‘Cows have their own personalities’: tales from the Devon farmers

How three family-run farms are responding to supermarket price wars and changing technology

In any season, but especially in spring and summer, an English country cowshed is a haven of harmless contentment whose inhabitants - happily ruminating, farting, chewing and pissing - contribute to an unmistakable atmosphere of wellbeing.

So perhaps it's no surprise that "Cowshed" should also be a trendy beauty brand. But for how much longer? Lately, the world of the cow has been in crisis, with dairy farming in trouble, and a timeless way of life threatened by relentless supermarket price wars and the march of technology.