Regenerative agriculture

The Farm

Commonwork Organic Farm, based at Bore Place is a dairy farm with a herd of 250 cows. The farm has been certified as organic since 2000. A key focus for us is ensuring that we farm regeneratively.

The Estate (Sub menu)

What does it mean to be organic?

Being certified as organic means that you have been approved by the Soil Association and can demonstrate that you are committed to a system of farming which aims to produce high-quality food, using methods that benefit people, the environment, plant health and animal welfare. It means no artificial fertilisers, no pesticides and higher animal welfare.

What is regenerative farming?

Regenerative farming aims to ensure that farming has a positive impact on our land and environment. Key to this is working with nature to improve the habitats, soil and biodiversity of the farm. Many of the principles of organic farming are aligned to regenerative farming but not all farmers who have regenerative values have been certified as organic.

Improving our soils

Healthy soil is critical to regenerative farming. We aim to farm in a way that regenerates soil health. Restoring soil reduces atmospheric CO2 and dramatically improves water retention which is increasingly important with climate change and drier summers. It also helps with grass growth. Ensuring adequate grass growth to feed the herd is vital to a dairy farm.

Key Facts

Our herd

Our herd consists of a mix of British Friesian, Holstein, Montbelliard, NZ Friesian and Irish Holstein Friesian, which are better suited to our grazing and climate.

Supply

We supply raw milk to Happy Belly Foods, Blackwoods Cheese Company and Kappacassin Dairy. All other milk is sold to Arla who process the milk and then sell it to supermarkets and other retailers.

Produce

On average each cow produces 6000 litres of milk a year.

Over 500 Acres

Our herd grazes 500 acres of the Bore Place estate with access to a further neighbouring 200 acres. In most years we have 240 milking cows, 64 bulling heifers and 60 calves.

The Farming Year

Click on a panel below to find out more:

March - June

It is time for the cows to be turned out to graze after being housed for the winter months. The ground becomes drier, and the grass growth accelerates. There are opportunities to discuss grazing management, crop rotation, spring sowing, soil and the impact of climate change. In May we start cutting grass which we preserve by a fermentation process so that it can be fed to the cows in the winter months when there isn’t other pasture to eat. This preserved grass is called silage.

July - Sept

The summer season is the best time to enjoy our field trails and look at the grazing management. See first-hand the cows in the fields and the impact of our organic status. The cows and heifers will start to calve towards the end of August. Worm and beetle counts are taken to monitor soil quality.

Sept - Oct

The cows come into their winter housing as the grass growth declines and the fields become wetter. Calving continues through to October. See the newborn calves and milking in action. Milk production rises rapidly through the autumn, this is a great time to discuss the organic milk market, past, present and future.

Nov - March

As the cows settle into their winter housing, diets change, and we move on to feeding the herd silage cut earlier in the year. The silage management is incredibly important to ensure the cows are fed until spring. Winter is also the breeding season, when the farmers will artificially inseminate the cows. This is a great time to talk about fertility, reproduction and the importance of nutrition.