Regenerative Grazing

Looking like another tricky year for getting any thrive into our lambs off grass only. How are other people faring with stock fattening off pasture this year?

Having a small trial of bale grazing here using 16 cow/calf pairs on a field of 4 acres or so. The field has been rested since it was last grazed in May/June. It is also just about our driest field and its on a slope so hopefully it should give us some interesting results. Currently cattle have be

For those who made it to our farm walk you may remember we had a group of cows in this paddock. I have taken picture every week or two to track its recovery. The cows have just returned again this morning. There is a great cover of grass again and the clover is really strong too. Its nice to also

Looks like a good Agrisearch webinar coming up tonight on control of leatherjackets in grasslands. Quite a big problem i some of our pastures here. And one field really struggling as a result with poor spring growth and lots of ripped out grass from rooks and badgers scavenging form them. They in th

Bane of my life.... Anyone tried/use the kiwi tech system? I'm having to expand my kit. Traditionally I've found Rutland to be the best (high build quality and not overly complicated)... However they've been sold to a German company and the range that I used is no longer available. I'm loathed

Over the last year we have been rotationally grazing sheep across part of the farm. However this means the sheep have always been going into a decent cover of fresh grass and have never really been pushed nutritionally. They are now 8 weeks out from lambing and I think they are overfit and concerne

Chicory appears to offer a lot but have people had much success with establishing it within grazing swards in Northern Ireland? Big tap root to break up heavy soils and cycle carbon and nutrients deeper into soil profile. And a nice flower for pollinators plus the anthelmintic properties for graz

Im sure someone told me on the networking night that there was a supplier in magherafelt, anyone any names or experience with it?

About 18 folk turned up to Orlock Point last Friday to hear from Stephen Alexander and Kevin Duncan about their plans for mixed species sward at Orlock Point. It was blustery and rainy but the group proved they are hardy stock - much like the Dexters.

Where do people go for lab analysis of soils, slurry and saps in NI? Our soils currently via Yara to Lancrop in England but was wondering if there is more local capability to work with? Also neighbour has just had to send their slurry to England for analysis and I know saps have to go to Netherlands

We used to cut this meadow for hay but haven't in the last 4 years, it's been grazed a little, late in the season. It always had lots of irises, meadowsweet, vetches, orchids and birds foot trefoil but since we stopped mowing we have seen increasing amounts of scabious. Maybe it was there and we ju

Hi Guys I hope everyone is well and has having a great Christmas. It is with a heavy heart that I am selling my herd of 100% grass fed cow herd. The sale is due to a change in farming policy. • All Animals have never eaten anything grain related. • Native Angus, Stabiliser, Galloway genetics. •

Great to see this write up in the IFJ of the farm walk kindly hosted by William the other week

tall grass catches a serious amount of dew, I was soaked!

What a fantastic course we had today learning all about regenerative grazingnorinciples and practical ways to implement on our farms. Deep down we know we are overgrazing and tell ourselves paddock rotations are too much work. Two years ago I had so much trouble getting electric fencing to work I g

Great write up in Farmers Weekly of young farmer Billy Lewis's approach to running a more mixed farming system. 'You will grow more grass with an electric fence than a bag of fertiliser.' He has sheep grazing covers at 3500kgs/DM and coming out at 2000 and cattle going in at 4000kgs/DM and coming

Dockens get a bad rep but they are a part of the farmed landscape here whether we like it or not. I caught up with David Laughlin on keeping ahead of them in an organic farming system and the good things they bring to the party...

With prices doubling this year I’m hoping it urges more farmers to consider the alternatives. I’m going to be pulling back on our granular use and use foliar this year along with adding microbes to my slurry to retain nitrogen (20% more) and lower methane and ammonia emissions making it of a much hi

One of our objectives here is to rebuild soil structure after years of set stocking, slurry, sprays and fertilisers has left them a bit fragile in wet conditions. This is so we can work towards an extended grazing season and outwintered stock. We hope to achieve this through rest, tall grass grazing

Recent PhD studies at the Institute of Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen's University Belfast have asked whether agri-environment schemes are effective in maintaining and enhancing farm biodiversity. Upland grassland agri‐environment schemes in the Antrim Hills changed soil organisms boosting (