Five Students Shortlisted for Coveted Farm Health Management Awards

Five finalists from colleges and universities across the UK have been shortlisted for this year's Farm Health Management Awards, sponsored by Volac.  

Students from Bristol Vet School, Harper Adams University, Royal Agricultural University, and Duchy College will vie for the coveted trophies when the winners are announced at Dairy-Tech 2023 on 1st February at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. 

The awards, judged this year by RABDF Policy Director Tim Brigstoke and Council Member and Vet Sarah Tomlinson, aim to demonstrate and test the students' knowledge of proactive farm health management. 

The competition is split into three categories: students at agricultural colleges, agricultural universities and vet schools, and is open to students in all year groups.  

Each student had to submit a 1,500-word essay on proactive farm health management.  

This year's finalists are:  

Vet school  

- Jack Rust (Bristol Vet School) 

University  

- Alexandra Godfrey (Royal Agricultural University) 

- Marley Lamerton (Harper Adams University) 

College  

- David Isaac (Duchy College) 

- Laura Butt (Duchy College)  

The winners for each category will be announced at 12:00pm on the Volac stand and will take away a £500 cash prize.  

Commenting on this year's finalists, judge and RABDF Policy Director Tim Brigstocke said: "This year's finalists all had a good awareness of biosecurity as well as its inclusivity into farm health planning. Training was also something they all emphasised as being important." 

Matthew Knight, Managing Director at RABDF, added: "Farm Health Management is an integral part of running a productive and profitable farm and is integral to delivering health and welfare improvements as part of Defra's Animal Health and Welfare Pathway."  

For more information about Dairy-Tech 2023, visit dairy-tech.uk  

TOP HERDS LINE UP FOR 2022 NMR RABDF GOLD CUP TITLE

Sponsors of the Gold Cup, RABDF and NMR, have announced the finalists for the 2022 award. The five finalists include two dairy businesses from Scotland, and three from the south and southwest of England.

They are:

·       Liz Birkett, Rookhaye Farm, Bowerchalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire

·       Chris and Helen Ford, C&H Ford Farm Ltd, Peadon Farm, Fiddington, Bridgwater, Somerset

·       Alistair Logan, Holehouse Farms, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire

·       Andrew, Oliver & Wendy Reed, France Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon

·       Stuart Orr, Messers George Orr, Kaemuir Farm, Avonbridge

Herds qualify for entry into the Gold Cup by meeting the competition’s criteria provided by their milk recording organisation, or via nomination from their discussion group or a company.

All entrants completed a detailed form with information on their system, progress and targets for the business. Finalists are selected by a panel of judges and go forward to an on farm inspection, this year carried out by RABDF’s council members Di Wastenage and Peter Alvis and 2019 Gold Cup winner Robert Sloan.

The winner will be announced at Dairy-Tech, on the NMR stand at 4pm Wednesday February 1, 2023, along with the winners of the Chris May award, the NMR Silver Salver, The Lilyhill Cup and the Chairman’s Cup.

ENDS

The presentations in February 2022 will include the following:

·       RABDF NMR Gold Cup

·       Chris May Award for the Gold Cup qualifying herd with the highest herd lifetime daily yield.

·       NMR Silver Salver for the Holstein herd with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production

·       Lilyhill Cup for the Jersey herd with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production

·       Chairman’s Cup for breeds, except Holstein and Jersey, with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production

All herds must meet minimum criteria set for entry to the Gold Cup of more than 100 cows/heifers in the milking herd, an annual average somatic cell count of 200,000 cells/ml or less, or 250,000 cells/ml for organic herds, and a minimum PLI value specific to the breed or calving system.

More information and photographs from:  

·       Sarah Alderton, farmgatemedia@outlook.com,  07739969198 

·       Karen Wright, karen@karenwrightpr.com, 07860 504047

About RABDF 

RABDF is the sole UK charity focussed on the unique needs of milk producers. They are the only dairy organisation holding a Royal Warrant, with the influence and access to funding that brings. 

About NMR  

NMR is the leading supplier of milk recording services in the UK and carries out milk quality testing for payment purposes, as well as extensive disease testing and screening services. 

Demand Drives Down to Earth Regenerative Livestock Event North and South in 2023

The UK's top regenerative farming event for livestock producers is back with two events next year, following unprecedented demand from the inaugural 2022 event held this summer.

A high input, high output dairy farm in Somerset and an organic and certified pasture-fed dairy farm in Cumbria will host the Down to Earth events in summer 2023.

