If you came along to Dairy-Tech earlier this month, then we hope you agree that it was one of the best Dairy-Tech events we have hosted to date. Not only did we have record numbers attend, but we also attracted big names such as Google, who delivered our keynote session discussing all things consumers.
For those lucky enough to get a seat in the jam-packed Hubs, then you'll have heard from some key industry figures, including Arla's Paul Savage, Bali Nijjar from Freshways and Agriculture Counsellor Hillary Curnow from the New Zealand High Commission. We are very thankful to all our supporters, from sponsors, exhibitors, stewards, speakers and visitors, without whom such an event would not be possible.
Dairy-Tech also saw the presentation of several prestigious industry awards, the pinnacle of which was the announcement of the NMR RABDF Gold Cup winner, which went to Bisterne Farms in Dorset. The farm is one of the first in the competition's history to receive the award with a crossbred, low-input, grass-based herd.
Estate owner Hallam Mills and contract farming partner George Brown are milking 600 cows within the 1,500-ha estate near Ringwood, focusing on producing milk from grazed grass. They produce 3,730 litres of milk from forage and have a target to reach 4,000 litres with cows yielding 550kg of milk solids per cow per lactation.
Plans are already underway for the Gold Cup Open Day, which will take place this summer. Keep posted on our website for more information about this.
Dairy-Tech also showcased the high calibre of young people entering the industry with our various awards, such as the Dairy Student of the Year award won by Jon Witter from Harper Adams and our Farm Health Management Awards. The judges of these awards commented on the high quality of entries, which bodes well for the future of our sector.
As well as plans progressing for the NMR RABDF Gold Cup Open Day, the same is true for Down to Earth, taking place on 3rd July at Grosvenor Farms in Cheshire. This is the third year we have run the popular award-winning event, and, as always, it will be jam-packed with speakers, practical demos and farm tours running throughout the day to help visitors see how they can transition towards more environmentally acceptable systems. You can find out more about this popular event at www.projectdowntoearth.co.uk
We hope the success of Dairy-Tech will continue throughout all our events this year. If you did attend Dairy-Tech and have any feedback for our team, then please fill out a visitor survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJZDSX3
And remember, if you are an RABDF Member, access to events such as Dairy-Tech and Down to Earth is free. For more information on membership, visit rabdf.co.uk/become-an-rabdf-member
All the best,
Matt