Quality grazing demo gets Lancashire events underway

“WHY improve grassland if you’re not utilising it fully” was the key message at an improving grassland and quality grazing demonstration event organised by Myerscough College and the Northwest Livestock Programme.

 

Main speaker Piers Badnell from DairyCo led the discussion on utilising forage effectively by outlining how to get the most out of the grassland you’ve already got, backed up by a demonstration of the benefits of using a grass plate meter to assess dry matter content.

 

Agronomist James Bretherton from Agscope followed this with a talk on soil profile and the effects of soil compaction, after Helen Matieu from British Seed Houses outlined options for re-seeding and choosing the right seed for the job.

 

The event was held at John and David Fare’s dairy farm at Freckleton, near Preston, and finished with machinery demonstrations of a sward lifter, aerator and slot seeder using seed supplied by British Seed Houses and machinery provided by James Bretheron, Opico and Whittinghams of Garstang.

 

This was the first demonstration event held in Lancashire under the Northwest Livestock Programme. A programme of future events is currently being put together for Lancashire and Greater Manchester, relevant to improving farm competitiveness for beef, sheep and dairy farmers - covering animal health and welfare, nutrient management and resource efficiency.

 

These events will appear in the red box on the front page of the website. If you would like to be notified of forthcoming events in your area then register with this website. To register - Click Here

 

Suggested topics for pig and poultry events are also being drawn up. If you have any suggestions on topics, speakers or new technology that could benefit your dairy, beef, sheep, pig or poultry farm, please contact James or Robert at Myerscough College on 01995 642 206.

 

 

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