to MVFFREE Members February 2015 The Newsletter No. 609 molevalleyfarmers.com £1.75 6 8 17 19-26 34 bale wrap prices coarse mixes mitsubishi sheep new garden tool range The importance of BVD impact advice from molecare clover farm vets 10 Mole Valley Forage Services 15 Grandfather rights Feeding for now, BE AWARE OF WHAT IS EXPECTED 13 planning for the future PAGE 4 Once a day milking reaps rewards On farm with Cornish farmer Andrew Brewer 7 Heating offers and events36-37 BBeefeef wellingtonwellington British classic recipe 38 The herd at Ennis Barton Picture by Brian Jennings Mole Valley Farmers - part of the countryside FARMING Contact us Head Office MVF Branches Nutritionists Open Mon-Sat 8.00am-5.30pm Dairy Mole Valley Farmers Ltd Dr Robin Hawkey 07805 854688 Exmoor House, South Molton *Open Sunday 10am-4pm BSc (Hons) PhD N. Devon EX36 3LH Bridgwater TA7 8PE Peter Isaac 07979 616014 Telephone - 01769 573431 Bath Road, Bawdrip T 01278 424240 Technical Support Manager (Dairy) Fax - 01769 573821 Manager: Steve Noall F 01278 726119 Beef and Sheep www.molevalleyfarmers.com Cullompton EX15 1NU Adam May 07818 017116 email [email protected] Honiton Road, Stoneyford T 01884 34333 Lachie Maclachlan 07818 542859 Manager: Mark Brown F 01884 35209 Cornwall David Higman 07717 792687 Frome BA11 2PN Michael Chilcott 07768 467092 Directors Standerwick, Frome T 01373 831114 Devon Chairman - Graeme Cock Manager: Nick Powell F 01373 831016 MoleCare FarmVets T 01373 852360 Andrew Barker 07879 888838 Stephen Bone, Peter Delbridge, Martin Coles 07876 752573 Steve Edmunds, Brian Jennings, Tim Wall, Holsworthy EX22 6BL Matthew Rowswell 07901 984749 Gaynor Wellwood, Peter Winstone Underlane, Holsworthy T 01409 253014 Neil Johns 07774 835631 Chief Executive - Andrew Jackson Manager: David Nias F 01409 254510 Somerset Company Secretary - Andrew Chapple A.C.A Liskeard PL14 4LN Alex Taylor 07818 061810 Moorswater I/E, Liskeard T 01579 340034 Andy Jolliffe 07836 646970 Manager: James Stiles F 01579 348263 Dorset Customer Accounts Nigel Mapstone 07979 708294 Newton Abbot* TQ12 6RY Alan Holley 07778 186337 Sales Ledger 01769 576204 Battle Road, Newton Abbot T 01626 836555 Credit Control 01769 576266 Manager: Jason McCoy F 01626 836444 Dorset/Hants/Isle of Wight [email protected] Guy Livingston 07767 463496 St. Columb TR9 6SF Wilts/Glos/Hants/Isle of Wight St Columb I/E T 01637 881115 Ron Jerram 07768 924135 Membership helplines Manager: Paul Tippett F 01637 881148 Wilts/Glos Applications and admin. 01769 576234 South Molton EX36 3LH David Balls 07887 628480 Scott Carter 07816 172025 General enquries 01769 576198 Pathfields I/E T 01769 574477 Wales [email protected] Manager: Shaun Carter F 01769 574787 MoleCare FarmVets T 01769 575618 Colin Jones 07879 613494 Barrie Evans 07772 867703 Small ads Yeovil* BA21 5BJ James Evans 07772 867689 Sherborne Road T 01935 420971 Eirian Davies 07767 381653 Next deadline Manager: Bruce Williams F 01935 434901 Chris Hedley 07771 936912 Redruth farmselect TR16 4AX South East Please submit your small ad Treleigh I/E, Redruth 01209 340044 Mark Antrobus 07825 953765 by Monday 9th February Offi ce fax 01825 764723 MV Feed Solutions / Forage [email protected] Charges: £3.50 per line + VAT [email protected] 01278 444829 Adverts only accepted and printed at editor’s FeedLine discretion. Seeds and Additives 01769 576232 Dairy Hygiene 0845 602 7321 To submit your small ad, contact: Alternative Feeds Cornwall/West Devon Tel: 01769 576243 Minerals 01278 420481 Gemma Smale-Rowland 07896 813450 Fax: 01769 576262 Fertiliser sales desk 01769 576405 Devon/South Somerset [email protected] Will Whittingham 07772 598387 Please remember to quote your membership Dorset/Wiltshire number when placing an advert. Other useful contacts Daniel Waterman 07779 562095 Mole Valley Plus 01769 576201 The Newsletter team [email protected] MVF Engineering 01884 860478 Red Meat Team [email protected] Witheridge (EX16 8AP) F 01884 860769 Cornwall / Devon / Somerset [email protected] [email protected] Chris Lavis 07789 480894 James Jackson 07581 499024 Moleenergy 01769 575674 [email protected] South East VAT and pricing moleenergy.co.uk Rebecca Moore 07581 499024 Unless stated, prices in this Newsletter DO Mole Insurance 0845 265 7951 South and Mid Wales moleinsurance.com Ian Turner 07879 617689 NOT include VAT. Prices are correct at the Pet Vets 01626 835002 Ed Jones 07813 365184 time of going to press, but may subsequently [email protected] be changed without notice. E&OE East and North East England Kenny McDonald 07989 155482 Please recycle this newsletter or give it to a friend Company Founder - John James MBE 2 MVF Newsletter 609 FARMING February 2015 Chairman’s letter Last month I mentioned the fact that as an As we now move into February, workload on industry in the UK we are not very good, some farms begin to increase, spring block and certainly not as good