On Wednesday, 21st June, Neil Baker will open his gates at Haselbury Plucknett, for visitors to see his high-yielding indoor herd of 1,800 predominately Holstein cows in action.

Cows are milked three times a day, producing 55,000l of milk. Neil farms 3,200 acres of owned, rented and contract-farmed land.

He is one of Arla's regenerative pilot farms and says for him, regenerative farming encompasses much more than simply focussing on the soil. Whilst he admits soils are a big area, he prefers using the word 'circular farming' over the regenerative farming phrase.

As part of the pilot project, he will be looking to grow maize without any chemical inputs, as well as understanding the economic side by calculating carbon emissions from 'ghost acres'.

Neil uses digestate from an AD plant on his farm on the crops he grows, including wheat, barley, peas and grass. He also has begun establishing important pollinator corridors, which provide a barrier for wildlife.

Neil says: "Regenerative farming means more than just selling the plough. It's thinking about the whole farm, as well as the staff and the community. They are all part of circular farming.”

Then, on Thursday, 6th July, Mark and Jenny Lee, Park House Farm, Torpenhow, will showcase their organic unit. Their farm consists of 175 milking crossbred cows, certified 100% pasture fed by Pasture for Life and mob-grazed on a 30-40 day rotation using 2.5km of grazing tracks.

Half of their milk goes into the farm's cheese-making business and the rest is sold to First Milk. They are also pioneering selling liquid milk directly to local cafes and farm shops using an innovative plastic saving system, Freshkeg They aim to achieve their milk's true value, proofing their farm for the future.

The Lee's lightbulb moment came when their cows actively sought out an area of a field to graze that had not been sprayed.

Mark says: "Every one of those cows coming into the field headed for the strip of untreated land to graze. Witnessing first hand how our cows actively sought and thrived on a more diverse diet was the very moment we started our journey into organic and committing the land at Park House Farm into regenerative farming."

In 2017 they began their organic conversion. They now have areas of silvopasture for grazing and have incorporated 80 pigs into the rotation, which work in poorly performing fields to help improve them.

Before bird flu restrictions, 1,800-2,000 free-range broiler chickens were also reared a year, helping improve the pasture through their organic muck.

Show organiser RABDF's Managing Director Matt Knight said: "We are excited to be back with two Down to Earth events next year. Both farms have their own unique regenerative farming story to tell and highlight the practices that can be implemented on such contrasting farming systems.

"The demand and buzz witnessed at this year's event highlight the thirst for knowledge. We hope these events will help develop farmers understanding of the principles and how they may benefit their farms."

More information on the event, including speakers and ticket sales, will be available in due course at projectdowntoearth.co.uk

Guidance for Slurry Infrastructure Grant Issued Ahead of Funding Window Opening

Defra has today (23 Nov) published guidance for the Slurry Infrastructure Grant, which will help English farmers fund improvements to their slurry storage ahead of applications opening next month.

From 6th December, farmers in England can apply for grants of up to £250,000 to improve their slurry storage, helping them to prevent water and air pollution and make the best of their organic nutrients.

According to Defra, around half of slurry stores in England are not fit-for-purpose, forcing farmers to spread slurry when there is no crop need, wasting valuable fertiliser and causing preventable air and water pollution. This means many farms can fail to comply with their legal obligations for storage and slurry spreading.

The first round of the Slurry Infrastructure grant will be administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), with £13 million available for livestock farmers to build six months of slurry storage capacity.

What the grant offers

Farmers can apply for grants of £25,000 - £250,000 towards the cost of slurry stores, covers and supporting equipment when they open next month. Grants can be used to build, replace or expand storage. They can also contribute towards a range of solutions like lagoons, steel and concrete ring tanks and large slurry bags. 

Commenting on the grant, Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “We know livestock farmers want to invest in slurry systems that support quality food production and protect the environment, but many are put off by high infrastructure costs and difficulty accessing finance.

“The Slurry Infrastructure grant will tackle this, helping farmers to invest in future-proof slurry storage that supports thriving farms while cutting pollution and allowing nature to prosper.”

When poorly managed, the nitrate and phosphate in slurry end up in rivers, streams and the sea and can cause harmful algal blooms which block sunlight and deplete oxygen, causing damage to natural habitats and wildlife.

Slurry also releases large amounts of ammonia into the atmosphere, which returns to the land as nitrogen. The build-up of nitrogen causes certain plants to thrive, limiting species diversity and harming vulnerable habitats.

