Deeside Monitor Farm

The farm’s Management Group are ‘enthusiastic and really good’, he says, with many of them at a similar stage to Duncan and focused on developing their business acumen.  

 “We have been doing much more in terms of management accounts, budgeting and cash flow and we had a recent Monitor Farm meeting with a local accountant to discuss using Xero software. One of our upcoming meetings will be with a bank manager, as we want to know what they are looking for so we can present things in the way they want to see them. 

 “I have looked at doing all of these things before, but trying to do it on your own is quite hard work, especially finding the right source for the information.” He adds that with everyone learning together, the group is good at asking a wide variety of questions which is very helpful. 

 “The first year of the Monitor Farm programme was exciting, but a lot of time was spent with the management group getting to know us. I think it takes a year to get into the thick of it, then you make and see changes but with breeding that takes a few cycles – at least with a four-year programme we now have the time to see how things pan out.” 

As a young business, the Morrisons aim to grow while improving profitability, which inspired Duncan and Claire to become Monitor Farmers.

A business assessment in the form of an Integrated Land Management Plan (ILMP) was carried out at the beginning. Seeing what could be improved – and what was going well – written down was useful, but it also highlighted vulnerability in the business’s structure, says Duncan. He was running the business as a sole trader, but has brought Claire, into the business more formally, as well as looking at other documentation such as power of attorney and wills. 

The farm’s Management Group, comprising farmers at similar stages, has helped Duncan and Claire focus on budgeting, cash flow, and management accounts. Meetings with accountants and bankers have provided insights into financial planning and communication. Using tools like Xero software has made financial management more efficient.

The ILMP looked at gross margins for the cattle enterprise, and while it showed Duncan was doing very well, he believed there was the opportunity to improve further. A fan of rotational grazing, he had come across Farmax forage management software and has been using it as part of the Monitor Farm programme to plan and manage grazing. 

 “It has helped me understand our own business and where the pinch points are for feed supply. For instance, I know if we will be short of grass in spring and we can try to smooth out those bumps – it is about getting the most out of the farm.” 

The ability to use different scenarios and look at the impact has led to change. The start of calving has been pushed back a week, while setting up winter or deferred grazing has helped with managing spring and summer grass availability, and he may also take extra silage. “It’s about not missing opportunities.” 

Identifying that he had extra grass over summer and had previously spent thousands on feed to finish bulls inside, he decided to experiment with finishing them at grass with some feed given in the field.

This worked well: Average daily liveweight gain at grass exceeded 2kg/day for most of the bulls, and while final figures are to be confirmed, variable costs look set to fall from £712/head to £387/head. This gives a speculative gross margin of £466/head from finishing bulls at grass compared with the previous year’s margin of £214/head finishing intensively inside; a £252/head additional return at grass. 

Outwintering on grass and forage crops is key to minimising costs for the farm’s cows, and with increasing interest in this, four of the Monitor Farm’s management group are involved in a forage crop trial. “We are looking at comparing different crops in different conditions and farms. The aim is to draw out the details, so we are looking at more than just yield; how easy are the different crops to grow and manage, what’s the cost of growing them and how do they compare? It will be a good case study.” 

 To reduce costs, the farm relies on outwintering cows on grass and forage crops. A trial involving the management group compares different crops for yield, ease of management, and cost, aiming to provide practical insights.

Outwintering on grass and forage crops is key to minimising costs for the farm’s cows, and with increasing interest in this, four of the Monitor Farm’s management group are involved in a forage crop trial.

“We have been comparing different crops in different conditions and farms. The aim is to draw out the details, so we are looking at more than just yield; how easy are the different crops to grow and manage, what’s the cost of growing them and how do they compare? It will be a good case study.” 

-Positive trial results finishing beef bulls at grass  

-Farmax grazing software allows optimum grass use 

-Management group forage crop project underway