Glenapp Estate Manager, Charlie Russell, cited how the group has helped him achieve a significantly lower cost of milk production: “When we first set out as hosts for the monitor farm project here at Glenapp, we were still on a steep learning curve, having only recently established the dairy enterprise. When the project first started our break even cost of production was 26/27ppl.”
“Thankfully, having implemented many recommendations from the group meetings, I now see how we can get this to 16ppl. We won’t get there this year, but I think it is achievable,» said Mr Russell.
“Making the best use of grazed grass has been key. Profitability is related indisputably to tons of DM utilised per Ha, and our job is to maximise that intake. We have focussed on this at the meetings and we are now much more accurate at measuring grass cover and getting the most from our rotational grazing regime.
«This past winter we also started experimenting with on-off grazing,» added Mr Russell. «This meant putting cows out for only three hours per day, sometimes even less in the worst winter weather, but it certainly seems to have cut feed and forage bills.
