All set for our open day
It has been a really exciting time at Walford as our new learners started at the beginning of September and we are preparing for our open day on Saturday, October 19, from 10am to noon.
After our recent merger with Herefordshire and Ludlow College we have had significant investment on site with the development of a new learning centre and restaurant. It has also enabled investment into the farm and created opportunities to further develop the farm and opportunities for learners.
As the new farm manager at Walford Campus, my team have been extra busy with the last of the lambs going for sale. A total of 150 of the cows are currently in milk with plans now in place to move to autumn calving and an increase to 250 milking cows in the next two years.
The learners are already working with us and Sarah Ford our agriculture lecturer to implement new breeding programmes for the sheep and cows. They are sponging the ewes this week in order to synchronise breeding and increase the students' opportunities during lambing without clashes with their exams and assessments in March and April.
The farm staff have been working hard to increase milk output and quality. They have enjoyed some great days out including the UK Dairy Day and the Women in Dairy event in September.
We are really excited about our purchase of new fencing and troughs which will be constructed before spring taking the herd next year onto a pasture/grass-based system.
We are also getting some great data from our recent move to data tracking and the cow monitor ear tags and reporting system. This is already helping us implement our breeding programme and improve herd health. In particular, this will provide our learners with increased knowledge of using data management systems and breed development.
We expect a further enhancement of the herd’s milk quality through the use of a wider variety or forage. Students will also benefit from having fodder beet on farm as it will increase the number of crop types that can be incorporated into their learning programme.
All of us on the farm and throughout the wider college are excited about the future plans for all aspects of the farm here at Walford.
For more information about open events and the taster day, you can view this online via our website at www.nsc.ac.uk.
Tom Moore is Walford's farm manager
