"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

[som farmer]

@ Fenwick, l think you are spot on, its simply to easy, no brainer, and completely stupid, from our point of view, its great, but it is going to reduce food production across the UK.

much of it is imposing regen ideas, through the back door, which l don't have a problem with, but its the start of the dreaded rule book.

son has gone/going through the options, basically to select what suits us best, max income, and ensure he gets a better life, than working 7/24. Who can blame him, l don't.

the longer question, while it might be good for the soil, environment, and farmers, how long will it last, and is it good for the country ? Love the former, but l don't think its a good idea for UK plc.

its what will follow it, and l think that is going to be production led. And if/when times get a lot tighter, it will be, 'bloody farmers getting paid to grow wild flowers etc',

my old adage, 'make hay when the sun shines'.

 

[Henarar]

@ Fenwick, l think you are spot on, its simply to easy, no brainer, and completely stupid, from our point of view, its great, but it is going to reduce food production across the UK.

much of it is imposing regen ideas, through the back door, which l don't have a problem with, but its the start of the dreaded rule book.

son has gone/going through the options, basically to select what suits us best, max income, and ensure he gets a better life, than working 7/24. Who can blame him, l don't.

the longer question, while it might be good for the soil, environment, and farmers, how long will it last, and is it good for the country ? Love the former, but l don't think its a good idea for UK plc.

its what will follow it, and l think that is going to be production led. And if/when times get a lot tighter, it will be, 'bloody farmers getting paid to grow wild flowers etc',

my old adage, 'make hay when the sun shines'.

We have ended up with about the same as we got on BPS but have taken nothing out of production and it won't change our farming.
I was going to put some herbal leys in but not sure about it, apparently it not that easy to get going in old pasture and I don't want to spray off or rip up. [we have never used roundup here]

we have done soil tests as part of our application, when they came out to take the samples they also dug some pits and said the soil structure is very good, the soil organic matter tests all game back as high with the highest being a field we cut for silage once a year not a field that is just grazing which was surprising.

I am just an old fashioned farmer, should I change what I am doing which seems to work for the sake of grabbing a few quid ?

There are options even on grassland were we would be better off to sell the cattle and shut the gate on the whole lot and do nothing for three years should I do that ?
won't happen as I couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

[som farmer]

We have ended up with about the same as we got on BPS but have taken nothing out of production and it won't change our farming.
I was going to put some herbal leys in but not sure about it, apparently it not that easy to get going in old pasture and I don't want to spray off or rip up. [we have never used roundup here]

we have done soil tests as part of our application, when they came out to take the samples they also dug some pits and said the soil structure is very good, the soil organic matter tests all game back as high with the highest being a field we cut for silage once a year not a field that is just grazing which was surprising.

I am just an old fashioned farmer, should I change what I am doing which seems to work for the sake of grabbing a few quid ?

There are options even on grassland were we would be better off to sell the cattle and shut the gate on the whole lot and do nothing for three years should I do that ?
won't happen as I couldn't bring myself to do it.

l am of a generation that was taught production is king, more is better.

well, moved on from that, to pretty well the opposite view. It's not so easy to achieve that alternative view, takes time to build it up. Half of me thinks its utter rubbish, to get paid to grow wild flowers etc, the other half, get on and do it.

it will take time to swap the whole lot over to SFI, if indeed we can, l think events will complicate the issue. But one has to look at the economics as well, and look to the future, so we need to build a sustainable system, l suspect much like you have now, its getting there, it can't happen overnight.

like you, we don't want to stop farming, some of the 'sillier' schemes, are re-wilding by the back door. Then there's the other half of me, that is production focussed, and, if events occur, that means production is required, the need to restart, has to be built in. Safe guarding the future.

l agree with you, soils will regenerate themselves, if given the right conditions, we just need to manoeuvre to create them. We will end up still farming our 'intensive' block, intensively but properly, the rest will take a backwards leap, we can make more than the rent, by maxing SFI.

So, big changes, easy money to regenerate, and we are on board. Going back to your comment about difficulty to establish h leys in pp. It would seem to suggest, if you can show you attempted to establish them, and a photo of the seed mixture, you get your money, £151ac.

still say though, 'make hay while the sun shines'.

 

[Bowland Bob]

Pensagro wire lifters or batt latch?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We have ended up with about the same as we got on BPS but have taken nothing out of production and it won't change our farming.
I was going to put some herbal leys in but not sure about it, apparently it not that easy to get going in old pasture and I don't want to spray off or rip up. [we have never used roundup here]

we have done soil tests as part of our application, when they came out to take the samples they also dug some pits and said the soil structure is very good, the soil organic matter tests all game back as high with the highest being a field we cut for silage once a year not a field that is just grazing which was surprising.

I am just an old fashioned farmer, should I change what I am doing which seems to work for the sake of grabbing a few quid ?

There are options even on grassland were we would be better off to sell the cattle and shut the gate on the whole lot and do nothing for three years should I do that ?
won't happen as I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Wonder sometimes if you would be better just bucking the trend, would you maintain your income and quality of life simply by Clare increasing her sheep numbers (takes no longer to put 1000 sheep through a gateway than it does ten) and keeping on with the cows as you do.

As so many will be going into these weird schemes you might be able to capitalise on their folly, eg picking up more or charging more for sheep keep etc, people love to tie their cash up for some reason but there's no need to.
We've 4000 sheep here and none of them involve me other than sending out a monthly invoice

 

[Henarar]

Wonder sometimes if you would be better just bucking the trend, would you maintain your income and quality of life simply by Clare increasing her sheep numbers (takes no longer to put 1000 sheep through a gateway than it does ten) and keeping on with the cows as you do.

