3 minute read
BUILDING A BRAND NEW DAIRY ENTERPRISE
Charlie Crotty
Establishing a new dairy enterprise is rare, but that’s exactly what has happened at the Houghton Estate. Like the Cholmondeley Estate in Cheshire, also owned by the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, Houghton is a member of Fram Farmers.
Comprising 1,821ha, with an effective farmed area of 1,255ha, it had no history in dairying but became involved because grass and muck are fundamental to the organic system which Lord Cholmondley initiated in 1998. The conversion process took place in tranches and was completed in 2016.
The new dairy enterprise was conceived in 2017, the decision made easier because Lord Cholmondeley had commenced in-hand organic dairy farming on his estate in Cheshire that year and knew what was involved. The chosen breed was the Jersey, as the Arla organic manufacturing milk contract, in place at both estates, rewards the high fat and protein they produce.
DIVERSIFYING INTO DAIRYING
Houghton operates a very diverse organic business with in-hand dairy, beef, sheep and arable, plus let irrigated vegetables, let pigs and chickens. Situated in the centre of the estate, the new dairy is surrounded by organic pasture.
“It was conceived two years ago, with dairy cows purchased from Denmark, Ireland and the UK in 2017. The herd includes 400 autumncalving Jerseys, but the target is 550 by the end of 2019,” states Charlie Crotty, a Director of Evolution Farming, which has a management agreement with the estate and provides most of the labour to the farm business. Evolution Farming run five other block-calving dairy units around the UK on either a rental basis, management or contract farming agreement.
Cows are brought in twice daily and enter the collecting yard before moving into the 56m-long dairy shed, which incorporates a simple, cost-effective, high-capacity 50/100 Milfos parlour installed by Norfolk-based Mill Dairy Services. Milk is collected every other day by Arla, processed at its dairy in Buckinghamshire and ends its journey at McDonalds restaurants.
Construction work started in October 2017 and throughout the process Houghton Hall’s Buildings Manager Stuart Lingwood and Charlie Crotty worked closely with builders Ceres Group, many of the materials used being ordered through Fram Farmers. The project was completed in February 2018 and the first cows milked the following month.
PROVIDING MATERIALS AND INPUTS
Houghton Hall purchases a wide range of inputs and services through Fram Farmers, including fuel, electricity and building materials, and hires John Deere tractors and JCB telescopic handlers. Houghton also hired towers, loaders and temporary roadways through the cooperative specifically for the set-up and take-down of the recent ‘Damien Hirst at Houghton Hall’ exhibition.
“Some larger quantities of materials, such as 500m3 of concrete, were ordered through Fram Farmers and I discussed our requirements with Nick Millar (Building Materials Buyer). Many other materials and smaller items were purchased directly from local suppliers or local branches of national suppliers on our Fram Farmers account.
“I like the way that Fram Farmers sent me the various quotes from different potential suppliers so that I could check them against our design specification; it highlighted the savings we were making. Saving 50p on a bag of cement might not sound much, but small amounts soon add up to one big saving, which helped us to stay on time and on budget.”
Houghton Hall’s Buildings Manager Stuart Lingwood (left) and Nick Millar, Fram Farmers’ Buildings Materials Buyer, inside the new dairy.
