Farm Excellence

Diverse roots revealed at cover crop champion site in Essex

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 15:07:04 GMT

Diverse roots revealed at cover crop champion site in Essex

Ayrshire: Drying off dairy cows – an interactive workshop with James Breen

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:47:33 GMT

Join us at Millands Farm in Ayrshire to learn how to implement the most effective drying-off procedures and what key considerations should be made to ensure a successful drying-off period.

This will be an interactive workshop where James Breen (Map of Ag) will demonstrate the correct way to dry off cows and discuss the procedure and choices around dry cow therapy and how to avoid introducing infection into the teat.

This meeting will cover

Preparation for drying off
What decisions to make when drying off
Drying off protocol
The environment required
Things to consider after drying off

We will also discuss the Mastitis Control Plan, which will lead into the evening meeting at The Ayrshire Food Hub.

We will review the work that has been carried out with the Hendrie brothers and the team at Millands to introduce new protocols and what changes have been made to improve fertility and reduce mastitis in the Millands herd.

About Millands Farm

Millands Farm is located near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire in South West Scotland, where their family have been farming for over 250 years.

The farm is home to 600 Holstein-Friesians on a spring block-calving system. They achieve 5,400 litres of milk per cow per year, averaging 4.2% butterfat and 3.5% protein.

An update on the living clover mulch trial at Strategic Cereal Farm North

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:48:54 GMT

An update on the living clover mulch trial at Strategic Cereal Farm North

Holistic view on slurry – From storage to field with Wolfhall Farm

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:50:37 GMT

Holistic view on slurry – From storage to field with Wolfhall Farm

Wet season fails to dampen strategic cereal farmer spirits

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:13:29 GMT

Wet season fails to dampen strategic cereal farmer spirits

UK cover crop champions unveiled by AHDB

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:43:21 GMT

UK cover crop champions unveiled by AHDB

Rethinking grazing foundations to offer better yields with Lydney Park Farms

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 12:37:10 GMT

Rethinking grazing foundations to offer better yields with Lydney Park Farms

Monitor Farm and Strategic Cereal Farm events

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:28:00 GMT

Monitor Farm and Strategic Cereal Farm events

Farmbench: An icebreaker for business

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:01:36 GMT

Farmbench: An icebreaker for business

Northumberland Monitor Farm: Producing lambs for the future

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:46:51 GMT

Join us at Alnham Farm as we catch up with monitor farmer Harry Sordy and discuss lamb production and reducing days to slaughter.

Agenda

The learnings of system change with Harry Sordy
Insights into what the market wants from an independent buyer
Discussion around where to make better management decisions with Alnham’s vets, Black Sheep Farm Health
Building a case for decision making, backup plans and integrating schemes into production with Emily Grant of Forrit Consultancy – Progressive Production

Registration and refreshments will be available from 10am and the meeting will start at 10:30am.

Lunch will be provided but please make sure you register in advance so we can cater accordingly.

RoSA points will be available for attending.

Find out more about our Farm Excellence programme.

Cumbria: Whole slurry management systems, where do you start?

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 12:28:54 GMT

Join us at Moorhouse Hall Farm to discuss whole slurry systems, including grants, waterways, slurry wizard, construction and pump systems.

This meeting will cover

How to start upgrading or building a slurry system
What grants are available for upgrading or building slurry storage
Using the slurry wizard tool to work out slurry storage requirements and explore different storage scenarios to comply with regulations

About Moorhouse Hall Farm

Located in Wigton, Cumbria, Moorhouse Hall Farm is managed by third-generation farmers, John, and Kate. Chris Bailey, their son, works part-time on the farm, alongside his career as a large animal vet.

This all-year-round herd of 100 Holstein-Friesian cows average 10,200 litres per cow, per year, at 4.17% butterfat and 3.36% protein.

The herd has been closed for over 50 years, using replacement heifers from their milking cows to continue the strong line of genetics, further allowing them flexibility with their herd.

