25th May 2014

Grazing for Growth Conference - Venue Change

The venue for Quality Meat Scotland’s Grazing for Growth conference next Friday (May 30th) has been changed to accommodate strong demand for places.

The conference, previously scheduled for United Auctions, Stirling, has been relocated to The Dunmore Suite, Airth Castle Hotel, Airth, Stirlingshire, FK2 8JF following a surge of requests to attend. The farm visit to Arnprior farm, courtesy of the McEwan family, will  take place as scheduled in the afternoon following the conference.

Farmers from throughout Scotland have registered to the attend the event which sold out quickly and accumulated a lengthy waiting list. The change of venue means more delegate places will now be available for the free event which features a diverse line-up of expert speakers from around the globe.  To register for a place email info@qmscotland.co.uk or call 0131 472 4040.

“We are delighted with the response to the event and the level of interest among Scottish producers in making the most from grass,” said Michael Blanche, Knowledge Transfer Specialist with QMS. “The change of venue will allow more people to hear our line-up of expert speakers who are set to take a fresh look at grazing and animal performance from pasture,” said Mr Blanche.

Among the speakers at the conference will be the dynamic double act of John Bailey, an Irishman working in France who has spent considerable time in New Zealand, and Trevor Cook, one of the most respected consultants in New Zealand.

John Bailey runs a grazing consultancy business called PatureSens (Pasture Sense) and has a huge depth of practical knowledge on grazing and a great ability to inspire farmers to make positive changes to their approach to grazing.

Trevor Cook is one of the most respected consultants in New Zealand and is a former winner of the Landcorp prize for communication. He is a vet by trade but his expertise on nutrition management from grazing is hard to match. He will talk about opportunities to consistently achieve high animal production per hectare from pasture only systems.

Another speaker will be Michael Shannon from Lanarkshire who is achieving tremendous cattle performance from forage-only diets.  He has also successfully introduced an innovative grazing system.

Rhys Williams is a Welsh dairy farmer who operates a pasture-based system. He started farming from scratch and successfully grew his farming operation to a half share in 1,600 cows.  A big part of that progression was due to him refining his skills as a grazier.

The conference will be rounded off with a visit to view opportunities to improve grazing being trialed at nearby Arnprior.

 

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