Join us on walk and see what made Eurig a winner
Going through May and into June, the event season is moving into its stride.
For BGS this has meant being at the recent Grassland and Muck event at Stoneleigh, where the weather initially gave everyone a fright, with atrocious conditions during set-up but glorious sunshine for the event itself. It gave us chance to chat to a good few people about what we do and their questions on grassland and forage, as well as promoting our own events and projects.
The first of those events is zooming towards us, as we look forward to the 2016 BGS Grassland Farmer of the Year, Eurig Jenkins, hosting a walk at his farm, Pentrfelin, in Talsarn near Lampeter.
If you’d like to join us to see what made Eurig a winner, the walk takes place next Thursday, June 15, starting from 10.30am and closing at 2pm after a light lunch. Booking is essential for catering numbers, so please text Charlotte Evans on 07833 437974 with the number of people who’d like to attend.
With a herd of 420 spring block-calved NZ Friesian cows, Eurig pays great attention to grassland management to ensure he gains as much as possible from grazed grass.
Swards are measured weekly to manage grazing, with records also being used to identify fields that are underperforming. Aeration and harrowing are used to ensure that both soils and swards stay in good condition.
Soil nutrient management is carefully considered, with soils tested on a three-year cycle and fertilisers spread using GPS and weigh-cell spreaders, to ensure the best precision of application. Slurries and dirty water are also used to make the best of the nutrients. This attention to wider grassland management results in a herd which gains 64 per cent of its milk from forage, using only 0.17kg concentrate per litre. The environment is not forgotten either, with fenced river margins and created ponds, as well as proportion of the land in Glastir.
Galloping up on the heels of the competition winner’s walk is our summer meeting, hosted this year by Shropshire Grassland Society from July 10 to 13. Booking is now open and places are beginning to fill up. There’s a varied programme of interesting farms, including a heifer rearing unit, large scale dairy farming, sheep grazed on a rotational system, Stabiliser beef, and more.
The visits include a tour of the grassland-related trials at Harper Adams, our base for the event, on Tuesday afternoon. Day and full delegate tickets are available; visit www.britishgrassland.com, where you’ll full details of the tours and how to book.
Elaine Jewkes, Society Director, British Grassland Society
