The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Grassland group’s insight into newest dairy farm
Enterprise: ESGS members visit Lundie Farming’s innovative – and low-maintenance – milk from grass system
Scotland’s newest dairy business opened its doors on Thursday for the summer farm visit of members of the East of Scotland Grassland Society.
A record attendance of nearly 80 members turned up to see round Lundie Farming Ltd’s innovative enterprise based on a New Zealand-style milk from grass system.
The business runs across three units which were formerly part of Kinpurnie Estate; Ardgarth, Balshando and Ledyatt, comprising 918 acres, and is owned in equal partnership by Max, Andrew and Joe Howard from Nottinghamshire and Martin Kearney, a first-generation farmer, based at Lundie.
A graduate of Newcastle University and experienced dairy manager, Martin oversaw the establishment of a cubicle house for 730 cows, collecting yard, two silage pits, slurry lagoon and a 54-point rotary parlour – all completed within 12 months.
He said: “Our aim was to start milking in February 2015, unfortunately no one told the cows that, and they started calving in January.”
However, after this initial hiccup, the system was up and running and, now into its third year of production, Martin is pleased with how it is panning out.
The milking herd of Friesian and Friesian cross Jersey cows now stands at 540, which all calve in a 10-week period starting in February.
They are out at grass from April until September and dried off in December, with no milk production for a six to eight-week period over the winter.
Martin explained that cost of production per litre is the key to this type of business, therefore it is crucial to make the most of grass.
The steading sits in the middle of the newly established paddock grazing system, with tracks leading to the collecting area from all fields.
Paddocks are rotated over 21 days on the whole farm with cows spending 24 to 36 hours in each paddock before moving on, and as growth peaks, paddock sizes are reduced to shut off areas for silage.
Martin said: “The only supplementary feeding the cows receive in the summer is 1kg per head of cake to encourage them into the parlour.
“When they are outside, they feed themselves, bed themselves and spread their own slurry.”
This low-cost system results in an average annual yield per cow of 5,000 litres at 4.6 butterfat and 3.6 protein with the milk sold to Graham’s Dairies.
The low-maintenance operation, including one-man milking, means that staffing costs are also low with only three full-time staff plus Martin, and all tractor work is carried out by contractors.