Myerscough College invites forward-thinking farmers to improve farm performance

Friday 14 August 2009

Two Lancashire holdings have been selected as monitor farms in a three-year project to help farmers learn from each other.

Beef and sheep farmers Malcolm and Judith Sanderson at Halton, near Lancaster, and dairy producers John Hartley and his family at Bashall Eaves, near Clitheroe, have been selected from a group of farms that volunteered for the scheme.

Myerscough College is delivering the project as part of the North West Livestock Programme which is funded through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) by Defra and the European Union.

The concept of monitor farms has already proved successful in Scotland and New Zealand.

Commercial farms open their doors to other farmers who can get involved in assessing management ideas and monitoring changes on the farm. These ideas can then benefit the businesses of other farmers in the area.

A monitor farm business group will work with each host farm by attending four meetings a year. There will also be an open day once a year for the local community to attend.

Myerscough College is now inviting famers to join these business groups to discuss improving performance on the two farms. The first meetings are planned to take place in September.

For further information, contact James Hadwin or Robert Burrow at the Rural Business Centre 01995 642 206 or visit www.livestocknw.co.uk