Scottish dairy farm sought for national programme

We are looking for a dairy farm in Scotland to join our Strategic Dairy Farm Programme.

We encourage farmers who are interested in driving innovation, sharing best practices, and confident in hosting on-farm and virtual events to get in touch.

Successful applicants will be appointed for three years and have the opportunity to collaborate with industry experts on their chosen topics, encouraging peer-to-peer learning.

A steering group comprising AHDB representatives, peers and industry experts will offer a network of support and help to identify goals and develop a tailored plan for each farm. The experiences of participating farms will be shared with other farmers, enabling them to learn from your insights.

Doreen Anderson, AHDB’s Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager for Dairy, said:

“Our goal is to enable farmers to explore new concepts and integrate changes within their businesses.

"This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for collaboration with local farmers and industry experts to implement positive transformations on their farms.”

Our Strategic Dairy Farm Programme aims to improve business resilience and performance across the dairy sector. It is a farmer-led and farmer-driven initiative that showcases best practices and practical demonstrations, providing farmers with innovative ideas to enhance their own operations.

The existing farms in the programme include those with year-round and block-calving systems, as well as fully housed and extensively grazed operations.

Gareth Owen of Potstown Farm, a strategic dairy farmer since October 2021, manages a 451-acre farm, with 260 cows and 240 youngstock, with his brother David and their father.

He said:

"We joined the Strategic Dairy Farm Programme to enhance our farm’s performance and deepen our understanding of genetics and genomics with our herd of purebred Holsteins and Jerseys.

“The journey has been incredibly rewarding, allowing us to share our experiences and learn from fellow farmers. We’ve also discovered innovative ways to optimise our existing buildings for youngstock and maximise our infrastructure’s potential.

“If you’re looking to improve your farm and work on your business goals, we highly recommend joining this programme. The opportunity and knowledge gained has offered us a lot of insight into our own business.”

Join our network of like-minded farmers who are committed to improving their farm businesses.

To apply, please contact Doreen Anderson at doreen.anderson@ahdb.org.uk to request an application form before 5:00pm on Monday 31 March 2025.