Most farmers these days will be signed up to one or more of the various farm assurance schemes. You don't get any more for your produce by being farm assured, but if you are not, the time will come when you won't be able to sell anything. We became farm assured about eighteen months ago and we recently had an inspection which I am pleased to say we passed. This means that if you buy dairy produce that has come from a farm which is farm assured you can rest assured that the area where the tanker parks is clean and tidy, the milk storage area and the milking parlour are kept clean and tidy and free from accumulated dust and dirt and there are no prohibited articles (ie calving ropes empty chemical cans) stored in the dairy. You are also assured that as you would expect all animals are well cared for and housed in welfare friendly buildings. Most importantly accurate records are kept of all details of administration of veterinary medicines to include date used and animal(s) treated, date and place of purchase and batch number. Detailed records of date of birth of all animals as well as passports are kept for all animals. You will be pleased to know that we have a detailed feed plan prepared by our feed specialist showing that we intend to feed our animals over the next year. We also have a similar herd health plan prepared with our vet showing what treatments we intend to do over the next year. So next time you are buying dairy produce ask if it came from a farm which is farm assured.
There is however nothing in the scheme to say that we are not at liberty to plaster the roads in mud during fine weather at this time of year!
Although the milk price has increased, the beef trade is not good which in turn depresses the calf trade. We are hopeful of a further increase in the milk price, which will be very welcome to many farmers who are struggling to make a profit. Silage stocks on many farms are starting to run low, so everyone is hoping for an early spring.
If you read the other farming matters you will see that it is going well, but I am not quite as enthusiastic as George! The three times a day milking is going well and we have seen a response of about 15% increase in yield. We milk at 6.00am, 2.00pm and 10.00pm.To make it work you need to share the milking. I do all the morning milking and most afternoons, the rest of the afternoon and the night milkings are done by Cally or Simon to whom I am very grateful as I have only had to do 4 night milkings.