The From Field to Feed open day is organised by the NCS Project, in which Richard is a ‘Pulse Pioneer’ trialling wholecrop beans in his beef herd’s diet.
Visitors will discover how beans are grown, harvested, stored and fed on farm - and how they can provide a high-protein, home-grown alternative to bought-in feeds.
Richard said: “As livestock farmers we need to balance cost, sustainability and performance. Wholecrop beans have proved a valuable option for my business – they fit well in my rotation, yield well and provide a reliable protein source for my cattle. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience and hearing from others.”
The open day will start at 10am at the Black Bull Inn, Moulton (DG10 6QN) with presentations from leading experts including PGRO’s Erin Matlock on the agronomy of successful bean production, and an update on varieties from Limagrain. Michael Carpenter from Kelvin Cave Ltd will share insights into harvesting, processing, preservation and storage, and livestock nutritionist Lizz Clarke will tackle bean nutrition and ration formulation.
After lunch, a tour of Richard’s farm will include a look at the wholecrop bean storage, along with an opportunity to discuss feeding results and practical adoption with specialists.
The event is free to attend, but please register at www.tinyurl.com/NCSOpenDay.
Nitrogen Efficient Plants for Climate Smart Arable Cropping Systems (NCS) is a four-year £5.9M research programme involving 200 UK farms and 17 partners.
The project aims to bring about a reduction of 3.4Mt CO₂e per annum or 54% of the maximum potential for UK agriculture through increasing pulse and legume cropping in arable rotations to 20% across the UK and replacing 50% of imported soya meal used in livestock feed rations with home-grown legumes.
The project is steered by science and proven by real farm enterprises, with significant benefits for both crop and livestock productivity, including cost savings of over £1bn/yr.
PGRO (Processors and Growers Research Organisation) leads the consortium that includes AB Agri, ADAS, Agrii, BOFIN (British On-Farm Innovation Network), Cranfield University, Farm Carbon Toolkit, Firstmilk, GWCT (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust), The James Hutton Institute, Kelvin Cave, LC Beef Nutrition, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), McArthur BDC, PBL Technology, SRUC and Wessex Water.
The NCS Project is funded by the Farming Futures R&D Fund: Climate smart farming, part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme. Defra are working in partnership with Innovate UK who are delivering the programme. Project number: 10043778
Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency. It supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions, helping businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services. See ukri.org
Farmers are encouraged to join the PulsePEP community, a platform and knowledge exchange hub. For more, visit ncsproject.co.uk
