Carbon efficient cowshed boosts farm productivity

ALincolnshire dairy farm aims to significantly increase its productivity after investing more than £1m in a carbon-efficient cowshed.

Zara Dorrington, whose greatgrandparents moved to White House Farm near Bourne in 1924, runs the business alongside her father Ross and uncle Simon. The fourth-generation 800ha dairy and arable farm and its 300-cow herd produces milk for Arla.

“Slurry management was a key area we wanted to improve when designing the new shed,” said Ms Dorrington. “We knew it was where we could significantly strengthen our sustainability agenda, turning what was historically a waste product into a useable asset with many benefits.”

Construction of the 2,700m² cow- using deep channels to move liquid manure below ground quickly and without the need for electric pumps.

Natural ventilation

The large, open-plan pitched-roof building uses natural ventilation and LED lighting in a further boost for the farm’s net-zero credentials. Passages are wide enough for a robot slurry

Investing in the new state-of-theart cowshed supports long-term sustainability goals on both the dairy and arable side of the business.

A new slurry separator has allowed the farm to move separated manure away more efficiently and use it to reduce the artificial fertiliser needed to grow the crops, with fields of maize lengths to make sure its design and build is as carbon-efficient as possible, while also providing a comfortable and nurturing environment for our herd.”

Finance package

The finance package comes via Lloyds Bank’s Clean Growth Finance Initiative, which provides discounted funding to help businesses transition to a lower-carbon, more sustainable future.

Lloyds Bank agricultural relationship manager Steven Withers said: “Every industry is under pressure to improve sustainable practices, and with agricultural land making up 70% of the UK’s land area, farming has a particularly crucial role to play.

“Our Clean Growth Finance Initiative is designed to support businesses with their environmental and sustainability goals. The build of the new cowshed at White House Farm will not only improve efficiency and production levels, but allow Zara and her family to operate more sustainably.

“We will continue to be by the side of land-based businesses like this to help them thrive in the most carbon-