Farming

Red clover plays important role in reducing livestock farm’s input costs

Published

1 year ago

September 27, 2023

PROTEIN-RICH red clover is helping a Welsh livestock farm achieve a total cost of production of less than £3/kg deadweight in its lambs.

Dafydd and Glenys Parry Jones have been farming organically at Maesllwyni since 2001, running a flock of 700 Texel and Aberfield cross ewes and 60 Hereford cross cattle on the upland holding near Machynlleth.

Red clover has been a key component in their system since then, and increasingly so – in the last three years cattle have been fattened solely on it and lambs spend their last two weeks before slaughter grazing these leys.

By continually fixing nitrogen and releasing it when grazed and cut, red clover is not only an important source of feed for the livestock at Maesllwyni but for soil health and nutrition too. At a recent Farming Connect open day at the farm, Mr Jones shared the knowledge he has gained from two decades of growing and feeding the crop.

Twenty hectares (ha) are grown within a rotation on 60ha of silage ground where fields are reseeded every 11 years. By favouring varieties including AberChianti and AberClaret, leys have a five year longevity if looked after, including by not grazing in the winter.

The crop is established in May after ploughing. The farm’s top soil layer is shallow therefore only the top 10cm are cultivated.

Oats, barley, peas and vetches are incorporated in the mix. “The arable mix cleans the field up and creates a canopy to keep the weeds down,’’ said Mr Jones.

The silage is mainly fed to pregnant ewes in the last two weeks before lambing.

Red clover seed is established at a depth of just 5mm and the arable silage at 7.5-10cm.

“We just let the arable seed sit on top of the furrows and find that it works fine,’’ said Mr Jones.

Establishment had previously been in July but by getting the seed into the ground in May it gives red clover an advantage in that first year. “The clover really starts to take off in the middle of the summer,’’ said Mr Jones.

The soil is chain harrowed and rolled after seeding. A bulky first cut is taken in June, the forage wilted for 24 hours, and a second, higher quality cut at the beginning of August, with 48-hour wilting.

“We cut the red clover at a young stage for silaging, to prevent the stem becoming unpalatable for sheep,’’ Mr Jones explains.

The first cut is clamped and the second preserved as big bales. A plastic conditioner is used on the mower to decrease leaf damage.

At over 18% protein, it is a protein-rich crop therefore it is established with companion grasses to provide fibre and energy to help retain that protein in the rumen for longer.

“Producing protein is one thing but you need to have something to absorb it,’’ said Mr Jones.

There are other benefits too from plants and herbs included in the mix, he said.

“Trefoil has tannins which help keep livestock healthy and, as our soils are low in copper, chicory helps to bring that mineral up the soil structure.’’

The target analysis for red clover silage is at least 18% protein, metabolic energy (ME) greater than 11, a digestibility (D) value of over 70 and dry matter at more than 30%.

“Clover doesn’t have a lot of sugar in it so I use an additive to help with the ensiling and to quickly get the pH level down,’’ said Mr Jones.

He doesn’t allow red clover to grow too high before turning sheep onto it. “The stem mustn’t get too thick because the sheep don’t like it when it gets to that stage.’’

For grazing, ewes and lambs get priority in the spring, to get lambs fattened and sold, and after 1 July it is cattle that get the first bite.

“We fatten lambs on red clover but not for too long otherwise they get too big and fat,’’ Mr Jones explained. They are grazed for two weeks and then weighed.

No concentrates are fed, largely thanks to the high-quality red and white clover silages and excellent grazing management.

This has helped decrease total cost of production to under £3/kg deadweight in lambs.

“In many systems it is the Single Farm Payment that is the profit but by keeping our costs down the lamb is the profit and the payment is a bonus,’’ said Mr Jones.

Carbon footprint in his lamb system is 11.4kg C02/kg liveweight. Cattle are finished at 20 months – they can achieve daily liveweight gains of up to 1.6kg when grazing red clover.

Soil is regularly sampled – the red clover and herbal ley fields consistently at 6-6.5pH. Healthy soils are important for beneficial insects too, such as the dung beetle, which is adept at recycling nutrients.

Lynfa Davies, Farming Connect Biodiversity Specialist, advised farmers attending the open day that the dung beetle plays a vital role in livestock systems through dung pat management and parasite control.

“Having good populations of dung beetles is a ‘win win’ as it reduces parasite loads as well as getting nutrients underground to feed that next flush of grass, and they also provide feed for other wildlife and birds,’’ she said.

Good populations of dung beetles also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production as they draw faecal matter down into the soil. They are very vulnerable to anthelmintics, in particular ivermectins.

Ms Davies said, treating animals that have a proven parasite burden, by using faecal egg counting to establish worm levels, will promote and preserve dung beetle populations.

Grazing livestock all the year round is beneficial too as different species of dung beetle are prevalent at different times of the year.

