Profitable, sustainable production will be the theme of a free-to-attend Open Day for existing and prospective beef farmers in the North of England on Wednesday 18th May. The event is being held at Messrs W. Fairbairn & Sons’
Waterside House Farm, Alnmouth, Northumberland, by kind permission of David and Ken Fairbairn, who until last May operated a herd of 100 Holstein Friesian dairy cows. Since selling their dairy herd the Fairbairn bothers have built up a small suckler herd, but felt that Blade Farming’s Aberdeen Angus scheme offered a way for them to increase cattle numbers more rapidly.
Organised by Blade Farming, BOCM PAULS and Pfizer, the Open Day is designed to help farmers to develop a profitable, sustainable beef production system based on the Aberdeen Angus Beef Finishing Scheme which has been developed and is operated by Blade Farming. The company’s beef farming business is unique in the UK as it is the only truly integrated beef supply system, being dedicated to supplying retailers, their customers and consumers with consistently high- quality beef. The company now has in excess of 16,000 beef cattle with contracted producers, making it one of the largest beef farming operations in England.
The Open Day at Alnmouth will begin at 11.00 with short presentations by Richard Phelps of Blade Farming explaining how to produce high-quality, consistent beef, while John Telfer of BOCM PAULS will outline the role of nutrition in maximising returns from the Blade Angus Beef Scheme and a representative from Pfizer will discuss herd health. The farm walk that follows will enable farmers to see a successful beef unit in action and the event will conclude with a discussion on various aspects of beef production over a "roast hog" lunch.
John Telfer, Accounts Manager for BOCM PAULS’, states: It is designed to provide farmers with an opportunity to learn more about the quality beef market and help them to make an informed decision about adding a potential additional revenue stream to an existing livestock business. The meeting will also enable them to learn more about securing a source of quality calves for the future and hopefully attract new entrants into beef production to meet the growing demand for quality meat."
Somerset-based Blade Farming specialises in producing meat of the highest quality for the consumer and that which is produced through the Blade Aberdeen Angus beef finishing scheme has been proven to be extremely tender, succulent and full of flavour. Consequently, demand is increasing and the business is actively looking for more beef producers to join its Aberdeen Angus finishing scheme.
Blade Farming operates a unique forward price contact for cattle in their supply chain that allows farmers to budget for the beef enterprise. The Aberdeen Angus contract has a guaranteed minimum base price and a premium tracker price that is well above standard beef prices. There are veal prices too for Holstein young bull calves that are the equivalent of £3.25 and above for calves based on the current UK grading systems.
Aberdeen Angus cross calves which arrive from Blade Farming’s rearing units go onto the farm at three months of age and are reared on to be finished, ideally by 20 months of age. This simple, extensive system requires the cattle to be grazed for at least six months of their life and that they are finished on a high cereal diet with a mineral supplement. Cattle that fit these requirements and specifications, and achieve the minimum carcass weight of 245 Kg deadweight, will command a significant premium through the abattoir.
BOCM PAULS, a leader in ruminant nutrition and the UK’s only national compounder, has worked closely with Blade Farming for a number of years as a provider of nutritional expertise to contracted producers. The collaboration between the two companies enables producers to fulfil the high genetic potential of calves which are supplied under Blade’s Aberdeen Angus Beef Finishing Scheme and subsequently to achieve optimum production efficiency and financial returns.
