Strengthening resilience with herbal leys

One of our Strategic Dairy Farms, Rough Grounds Farm in Derbyshire, is exploring herbal leys. Knowledge Exchange Manager Helena Reilly tells us more.

Farmers Graham and Justine Worsey re-seeded almost the entire 96 ha milking platform with herbal leys at Rough Grounds Farm to build a more resilient grazing system.

The move was driven by a desire to reduce fertiliser use, improve soil health and maintain forage production through increasingly dry summers.

While the transition has brought challenges, the family believes the benefits are beginning to outweigh the drawbacks.

Graham said:

"We wanted to build a system that would cope better through drier months and still maintain milk yields when conditions get tough.

"It’s been a real experiment. In some fields, it has helped us keep a more consistent forage supply through the season, while in others, we’ve struggled to establish the leys.”

The current seed mix includes timothy, cocksfoot, red and white clover, chicory, plantain, rye-grass and festulolium. Together, these species provide a range of rooting depths, helping improve soil structure, water movement and drought resilience across the farm’s varied soils.

Since introducing herbal leys, fertiliser use has fallen, while dry matter yields have remained broadly comparable with the farm’s previous rye-grass system.

Graham said:

"Grazing quality has generally remained strong, particularly through late spring and early summer when rye-grass would normally begin to fade.

"However, herbal leys have proved more difficult to establish and manage.”

Chicory has been particularly valuable during dry periods thanks to its deep roots, but it has also created new management challenges.

Once rainfall returns and grass growth increases, selective grazing can lead to bloat, poor residuals and reduced dry matter intake. Measuring covers with a plate meter is also less reliable in mixed swards.

The family has found chicory persistence declines after the first year. Earlier seed mixes with higher proportions of chicory and plantain left swards too open by year three, prompting them to reduce sowing rates.

They are now increasing the use of deep-rooting festulolium (AberRoot) and red clover to improve persistence and forage production.

Managing herbal leys has required changes to the grazing system.

The farm now operates rotational grazing, aiming to turn cows out in February and keep them grazing until November.

Growing herbal leys alongside rye-grass provides flexibility but requires adapting grazing management.

Graham said:

"We’ve had to learn how to manage it properly. Sometimes that’s meant more pre-mowing to maintain grazing quality."

Silage remains central to the system, with around five cuts taken each year.

Despite using less fertiliser, forage production has remained similar to previous years, although the family is monitoring whether home-grown forage can continue meeting the needs of an expanding herd.

The move to herbal leys has required a change in mindset. Not every species has suited the farm’s heavy clay soils, and the family continues to adapt seed mixtures based on what performs best.

Justine said:

"We’re still learning what works for our soils. It’s not a one-size-fits-all mix.

"You have to observe how it performs through different seasons, talk to other farmers and keep tweaking."

For the Worseys, lower fertiliser use has reduced exposure to volatile input prices, while healthier soils are creating a more reliable forage base and improving the farm’s resilience to changing weather conditions.

Graham said:

"This has been about making the farm work better, not just chasing payments.

"We’ve had to adapt, but the herbal leys have made the farm more resilient, and that’s something every dairy business needs."

Levy payers can receive 50% off the new herbal leys BASIS course fee.