Environment

AHDB at the Cereals Event 2024

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:25:16 GMT

Meet the AHDB team on stand (526) at Cereals 2024 to discuss how we use your levy to deliver:

Trusted variety and product testing
Independent, practical research and market intelligence
Work across the supply chain
Farmer-to-farmer learning (through a network of Strategic Farms, Monitor Farms and Arable Business Groups)

Stop at our stand to chat to staff, take part in some technical debates and pick up free resources. Try to visit us early, resources are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Our stand will include a focus on four technical topics.

Topic 1: Recommended Lists (RL)

First released 80 years ago (8 August 1944), the Recommended Lists (RL) is long-lived, trusted and one of AHDB’s most consistently recognised and valued products. At Cereals 2024, join us to celebrate the RL's rich history and find out how it will continue to evolve to meet the needs of farmers.

Visit the AHDB stand to:

Pick up the latest RL booklet
Find out about the RL app and other digital resources
Learn about the latest results from the RL review
Get BASIS and NRoSO points (as part of the Cereals 2024 knowledge trail)
Take part in the sustainable varieties debate and the 80 years celebrations (on day one)*

ahdb.org.uk/rl

Topic 2: The Nutrient Management Guide (RB209)

RB209 can help you make the most of organic materials and balance the benefits of fertiliser use against the costs – both economic and environmental. At Cereals 2024, we want to hear what you think RB209 does well and what could be improved (as part of a strategic review of nutrient management guidance).

Visit the AHDB stand to:

Get the latest RB209 guidance
Talk to the team about nutrient management
Discuss the RB209 review

ahdb.org.uk/RB209

Topic 3: Planning soil management

The soil health scorecard provides a way to monitor soil health based on key chemical, biological and physical indicators. At Cereals 2024, a new ‘Planning soil management’ pack will be available to pick up, which will help you get started with the scorecard approach on your farm.

Visit the AHDB stand to:

Grab a planning soil management pack
Learn about the soil health scorecard
Find out about our GREATsoils information and tools

ahdb.org.uk/GREATsoil

Topic 4: Environmental data and value

Many farmers are exploring markets and payments for carbon sequestration, biodiversity net gain (BNG) and regenerative actions. At Cereals 2024, talk with the team to discover how we will help you measure and get the maximum value out of your farm’s environmental data.

Visit the AHDB stand to:

Hear about the new baseline pilot
Learn how to get involved with the baseline pilot farms
Find out about our environment resources, including the cover crops guide

ahdb.org.uk/environment

Knowledge exchange

Our network of regional Knowledge Exchange Managers helps to connect you with AHDB activity. At Cereals 2024, numerous team members will be on hand to talk about your farming opportunities and challenges.

Visit the AHDB stand to:

Get information on our Strategic Cereal Farms, Monitor Farms and Arable Business Groups
Make sure you are signed up to receive the best products, tools and services
Learn more about what AHDB does for your farming business

ahdb.org.uk/cereals-engagement-team

More activity…

*We’ve got many exciting plans for Cereals 2024, including a series of discussions taking place at the seminar area in our marquee. Keep an eye on this page for the latest developments.

Building trust in carbon calculators

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:18:31 GMT

Building trust in carbon calculators

UN gives pathways towards lower livestock emissions

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:08:16 GMT

UN gives pathways towards lower livestock emissions

Environmental permitting changes for 2024

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 13:56:48 GMT

Environmental permitting changes for 2024

Providing environmental evidence to policymakers

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:48:31 GMT

Providing environmental evidence to policymakers

Unveiling the future of low-carbon beef farming

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:39:20 GMT

Join us for an insightful day at the Oxford FAI Farm where we will be showcasing the groundbreaking progress of 'bigger steps for smaller footprints towards climate-positive beef', funded by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs’ Farming Innovation Programme Feasibility Round 1 Competition.

This collaborative initiative, in partnership with Dunbia and Breedr, is at the forefront of exploring innovative solutions for a low carbon, pasture-fed system.

The project focuses on the integration of dairy cross store cattle into a low carbon pasture-fed system.

