https://www.webberymoos.co.uk/sustainability daily 0.75 2022-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615377825265-BXPW5NZHR2MNBCMSIXSQ/105561049_175935807284231_4620773270679803999_n.jpg Sustainability - Green energy & Energy efficiency In 2020 we installed a 50KW PV array onto the rooves of our cow sheds. The energy it generates then helps power the farm, including running the milking parlour, cooling the milk and energising the houses of our team here at Webbery. Many of the components of our milking setup are designed to reduce energy consumption, including variable rate pumps and heat recovery. We have also recently installed an air source heat pump to heat the water we use to hot wash the milking parlour and last we also replaced the energy hungry lights in our free-stall sheds with low energy LED lighting on sensors. We have the aim of becoming energy self sufficient! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615391784571-OSEJM1RZXUPVNKUIAY7C/77110429_147720483439097_2103573847985881088_n.jpg Sustainability - Turning slurry into an asset In the last few we have invested into more slurry storage, so we are not forced to spread slurry in the winter at undesirable times, and a slurry separator which allows us to separate the slurry into its liquid and solid fractions. We then have 3 very useful nutrients for the farm: The solid material from muck has a liming effect and is rich in organic matter. This is incorporated into deficient soils to help improve the physical, chemical and biological properties. The thick liquid fraction is great for applying to grassland to deliver essential nutrients and reduce fertiliser use. The dirty water is siphoned off the top of the liquid fraction and has a real benefit in the drier times of year. Helping to irrigate pastures and keep the grass growing. We have also inoculated the slurry produced over winter with slurry bugs. These are live bacteria which multiply rapidly and digest the solids in the slurry, lock up the nutrients and reduce methane emissions. In theory this improves the value of the slurry to the crop when applied to the land and acts as a soil conditioner. We are also opting to spread all of our slurry after silage by dribble bar which significantly reduces ammonia losses relative to splash plate application. This way more of the nutrient value of the slurry actually benefits the growing grass rather than being lost to the atmosphere. All of these measures will help us to make the most of slurry and reduce the need for synthetic fertiliser. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615913639916-AGU4SKQQQDJSSCMLR5D9/2021-03-16.jpg Sustainability - Healthy Soils & fertiliser efficiency By soil sampling and mapping the farm, we can move away from the traditional blanket spreading of nutrients to the soils. Instead we aim to target areas that are deficient and avoid over-application where levels are not limiting growth. This technology allows us to accurately and efficiently ensure that the grass and crops we grow on the farm are grown productively but not wastefully. In 2017 we invested into a variable rate fertiliser spinner with aid from the EU as port of the Rural Development Programme for England. This allows precision application of nutrients according to the crop requirement and based on the soil maps. Overall this reduces waste and targets part of the field where the relevant nutrient is limiting. Healthy soils are the key to any grazing system. They are complex ecosystems and we do our best to keep them healthy by encouraging earthworms, aerating, managing the cows to minimise poaching and using clover in leys to naturally fix nitrogen. We are in the second year of trying out herbal leys and so far so good! They are much more species diverse than perenial ryegrass based leys and not only benefit the cows nutritionally but can offer more drought resistance and benefit insects and pollinator populations. In 2022 we are also trialling strip-till maize into wheat stubbles. Just the soil in the lines in which the maize seeds are drilled is cultivated, leaving much of the soil profile untouched. This approach requires less tractor work and the soil structure is preserved preventing soil erosion. Lets hope we grow a successful crop - watch this space! