Future proofing your dairy business webinar series

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) together with industry partners Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and Dairy Council Northern Ireland (DCNI), bring a series of webinars throughout November addressing the theme of ‘Future Proofing your Dairy Business’.
Left to right: Don Morrow, Head of dairy, pig, poultry and crops branch, CAFRE, Mike Johnston, CEO of NI Dairy Council and Mervyn Gordon, UFU dairy committee chairman.Left to right: Don Morrow, Head of dairy, pig, poultry and crops branch, CAFRE, Mike Johnston, CEO of NI Dairy Council and Mervyn Gordon, UFU dairy committee chairman.
Left to right: Don Morrow, Head of dairy, pig, poultry and crops branch, CAFRE, Mike Johnston, CEO of NI Dairy Council and Mervyn Gordon, UFU dairy committee chairman.

The three webinars will examine some of the key challenges to the industry and will feature farmers, industry experts and researchers sharing their knowledge and experiences.

The webinar series commences on Tuesday 2 November by introducing and raising awareness on carbon. The CAFRE Sustainable Land Management team will discuss the context of what is driving the carbon agenda, the tools available to measure on farm carbon emissions and what practices are available to lower carbon footprints.

The second webinar on Tuesday 9 November, will deal with feeding for sustainability. It will feature Neil Dyson, a farmer from Buckinghamshire who will share his experience of how he has adjusted his dairy cow feeding to lower the carbon footprint of his farm. Also, veterinary adviser Mark Little, will share the findings of his Nuffield Scholarship examining feeding for health and reducing potential antibiotic resistance.

The final webinar on Tuesday 16 November will discuss attracting, training and retaining staff in the dairy business. Joe Delves, a farmer from Sussex, will share his experience of creating a great workplace and motivating his farm team. This will be followed by Teagasc researcher Marion Beecher sharing the latest findings of what are the key practices and tips to make a labour efficient dairy farm.

The webinars will all take place on Tuesday evenings in November commencing at 8.00pm via Webex. Pre-registration for the event is essential. Register by visiting www.cafre.ac.uk/events.