“It doesn’t have to be prime cattle, perhaps some youngstock or sheep,’’ said Ms Davies. “If there are farms in the locality that have stock in fields all the year round that will help too.’’

The open day was facilitated by Farming Connect Red Meat Sector Officer Owain Pugh.

He said the Jones family were demonstrating how important crops like red clover were in reducing inputs.

“The image of Welsh farming is very important now and will be even more so in the future and cutting out proteins with high carbon footprints such as soya is paramount,’’ he said.

A number of projects trialling systems for reducing inputs are being carried out on the Farming Connect Our Farms network.

Farming

Legume trial helps inform public sector food procurement ambitions

Published

3 days ago

October 10, 2024

Tom Sinclair

LESONS learned from the first season of growing legumes and heritage varieties of wheat on a Carmarthenshire farm will help inform decision making on how farmers and growers can produce more food for local supply.

Through its Our Farms network, Farming Connect has funded a field-scale legume production trial at Bremenda Isaf Farm, a 40-hectare county council-owned holding at Llanarthne.

Here, the Bwyd Sir Gâr Food partnership is growing food with public sector procurement in mind.

During a recent Farming Connect open day at the farm, hosted by the partnership’s co-ordinator, Augusta Lewis, and head grower, Piers Lunt, other food producers learned what had gone well – and what had not gone so well – during the first season.

The Farming Connect trial was instigated to explore how protein could be grown locally for public sector supply, such as in schools and care homes.

Menu redesign by Carmarthenshire County Council is examining food sourcing and sustainability, and replacing items that can be produced more locally and sustainably, including plant protein, where possible.

“We want to demonstrate that we can produce the ‘eat well’ plate in Carmarthenshire, that we can produce high quality protein and good cereals adapted to our climate and to process them, and grow fruit and veg. If we can do all of that on one farm, other farmers can do it as well,’’ said Augusta.

With support from Farming Connect’s Advisory Service, a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) was carried out at Bremenda Isaf to establish the soil nutrient status on this former livestock farm.

“It’s really important to have that insight first up,’’ said Augusta.

Soil testing showed that the farm’s deep alluvial soils are highly fertile.

“The NMP came back revealing some very interesting data in relation to our soils which very much changed the plans,’’ Augusta explained.

“The soils are very high in phosphorous which you would expect from historic slurry application so we do not have a fertility problem here at all and, as we have learned more about soil, we understand that high phosphorus levels potentially lock up other nutrients so, in terms of crop health and vitality, we are looking at creating a balance which means no additional inputs for the time being, apart from lime to raise pH.’’

Support was also received from Farming Connect through its mentoring service with input from Marina O’Connell and Rachel Phillips of the Apricot Centre in Devon, a stacked mixed enterprise which is a model Bremenda Isaf aspires to, and from organic grower, Iain Tolhurst, who has advised on field scale production and is producing a rotation plan.

Bremenda Isaf is currently converting to organic certification, although it already grows to those principles.

The Farming Connect trial explored which legumes perform well in the West Wales climate.

Carlin and Daytona peas were grown and some were intercropped with the heritage wheat varieties, April Bearded and Malika, to establish benefits for soil health, for example reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers and also biodiversity value in terms of pollinator opportunity within the sward.

The trial faced a significant challenge from exceptional levels of rainfall ahead of establishment.

“We had an extremely unprecedented wet winter and that meant our tenant grazier was unable to get on the land to take off the silage and lime application was delayed,’’ said Augusta.

This meant that the wheat and legumes could not be planted until the beginning of June, she added.

“It was very late but we decided that we would plant anyway in the spirit that we will learn something, and we really have learned a lot.

“There is a lot of risk involved with growing cereals, people who have been in the game for a very long time can have a disastrous season if it is exceptionally wet or dry but the great thing about doing trial size plots is that the risk is not too great.’’

Germination rate in the Daytona peas was poor, she reported, and harvesting of the crops will be very late, if at all, but soil and quadrat sampling will provide useful information on any impacts the intercropping has had on soil biomass levels.

“We have learned a tremendous amount about the growing habits of these varieties and we are confident that even over one growing season we will begin to see how intercropping can make a difference to soil health.’’

Hannah Norman, horticulture sector officer for the Farming Connect technical team, urged other commercial growers and market gardeners to tap into the resources available through Farming Connect to help with their own plans.

These include the Advisory Service, with up to 90% funded up to £3,000 per registered business, for accessing technical advice, business planning and other services.

Charity

Arla supporting charities in Wales to increase access to daily dairy

Published

3 days ago

October 10, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CHARITIES in Wales are receiving support from dairy cooperative Arla to help those in need increase their intake of dairy.

As part of a nationwide initiative to ensure fresh dairy provision in charities, local schemes including Sirhowy Community Centre, Canolfan y Bont Food Bank and Cwtch Angels Abergavenny will benefit from the donation of fully-stocked-and-sponsored fridges from Arla.

