Evolving Norfolk farm weighs up its options to get cattle decisions right
David Cross runs Glovers Farm in Sedgeford, which is moving from mixed arable to an all-livestock operation, focusing on improving soil health and business resilience within a changing climate.
As part of this evolution he has modelled three cattle enterprise scenarios to determine which approach was best suited to the farm's objectives - contract cattle, a conventional suckler herd, or organic store cattle.
And he has explained the process to other farmers as part of the knowledge-sharing Monitor Farm programme run by the AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board).
David Cross at Glovers Farm in Sedgeford, which is part of the AHDB Monitor Farm network (Image: AHDB) Mr Cross said: 'Six years ago we realised that we needed to change what we were doing to ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm.
"The decision was made to move from a mixed arable system to all livestock, primarily to improve soil health but it has multiple benefits in terms of removing input costs, balancing cashflow, risk reduction and making more use of environmental scheme options.
"This shift in focus meant we needed to investigate the options available to us when considering a beef enterprise.
"We originally had cattle on a liveweight gain (LWG) contract but the reliance on high-quality forage to meet the targets, with the challenge of changing weather patterns and soil quality issues, meant I wanted to review our options."
The three systems were assessed for their impact on land use, feed resources, livestock productivity and financial outcomes, accounting for key factors such as seasonal pasture growth, forage availability and financial sustainability.
The study showed organic store cattle offer the highest gross margin but with increased risk and reliance on stewardship income and organic market premium.
Meanwhile, contract cattle provide a lower-risk, low-labour option with a balanced cost structure but requires high-quality pasture, and a conventional suckler herd offers long-term security but has higher labour and variable costs, resulting in lower financial returns.
Specialist farm modelling software was used to evaluate trade-offs between financial returns, capital investments, labour and operational requirements, environmental impacts and risks from weather, animal disease and subsidy dependence.
Mr Cross said his chosen option of contract-reared cattle was an expansion and restructuring of a current operation on the farm.
Contract-reared cattle at Glovers Farm in Sedgeford (Image: David Cross) It means 720 calves will arrive this spring to graze on herbal leys, with some leaving in autumn, and some staying through the winter on fodder beet, giving the farm the flexibility to balance demand with optimum grass growth.
Mr Cross said: "This is option is the lowest dependency on government subsidies, the least amount of equity to run, and we already have a good relationship with the guys we get the cattle from."
He added: 'Modelling the three scenarios and how they would work for our situation was really useful to understand the pros and cons of different systems and how they could fit into the overall aims for the business and its future."
Katie Evans, a senior AHDB knowledge exchange manager, said: 'When making decisions its important farmers choose an enterprise model that supports their overall business strategy, taking into account risk tolerance and long-term goals."
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