It is hoped enlarging and covering slurry stores will help reduce the 60% of nitrate pollution, 25% of phosphate pollution and 87% of ammonia emissions from agriculture. It will also help farmers to cut costs on artificial fertilisers, delivering long-term productivity benefits through improved nutrient management and soil health.

Paul Caldwell, CEO of the RPA, added: “Improving slurry storage offers farmers an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of their businesses and cut input costs.

“We hope this scheme, which is the result of months of work with farmers and industry, will receive a significant number of applications for this first and future rounds.”

The grant builds on support Defra already provides for slurry equipment and best practice through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and Countryside Stewardship. It will offer farmers an opportunity to build storage systems that exceed storage regulations, support spreading regulations, and improve nutrient use on farm.

Download the guidance

The guidance explains what the grant offers, the scheme rules and how to apply. It also includes resources to help farmers plan their storage and information for Local Planning Authorities. The guidance can be downloaded here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/slurry-infrastructure-grant   

The online application window will run from 6 December until 31 January 2023. All applicants will be told whether they have been shortlisted for full application.

Depending on the demand in the first round, applicants will be prioritised in areas where action is most needed to reduce water and air pollution from agriculture.

Tickets Go on Sale for Dairy-Tech 2023 Featuring New Practical Areas

Discounted tickets are now on sale for Dairy-Tech 2023, on Wednesday, 1 February, at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, with new show features ready to greet visitors. 

A brand-new Lameness Village will help farmers get to grips with managing lameness in their herd with expert support, advice and tools available.  

This has been launched due to increasing focus on the issue as part of the government's Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, which pins lameness as one of its main priorities.  

There will also be lots of resource to help farmers get to grips with the rollout of the Environment Land Management (ELM) scheme, including talks from various Defra representatives, including Farming Minister Mark Spencer.  

Usual favourites are also featured, including the Dairy Hub, which offers guidance and insight on key industry issues and the Innovation Hub, where new products, ideas, technology and concepts will be discussed. 

Tickets bought before the show are priced at £17 per person compared to £20 at the door. In addition, members of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) receive two free complimentary tickets to the event. 

Show organiser and RABDF Managing Director Matthew Knight said: "Next year's event is designed to offer practical advice to farmers during what continues to be a volatile marketplace. 

"Whether it's understanding how to make the most out of ELMs or finding ways to cut costs, review your business or better your milk price, Dairy-Tech 2023 has it all. 

"We are also fortunate to welcome two renowned global dairy speakers- Prof Frank Mitloehner from the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis, USA, who will kick off proceedings by discussing what a sustainable dairy system looks like. He is joined by fellow US speaker Dr Matt Utt, Senior Dairy Product Analyst at Zoetis, who will outline how to hit the basics regarding dairy profitability." 

Mr Knight added: "Agriculture is going through some significant transitions, making Dairy-Tech 2023 the ideal place to keep abreast with what is happening in the industry and offering farmers and landowners the most appropriate advice to adapt to some of the changes. 

"It is also an opportune time for farmers to see some of the new technology available that could be eligible for grant support under the Farming Investment Fund. 

"Dairy-Tech prides itself on being the go-to place for everything relating to new technology, concepts and techniques and never has there been a time when embracing some of these new products has been as important." 

To find out more about the event, what's on and how to buy tickets, go https://dairy-tech.uk/visiting/buy-tickets/ 

About Dairy-Tech   

Dairy-Tech provides a platform for suppliers to meet the needs of a modern dairy professional, offer farmers support, information and advice to run sustainable and resilient dairy businesses and exposing them to a new and exciting industry innovations relevant to their business.  

RABDF Sends Condolences to Royal Family After Death of its Patron

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) is sending condolences to the Royal Family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II today (8 September), the Association’s Patron.  

The RABDF has an established relationship with the Royal Family, providing vital publicity and recognition for the work of the Association and the dairy industry.  

The Royal Family has supported many dairy awards organised by the RABDF, including the Princess Royal Award and the former Prince Philip Award, recognising excellence within the industry.  

Commenting on the news, RABDF Managing Director Matthew Knight said: “It with deep sadness we hear about the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.  

“Our Association has a long-standing relationship with the Royal Family, and the Queen’s strong connections to farming and rural life meant she was generous in the support she offered our charity and many others in the industry.  

“We are forever grateful for her work to promote agriculture, along with other members of the Royal Family, whom we continue to work with.  

“The Queen’s tireless work makes her one of the most adored and respected sovereigns in history,” he said.  

About RABDF 

RABDF is the sole UK charity focussed on the unique needs of milk producers. They are the only dairy organisation holding a Royal Warrant, with the influence and access to funding that brings.