This review covers A Dairy Story, a Scottish documentary about Rainton Farm in Dumfries and Galloway, where owners David and Wilma Finlay pioneer "cow-and-calf" dairy farming by letting calves stay with their mothers for five to six months rather than separating them shortly after birth. The film argues that this progressive approach, believed to be the first attempt at commercial scale in Europe, can improve animal welfare and reduce the environmental strain caused by conventional intensive dairy practices, even as it challenges long-standing industry orthodoxy and initial scepticism from neighbouring farmers.

The documentary, directed by Ian Findlay, notes that cows were initially stressed by the 2012 pilot's change in routine and milk yields dropped, but later trials saw a 25% yield increase as the animals adjusted and extra suckling boosted production. Shot with drone footage of pastures and calves, the film is described as somewhat repetitive and light on economic detail, acknowledging that the farm's finances remain a work in progress, but is praised as a quiet challenge to industrial agriculture and a fitting tribute to Wilma Finlay, who died last year from lung cancer.