I farm: ”A herd of high EBI pedigree Holstein Friesians with my husband Alan and our children Jacob, Isabel and Danny. The cows are 80% Holstein and 20% British Friesian. We usually milk 72 cows, but are back on numbers, having lost a few cows to TB last year.”
Dried off: “We dried off the cows two weeks ago, so the focus now is just on keeping them fed, clean and happy. We are getting ready to give pre-calving vaccinations to the cows and will be shortly freeze-branding heifers. We moved from split calving to all spring calving three or four years ago, so we notice a big difference in workload after drying off now compared to how it was back then.”
We look for: “Cows that will go back in calf, but that can build solids and have good health traits too. High EBI is the first thing we will look at, but you need to have fertility there too.”
Water quality award: “We farm on the river Bann, it is a tributary of the Slaney. Something we have known for a long time is that we need to protect that water. We started out by making sure that we had a slurry storage contingency and all cow yards were roofed to leave less soiled water in need of collection.”
Mindset: “Making improvements on water quality really means just taking a step back to have a critical look around the farm. There can be very simple fixes, whether it’s a drain pipe that needs to be fixed or an area that needs improvement where cows stand every day before milking. The little things will make a difference and fixing them does not mean you are any less productive as a farmer.”
Schooling the public: “I started up the Poole Bio School where we visit schools and host groups on the farm to show them what farming is like. There is a disconnect there. It’s difficult for people to care about something they have never experienced. It’s amazing to see how fascinated kids are by dairying once they do come and see it. Last week I won an award at EU-level, Copa-Cogeca’s Innovation Award for Women Farmers, for what we have done on water quality.”
Quotable quote: “The farm has 20% space for nature and we are still managing a herd of high solids, low cell count cows. We are living proof that you can farm with nature. It doesn’t have to be a choice between one or the other.”
Cheryl sees water quality improvements dependent on the right mindset.\ Patrick Browne
The pedigree Holstein Friesian is selected on EBI, with a strong focus on fertility. \ Patrick Browne
The Pooles farm on the banks of the river Bann, a tributary of the Slaney.\ Patrick Browne
I farm: ”A herd of high EBI pedigree Holstein Friesians with my husband Alan and our children Jacob, Isabel and Danny. The cows are 80% Holstein and 20% British Friesian. We usually milk 72 cows, but are back on numbers, having lost a few cows to TB last year.”
Dried off: “We dried off the cows two weeks ago, so the focus now is just on keeping them fed, clean and happy. We are getting ready to give pre-calving vaccinations to the cows and will be shortly freeze-branding heifers. We moved from split calving to all spring calving three or four years ago, so we notice a big difference in workload after drying off now compared to how it was back then.”
We look for: “Cows that will go back in calf, but that can build solids and have good health traits too. High EBI is the first thing we will look at, but you need to have fertility there too.”
Water quality award: “We farm on the river Bann, it is a tributary of the Slaney. Something we have known for a long time is that we need to protect that water. We started out by making sure that we had a slurry storage contingency and all cow yards were roofed to leave less soiled water in need of collection.”
Mindset: “Making improvements on water quality really means just taking a step back to have a critical look around the farm. There can be very simple fixes, whether it’s a drain pipe that needs to be fixed or an area that needs improvement where cows stand every day before milking. The little things will make a difference and fixing them does not mean you are any less productive as a farmer.”
Schooling the public: “I started up the Poole Bio School where we visit schools and host groups on the farm to show them what farming is like. There is a disconnect there. It’s difficult for people to care about something they have never experienced. It’s amazing to see how fascinated kids are by dairying once they do come and see it. Last week I won an award at EU-level, Copa-Cogeca’s Innovation Award for Women Farmers, for what we have done on water quality.”
Quotable quote: “The farm has 20% space for nature and we are still managing a herd of high solids, low cell count cows. We are living proof that you can farm with nature. It doesn’t have to be a choice between one or the other.”
Cheryl sees water quality improvements dependent on the right mindset.\ Patrick Browne
The pedigree Holstein Friesian is selected on EBI, with a strong focus on fertility. \ Patrick Browne
The Pooles farm on the banks of the river Bann, a tributary of the Slaney.\ Patrick Browne
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