Shropshire Farming Talk: Walford College Farm
As with everything, preparation and planning are keys to success along with the ability to adapt quickly and make best use of any opportunities.
The 2023 rainfall so far is 170 per cent over the National average which may be annoying if you have a lawn to mow but, if aiming to produce as much high quality milk as possible from forage, it has been fantastic. We have just taken a second bumper cut of silage off the fields and it is likely a third cut before the end of the growing season.
In comparison to last year, where we were desperate for the grass to grow, we are now working to check the grass isn’t too rich for some of the cows and youngstock. With the fodder beet growing well, it will also mean that the amount of food we will need to buy in will be low and, therefore, it will help to keep our costs low.
The summer period for us is a chance for the teams and animals to have a well deserved break from student activities and prepare for next year. All of the major works are taking place along with deep cleaning and planning. On the farm, the team are preparing for the rapidly approaching calving period. This is an essential time for us as the students return as calving starts. We need the cows to be calm and to have an easy calving, whilst introducing students to the systems.
We also need to maintain our exceptional level of calf health and growth that we have been developing over the past five years. It is great to see how this is paying off in the health, resilience, productivity and quality of our heifers and cows.
Nearly five years ago, we changed the indoor housed dairy system to a New Zealand style pasture based system. This involved establishing new grazing platforms, fencing and tracks across site. We are now at a stage where more stable tracks are needed and we are putting in just over 3,000 sleepers. It will help us meet one of our sustainability goals as this will prevent soil erosion and track maintenance. It will also provide easier access for the cows, reduce lameness and allow the cows to stay out on the grass for longer over winter.
We have open days coming up after the GCSE results days and the teaching teams are back on site if you would like further information about the courses or college. Visit hlnsc.ac.uk/colleges/walford-college/ for more information.
by Bronwen Bary, Walford Farm College