As so many will be going into these weird schemes you might be able to capitalise on their folly, eg picking up more or charging more for sheep keep etc, people love to tie their cash up for some reason but there's no need to.
We've 4000 sheep here and none of them involve me other than sending out a monthly invoice

We are doing both, the schemes we are doing don't effect the stocking level.
All I was saying is there are schemes that pay much better and a lot will take them and I don't blame them for reasons below.
Petty environmental rules will effect the stocking rates/types on this and many other farms, its coming and there don't seem a fat lot we can do about it.

 

[Sheila Cooke]

INTERNSHIP​

You may know of a young person who is just right for this 3 to 6 month internship on a farm in East Hampshire, England. If so, please tell them about his opportunity!​

To Apply:
Please send your resume and a brief cover letter explaining your interest in regenerative agriculture to [email protected]

 

[crashbox]

Pensagro wire lifters or batt latch?

Are you asking which is best?
For beef cattle where you do not have fixed tracks and gateways, wire lifter.

 

[Bowland Bob]

Are you asking which is best?
For beef cattle where you do not have fixed tracks and gateways, wire lifter.

We're setting up lanes in most places, and would like to get the density up, so really need more moves per day, they're not dis- similar in price, so yes was wondering which would be best in our context.

 

[crashbox]

P

We're setting up lanes in most places, and would like to get the density up, so really need more moves per day, they're not dis- similar in price, so yes was wondering which would be best in our context.

Pensagro.

 

[Jonny B88]

Am I being thick, but does a batt latch open a gateway style gap or does it drop an entire fence? Thats whats put me off them you either end up with a narrow gap for the cattle to walk through, not good in the wet! Or you end up with polywire on the ground earthing and getting chewed??? I have probably got this all wrong

 

[Sheila Cooke]

Farmer's Footprint is excited to announce the opening of applications for The Nest!

The Nest is an incubator for new entrant, start-up, scaling or transitioning regenerative and agroecologically informed farmers, growers and landstewards. Farmer's Footprint UK recognises the need for quality storytelling, content development, marketing and branding to ensure viable and regenerative businesses, and are offering their services for no cost as part of this programme.

We will be offering bespoke packages for participants depending on their needs. This may include high quality video and photographic content development, social media and storytelling strategy with distribution on Farmer’s Footprint social channels, branding development, and e-commerce website development including back end software set up if desired.

This is a pilot project, with a view to sustain the offer as a long-term rolling programme, ensuring the amplification and elevation of farmers’ stories to increase revenue and regenerative potential. We hope the programme will have a tangible impact on your business or project.

If you are interested in applying, please read through the information below in full, and complete the online application form. The current deadline for applications is Friday the 9th February 2024, and the programme will run between March and July - there will be some zoom contact time required which will be kept to a minimum, and one day filming on-site and some email communication required throughout the process).

If you have any questions please contact [email protected].

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Nice day for a fly and some pictures, you guys won't have any idea of the ranch up here, hopefully this helps.

 

[TelesnaAg]

My all year ground focuses on shade or wind/rain protection, my next door neighbour is on daily shift 1ha blocks, 35 degrees c and cattle standing in blazing sun? Same goes for winter, getting blasted by driving rain with no cover...this gas to undo all the good work of strip grazing.

Shade is king for me and winter rain / wind protection.

I rotationional graze managing weather, not so much ideal feed.

Ant...

 

[Guleesh]

My all year ground focuses on shade or wind/rain protection, my next door neighbour is on daily shift 1ha blocks, 35 degrees c and cattle standing in blazing sun? Same goes for winter, getting blasted by driving rain with no cover...this gas to undo all the good work of strip grazing.

Shade is king for me and winter rain / wind protection.

I rotationional graze managing weather, not so much ideal feed.

Ant...

Same here, but shade from the blazing sun is never a problem, We often shift our plans around to keep them in sheltered fields when weather is at it's worst, rather than rigidly sticking to a rotation plan. I would describe practices that consider all these variable factors as holistically planned grazing.

 

[Sheila Cooke]

Here is an inspiring interview with Farmer Angus from South Africa. Enjoy!

https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/from...ration-and-nutrient-density-with-farmer-angus

 

[crashbox]

Am I being thick, but does a batt latch open a gateway style gap or does it drop an entire fence? Thats whats put me off them you either end up with a narrow gap for the cattle to walk through, not good in the wet! Or you end up with polywire on the ground earthing and getting chewed??? I have probably got this all wrong

Opens a gap.
I know a dairy farmer that uses them to open wire gaps onto the track, so when they get up the cows are in the yard.

 

[sheepdogtrail]

View attachment 1163420View attachment 1163421View attachment 1163422View attachment 1163423View attachment 1163424View attachment 1163425
Nice day for a fly and some pictures, you guys won't have any idea of the ranch up here, hopefully this helps.

That's a big lovely place.

 

[Fenwick]

Opens a gap.
I know a dairy farmer that uses them to open wire gaps onto the track, so when they get up the cows are in the yard.

this seems liké thé most obvious use for automatic Gates. imagine thé time being saved twice a day !

 

[som farmer]

this seems liké thé most obvious use for automatic Gates. imagine thé time being saved twice a day !

since we have taught our hol cows to graze, most days you could leave the gate open, all day, and still have to walk and get them in. Some days it can take 1/2 hour, to get them out of the field ! But it shows their nutrition is correct, complete contentment. In the parlour, they won't walk in, nor will they walk out, lazy buggers.

when l were a lad..... never used to shut the cows out, at night, they would be just walking in, as we got there to start. Training skills seem to have been lost.