9&10. Tom Rawson, Dewsbury and Sheffield

As a result, grass sampling will be done at his own farm and at a farm in Sheffield, where Mr Rawson and business partner, Oliver Hall, recently started giving consultancy advice.

Working with owner, Steve Walker, and herd manager, Phil Wilson, they aim to significantly increase milk from grass.

The farm is home to 300 Holstein Friesian cows calving all year round and averaging 8,000 litres. A paddock system has been installed and he says the focus for the next year is ‘to get a massive increase in milk from forage, especially grazed grass’.

At the home farm, the 300-strong herd of predominantly cross-bred spring-calving organic cows produce an average yield of 5,500 litres.

Grazing of the 31 permanent paddocks started on February 27. Cows will stay out until the end of November on a grazing platform of 69ha (170 acres).

Mr Rawson says it is equally important to measure what happens when cows are turned out as it is to analyse silage and winter feed.

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