They have reviewed various aspects, including performance, health, financial viability, soil health, and biodiversity. The knowledge gained from this project will contribute significantly to the broader sustainability goals of the agriculture sector.

Agenda

Introduction to the low-carbon beef project: Overview of the project's objectives and its potential impact on the future of beef farming
On-site demonstrations: Witness firsthand the innovative practices being implemented at FAI Farms to achieve low-carbon and pasture-fed goals
Insights and fndings: Engage with experts and project leaders from AHDB, Breedr, Dunbia and FAI Farms who will share key insights, findings and the implications for your own farming practices
Q&A Session: An opportunity to ask questions, share experiences and participate in an open discussion with fellow farmers and project collaborators

This event is chance for you to be at the forefront of industry advancements, gain valuable knowledge and network with like-minded individuals who share a passion for sustainable and efficient farming practices.

This project is part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

First Roots to Resilience module announced

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 11:38:41 GMT

First Roots to Resilience module announced

Ecological principles and system-based decision making in agriculture

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 13:47:35 GMT

Join us, in partnership with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and The Farmer Scientist Network, as we tap into the expertise and experience of our speakers to find the answers that you need to take your business forward.

We understand the vital role that farmers play in supporting the environment and ensuring the well-being of our communities. The agriculture landscape is evolving, and it is time to explore sustainable practices that not only preserve but enhance our precious resources. This panel discussion will explore innovative approaches to farming that align with agroecology principles and system-based decision making.

This meeting will cover

Ecological principles in agriculture: Explore the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the impact of ecological principles on crop resilience and resource conservation.
System-based decision making: Understand how shifting to a system-based approach transforms decision-making processes on the farm, leading to more resilient and adaptive strategies.
Changing information requirements: Learn about the evolving information needs in the context of reformative farming and how technology can support informed decision making.
Success stories and lessons learned: Hear from experienced farmers who have successfully implemented ecological practices and embraced system-based decision making.

RoSA CPD points will be available for attending this event.

About the speakers

Jason Rowntree

Jason Rowntree is the director of Michigan State University’s Centre for Regenerative Agriculture. He has been responsible for the system change that has taken place there, using holistic and regenerative management principles to improve soil properties, forage production and ecological function while employing an 18–20-month finishing model.

Jason’s research focus is identifying the metrics and management that reflect ecological improvement in grazing land systems. He has also worked with the Savory Institute to co-develop an Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) that is now being used on over 2m acres of grasslands on every continent except Antarctica. Furthermore, he is also the project director of a new $19.2m-funded project entitled, 'Metrics, Management, and Monitoring: An Investigation of Pasture and Rangeland Soil Health and its Drivers'.

His work in beef sustainability has been featured in the movie 'Sacred Cow', The Washington Post, New York Times, Forbes and many other popular media publications.

Stuart Johnson

Stuart Johnson runs a family tenanted farming business with his parents and brother. They currently manage 540 acres AHA mixed farmland under long term regenerative management; 280 acres FBT permanent pasture, where they are introducing regenerative practices; and 220 acres annual let land conventionally managed.

They view their business as a livestock-based business that has the capacity to grow home used arable and cover crops.

The family tenated farming business focuses on regenerative practices at their home farm in West Wharmley. Initially it was purely for financial reasons, there was not much thought for social or environmental benefits at the time. They wanted to make sure as a business they are as resilient as possible going forward, reducing their exposure and reliance on external parties or inputs.

They have now reduced nearly all variable costs without over sacrificing yields. They believe they are more resilient to price changes and weather extremes and, in an industry that has seen hugely aggressive swings of late they are hoping this can only be positive.

Ruth Wade

Ruth Wade is an ecologist at heart, with a passion to use knowledge and ideas from ecological systems in agricultural systems, working towards sustainable farming whilst maintaining a resilient and productive farming system.

She is particularly interested in plant-soil interactions, plant defence strategies and multi-trophic interactions. She uses a combination of novel laboratory, small plot and field scale trials to investigate the impact of different land management decisions and changes in rainfall patterns on plant growth, plant chemical composition, soil structure and fertility as well as interacting organisms such as insects and their natural enemies.

