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…
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.…
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…
We might be in the middle of winter right now but those longer, warmer days will return. Free Range Dairy plans to promote a number of event and activities that will engage consumers with our farms and cows in 2012. Take a look at this video, filmed in Holland. People there are given the opportunity…
Dear All Just to say I received another 39 printed survey FRD returns today, taking us to around 300 in total. It is really rewarding to find the odd hand written note stapled to survey forms actually saying “thank you – I think what you are doing is great”. HAPPY CHRISTMAS and thank again to…
The following from The Independent illustrates what might be achieved through building a better understanding of the way in which we farm. Although it would appear that shoppers have tightened their purse strings and switched to cheaper alternatives in some instances, they are demonstrating strong loyalty to Fairtrade products. This is exactly what I hope…
One or two people have asked me how I plan to get milk from Free Range Dairy farms collected, processed and distributed. But, it is important to understand that, in the first instance, Free Range Dairy is a movement rather than a brand. I want farmers to join this movement because they believe that pasture-based…
The other day, the 9th of November, we brought the last of milking herd indoors for the winter. After nearly eight months of grazing, it wasn’t a lack of grass or freezing temperatures that made our herd head indoors, it has simply got too wet for the ground to carry them. Those lazy hazy days…
I was interested to read in a recent edition of International Dairy Topics (Practical information for progressive dairy professionals) that modern day dairy cows are failing to provide milk of a suitable quality for feeding their offspring. According to Neil Birkett of Rosebeck Services, “The excess fat in cow’s milk is difficult to digest and…
Back in 2007, Edward Newsham was running a herd of spring calving cows, producing high quality milk from grass. However, the price he received for his milk was subject to a hefty ‘seasonality deduction’ from his milk buyer, due to the large volume of milk produced in the summer months. In pursuit of recognition for…
DEFRA have just published figures to show how the 773 million litres of milk taken in by dairies in England and Wales in August of this year was utilised. Around half goes into liquid milk but 122 million litres goes into making Cheddar cheese. You can download and view the report for more details of…
Ten years ago there were 2.25 million dairy cows in the UK. Figures released today, from DEFRA’s provisional June Census, show that the total dairy breeding herd fallen by 20% to 1.8 million cows in the last twelve months. That means we now have roughly one cow for every 33 people in the UK. I…
The film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a…
Pasture Promise TV is a new website hosting a series of films to highlight the benefits of pasture based farming. One of the films features Neil Darwent and his cows. Neil gives his views on building a truly sustainable future for dairy farmers in the last third of the film. But do take time to…
Charlotte Smith talks to Neil Darwent about how he is working towards achieving recognition for dairy farmers who give their cows the freedom to graze. You can hear the interview here.