Penllech Bach

Follow Penllech Bach if you are interested in:

• Learning more about the challenges and opportunities of share-milking partnerships
• Maximising cash out of the business
• Maintain or improve efficiency per kg milk solid produced
• Maximising grass utilisation
• Creating and replicating efficient farms
• Giving new entrants an opportunity to farm

Overview

Penllech Bach is a 100ha (247ac), all grass farm owned by David Wynne Finch and managed by Matthew Jackson in a 50:50 share-milking agreement since 2013. Alongside Matthew, Ellie and Bethan work on the farm full-time.

The spring block comprises of 370 New Zealand type Friesian Crossbreds, producing 5,500L/cow and 450kg MS/cow. Calving starts on 25 January, with mid-point achieved 14 days later. Fertility is high, with only a 5.2% empty rate in 2019.

Milk sold to Yew Tree Dairy, all replacements are contract reared, leaving the farm at 80kg and returning in calf. The farm operates with minimal machinery and extensive use of contractors. Penllech Bach was a full greenfield conversion in 2013.

Growing 15tDM/ha grass through grazing mid-February until mid-November. The platform is usually stocked at 3.7LU/ha, but in this ranges up to 5.0LU/ha to build cow numbers for new farms.

Our key performance figures

Penllech Bach openly shares their KPIs so you can see how they perform against a number of technical and financial measures. 

• Penllech Bach's key performance indicators (KPIs)

Previous meetings and updates

• 30 September 2020 - Penllech Bach launch - Matt Jackson gives us an overview of the farm set up, his journey to get there and the KPIs for Penllech Bach.
• January 2021 - Dairy share farming agreements – Hear more on the details and opportunities presented by share farm partnership agreements with Matt Jackson and his close business associates
• December 2021 - The impact of your team on your personal effectiveness - Matthew Jackson explains how he manages his time and teams across multiple dairy businesses in Wales to get the best from himself and those who work with him.

Find out more about the funding of our strategic dairy farm programme in Wales