Higher Manor Farm

Rob, Lin & Maddy

 

Higher Manor Farm is just outside Weymouth on the Dorset coast.

 

We converted to a Kiwi pasture-based block-calving system in the 90's and used LIC genetics for 20 years.

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Rob went on a career-defining trip to NZ with Mike Murphy, Paul Bird, the Grasshoppers & Irish guys in 1999. An amazing and inspiring trip, travelling with, and also meeting great people!

(Rob was the only Englishman on the trip, just before the '99 World Cup!)

 

In 2000 we got together with our neighbour Sue & set up a share-farming agreement. We ran a 240 cow spring-calving herd, moving to 1x day milking in 2005.

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Sue retired in 2016 and sold her farm. We sold the dairy herd but we retained the youngstock to continue to rear. 

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We now rear heifers at Portesham Farm, selling them in-calf all year round.

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We continue to graze grass as much as possible, including through the winter topped up with silage, cake & fodder beet.

We grow over 100 acres of herbal leys, these are diverse swards, including cocksfoot, chicory, plantain & different clovers. 

These are deeper-rooting and so help drought-resistance, soil structure and organic matter, and uptake of minerals in the soil.

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