Technology Demonstration Farms (TDFs) provide a network of local farms which allow other farmers the opportunity to see new technology and innovations which they could adopt within their own businesses. William Egerton, Rosslea, Co. Fermanagh has recently been appointed as a Sheep Grassland TDF, writes Ruth Moore, Beef and Sheep Adviser, CAFRE.

William Egerton farms along with his father, John Egerton and his brothers on 180 acres just outside Rosslea. The family farm consists of 90 suckler cows, 240 ewes, contract heifer rearing and a blade calf enterprise. William returned to the home farm a number of years ago, after working on a large sheep farm in Scotland. His focus is to develop and manage the sheep enterprise at home with grassland management and the efficient utilisation of grass, an essential part of the enterprise.

Of the 180 acres of grassland on the farm, William manages his flock of NZ Suffolk, Lleyn, Belclare and Mule ewes on 40 acres which has been split into paddocks. William uses regular soil testing, the CAFRE nutrient calculator, grass measurement, using a plate meter and Agrinet software to monitor the productivity of his grazing platform. This allows him to graze his sheep flock with the aim of achieving a high level of productivity from grass. The performance of his flock is measured regularly using EID weighing, Sheepware flock recording and Faecal Egg Counts.

William says; “I am looking forward to hosting farm visits as part of the Technology Demonstration Farm Programme. I am a young farmer who is committed to manage my ewes and lambs to make the most of the grass that we can grow here in Co. Fermanagh. Hosting groups of farmers will allow me to discuss my enterprise with others, share my experiences and I am confident we will learn from each other.”

Details of all the TDFs and how to book a visit are available on the CAFRE website: www.cafre.ac.uk Technology Demonstration Farms (TDF) | Farm Business Support - CAFRE

At the moment CAFRE is taking group bookings only by emailing kt.admin@daera-ni.gov.uk

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the European Union fund the Business Development Groups Scheme and the establishment of Technology Demonstration Farms across Northern Ireland under the Innovation Technology Evaluation Demonstration (ITED) Scheme, as part of the Rural Development Programme.

Further details can be found on the CAFRE website, Discover CAFRE Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts.