A new guide that aims to help farmers save money at a time of rising inputs has been published by The Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) and McDonald’s UK & Ireland.
The Great Grazing Guide, written by pasture experts, Precision Grazing, contains advice on how healthy soil can improve pasture and forage, how to make the most of farmyard manure and slurry to improve grazing and save money on concentrate feed, and how to most effectively use artificial fertiliser.
There is also advice on how to get the most out of pasture through the use of herbal leys and techniques such as rotational grazing.
PCF executive director, Keith Halstead, said the guide had been written in response to requests from farmers participating in resilience programmes who expressed concerns at the huge increase in their input costs.
“Not only will the ideas contained in this guide help save money at this very difficult time, but they will also enable farmers to work with nature on their farm by focusing on the importance of healthy soil,” he said.
Alistair Macrow, CEO of McDonald’s UK and Ireland, added: “We hope that the practical actions in this guide will help to increase resilience in the farming community and support the transition to a low carbon future.
“McDonald’s is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2040 – including across our supply chain – and this guide is a small, but important step on that journey.”
The guide is the latest development in a three-year partnership between McDonalds and PCT to support the future of the farming industry. Other work includes the “Ready for Change” workshops, which support livestock farmers in making informed decisions about change management on family farms, as well as helping on environment-related challenges.
To download a copy of The Great Grazing Guide, visit www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/GreatGrazingGuide
