Discussion with dairy farmers: TIAH’s progress

It was exciting to be in a shed filled with passionate farmers eager to learn and share their experiences focusing on professional development and best practice. 

I spoke about the progress of TIAH and when membership is launched, what it will offer. I also explained the findings of our recently released Labour Market survey of farmers and its recommendations.  It sparked great conversation from the group and some thought-provoking questions! 

It was then on to the technical discussion, part of which focused on grassland management for spring calvers. Will Sanders, a dairy farmer from Stafford, led this, explaining the benefits of creating a grazing plan and a feed budget. This prompted some great conversations with group members about the steps they needed to take to incorporate into their practices. The group was also able to share different ways to increase efficiency and maximise production.  

We were then kindly given a tour around the host farm, where we explored their plans for the year ahead. The couple hosting the day, both new farm tenants, took the farm on less than six months ago. They spoke eagerly about their future plans and the importance of peer-to-peer learning for profitability.  

It was amazing to tag along and meet the farmers at the heart of the work we’re doing – and see how much they value lifelong learning. It was encouraging to see that there's real interest from the group, and I've brought back all of the questions that will help us develop and launch TIAH for membership. 

Overall, it was a great experience to network and learn from other farmers. This kind of discussion group is an invaluable resource for any farmer looking to stay up to date with best practice and maximise their production. Thanks again for inviting me!  

You can find out more about the author, Jemma Naish, our Marketing Manager, by reading her biography.