Grass is greener
Future Grass Technology is offering a grass management value proposition that enables dairy and beef producers to increase yield, output, productivity and quality of output
“In essence, the Grass Tech Grazer allows farmers to maximise the nutritional value of grass for cattle and get the most from their grassland”
Jim Barron, managing director of Future Grass Technology, attributes his company’s success to its innovative solution, the Grass Tech Grazer, and its policy of supporting farmers with nutritional knowhow and advice. “Our success is built on the stories of the farmers who adopt the technology,” he says.
In essence, the Grass Tech Grazer allows farmers to maximise the nutritional value of grass for cattle and get the most from their grassland. The machines are designed to cut and collect fresh grass in the pasture and take it to the cows for feeding, so that they have access to fresh, high-quality, young grass for more months of the year. Beef and dairy producers can grow more high-quality grass per acre while significantly reducing costs such as fertilizer, concentrate and contractor charges. With production soaring following its move into a purposebuilt premises in November 2017, Future Grass Technology further supports its clients by analysing grass samples to advise on quality and the best times to feed to cattle in order to optimise nutrition.
Barron’s background is in international business development for agriculture manufacturing. The idea for Future Grass Technology came to him as he pondered how best to utilise 100% of grass to lead to critical maximising of the yield, he says. Traditionally, farmers have lost control of the nutritional value of feeding when they switch cows to grass. The nutritional value
varies according to factors such as the weather, the quality of the grass and how much grass the cattle have trampled.
To develop and monitor the technology, Barron implemented the system on his own farm and found this in-house experiment doubled his output, while saving significantly on silage costs. By analysing huge varieties of grass with wider yields, plus finding varieties that could grow at temperatures of 3 or 4 degrees lower than usual, Barron could move his cattle to grass after only eight weeks of winter – despite the farm being situated 600 ft above sea level.
Founded in 2008 in Borris, Co Carlow and currently employing 34 people, Future Grass Technology has quickly become an international business. Its main markets are Denmark, Netherlands, Germany and the UK.
The company is working with Foulum Research Centre in Denmark on a project to determine if using this innovative method to feed cattle can reduce methane and significantly improve Omega 3 levels (possibly up to 100%, according to Barron).
In other international developments, Future Grass Technology is soon to enter the New Zealand market and is participating in significant projects in several east African countries.