Farming

Bath and West Dairy Show goes ahead

Published

4 years ago

September 3, 2020

DAIRY producers will at last be able to get out and about to meet colleagues, see new kit & hear from expert speakers, with the welcome news that the Royal Bath and West Dairy Show will go ahead on October 7 and it will be celebrating its 40th anniversary.

So what has changed over the years, both within the industry and the event itself?

Allen Cotton OBE, current vice president of the Royal Bath & West Society, has not missed a single show in 39 years, having been an original committee member. “I remember sitting round a table and trying decide what time of year to have it – we decided on the first Thursday in October before the carparks got too wet.”

The event was even held during the foot-and-mouth outbreak, albeit in January without any cattle. And it’s a similar situation this year as there won’t be any cattle due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Without the cattle we have more space to spread the trade stands out so that could be an advantage.”

So what else has changed over the years? “The breeds have changed a lot – the numbers of Holstein Friesians have reduced and have been replaced by Jerseys and Guernseys,” says Mr Cotton. The Holstein Friesians are also bigger, and the udders on the animals have improved – which is reflected by the higher yields that farmers are achieving, he adds. “We used to produce around 6,000 litres a cow – a 9,000 litre cow was quite exceptional really; now some people’s herds average that.”

Technology has significantly changed over the years too. “When the show began many people were still milking into buckets – now we have robots milking cows.”

There is also more emphasis on the business aspects of dairy farming, so it’s unsurprising that the seminars remain a popular feature of the show. The hot topic 40 years ago was dairy herd management, with seminars on improving grassland productivity and breeding policies.

The latter certainly draws parallels to this year’s seminar theme: ‘Breeding the cow of the future’, with speakers examining how producers can use pedigree genetics or crossbreeding to produce the optimum cow for their system.
So what does the future hold? According to Mr Cotton’s son David – who is now chairman of the committee – the industry is always evolving, and the show with it. “The drive for me is presenting ideas for the future and getting the next generation involved. The show is also a great opportunity to socialise; catching up with people you may not have seen since last year.”

Although things will be a little more challenging this year to comply with the latest guidance and safety measures, the advantage of its location is that there is plenty of space and open air, says David. “The main thing is that people need to book online, for track and trace – our aim is to put on a good show where people can see the latest technologies, hear from expert speakers and network in a safe and open environment.”

Farming

Collaboration at the heart of new funding scheme for farmers

Published

2 days ago

September 9, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE development phase of the new Integrated Natural Resources Scheme (INRS) is open for applications until 27 September.

The INRS will enable farmers and others to work together to improve our natural resources and deliver benefits to farm and rural businesses.

A webinar has been arranged by Farming Connect on 11 September to give farmers the chance to learn more about the scheme and ask questions.

Although the scheme is separate from the Sustainable Farming Scheme it will be used to inform the collaborative element of the scheme during this interim period.

This scheme forms part of a preparatory phase of activities which may lead to collaborative projects ready to participate in the Collaboration Layer of the Sustainable Farming Scheme when it is introduced.

The scheme will provide funding for implementing nature-based solutions at the appropriate scale, targeting action and interventions to enhance and sustainably manage our natural resources.

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “The scheme has been developed to focus on collaborative action – enabling farmers and land managers to do something they do very well – which is working together to deliver innovative solutions. These projects will improve our natural resources in a way which delivers benefits to farm and rural businesses, rural communities, and wider societal benefits.

“We are committed to supporting farmers to produce food in a sustainable way, whilst taking action to respond to the climate emergency and to help reverse the decline in biodiversity.”

This could include projects which enhance our carbon-rich soils such as peatlands, creating and managing woodland, implementing natural flood risk management, enhancing access and public engagement, protecting landscape and historic features. Or, deliver actions to enhance priority and semi natural habitats, improving the connectivity, scale, adaptability, or diversity of semi natural habitats and our natural features, ensuring ecosystem resilience. Projects could also strengthen the resilience of Wales’ network of protected sites by working at a landscape scale to improve connectivity and condition.

