Masters Research :)

[cwhite81]

Hi everyone, I am currently undertaking a master's in Advertising, Branding and Communications. Currently I am doing a module on 'innovation', and I am trying to develop sustainable farming techniques for British livestock farmers, if you could please answer any of the following questions that would be really helpful for me.

Thank you in advance:

1) What is the average lifespan of cows on your farm?
2) What type of food do you feed the cows?
3) How often do you feed your cows?
4) Is being a sustainable farmer an important factor for you?
5) What are the main challenges that you face with regards to implementation of sustainability practices?
6) Would you consider changing the way you keep your cattle to ensure sustainability?
7) From your experience, what is the main source of energy consumption in livestock farming?
8) What waste management practises do you currently have employed at your farm?
9) Do you think that the waste management practises could be improved? If so, how?
10) Do you get any support from the government?
11) If so, what kind of support do you get?
12) Would you be interested in a methane collection method that would not harm, or affect your cows in any way, but could in-turn be converted to electricity?

 

[Muck Spreader]

Communication?
As I assume you are not entirely familiar with farming I would suggest rather than putting forward a load of random questions you could take the opportunity to visit a livestock farm that already runs a bio-digester or similar, there are quite a few about nowadays. Most of your questions will be answered by them and you will get a greater insight into the questions you are asking.

 

[cwhite81]

I get you’re point however, where I am currently situated it is difficult to go farms + I am able to get a lot more responses online than I would if I were to visit lots of farms due to the time it would take to travel in between + I do not drive. Additionally, these aren’t just random questions, these are related to a project that I am currently undertaking , and yes I have some understanding of farming as I’ve done a lot of background research into it.

But thanks for your concern and input

 

[cwhite81]

Your* sorry.

 

[DrDunc]

Hi everyone, I am currently undertaking a master's in Advertising, Branding and Communications. Currently I am doing a module on 'innovation', and I am trying to develop sustainable farming techniques for British livestock farmers, if you could please answer any of the following questions that would be really helpful for me.

Thank you in advance:

1) What is the average lifespan of cows on your farm? 14 years
2) What type of food do you feed the cows? Grass
3) How often do you feed your cows? Once a day when housed for winter, they graze in summer
4) Is being a sustainable farmer an important factor for you? Of course
5) What are the main challenges that you face with regards to implementation of sustainability practices? Define sustainable? If farming wasn't sustainable, you'd be starving
6) Would you consider changing the way you keep your cattle to ensure sustainability? Define sustainability.
7) From your experience, what is the main source of energy consumption in livestock farming? Diesel
8) What waste management practises do you currently have employed at your farm? Recycle waste plastic bale wrap
9) Do you think that the waste management practises could be improved? If so, how? Less plastic packaging
10) Do you get any support from the government? No, support from the EU provides processors and supermarkets with higher profit margins
11) If so, what kind of support do you get?area based subsidy and less favoured area
12) Would you be interested in a methane collection method that would not harm, or affect your cows in any way, but could in-turn be converted to electricity?Yes provided it's costs less in environmental impact than it produces

Answers in bold. Click to expand

 

[cwhite81]

Answers in bold. Click to expand

Thank you so much for your response, it's really useful for me.

You're not the first person to say the thing about sustainability either haha, my bad! Thank you for pointing this out. Sustainability in this sense would environmentally, and using resources in a way that it doesnt effect the environment

 

[DrDunc]

Thank you so much for your response, it's really useful for me.

You're not the first person to say the thing about sustainability either haha, my bad! Thank you for pointing this out. Sustainability in this sense would environmentally, and using resources in a way that it doesnt effect the environment

My cows eat grass. Fossil fuel is the only non renewable resource. It's a tiny amount in a cows life (and her produce) compared to the non renewable resources used to transport, butcher, process, package, transport, retail etc etc.

Fewer greater environmental impact improvements can be gained by improving processing and retailing practices, yet nobody seems keen on imposing what the big supermarkets sees as added expense. There's a new angle for your research instead of criticising the easy primary producer target

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

Hi everyone, I am currently undertaking a master's in Advertising, Branding and Communications. Currently I am doing a module on 'innovation', and I am trying to develop sustainable farming techniques for British livestock farmers, if you could please answer any of the following questions that would be really helpful for me.

Thank you in advance:

1) What is the average lifespan of cows on your farm? 13-15 years
2) What type of food do you feed the cows? Mainly a grass based diet with root crops and corn where applicable
3) How often do you feed your cows? Once daily
4) Is being a sustainable farmer an important factor for you? Define sustainable, if by that wanting to farm the rest of my days and doing so making money, then yes
5) What are the main challenges that you face with regards to implementation of sustainability practices? Red tape
6) Would you consider changing the way you keep your cattle to ensure sustainability? Yes of cause
7) From your experience, what is the main source of energy consumption in livestock farming? Time ... and derv
8) What waste management practises do you currently have employed at your farm? Muck midden and plastic recycling, about all I can do
9) Do you think that the waste management practises could be improved? If so, how?
10) Do you get any support from the government? Not a jot
11) If so, what kind of support do you get?
12) Would you be interested in a methane collection method that would not harm, or affect your cows in any way, but could in-turn be converted to electricity?

Yes, as Dr D has mentioned so long as it did more good than harm