Cymraeg These resources look at how to manage your grassland system to minimise other input costs such as nitrogen fertilisers and housing. In Part 2, we’ll be exploring practical steps towards extending your grazing season and the benefits of outwintering your herd.
Intensive Grazing: Boode Farm
Catchment Sensitive Farming Farm Business Benefits Case Study 7
The case study outlines the use of CSF measures to reduce water pollution and gives details on the business benefits for the farm’s grass, soil and cows, as well as the notable cost savings per litre of milk that he has achieved.
Bill & Cath Grayson farmer profile
Bill and Cath run the Morecambe Bay Conservation Grazing Company (MBCGC) in north Lancashire / south Cumbria where they’ve been based now for about 30 years. They graze our livestock on a scattered area of land consisting of around 40 separate sites, most of which are managed as nature reserves by the conservation bodies that own them.
Tall Grass Grazing: watch different farms and projects try out mob grazing on their land – video
In this short film, ‘Tall Grass Grazing’, watch various farms and projects around Scotland trial mob grazing on their land. Featuring Mossgiel Farm in Ayrshire, Balcaskie Estate in Fife, Lynbreck Croft in Grantown on Spey and The Sailean Project in Lismore – along with experts Rob Havard and Tom Chapman and members of the UK’s only mob grazing field lab – see how mob grazing works in a variety of situations and settings.
Read more here: https://soilassociation.co/3Deqsh1
Paul & Nic Renison farmer profile
Paul and Nic are strong believers in the huge benefits of grass-fed livestock; to the environment, to health, and also the bottom line.
Sustainable economic and ecological grazing systems – learning from innovative practitioners (SEEGSLIP) project page with project outputs
SEEGSLIP sought to evidence the practices of Pasture for Life Association (PFLA) producers and farmer members using holistic, system-based approaches. Our findings show that whilst such systems in Great Britain are highly variable according to practitioner, location and practice they are economically viable and deliver wide ranging public goods.
Chris Jones farmer profile
Woodland Valley Farm is a 170-acre organic dairy farm situated in mid-Cornwall in a secluded valley, incorporating 26 acres of woodland, streams, ponds and wetland.
We now have a herd of 60 Jersey-cross dairy cattle which feed on grasses from herb-rich pastures with silage and hay during the winter. We practice rotational grazing – the cattle eat everything, including ‘weeds’ and are encouraged to browse hedges. Herb planted amongst the grasses allows them to self-medicate and means we rarely intervene with antibiotics and supplements.
AHDB / BHS Herbal leys webinar series
The AHDB joined forces with the British Grassland Society to hold a series of four webinars exploring issues surrounding herbal leys. The first, which took place in July 2020 (accessible by the link above), focused on livestock performance and environmental improvements. It features Paul Muto (Natural England), Professor Chris Reynolds (University of Reading), Sam Lane (Cotswold Seeds), and dairy farmer and Nuffield scholar Rob Richmond. They discuss the impact of herbal leys on animal performance and soil health and share experiences of establishment and management, focusing on how to select and grow, animal performance, and herbal leys in agri-environment schemes. The second webinar focused on ‘establishment – looking forward to 2021,’ the third on ‘considerations beyond the price tag’ (from both a research and practical farming perspective), and the fourth on ‘feeding and grazing management.’
Feeding dairy cows in winter – article published in Organic Farming journal (provides practical approaches to reducing reliance on concentrate feeds)
Growing your own organic feedstuffs can reduce reliance on expensive concentrates, benefit your herd, soils and financial performance, and strengthen collaboration with your organic neighbours. This article published in the journal Organic Farming provides practical approaches to reducing reliance on concentrate feeds, mainly based on Devon-based organic dairy farmer Henry Gent’s positive experiences.
Out-Wintering of Cattle – NADIS Animal Health Skills
Out-wintering beef cattle has several potential advantages over housing but these have to be very carefully weighed against possible concerns over cow welfare during severe weather and under unsuitable field conditions.
Alternative winter systems to housing cattle and sheep – AHDB
Find out about outwintering, deferred grazing and outdoor straw pads. Read our tips and advice, including how to manage environmental impact.
