The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has released details of the first three of ten new strategic dairy farms.
The three farms are Lydney Park Farms, Dillington Farms, and Moorhouse Hall Farm, which will be platforms for farmer-to-farmer learning via on-farm and virtual events as part of the AHDB strategic dairy farm network.
There will be a launch event for each farm which will include a farm tour, and an opportunity to find out more about operations, performance figures, and goals for the farm.
The meeting dates for the three new strategic dairy farm launches are:
- October 12 – Lydney Park, Gloucestershire;
- October 25 – Dillington Farms, Somerset;
- November 7 – Moorhouse Hall Farm, Cumbria.
AHDB senior knowledge exchange manager for dairy, Doreen Anderson, is “strongly” encouraging dairy farmers to consider attending the launch events.
“Listening to farmers challenge and support each other while discussing ideas for improving their businesses is amazing,” she said.
“Ideas are constantly being shared both between the farmers individually and between AHDB and the farmers, driving positive change for everyone involved.”
Three new strategic dairy farms
Lydney Park Farms
Lydney Park Farms is part of the Lydney Park Estate in Gloucestershire. A team managed by Gavin Green milks 850 Jersey-cross cows twice a day, producing around 4,750L of milk and calving in a 10-week block that starts in the spring.
The farm grows around 12.5–15t dry matter (DM)/ha most years, and as part of the strategic dairy farm programme, plans to implement changes to its system to adapt to the principles of their consumer-conscious milk buyer.
Dillington Farms
Dillington Farms is a mixed farming business in Somerset with dairying at its heart. With tourism and an array of enterprises running on the estate, farming that both enhances the environment and drives profit is a priority.
This 870ha farm focuses on renewable energy and homegrown feeds and is involved in an extensive mid-tier scheme.
The herd comprises a dairy herd of around 350 cross-bred cows, yielding approximately 10,800L/cow/year and calving all year round.
“The programme is a great opportunity to work with different people from around the industry,” Ollie Blackburn, farm manager at Dillington Farms.
“The estate and our farming policies have changed massively over the last few years, and we are now very environmentally focused and trying to do things in a more sustainable way.
“While we feel that we may be doing things slightly differently to others, it is always good to be challenged in a positive way, and we can’t wait to share our experiences and learn from others.”
Moorhouse Hall
Moorhouse Hall in Wigton is a family run farm with 100 Holstein cows following an autumn calving cycle. The herd is genomically tested for superior genetics, and the farm champions multi-cut silage practices.
The farm produces an impressive 3,500−4,500 L of milk from forage and is partnered with First Milk.
