The why and how of sustainable livestock in arable rotations – Shropshire

Join us to find out more about the benefits of introducing grass and herbal leys into your arable rotations.

These include improved soil health and organic matter content, weed control and improvements in following crop yields.

Making the best use of those leys, through management with grazing livestock, can also add further profit to the system.

What will be covered?

• Benefits to soil, weed control and following arable crops from grass/herbal leys and livestock integration
• Grazing management to get the best out of the ley and ensure good animal performance
• Grazing infrastructure
• Options for different leys
• Putting grass/herbal leys back into arable

You should attend if you:

• Want to find out more about the benefits of introducing grass and herbal leys into your rotation
• Want to know more about the logistics of integrating grazing livestock into your business
• Want to learn more about management of grass and herbal leys through livestock grazing
• Are unsure about where to source stock and the opportunities available
• Have stock but are unsure of the grazing opportunities available

Speakers at the event will be:

Dr Lizzie Sagoo, associate managing director of ADAS Sustainable Agriculture Systems. She is a soil scientist by training, with specialist knowledge of soil and nutrient management and diffuse pollution of air and water from agricultural systems. Lizzie joined ADAS in 2003 following a PhD at the University of Leeds.

She has worked on several applied research projects in the areas of sustainable beef systems, grassland and rotation management, soil and nutrient management, managing manures, reducing diffuse pollution from agriculture, and the development of practical farmer decision support tools.

She led the AHDB ‘Sustainable beef systems on arable units’ project, and currently leads the Defra ‘Understanding rotational ‘mob’ grazing: Impacts, benefits and trade-offs’ project.

Dr Liz Genever, an independent sheep and beef consultant with a particular interest in introducing livestock into an arable business. Liz also has a key role in the organisation and planning of Carbon Calling and ReGenAg podcast.

Andrew Dakin, the host farmer, who is Pasture for Life accredited and farms 400 acres in total, including 150 of arable which is in a rotation of linseed, wheat, oats and winter beans. He has 40 acres of herbal leys within the rotation  and 50 acres of permanent pasture. He runs 75 suckler cattle and 80 breeding sheep, as well as pigs in an area of woodland. Andrew sells direct to consumers and is involved in the AB8 and GS4 countryside stewardship schemes.