DSF Webinars – More Sustainability in Action on Dairy Farms

Last month it was the turn of Europe to feature at our webinar on Sustainability in action on dairy farms hearing from the UK and the Netherlands. David Cotton farms 300 pedigree Holstein Friesians with his wife Lene, on a grass-based system in the county of Somerset in southwest England. Their motivation to become more sustainable is driven by the desire to ensure the farm is better for the next generation, especially as their daughter is about to take over the business. David and Lene appreciate that profitability and sustainability are aligned and shared the example of how genetic selection is enabling them to breed healthy, profitable and lower emission herd replacements.

Tim van Noord and his wife Gera are third generation dairy farmers in the Central Netherlands. They have 130 cows robotic milking, a young family, they also juggle jobs off the farm. Their focus is on improving soils through regenerative farming techniques, such as utilising grass and clover mixtures, no tillage combined with reducing artificial fertiliser use. Details of their Renure installation, a machine which recovers nitrogen from the slurry and manures were provided, though this new technology is in its piloting phase – watch this space! They are hopeful the technology will support their efforts in meeting some of the environmental legislation they are faced with.

A recording of the webinar is available on the DSF Members Area if you would like to catch up or even revisit the key messages shared by these two progressive farmers.

If you haven’t already done so, please remember to register for our final Sustainability in action on dairy farms webinar this year which is featuring farmers from Latin America. Register here to join us on November 11th (20h00 UK time) when we will hear from two inspiring farmers from Chile and Mexico.