Following an application to present on one of Farming Connect’s Our Farms Network projects at the British Society of Animal Science Conference this year, Farming Connect’s Carbon Specialist Officer, Non Williams attended the conference in Galway, Ireland from 8 to 10 April.There were over 350 people from 23 different countries in attendance at the conference this year, on the theme ‘Supporting Livestock’s Role in a Global Society’. As a result of this, Non had three full days of networking with researchers and specialists in the Animal Science world.
During the first afternoon of the conference, she presented on Farming Connect’s Herbal Ley Pan-Wales project work as part of the Grazing and Pasture Management session. This is an ongoing project that has been replicated on a few farms within Farming Connect’s Our Farms Network, that is investigating the effect of grazing a multispecies ley on lamb performance and herbage biomass, amongst other measurable properties. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to share the results from the first year of the project, discuss the plan for the 2025 growing season and receive questions on the work from others working in the same area. If of interest, the project’s developments can be followed here.
During the conference, Non attended a number of interesting sessions, hearing about research into sustainable forage-based sheep systems, techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and livestock parasites, to name a few. It was also great to hear about how research is adopted on Irish farms as part of Teagasc’s signpost farms advisory programme.
During the last afternoon of the conference, they visited a dairy farm in County Galway to hear about their dairy pasture-based system. Henry Walsh was an inspiring farmer - his focus on the herd’s fertility, his open-minded thinking and his enthusiasm towards research work that can be implemented on-farm was infectious.
One key message that came to light several times during the conference was the importance of linking research work and the industry on the ground. There is no hesitation that having an insight into various research projects, as Non had at the conference, is of benefit to identify opportunities to implement current and relevant ideas within Farming Connect’s Our Farms Network. Also, a number of new contacts were made by sharing a room with numerous knowledgeable people in the area, which will be of value when developing new projects and looking for additional opportunities to collaborate in the future.