Liz Genever

Dr Liz Genever, a mixed farmer in south-east Lincolnshire, is a beef and sheep consultant who specialises in grass and forage systems. She is one of the founders of Carbon Calling, which has the aim of building a community of farmers who support and learn from one another to make their farm and themselves healthier and happier. She worked at AHDB for 13 years as a technical specialist and established her own independent consultancy business in 2019.

Liz was part of OFC Emerging Leaders programme in 2020 and completed the WCF Challenge of Rural Leadership course in 2016. She just completed the holistic management training.

Her goals are to be the go-to-person for beef and sheep farmers interested in regenerative approaches, and to develop and deliver a holistic approach for her home farm. She has experience of managing research and knowledge exchange project over her career, which including AHDB’s Ram Compare and Challenge Sheep projects.

This panel discussion aims to provide you with valuable insights, practical knowledge, and a platform for open conversation. We look forward to your participation and to collectively exploring the possibilities that reformative farming and system-based decision-making hold for the future of agriculture.

ITN Business and AHDB to launch news-style programme Farming a Greener Future

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 14:06:36 GMT

ITN Business and AHDB to launch news-style programme Farming a Greener Future

How to apply carbon audits and mitigation plans

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 11:29:10 GMT

How to apply carbon audits and mitigation plans

Applying GWP* to UK national GHG emissions

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 15:20:50 GMT

Applying GWP* to UK national GHG emissions

Managing calf stress and use of vaccines for pneumonia control

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 09:03:03 GMT

Join us, alongside Nick Gibbon from Belmont Farm and Equine Vets, for a discussion on the impact of stress on calves, controlling pneumonia and vaccines.

You’ve cleaned your calf shed, you’ve adapted the environment, you’ve addressed your nutrition, but you still get pneumonia outbreaks. You question if your vaccines are working, but it may be time to take a step back first and look at things from a calf’s perspective.

Calves are delicate and it’s often surprising how little changes can become a considerable stressor for calves, leading to disease outbreaks.

Bovine respiratory disease is a multifactorial disease and, as such, requires a multifactorial approach to its control and management. Vaccines can play a critical role in both the control and elimination of disease; however, with varying types, timings, routes of administration, age of calves to be vaccinated and target pathogens, the choice of vaccine is often a confusing one for farmers. How do you know if, when and how to look at your vaccination protocol?

This webinar will cover:

The impact stress has on calf pneumonia
Where does vaccination sit in the farmer's pneumonia toolbox?
What are your vaccine options?
Storage, handling and administration of vaccines
Stress-free handling for calves and calf rearers

Throughout the webinar, there will be opportunity to ask any questions you have regarding stress management and vaccination protocols.

Those registering early will be able to request a free delegate pack in the post containing a calf thermometer, an environment thermometer and other valuable resources from us, plus we will send you your cuppa and biscuit too to enjoy while listening live to the webinar!

We look forward to you sending in your questions and pneumonia management related experiences for discussion during the webinar.

This webinar is part of our pneumonia campaign, helping you and your calves breathe easier this winter.

If you can’t make it to the live event, you can still register to receive a recording and links to resources after the event.

What do national greenhouse gas figures really tell us?

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 14:28:21 GMT

What do national greenhouse gas figures really tell us?

New study supports GWP* to measure methane from livestock

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 08:17:36 GMT

New study supports GWP* to measure methane from livestock

What is GWP*?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:06:49 GMT

What is GWP*?

Northumberland beef and lamb Monitor Farm: Winter bale grazing

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:28:28 GMT

Join us, alongside Pasture for Life and Innovative Farmers, for an on-farm discussion covering what you need to know about bale grazing. Find out how it could work for your farm as an effective way to cut expensive cattle wintering costs.

The event is hosted by one of our monitor farms, G. Sordy & Sons; they are part of an Innovative Farmers field lab, coordinated by Pasture for Life and supported by AHDB. The project is exploring the impacts of bale grazing across a range of different farms with varying soil types and herd sizes. Last year, the Sordy family managed to outwinter 160 suckler cows on deferred grazing and bales of silage and they plan to expand this further in 2023.

