As part of a government plan to tackle increasing levels of obesity in the UK population, the Department of Health has outlined a ‘Call to Action’, through which it is seeking slash 5 billion calories from the nation’s daily diet by 2020. However, UK trade body Dairy UK has warned that a preoccupation with simply…
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DairyCo’s Chris Duller says make the most of early season grass or risk losing it. We have one of those wet farms where we can see grass in the fields but the ground just won’t carry the cows yet. I have no fixed idea about when we turn the cows out here and I will…
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Producers who are really focussed on getting the most they can from grazing will have already planned for turnout and some may already have cows out at grass. However, if you are one of those who is just planning to make more from grazed grass this year, a good place to start might be the…
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The Agricultural & Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), in association with FACE (Farming and Countryside Education), recently commissioned research into current perceptions of children aged 7-15 on food, farming and the countryside, which has been used in the development of the AHDB Education Strategy 2012-17. The report produced by CHILDWISE in the summer of 2011, provides…
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It is not hard to find examples of milk producers who are looking long and hard at the costs of producing milk at this time and who are seeking to generate profit from a simpler system. Ian Sharman is one such farmer and he has made the switch from chasing higher and higher milk yields to…
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A huge thank you to all those who returned survey forms or completed them online – a total of nearly 600 in all. We are overwhelmed by the response, particularly the number who have provided contact details and expressed an interest in hearing more about Free Range Dairy or attending a regional meeting. Although the…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The survey is out now and we are already receiving many responses. The survey is available both online and as a printed form to be returned via freepost. Look out for an insert in this month’s British Dairying, your next National Milk Records, the January issues of Dairy Farmer and South West Farmer. It doesn’t…
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