as we need to dairy herds are starting, or are in the middle be, or can be, at successfully selling factual of calving and lambing will be happening in positive messages. Recently a broadsheet earnest on some units. This is a key time did an article, essentially about how milk where stakes are high, the hours are long containers depicting cows grazing grass was a and the weather can impact hugely on the misrepresentation. Interestingly, this particular challenges and workloads. The weather article was carried in January. dream ticket is relatively dry and not too cold. The survival rate of animals born outside is What percentage of milk is, or ever has been, impacted greatly in cold rainy periods, where produced from grazed grass in the winter Graeme Cock body temperatures are compromised by the months? Historically, cows have, in the main, Chairman wet. On a sensibly cold day, providing it’s dry, been housed in the winter months. That survival rates are usually good. Where space housed period has traditionally been anything company again this year. The business has allows, maternity units are inside and new from four to eight months, depending on been able to achieve growth while making born lambs are only moved outside when farming system, calving pattern, soil type, considerable ongoing investments in the they are stronger and less vulnerable. At infrastructure and such. More recently, some business to help facilitate its future success. In busy times, twenty four hour supervision is in businesses looking to maximise milk production keeping with past years, this summary version place to cope with the vast numbers of births, from grazed grass, have prolonged grazing to includes the Chairman’s, CEO’s and fi nancial provide assistance where required and reduce an extent through the winter months, but in reports. Andrew Jackson’s operational report issues such as mis-mothering. truth the total amount of milk produced from provides a very comprehensive insight to the grazed grass in January is exceptionally small. In early spring grass growth is a particular key depth and complexity of your business and it is focus for freshly calved cows and ewes and well worth spending a moment or two to read Putting to one side my thoughts about how lambs. Much of this grass would have been set this. little milk is produced from grazed grass in up in the autumn, by planning for early spring January, what such an article does is to try and The fi fty fourth AGM will be held at Holbrook requirements. At the recent ‘Positive Farmers detract from the fact that the vast majority House, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 8BS on Conference’ held in Ireland, there was a paper of milk produced in the UK is consistently Thursday 26th March 2015, commencing where the objective was to target growth of 18 produced to a very high standard. Examples of promptly at 10.30am. Coffee and tea will tonnes/dry matter per hectare of grass. There exemplary stockmanship and attention to detail be available prior to and the meeting will be are massive variations on the potential for that can be found over a wide range of production followed by a light buffet lunch at 12.30pm. to happen, but in better situations that is the systems. This not about scale either, there We are continuing with the theme of holding goal. On poorer soils with lower rainfall, it will are fantastic examples of excellence in both the AGM at different locations which gives undoubtedly be less. The interesting part of large and small businesses. The management the opportunity for those who are unable or this is that despite the enthusiasm and passion and the relevant skill sets of the individuals unwilling to travel greater distances to attend. for growing as much grass as possible, a lot of working in any production system will dictate the potential is being curtailed by poor soils; We encourage and very much look forward to the standards, not the style or the size of the soils where the pH, phosphate and potash seeing a good attendance. Alternatively, the operation. levels are low which really impacts on the Farmer Shareholder evenings take place in The argument about producing milk from capacity of the soil to produce to its optimum. February at all Mole Valley Farmers branches. grass if taken to the absolute extreme - and The message was a familiar one - address These are generally very well supported, where admittedly it is the extreme - if every dairy pH fi rst and sample soil regularly. The cost of members are able to enjoy a social gathering farming business look to maximise milk from soil sampling is miniscule compared to under where additional discounts are available with grazed grass through spring block calving or even, God forbid, over fertilised soils and some light refreshments, tastings and banter systems would mean there would be little or the returns are considerable.