Monitor Farm Springing forward to 2012
The first 2012 Northumberland Monitor Farm Meeting will take place on Thursday the 1st of March. To be held at the Morpeth Rugby Club beginning at 7pm those attending can expect a sound update on how the farm has fared through Northumberland’s nearly non-existent winter. Another focus point will be on trace elements and methods of supplementation on sheep and beef properties.
The meeting will cover farmer Simon Bainbridge’s usual Donkin Rigg update and details about his recent study trip to New Zealand. Alnorthumbria Vet Groups John McFarlane will provide an update on the Donkin Rigg land trace elements trial. Lastly the meeting will round up with a presentation from Kate Phillips, Principal Livestock Consultant of ADAS. Kate’s presentation will be based on ADAS work with Monitor Farm and the results of their grass, blood and soil samples taken last year.
The aim of the Monitor Farm Project is to improve efficiency and productivity and share successes (and failures) with farmers in Northumberland and beyond. All Monitor Farm meetings are open to all farmers in the region and are designed to be both practical and relevant.
As a result of such a mild winter Monitor Farm is in a good position heading into spring with feed levels looking promising. Simon even bought himself a shiny new snow plough as a result of last year’s weather and it is still a shiny new plough with hardly a speckle of snow on the farm to date.
Stocking levels at Donkin Rigg are around 1400 ewes and 150 suckler cows. The autumn lamb sales were good and Simon still has approximately 400 left to sell with lambs being finished off on grass due to the unseasonably high levels. Keeping the lambs longer was part of the overall strategy of the Monitor Farm and as Simons says it is absolutely fantastic to be feeding our own stock with our own fodder. Prices have been comparable with last year with Suffolk Hampshire cross prices peaking at approx £100 a head and hill lambs at £83 a head.
Forage yields last year were absolutely tremendous which set the farm up well for the winter; in conjunction with the exceptional winter weather Simon estimates a saving on the cost of feed, fuel and labour in the region of around £40,000.
Last year was the 2nd full year of Organic Conversion for Donkin Rigg. Deferred grazing closed at the beginning of November and now has in the region of 1.5 tonnes of dry matter per hectare. Simon is delighted with this fantastic result and within the next couple of weeks the ewes will be put out onto this ground until lambing begins in April. Ewes were scanned last week and at 201% the farm is gearing up for a busy lambing period.
The in-calf heifers to calf at 2 years are looking exceptionally well so much so that in the month up to calving Simon will reduce their feed intake. Many cattle from the farm are being sold to Dovecot Park for Waitrose and as a result Simon has been invited to take part in a farm trial for Waitrose meats – focussing on home grown protein.
A number of advantages have come from Donkin Rigg’s savings on labour, Simon decided to make the transition to 100% spring calving a year earlier than he had originally intended. Calving will start on the 18th of April and the aim is to have as compact of a calving as possible, calving 19 heifers and 71 cows.
Simon commented;
“Moving to a spring calving has been a hugely efficient advance and one of the more positive aspects of the Monitor Farm. Spring calving offers Donkin Rigg a much more proficient use of our pasture resources and fodder and accompanying this is animal growth and health gains”
This is something Simon will cover in more depth at the Monitor Farm meeting.
Farmax, a New Zealand farm business system for pasture management is proving to be hugely beneficial at Donkin Rigg. This was something that was discussed in detail during Simon’s trip to New Zealand. Other topics covered were on measures being taken to eradicate TB, cow efficiency, sheep efficiency and cutting edge grazing. Some of this research will be touched on in March.
Renewables is something at the forefront of the farming world at present; Monitor Farm has joined in with this initiative. Cementing has now been completed; the grid connection will happen in mid March and the turbine is set to be connected at the end of April. Then all they will need is the wind.
Now heading into the 3rd full year of the Monitor Farm, Simon Bainbridge commented on the progress of the property;
“I have definitely reaped the benefits of both my own personal and professional development as a result of the numerous mentors and support networks on board the Monitor Farm scheme. Donkin Rigg would not be the farm it is today without the trials and input from cutting edge technology and professionals in their field offering advice”.
The Northumberland Monitor Farm Project is organised by English Farming and Food Partnerships, EBLEX, Alnorthumbria Vets and the North Northumberland Agricultural Training Association, with generous funding from One North East through Landskills North East – managed by Lantra on behalf of One NE, it is part of the Rural Development Programme for England, (RDPE) funded by the European Fund for Rural Development and Defra.