Originally tenant farmers in Lancashire, the Bailey family started their journey on Moorhouse Hall Farm in 2022 after purchasing the 130-acre farm.

The family have been all-year-round dairy farmers in Lancashire for four generations, with Chris’ great-grandfather taking on the original lease.

Find out more about our Strategic Dairy Farms

Natural capital debates a hit at Newbury Monitor Farm

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 09:18:19 GMT

Natural capital debates a hit at Newbury Monitor Farm

Resilient beef systems – Lucerne

Wed, 29 May 2024 14:56:46 GMT

Join AHDB and Germinal at this Monitor Farm event where we'll be discussing all things lucerne.

Monitor farmer Ian Farrant is growing lucerne for the first time this year as he looks for more resilient forage options for growing and finishing beef.

Join us as we hear about his experience to date as well as learning more about lucerne from Germinal, an agricultural grass and forage seed company, and Rob Watkins, an independent nutritionist.

Ian Farrant

Ian was the 2023 Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year. He runs 650 Aberdeen Angus x dairy beef from calves through to finishing for Dovecote Park on a forage-based system.

Ian’s farming ethos focuses on sustainability in all senses of the word, with healthy soils, reducing fertiliser use and imported feed, and profitable beef production, being of utmost importance to him.

What we'll cover

What’s been happening at Underley
The pros, cons and considerations of growing and feeding lucerne
Field walk to look at the lucerne: Establishment, management, cutting and feeding
Panel discussion answering the question: What does resilient beef for the future look like?

Speakers

Ian Farrant, monitor farmer and Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year 2023
Paul Morgan, Germinal
Rob Watkins, independent nutritionist
Emma Steele, AHDB Beef & Lamb

Registration and refreshments will be available from 10.45am, the meeting will start promptly at 11:00am and lunch will be provided.

This event will include a farm walk on uneven ground that may be wet. Please wear appropriate footwear that can be disinfected for your safety, comfort and biosecurity.

The event is free to attend, but please register to allow us to cater accordingly.

Sustainable varieties take centre stage at Cereals 2024

Wed, 22 May 2024 12:43:01 GMT

Sustainable varieties take centre stage at Cereals 2024

Farmer tears up plans in bid to rescue struggling crops

Thu, 09 May 2024 13:19:53 GMT

Farmer tears up plans in bid to rescue struggling crops

Setting profit targets with Brendan Horan at Lydney Park Farms

Thu, 02 May 2024 07:53:46 GMT

Setting profit targets with Brendan Horan at Lydney Park Farms

Welsh dairy farms sought for national programme

Wed, 01 May 2024 13:19:35 GMT

Welsh dairy farms sought for national programme

Three new Strategic Dairy Farms

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:41:15 GMT

Three new Strategic Dairy Farms

Sut i ddod yn Fferm Laeth Strategol

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 10:24:00 GMT

Sut i ddod yn Fferm Laeth Strategol

Newbury Monitor Farm: Summer farm walk

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 11:56:32 GMT

Join us for the final summer farm walk at Newbury Monitor Farm, hosted by Rob Waterstone. We will look at the cropping for harvest 2024 with stimulating discussions around the season so far and Rob’s experiences over his tenure as a Monitor Farm manager. George Mason of Heygates will present “A Miller's Perspective”, exploring the UK milling wheat market and its requirements.

This meeting will cover

Rob’s three years as a Monitor farmer
A presentation from George Mason – “A Miller's Perspective”
Farm walk

Registration and refreshments will be available from 2:00pm, with presentations commencing at 2:20pm, and a buffet will be provided before departure at 5:00pm.

This meeting is free to attend, but please book a place so we can organise catering.

BASIS and NRoSO points will be available for attending.

Please bring suitable footwear and clothing for a field walk.

What three words address: /// lobster.dried.tripled

Find out more about AHDB Farm Excellence