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615377574264-WOKOHXAX4L2DLW16P2YG/IMG_4031.jpeg Sustainability - Countryside Stewardship We are committed to the mid tier agreement and manage hedge rows, field corners and areas of the farm not suited to intensive grazing in a low input manner, to promote birds, insects and invertebrates who thrive in these ecosystems. The farm environment attracts a number of bird species. Some of our favourites are swallows, barn owls, yellow hammers, sky larks and even whimbrels and egrets. https://www.webberymoos.co.uk/our-milk daily 0.75 2024-03-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615292044016-8QFHGZPGH7OX5DTI6CMR/IMG_3047.jpg Milk - Simply…milk for everyday indulgence It’s well, simply…milk, as it comes, straight from the cow and pasteurised. That’s it. It’s not homogenised, standardised or mixed with milk from other farms. We strongly believe that this stripped back but definitely superior product tastes better, is healthier and more nutritious. It really reflects the seasons and has a much closer connection to the soils and sunshine which grows the grass that fuels every drop. It’s delicious for everyday use. You can let the cream settle for an indulgent breakfast or shake it up! Simply…semi The nations favourite but better! Simply…semi is just pasteurised and separated, removing half the fat. That’s it. Simply…milk or semi for the barista As well as being delicious for everyday consumption, simply…milk is the perfect choice for the coffee connoisseur. The milk from our free range, crossbred cows is creamier and higher in protein than standardised milks and reflects their grass rich diet. This results in a superior taste and improves the physical properties of the milk for coffee making. Our milk isn’t homogenised, so the natural fats remain intact. It’s these larger fat molecules along with the higher levels of caesin in the milk which trap the air for a really stable foam and great latte art. Simply…semi offers a lighter alternative so the choice is yours! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/5994e242-15cc-4c7c-81ec-0a2cd99ddcea/TOTW_Gold_2022.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615294716867-8ATSW0MLWEUKILJUATH8/IMG_2998.jpg Milk - Sustainable Packaging Simply…milk is bottled in beautiful glass bottles which are part of a ‘return to reuse’ scheme. It’s really straight forward. You buy the first glass bottle and then after that, as long as the bottle is returned to where you purchased it, you’re only buying refills. That’s right, no more bulky plastic waste. For the catering and hospitality sector we have available non-glass bulk containers in varying sizes which would also work with the ‘return to reuse’ scheme. To discuss the options, please get in touch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/a86d59dc-c63e-40a0-9011-08e636ee08ce/FDD_Member+logo_RGB.jpg Milk https://www.webberymoos.co.uk/the-moos daily 0.75 2021-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615384752428-5ICOG4Q5CMXRO0VZ5BYP/IMG_0024.jpg The farming year - Autumn Our faming calendar kicks off with calving, from August to October. The majority of the cows calve outside with the older, slightly needier cows get extra pampering in straw yards. After calving, the cows paddock graze into the autumn, being given a fresh break of pasture after every milking. Grassland management is a real art with the aim of always offering cows grass at the optimum stage of growth that strikes the balance in palatability and quantity so they want to eat it down like a lawn-mower would. As grass growth slows and the weather and ground conditions deteriorate, we start bringing the cows inside where they can escape the weather and we can better meet their nutritional demands as they head up towards their production peaks! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615282267934-NS1X9RHENUIY10KTM8TS/IMG_2852.jpg The farming year - Winter The winter housing is luxurious, comfortable, deep bed sand, free-stall accommodation with lot of light and well ventilated, communal space to feed, drink, socialise and chill out. Welfare is so, so important to us cow lovers and we keep a close eye both in person and with the aid of cameras, around the clock. Twice a day, the cows are milked through our state-of-the-art rotary milking parlour. We installed this last year and the cows love it! Milking is quick and easy and technology on the parlour optimises cow health and productivity. Game changer! This picture is of mother and daughter just chillin…. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615282416228-VVSXC9GN7CKGMJN6BHMV/IMG_1717.jpg The farming year - Spring The herd is turned back out to grass as weather and ground conditions allow from mid-February. This is always a special time of year, the cows love going out when the sun’s shining! We have lots of mouths to feed so turnout is staged to match increasing grass growth rates as the soils warm up. Grass is measured every week to allow us to track growth rates and forecast peaks and troughs in the grass budget. It’s a real art to manage grass well, so we constantly alter our management in order that cows are always offered the lushest pastures. Surplus grass is conserved as silage to be fed in the winter and when we’re short in the summer if it dries up. Good soil health and healthy environmental ecosystems are critical to growing lots of grass, the more earth worms, the better! Grassland farming, goes hand in hand with environmental sustainability. As custodians of the land, we feel a real responsibility to looking after our corner of Devon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615282692025-7OQL12RFSP0GAN8DFSWW/c07bfa89-a9df-4fd1-a8fe-0300461d0fbf+%281%29.jpg