Further information is available here www.gov.wales/integrated-natural-resources-scheme-rules-booklet-html

Farming

Royal Welsh Winter Fair livestock competitions schedule now available

Published

2 days ago

September 9, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE livestock competitions schedule for the 2024 Royal Welsh Winter Fair is now available online.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society is inviting farmers, breeders and exhibitors to visit the official website – https://rwas.wales/winter-fair/competitions/ – to view the full competition details, entry requirements and key dates.

This year’s winter fair, scheduled for November 25 and 26, promises to showcase the best livestock from across the country in a festive celebration.

Pictured above: The supreme cattle champion at last year’s winter fair.

Farming

Funded Farming Connect services lightens financial burden for family farm

Published

2 days ago

September 9, 2024

Tom Sinclair

INVESTING in skills training and business advice can be expensive for a family farm, but securing subsided and fully-funded Farming Connect courses and services has lightened the financial burden for a third-generation Radnorshire poultry and livestock producer.

George Wozencraft is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Abraham, and father, Malcolm, at Glanalders, Nantmel.

Beef is produced from a 30-cow suckler herd and lamb from 250 Improved Welsh and Welsh Mule ewes.

In 2011, the Wozencrafts diversified into free range egg production with a 16,000-bird system, now producing eggs for Stonegate from Clarence Court hens.

To help put the business on a firm footing for the future, George has accessed a range of Farming Connect services.

As a member of its Radnorshire business discussion group, he has been encouraged to assess all aspects of his business, including scrutinising costs.

This exercise has proved invaluable in helping him to understand which enterprises are performing the best, to inform growth and investment going forward.

To build on this, George has also completed a Farming Connect e-learning course on understanding the fundamentals to a successful business and completed a book keeping course through the Farming Connect skills programme.

Under the Farming Connect Our Farms Network, he has embarked on a project helping him to improve efficiency and bird welfare in his poultry flock, while sharing that knowledge with other producers too.

The project has seen him replacing strip lights with LED lighting to become more
self-sufficient in energy while improving bird health and welfare and reducing the farms carbon footprint.

“We are looking at our electricity costs and the savings we are making, and any improvements to bird welfare from having low intensity lighting,’’ George explains.

The results of this on-farm project, which has included input from his packer, vet and genetics supplier, will be shared with other farmers later this Autumn in an open event.

To further improve efficiency, he is also targeting home-produced nutrients to where they are needed, informed by a Nutrient Management Plan funded by Farming Connect.

Twenty soil samples were taken and, based on these results, lime has been applied to improve pH levels and reduce reliance on synthetic fertiliser.

Farming Connect has not only helped to encourage that responsible approach to soil fertility but responsible and effective use of medicine too.

Through a Farming Connect clinic involving Ddole Road Vets George says he now better understands the importance of using antibiotics only when and where they are needed.

“The clinic concentrated my mind on the value of targeting treatments, not just the benefits of reducing those to prevent resistance but reducing our costs too because if we don’t need to use antibiotics then we are saving money.’’

Farm safety and first aid are at the forefront of George’s mind with recent deaths and accidents involving fellow farmers.

To ensure that he is better informed on how to react in an emergency situation he has undertaken an emergency first aid at work course, part-funded by Farming Connect, and completed a health and safety e-learning module.

George’s wife, Kate, is a nurse but should a medical emergency arise while she is off-farm, he knew he needed to be in a position to respond.

A new addition to the family, their son, Bertie, added further significance to that.

When George looks to the future, he also appreciates that there is much knowledge he can gain from farmers who have been in the industry for longer than him.

He therefore applied to the Farming Connect mentoring service and was matched to beef and sheep producer John Yeomans.

“We wanted to improve calving and our calf growth rates and knew that John was a good role model in how to produce cattle well, I am really looking forward to working through some of our issues with him,’’ says George.

After experiencing first-hand the benefits Farming Connect services have brought to him personally and to the farm business, he encourages other farmers to tap into these too.

“I had never been someone to make the most of what is out there until recently but I am so pleased that I now am,’’ he says.

“If we don’t use these services, it might be that one day they will no longer be available to us.

“So many of them are heavily subsidised or fully funded, it just doesn’t make sense to not make full use of what is on offer.’’

Completed activity is automatically recorded on Farming Connect’s secure online data storage tool ‘Storfa Sgiliau’ and can be easily accessed at any time.