Farmers offered free grazing guidance

Grassland farmers can apply for free grazing and forage management advice from impartial advisers as part of the Grazing Mentor programme.
The British Grassland Society (BGS) and AHDB joint initiative offers a one-to-one service for farmers that successfully apply to join the scheme.
Mentors are trained to be knowledge exchange facilitators and are funded through the AHDB Grass Campaign.
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Previously called Grazing Partners at its inception in 2009, the scheme currently offers 13 advisers and about 40 mentee places.
The service, open to all farmers in Britain, typically starts with an initial visit from the mentor, followed up with close communication and a second visit once a few changes have been made.
Eight new mentors joined the project this year from a mix of dairy, beef, and sheep farms across Britain, from Cornwall to Perthshire.
Get in touch
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact the BGS at bgsoffice@britishgrassland.com to apply for your position
Mentors will aim to help farmers:
- Set goals
- Overcome any weaknesses
- Improve grassland efficiency.
Dorset dairy farmer Kenton Bennett has benefited from a BGS mentor since May 2021.
Mr Bennett said: “We’ve learned a lot from our grazing mentor. Although we’ve had a tough year, it’s taught me to plan better for next year. You can take a lot of knowledge from someone that’s already been through it.”
Tailored to each farm
Siwan Howatson, AHDB Animal Health and Welfare senior scientist, said mentors will offer farms the chance to optimise profit and cut costs.
She added: “The BGS Grazing Mentors can help farmers unlock the potential of their pasture. The one-to-one guidance on their grazing strategy is specifically tailored to each farm.”