairy cows and, in a scramble to re-invent itself, began offering "cow cuddling" experiences to fund a wildlife conservation scheme. For £95 (NZ$213), visitors can cuddle, brush and stroke the cows, as they lie down on a straw-covered enclosure inside a barn. The experience includes a safari to see Highland cattle. "It's been so worth it, just to get so close to the cows, and they are so loving and gentle," guest Emma Hutton, 25, said, after she spent some time cuddling one of the cows. It took more than a year to train the cows to feel comfortable with cuddling, but now the animals have fully adjusted, farmer James McCune said. "They like being pampered," he said. "They are like big dogs... it's more of a spa day for the cows. "The farm uses the proceeds to create habitats to protect wildlife and support declining species, such as lapwing birds. "It's great that we can fund the conservation scheme by having visitors to the farm and that's really the bigger picture." - Reuters
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
UK farm swops milk for cow cuddles as floods and food prices take their toll
It took Dumble Farm over a year to train the cows to feel comfortable with cuddling, but now the animals have fully adjusted. PHOTO: AFP UK farm swops milk for cow cuddles as floods and food prices take their toll ARRAM, England - Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in Britain's north-east to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them. Dumble Farm started as a dairy farm in the 1970s, but in recent years flooding washed out crops and killed off the type of grass the cows like to eat, while milk prices below cost of production proved an insurmountable challenge. 'The amount of flooding and the pressures on our land were just making it unsustainable for us to carry on,' said Ms Fiona Wilson, co-owner of the farm. Agriculture is one of the sectors worst-affected by climate change, with farmers in Europe and elsewhere suffering under increasing heat, drought and flooding. In 2022, Dumble Farm sold all but a few of its dairy cows and, in a scramble to reinvent itself, began offering 'cow cuddling' experiences to fund a wildlife conservation scheme. It took Dumble Farm over a year to train the cows to feel comfortable with cuddling, but now the animals have fully adjusted. PHOTO: AFP For £95 (S$163), visitors can cuddle, brush and stroke the cows as they lie down on a straw-covered enclosure inside a barn. The experience includes a safari to see Highland cattle. 'It's been so worth it, just to get so close to the cows, and they are so loving and gentle,' guest Emma Hutton, 25, said after she spent some time cuddling one of the cows. It took over a year to train the cows to feel comfortable with cuddling, but now the animals have fully adjusted, farmer James McCune said. 'They like being pampered. They are like big dogs... It's more of a spa day for the cows,' Mr McCune said. The farm uses the proceeds to create habitats to protect wildlife and support declining species, such as lapwing birds. 'It's great that we can fund the conservation scheme by having visitors to the farm, and that's really the bigger picture,' Ms Wilson said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Post
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
I gave my daughter a unique name so she wouldn't be ‘boring' — now nobody can pronounce it
A mom has gone viral after revealing no one can pronounce her daughter's unusual name – stating even her doctor gets it wrong. Emma Hutton, 35, says 'nobody can understand' the name she's given to her youngest child, declaring that the unusual moniker 'is not that hard' to get right. Advertisement The British mom-of-two named her one-year-old daughter Elae – pronounced LA – because she didn't want her bub to be 'boring.' But she's become increasingly frustrated that people, even intelligent adults like doctors, can't get their heads around how to say it. 'People still don't know how to read my daughter's name,' she vented in a recent TikTok video captioned: 'It's really not that hard.' Advertisement 'It's 2025, I didn't know that people wouldn't be able to understand basic English.' The furious mother, who lives in Sheffield, England went on to explain she had just been to see her general practitioner who had incorrectly pronounced Elae's name, before realizing their mistake. 'He pronounced it wrong, again, he called her Ellie,' she explained. 'Then he just looked at me and went, 'I've pronounced it wrong haven't I?' Advertisement 'Yeah, it's pronounced like the city, but he gave me a blank look.' 3 UK mom Emma Hutton is upset that people have trouble pronouncing her daughter Elae's name. TikTok / @emloublogger She then went on to explain how to say Elae's name correctly, stating it is said in the same way as 'the city of Los Angeles.' But social media weren't very understanding, instead arguing that Hutton should have chosen a more conventional spelling if she wanted to avoid confusion. Advertisement 'If people decide to spell names a little 'different,' don't get mad at those trying to pronounce it. We try,' one responded to the viral clip. 'It's not their fault, it's yours. Why don't people get it?' another agreed. 3 The little girl's name is pronounced like the city of LA. TikTok / @emloublogger As someone else mused: 'I would pronounce it 'ee – lay.'' 'If it was pronounced ELL-AY that's how it would be spelt, it's phonetically incorrect sorry,' said someone else. 'Sorry I mispronounced the weird name you made up,' scoffed one. While one clapped back: 'If everyone is making a mistake, do you think maybe that's more of a you problem than everyone else's problem?' Advertisement 'It looks like a made up name. I get it with your accent but most would say Ellie. Is it made up with that spelling? If so you can't really get annoyed with people,' argued another. Others were more sympathetic, stating it was a 'beautiful' name and sharing their own struggles with alternative names. 'I have this with my daughter's name too, her name's Beau pronounced Bo, not boo or bew,' one shared. 'My daughter is Tasia (like Asia with the Tay sound at the front) she gets called Tasha,' explained another. Advertisement 'Same as my daughter they pronounce it Zay-lia and her name is pronounced Zay-la (her name is spelt ZAILA,' one chipped in. Hutton's rant comes after millions viewed a previous video in January in which she explained that 'people don't understand' Elae's name. 'I've had people say that they feel sorry for my child, or that I've set her up for a lifetime of bullying,' the young mum, who works as a nail technician, told The Sun at the time. 3 Many commenters blamed Hutton for giving her daughter an unusual name. Getty Images/iStockphoto Advertisement 'They've called me a chav, or [say] that I've tried to win a competition for the world's weirdest name. 'I honestly couldn't care less, but I find it so strange that grown adults feel the need to share their horrible negative thoughts on a child. 'I would never comment on a mum's post telling her I think her baby's name is stupid and horrible.' The 2025 Australian Baby Names report, compiled by McCrindle's, recently revealed parents are turning their backs on 'traditional' names, instead choosing shorter versions, and names featuring fewer syllables. Advertisement 'After surveying different generations of parents and those planning to become parents across the nation, we found there is a preference for unique names over traditional ones,' the report found. 'This trend is being driven by younger generations, who are embracing unique names more than any generation before them.' As a result, classic names such as Michael, Charles and Quinn have completely fallen out of favour after once being very popular choices.
