It's a lovely sunny warm spring day & the grass is growing on Brookfield Farm in Ambridge. The dairy cows are out grazing pastures & David is right up with the play.....he platemeters grass, Autumn block calves, uses cross beeding & has a very good farm layout with concrete railway sleepers on the tracks.....it is a very modern farm using the latest pasture grazing technologies which are environmentally friendly & kind to the welfare of the dairy cows. Grass fed milk is healthy with high levels of Omega 3s. Beneath those lush green pastures with the attractive cross bred dairy cows....carbon is being sequested in the top soil under permanent pastures.
PS The photo at the top of this blog is NOT of Brookfield Farm but rather real live pasture grazing action from the Ankle Deep Discussion Group in Gloucestershire....just like in "The Archers".
I've just visited the best known dairy farm in England.....Brookfield Farm, Ambridge. Millions of listeners to BBC Radio 4 "The Archers" tune in either to the daily broadcast or online across the world to listen to what David & Ruth Archer are doing on their dairy farm.
"The Archers" first broadcast on 1st January 1951 is now the longest running radio soap in the world (over 16000 episodes). "The Archers" was created from radio programs during the WW2 that were broadcast to help farmers to produce food both during & post war.
I had the privilege to meet Tim Bentinck the actor who plays David Archer.
Tim I can tell you is a great guy with a quick wit & good humour. He has a genuine interest in farming firstly being born on a sheep station in Tasmania & secondly having family faming interests & connections in England.
I work with Graham Harvey who is the Agricultural editor for "The Archers", we are keen to include pasture grazing excellence into the program & highlight some of the innovative on farm practices from the Discussion Groups. Graham has also written "The Carbon Fields" book which is about the benefits of grass fed food & to the environment of pasture based farming. http://grassrootsfood.co.uk/
Working with Graham (& ofcourse David Archer) is a unique opportunity to speak to a much broader audience. Approximately 5 million people tune into the BBC Radio 4 each evening.....not only farmers but people who live in villages, towns & cities all over the UK....plus the online listeners. Every one given the opportunity needs to become an ambassador for their industry & profession. Grass fed milk farmers need to all become ambassadors for grass fed milk & the way in which you very efficiently farm.....if you don't or won't......then who will?
Graham kindly arranged the visit to the BBC studios at Birmingham. It was very interesting to watch Kate the producer, the technical staff & actors rehearse & record another episode to go to air shortly. Thank you Kate.
One of the current story lines is related to the use of dairy bred calves being used for beef. The day after I visited Brookfield Farm I made a visit to Cheshire with the Turf Accountants Discussion Group to see a young farmer rearing dairy bred beef on a grass based system. It was very successful efficient production of healthy beef. So the Archers really are up with the game!
As to "The Archers" episode we watched being recorded...
what happened?.................You may ask that .........I could'nt possibly comment!
What a great experience Tom. I'm a lifelong fan of the Archers and I've been very interested in the message they are getting across on grass fed cows - marvellous. Now if we can get them planning succession properly!!!!
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