What you will learn

Why bale grazing can play an effective role in reducing wintering costs in beef systems
How to set up and manage bale grazing on your farm, including setting up paddocks, management throughout the winter and options to fit your farming system
Top tips from suckler beef farmers already bale grazing

Itinerary

10:00am Arrival
10:30am Introductions
10:45am Why you should bale graze
11:00am Visit to a bale grazing field to explore the grazing system in operation
12:30pm Return to the shed
1:30pm Lunch and finish

We look forward to seeing you there.

Somerset: Dillington Farms strategic dairy farm launch

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 14:29:12 GMT

Join us at Dillington Farms Knott Oak Dairy for the launch of our new strategic dairy farm, which forms part of an exciting programme focusing on environmental issues.

Dillington Farms, near Ilminster, Somerset, is a successful mixed farming business with dairying at its heart. With tourism and an array of enterprises running on the estate, farming that both enhances the environment and drives profit is a priority.

The day will include

A tour of the farm with an opportunity to find out more about operations, performance figures and goals for the farm over the next three years
Insight on how the estate has incorporated mid-tier crops, grown on arable headlands, into the dairy and dry stock ration to achieve 3,700 litres of milk from forage
A discussion on how the team use growth and performance data to select replacements, with an age of first calving of 23 months
An exploration of how a three-way cross has led to high fertility and health cows while producing yields in excess of 10,800 litres per cow per year

About Dillington Farms Knotts Oak Dairy

The in-hand farming enterprises of the Dillington estate are run by Ollie Blackburn with the help of Lou Thorner, the herd manager.

The herd based at Knott Oak Dairy currently comprises a dairy herd of around 350 cross-bred cows yielding approximately 10,800 litres per cow per year. Around 130 replacement heifers are reared each year, with the remaining progeny being reared for beef in a separate enterprise. The herd calves all year round and is fully housed – except for dry cows and second season heifers, which graze for 5–6 months of the year.

A purpose-built portal frame building accomodates all milking with its six robotic milkers and space for calving cows. Dry cows are housed in a separate cubicle shed when not grazing.

Calves are reared in group pens on automatic feeders before being moved to weaned pens and eventually into cubicles.

Grazing is provided from permanent pasture and parkland with a range of forages, including herbal leys and maize, being ensiled.

This 870 ha farm focuses on home-grown feeds and is involved in an extensive mid-tier scheme, as well as renewable energy.

Find out more about our strategic dairy farms.

Testing begins in bid to reduce environmental impact of ammonia emissions from livestock

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 08:35:10 GMT

Testing begins in bid to reduce environmental impact of ammonia emissions from livestock

Covering slurry stores – what you need to know

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 10:03:41 GMT

Join this webinar to find out what you need to know about covering slurry stores, including upcoming Defra consultation and potential legislation, and hear from dairy farmers already doing it.

The Government’s Clean Air Strategy 2019 states that, in England, all slurry and digestate stores must be covered by 2027.

Manure storage accounts for 9% of UK agricultural ammonia emissions. By covering your slurry store, you can significantly reduce emissions and retain more nutrients to put back into the soil. There are different types of covers available which will suit different systems depending on the slurry store structure and bedding type etc.

About the event

This webinar will include:

What we know to date on an upcoming DEFRA consultation and potential legislation
Farmers sharing their experiences of covering new and existing slurry stores and how they manage slurry with these systems
Q&A with our panel and farmer speakers

Speakers at the event will include: David Ball from AHDB; Sue Buckingham from Natural Resources Wales; and Ceri Meehan from Catchment Sensitive Farming.

If you cannot attend at the specified date and time, please book anyway to access the recording.

Find out more

Ahead of the webinar, discover more about the benefits of covering slurry stores.

For more information about the event, please call Knowledge Exchange Manager Emily Collins on 07776 599778.

AHDB to partner with ITN Business to showcase positive impact of livestock on environment and food system

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:10:23 GMT

AHDB to partner with ITN Business to showcase positive impact of livestock on environment and food system