One Hampshire-based producer has been renovating grass leys, before moving to a new unit, to secure the future performance of his Jersey herd.
When Olly Neagle’s county council tenancy, near Botley in Hampshire, was earmarked for development by Winchester City Council, he saw the replacement farm that he was offered as a chance for a fresh start and to move his pedigree Jersey herd to the next level.
With a significant investment from the council, the 70-hectare Attwoods Drove Farm is undergoing a facelift ahead of the milking cows’ anticipated arrival in summer 2019. At his current location, Upland Farm, the 120-cow herd is averaging 6,100 litres of milk, at 6.10% fat and 4.02% protein. Alongside his contract with Arla, Olly and his partner Julie also sell around 1,000 litres of milk a week through an on-farm vending machine. “We have people come from as far as Oxford just to buy our milk. It’s been a huge success and we have plans to expand this venture once we are at the new farm,” he says.
As well as upgrading cow housing and installing a new parlour, a significant project at the soon-to-be occupied farm has been the renovation of grassland. “The fields were in a poor state when I first saw them,” says Olly. “They were full of weeds and the ground was very rough. This site offers us a lot of flexibility in terms of grazing and cutting options. With 50% of our milk coming from forage, it is important that we get this right from the start and maximise our use of the drier ground to get as much from the grassland as possible.”