Scottish Dairy Farm Sought for Strategic Innovation Program

A Scottish dairy farm interested in leveraging innovation is sought to become part of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's (AHDB) prestigious Strategic Dairy Farm programme.

The programme is designed to bolster business resilience and elevate performance across the British dairy landscape.

The chosen dairy farm, expected to be capable of hosting both on-farm and virtual events, will participate in an intensive three-year collaborative experience in Scotland.

Through the initiative, farmers will gain the opportunity to exchange knowledge with industry specialists on chosen topics, promoting peer-to-peer learning.

Doreen Anderson, AHDB’s knowledge exchange manager, commented: "Our goal is to enable farmers to explore new concepts and integrate changes within their businesses. This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for collaboration with local farmers and industry experts to implement positive transformations on their farms."

The existing participants in the programme include farms with varied systems such as year-round and block calving, as well as housed and extensively grazed operations.

One such farm, Potstown Farm, led by strategic dairy farmer Gareth Owen, showcases over 260 cows along with 240 youngstock. Owen noted the programme's significant impact on their farm’s performance and understanding of genetics and genomics.