Photo of the Week: 3 farming generations out grass silaging
This week’s photo of the week was taken at Mawley Town Farm, in South Shropshire, by Rachel Robinson.
It shows three generations of the Robinsons ranging from 18 to 80 years old.
The youngest is Samuel and the oldest is grandpa David, who is approaching his 81st birthday.
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© Rachel Robinson
David, Rachel’s father-in-law moved his young family to Mawley from Northern Ireland in 1978 and set up a dairy farm.
Rachel’s husband, Adrian, took over managing the dairy herd when he was 17.
Rachel says: “David and Adrian have a strong working relationship, and despite being 81 this September, David is still very active and involved in the farm, feeding the cows seven days a week, and he does all the combining and spraying.”
Daughter Jemima also works on the farm. She left agriculture college last year and is working alongside her dad and grandpa.
Samuel is helping out over the summer after finishing his graphic design course at college.
Mawley Town Farm
The dairy farm has 324ha of arable crops along with some grass and maize for silage. All of the corn and wheat is produced to feed and bed the cattle.
They milk 300 cows on six Fullwood Merlin robots. The Robinsons rear the youngstock as replacements and raise the bull calves for beef.
They have their own renewable electric on-site that runs the main farmstead – 75kW wind turbine, 100kW solar panels on the grain store roof, and an 80kW anaerobic digestion plant that runs just off the cow slurry.
One-third of the milk produced is bottled on the farm and sold regionally to local shops and restaurants, under the brand “Mawley Milk”.
The farm has also converted some old farm buildings in the yard, a mile from the main farm, into light industrial units for local businesses.
What a hive of activity – and it’s great to see all generations working on the family farm.
You can follow the farm on Facebook and Instagram @mawleymilk and visit their website at mawleytownfarm.co.uk.
Watch the farm’s video on its renewable energy production.