UGS Farm walk on the Buchanan family farm at Dungiven

The family moved the dairy enterprise to a ‘green field’ site in 2012 due to limitations on expansion at the ‘home farm’.

The present unit comprises 280 cross-bred cows (Holstein x VikingRed) on 160 acres with average yields of 7,700 litres/cow.

Cows calve from mid - October to early - March with heifers calving down at two years of age. All calves are reared on the home farm with the male animals eventually sold as stores.Cows are turned out as early as possible in the Spring, depending on ground conditions, and normally housed by the end of September. All silage ground is rented and three cuts are harvested by contractor.

The first cut is normally taken mid-May (as well as some bales early in the season) with another cut taken specifically for dry cows.

Reseeding is carried out with min-till and Ian has stitched in clover and plantains into some of his pastures with good results.

This Spring meeting will get underway at 11.30am with tea/coffee available from 11.00am and conclude with a meal on the farm around 1.30pm.

Those attending are requested - for animal health and biosecurity reasons - to wear clean wellington boots and clothes which aren’t normally worn on the farm

The event is open to both UGS Members and non-members but booking in advance is essential either by phone/text on 07920037910 or by email to [email protected]

UGS President David Linton and the Executive Committee look forward to welcoming you to the Buchanan Family farm on Thursday 4th May for what should be an interesting and informative day.

The Ulster Grassland Society brings together farmers, advisers, lecturers, researchers and technical members of the agricultural industry and is the biggest grassland society within the UK with around 500 members.

A group of farmers, agriculturalists and industrialists who realised the part a grassland society could play in creating the necessary enthusiasm to explore the natural attributes of grass as a crop in its own right founded The Ulster Grassland Society in 1959.

The Ulster Grassland with 500 members is one of the largest grassland societies affiliated to the British Grassland Society.