Irish farmers have some really sound advice at their fingertips thanks to the work of researchers at Moorepark Farm. The work done here is funded by Teagasc, The Agriculture and Food Development Authority and it’s well worth a look at their website if your making plans for the grazing season ahead. Researchers have recently come…
I can’t find much information on the websites of major retailers about the farms they source their milk from. Most of what is available makes reference to high welfare standards but lacks any real detail. Similarly, when it comes to how the cows are managed and, in particular the contribution from grazing, there is little…
The French public research institute, Institut Nationale de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) has produced some interesting findings on healthy fats in milk. Researchers in the INRA-INSERM-University Aix-Marseilles Joint Research Unit for Human Nutrition and Lipids: Bioavailability, Metabolism and Regulation, wished to compare the effects on the cardiovascular risk of two types of dairy fats: those…
An article on TheDairySite.com reveals that Nestle is to invest in developing its largest milk district in China, to help the country deliver high quality and fresh milk. The mayor of Shuangcheng has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Nestle to jointly develop modern milk production to ensure the region becomes a leading milk…
I attended a very interesting meeting at Kinston Maurward College today, which was all about out-wintering cattle. The meeting was run by the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), based at The University of Aberystwyth. There were two excellent farmer presentations from Clyde Jones and Chris Barnes, who shared their experiences of out-wintering…
I stumbled upon this website www.eatwild.com which contains some interesting points about pasture-fed livestock. It has been set up by a New York Times best-selling writer called Jo Robinson, author of a book called ‘Pasture Perfect’. The website is very much about farming and food production in the USA but she presents some interesting findings…
Latest figures from DairyCo show the effect of recent supermarket price wars on margins throughout the milk supply chain. The average farmgate price (the price paid to farmers) of 27 pence per litre, was 12 percent higher the previous year, but still fails to reflect the substantial increase in feed, fertiliser and other inputs. The way…
I attended the Pasture to Profit Conference held near Worcester last November. It was a really stimulating gathering, even though I don’t run a spring calving herd along the lines of a New Zealand style system. Several of the speakers highlighted the potential to produce milk form grass and there are lessons we can all…
Promoting our farming and our milk is essential if we are to win the support of UK consumers. LEAF have been running Open Farm Sunday for the last seven years and it provides a fantastic opportunity to instil value in our farms and our cows. This year Open Farm Sunday takes place on June 17th.…