Grazing and Re-Seeding

KNOW YOUR GRASS - GRAZING AND RE-SEEDING

We talk to Amanda Owen, seed specialist at Fram Farmers, to discuss the extensive range of grass seed varieties on offer from the cooperative.

The requirements for grass seed varieties from members are diverse to say the least. Fram Farmers procure for various livestock enterprises, as well as caravan parks, conservation areas and equine gallops to name just a few. Amanda Owen, who began her employment with Fram Farmers in April 2015 and gained her BASIS seed sellers certificate in February 2019, works closely with members to source the seed that best suits their requirements. The vast range of products that she sources throughout the year include countryside stewardship mixes, catch and cover crops, companion crops, cereals, rye, linseed, oilseed rape, pulses, maize, trees, shrubs, hedges, bulbs and vegetable seeds.

“...it is very important to establish exactly what the grass is being used for, the soil type, how many cuts may be necessary...”

“The role is very different from season to season”, she explains. “When dealing with grass enquiries it is very important to establish exactly what the grass is being used for, the soil type, how many cuts may be necessary, the required longevity of a given ley and whether there are any restrictions to the growth of the seed, such as shady patches. These questions are particularly important due to the vast range of species and varieties available. We can source almost anything; members just need to give us a call and we will do the rest”.

SEASONAL The Spring tends to be the enquiry time for utility mixes around barns, margins for fields, lawns etc. and the Autumn enquiries tend to lean more towards over-seeding or sowing new expanses of grazing for livestock and paddocks. There are short (1-2 yr), mid (3-4 yr) and long-term leys (5yr+) and this is determined by use. “The pasture would vary on members’ requirements, how many cuts they plan to make within the season, and the primary use of the area. We have a range of suppliers throughout the UK, and therefore a vast scope of mixtures available to us. My job is to send the enquiry out to the merchants with as much information as possible, to get the most effective mix for the member’s business”. “Aber or high sugar varieties are favoured by the beef and dairy sectors as, among other factors, they have a higher D value (digestibility) which drives increased milk yield or live weight gain per hectare. Mixes containing white clover have also grown in popularity as they increase milk production and also help to fix nitrogen back into the soil,” Amanda adds.

“Orchard and caravan park mixes tend to be a mix of denser hardwearing grasses and horse paddocks call for a hardwearing but lower sugar grass varieties, to reduce the risk of laminitis. So, as you can see, it is extremely important that we know the challenges of the grass area to best select the most suitable mixes”.

NITROGEN More farmers are now focussed on investing in their grassland. With ELMS (Environmental Land Management Scheme) being introduced soon, farmers are paying greater attention to the quality of their soils and aiming to improve nitrogen levels without applying straight nitrogen. “It will be interesting how this has a future impact on grassland management”, she concludes. For advice on grazing and re-seeding, contact Amanda Owen: seed@framfarmers.co.uk 01728 727717.

FRAM FARMERS PROVIDES THE RIGHT MIX FOR PLACEMENT STUDENT TOBY HAINSWORTH-BREAR

Harper Adams University student Toby Hainsworth-Brear has joined Fram Farmers for his year in industry and will be working within a number of departments across the cooperative.

Having taken up his 12-month placement on 3rd August, Toby hopes that the variety of work he will undertake will help steer his future career and act as a stepping-stone for employment after university. “I chose Fram Farmers mainly for the variety of work that I would be doing over the course of the placement,” says Toby. “I had to really think about what part of the industry I wanted to work within, and with Fram Farmers I can gain industry experience in a variety of fields.” Studying an FdSC Agri-business degree at Harper Adams University, Toby has taken something of a convoluted route into agriculture. With no direct family farming background, it was through a rugby playing team-mate that Toby found his passion for farming, aged just six. “His father was an estate manager, and I used to be on the farms most weekends,” says Toby. “I asked one of the farmers when I was about twelve if I could help with milking at the weekends, and that’s where my story in agriculture began.” Since then, Toby has gained experience on different farms, and when he is back at home in Yorkshire, he drives for a local silage contractor. Initially working with Holly Hicks in the marketing team, Toby will be moving around various departments over the course of the year. He says, “I hope to find where I fit into the industry and which area I enjoy the most. This placement enables me to take advantage of the opportunity to better my knowledge in different areas of the industry, while developing my personal experience.”

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