This comes after insights from the charity FareShare estimated 450,000 people who rely on its schemes do not have access to fresh dairy, with many forced to decline donations due to a lack of storage facilities.

In a recent survey of its charity partners, almost all (96%) said fresh dairy was in high demand and that they weren’t able to store enough on site to meet the needs of users, while all agreed that not having enough fridge space prevented them from always offering the most nutritious products to the people they support.

To mark the start of this initiative and raise awareness of this issue, Arla has also launched the world’s first free milk ATM machine in London. The innovative milk dispensing machine appeared in North London earlier this week and allowed people to receive fresh milk at the push of a button.

Jonathan Dixon, Senior Vice President at Arla said: “We are on a mission to enhance the accessibility of nutritious dairy products for communities across the UK. Too many charities have to turn away fresh dairy donations because they have nowhere to store it, but by working with FareShare we hope to overcome that.”

Ben Ashmore, Head of External Affairs at FareShare, said: “Our charities report that the demand for nutritious dairy products in Wales is increasing, but many lack the infrastructure to store refrigerated items safely. Thanks to Arla’s generous commitment to donating fridges to charities across the UK, many of these organisations can now offer a more varied range of nutritious food.

“This donation helps strengthen the capacity of our charity network, enabling them to support their communities better. We are incredibly grateful to Arla for their ongoing support in helping us turn surplus food into a force for good, reducing waste, and creating healthier, more resilient communities.”

Research from Arla found that across the UK, half of Brits couldn’t imagine not having access to milk on a daily basis, with 76 per cent consuming it at least a few times a week.

More than a third (35 per cent) admitted they’d struggle if they didn’t have access to milk, with 53 per cent of the opinion that everyone should be able to easily get dairy based foods.

However, 62 per cent weren’t aware that not all food banks have fridges and therefore can’t store fresh dairy products.

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, Specialist Dietitian, told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “As a registered dietitian, I strongly support initiatives like this that provide increased access to dairy products.

“A 200ml glass of milk provides protein, as well as the minerals calcium and iodine too, so regular consumption can help ensure we meet our daily needs for these particular nutrients.

“Having access to fresh milk can also encourage healthier eating habits, such as making time for breakfast. A nutritious breakfast might include wholegrain cereal, milk, and fruit, providing a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fibre to start the day well.”

Arla has been a dedicated and longstanding charity partner with FareShare for over eight years, continuing to support the valuable work they do across the country. During this time, the equivalent of more than 10 million meals have been diverted to help feed and support those in need across the UK.

Farming

Welsh farmers and landowners warned of autumn event risks amid rising safety concerns

Published

3 days ago

October 10, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A RURAL insurance expert is urging Welsh farmers and landowners to prioritise public safety as autumn festivities, including scarecrow festivals, bonfires and outdoor gatherings gain popularity.

“Autumn events are a great way to bring communities together, but they can draw large crowds and carry serious risks that landowners must address,” said Freddie Hamilton-Russell of insurance broker Lycetts.

“Ensuring adequate insurance and safety measures are in place is crucial to avoiding costly claims.”

Fire hazards from bonfires and fireworks were highlighted by Hamilton-Russell as one of the biggest risks.

“Farms with dry crops and hay bales are particularly vulnerable to fire,” he warned.

“Without proper supervision and safety protocols, festive gatherings can endanger both property and lives.”

He pointed out the public liability risks posed by accidents, such as slips on muddy paths, incidents during activities such as pumpkin carving or vehicle damage in unmarked parking areas – all of which can result in significant compensation claims.

Ahead of autumn events, Hamilton-Russell stressed the importance of reviewing insurance cover to ensure it fully addresses the full range of planned activities.

Livestock, he noted, can also present challenges.

“If animals are not adequately fenced off, they may interact with visitors, leading to potential injuries or escapes,” he said.

In addition, temporary event structures, such as marquees and stages, as well as seasonal decorations, are vulnerable to damage from high winds or vandalism. Hamilton-Russell urged landowners to ensure all structures are securely installed and adequately insured.

He also emphasised the importance of event organisers and landowners obtaining permission from local authorities, who will consider a range of factors from disturbance to neighbours and traffic congestion to fire hazards and water supply.

“Moreover, visitor safety is paramount,” he added. “For events involving bonfires or fireworks, precautions should include creating firebreaks, keeping water or fire extinguishers nearby and having a responsible person overseeing the fire.

“Event spaces, walkways and parking areas should be clearly marked and well-lit to minimise the risk of accidents. Temporary structures should be securely installed and landowners should monitor weather conditions closely, with contingency plans in place for storms or high winds.”

Hamilton-Russell further advised landowners and event organisers to be fully aware of all insurance terms and conditions.

“Adhering to these requirements and ensuring that all parties involved are informed of any restrictions is vital,” he stressed.

“Taking these precautions will help safeguard both the landowner and the local community from unexpected incidents.”