With new water quality rules that could force many Welsh dairy farms to review cow numbers, Pembrokeshire milk producer Scott Robinson is adapting his system to retain herd size and meet nitrate limits.

Scott, who farms at Parc-y-Llyn, Llandisillio, with his parents, Julian and Sonia, is introducing  a flying herd system - buying in heifer replacements instead of rearing his own.

Although it was Wales’ new Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations that provoked the decision, it will help the business in other ways too.

The family farms a 32ha (80 acre) county council holding with limited housing. “We really struggle for shed space,’’ says 25-year-old Scott.

“Over the years we have rented sheds off-farm and we are constantly moving stock around.’’

The business either needed to invest in building a new shed, or look at alternatives and that led to the decision to run a flying herd, buying in stock as in-calf heifers. 

Scott is confident it is the right decision. “I am in a benchmarking group and one of the farms, which is similar to ours but has a flying herd, always seems to come out very well on figures,’’ he says.

It may allow for expansion of herd size – the family currently milks 140 Holstein Friesians on the grazing platform – all 32ha - and rents a further 49ha (120 acres).

“It will give us a bit more flexibility on cow numbers,’’ says Scott.

He returned to farm with his parents after studying agriculture at Hartpury College and working on large-scale dairy units in New Zealand.

He was destined to farm – for him no career choice has ever come a close second to farming. “Our family has farmed for generations, on both sides, I can’t imagine doing anything else.’’

His father was one of seven children and his mother one of three and, with no opportunity to farm at home, they applied for a county council tenancy.

They were offered Parc-y-Llyn, but with a caveat. “Back then it was a requirement that they had to be married – they were engaged at the time so it hurried them along!’’ Scott laughs.

Thirty years on and they have grown the business by renting another 120 acres.

Milk is produced on a level profile, with cows currently yielding an annual average of 9,000 litres/cow at 4.3% butterfat and 3.25% protein.

Producing high quality silage is a priority - up to four cuts are harvested.

Through soil sampling and with nutrient management planning advice provided by Farming Connect, there is more targeted use of nitrogen fertilisers on fields with high indices.

Nitrogen is applied at 150kg/acre of nitrogen across the first three cuts while the fourth cut is grown with slurry only.

Recent investment in a 400,000-gallon slurry lagoon will allow the farm to make better use of its nutrients, says Scott.

Cows graze in a paddock system with grass measured weekly with a plate meter; 50kgN/acre is applied to the grazing ground.

While cow numbers and milk production are restricted by the size of the milking platform, Scott is instead adding value to that milk.

He invested £50,000 in a milk vending machine and pasteuriser and converted a farm outbuilding.

He has a formal agreement with his parents to purchase some of the milk.

“I wanted it to be a separate business, the onus is on me to get it right, and it gives me my own slice of the pie,’’ says Scott.

The farm is right next to a road and can also be accessed by a footpath from a nearby caravan park.

“Local support has been brilliant,’’ says Scott. 

This diversification, which he estimates will pay for itself within four years, has given him greater confidence ahead of the introduction of a new farm support system in Wales.

“I’ve got an expanding customer-base and I’m optimistic that within three years, when I hope to have paid off my loan, all profits from the milk vending side will be going straight into my pocket – that’s a nice thought to keep me working hard!”