The farming year - Summer From July the cows begin their holidays when they have a 6-8 week dry period to rest and recuperate before their due dates. During this time, the next generation of heifers (young cows), pregnant with their first calf, join the dry cows. And so the cycle begins again. Never a dull moment! https://www.webberymoos.co.uk/about daily 1.0 2023-03-08 https://www.webberymoos.co.uk/new-page daily 0.75 2022-02-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615382159194-HTVXM0ECNDI4TPGUC2JL/IMG_2858.JPG Meet the team - The next generation Our kids are a huge motivation to how we run our business. Our two sons, Josh, 7 and Freddie, 5 are also cow enthusiasts as I am sure our baby daughter Molly will also be, and we are committed to farming in a progressive way that inspire them to want to take the business on. The same applies to the families of our team on the farm. Whilst I was trimming some cows feet the other day, I asked Josh (pictured left) who was watching me, if he was going to do the feet when he was older. His answer was, ‘No, Hanna will do the foot trimming’. Hanna is the 6 year old daughter of Damian & Maria. Brilliant! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615381979057-INVDQQQ1BWIELJ2GM5H4/e3506be2-1976-491f-9ab7-f08500bf63ad.JPG Meet the team - Our team We really couldn’t do it without these guys - Damian, Josh, Ellie, Stu & Maria. Damian is in charge in our absence. He’s a man of many talents both with the cows and with machinery. If something’s broken, he’s your man. He also built the Webbery Moos dairy! Josh and Ellie are our herdspeople. They are responsible for managing the grass day to day and the sheds in the winter, keeping an eye out for any problems in the herd. Josh is a dab hand at fixing things and at calving time, takes responsibility for all of our beef calves. Ellie is our newest team member who has a real eye for the cows and grazing and can do everything the boys can so look out! Stu is our relief milker and knows the herd inside out - superstar! Webbery Moos has brought new opportunities for Damian’s wife, Maria, who will be helping me (Cath) bottle the milk and develop the Webbery Moos project. She has experience in the food sector and is a dab hand on social media so watch this space! It really is a team effort so thanks guys! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615382113433-CJ92BNGER6WF3EX3O9L3/Ian+and+Cath+Weavian+FArms+pic.jpg Meet the team - Ian & Cath Hello! Ian and I are dairy farmers based just outside of Bideford at Webbery. We are passionate about running a high health, grass based, autumn calving dairy system, producing premium quality milk. We started out in 2011 and over the years have grown our herd to 380 cows plus youngstock and have tailored our farming practices with happy and healthy cows, effective and environmentally sustainable grassland management and a respected and rewarded workforce at the core. Ian is Operations Manager, responsible for managing the logistics of everything on the farm, from co-ordinating contractors for seasonal operations to managing the team and the cows day to day. My role on the farm is Technical Manager and I keep close tabs on cow health and performance, as well as grassland management, winter feeding and foot trimming. Webbery Moos is our latest project at Webbery, to celebrate farming and great food, with you! https://www.webberymoos.co.uk/the-moos-1 daily 0.75 2024-03-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615288558121-CW3CIVQPNHJMOB86AY98/IMG_9389.JPG The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615288970056-RY3RIX5698C3F58DV4A0/IMG_0182+%281%29.jpg The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615393459103-V480TXEF9NSRKI8FY4BB/301cf271-99ad-42c0-a688-d67a5fdac5db.jpg The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615291630530-23312X4YY0WITI6SSHNF/IMG_1717.jpg The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615291631973-RC4FW56KDTIU0HWTPLGZ/IMG_1932.JPG The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615291627686-8VDT8ZH5RWOARP1U7FSY/IMG_3959.JPEG The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615291731959-ZRRZSWG19GHKWD8HSS2W/IMG_3803.JPEG The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615295658104-W8DKQ4ZWZOXD2SEBXIYM/c07bfa89-a9df-4fd1-a8fe-0300461d0fbf.JPEG The Moos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615295715138-5PMETRF44XNA7AD5WQTL/IMG_7708.JPEG The Moos https://www.webberymoos.co.uk/free-range-farming daily 0.75 2021-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615391907049-1T054ZKX62G5E2KTJOWC/95830106_160262992184846_5283052319473139712_n.jpg Free Range Farming https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615391906643-O8S3LNL3TY7IZPWZW15C/130536813_234356088108869_1774933267821027782_n.jpg Free Range Farming https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60462c1e6503b366b5b7a161/1615391913539-BIJBUN1YXB3O9RPECC8S/IMG_0045.JPEG Free Range Farming