Still time for livestock farmers to sign up for Better Grazing meetings

There’s still time for livestock farmers to book their place at workshops designed to improve their profitability through utilising grazed grass better.

A series of meetings, organised by Quality Meat Scotland, will provide an opportunity for producers to learn about the tools available to them for measuring and planning grazing management to optimise productivity and profitability.

The Sward Sticks to Software meetings, taking place across the country in Perth, Ellon, Inverness, Lockerbie and Selkirk from 23 to 31 October, are free to attend. They are part of the QMS Better Grazing Groups programme, now in its third year.

Throughout a series of five meetings Dr Liz Genever, who has a wealth of experience working with beef and sheep farmers both in the UK and internationally and was part of the team that put together the GrasscheckGB project, will outline ways to measure grass growth and software available to meet the needs of livestock profitably and encourages farmer to attend.

Dr Genever commented: “I strongly encourage any farmer interested in getting the most from their grass to attend the Better Grazing meetings. Every farm is different, but it’s important that farmers know what tools and data are available to them to help manage their grass and forage-based systems more efficiently.”

Sarah Millar, QMS Head of Industry Development said: “These meetings are a fantastic way for farmers to discuss practical methods that are available to measure their grass, and what software is available for doing so to help them farm profitably. Well managed grazed grass is the cheapest form of feed for cattle and sheep and efficient grazing management is essential to maximise both grass growth and utilisation.

“Not only will attendees get the chance to find out about how to make the most of the measurements they do take, they will be given the tools to develop their own grazing plan with help from Dr Genever and fellow farmers.

“These workshops are expected to be popular and provide the opportunity to learn from experienced grazers about how they have used data on grass measurements to make decisions on their farm.”

The meetings will take place on the following dates, with an afternoon visit included in each to a nearby farm:

Wednesday 23 October – Forteviot Village Hall, Forteviot, Perth, PH2 9BT

Thursday 24 October – Station Hotel, Station Brae, Ellon AB41 9BD

Friday 25 October – Balnain Hall, Inverness IV63 6TJ

Wednesday 30 October – Annandale Arms Hotel, High St, Moffat DG10 9HF

Thursday 31 October - Selkirk Rugby Club, Selkirk TD7 5AZ

Attendance at the workshops is free and lunch will be provided.  Please ensure you have clean, disinfectable footwear for the farm visit.

Places can be reserved on the Eventbrite booking website - search for QMS Better Grazing - or by contacting Laura Strang at QMS on 0131 510 8476 or lstrang@qmscotland.co.uk