Farmers Weekly Awards 2026: Dairy Farmer of the Year

In less than a decade, Julian Courtier has turned a small beef and arable farm “not really making money” into a profitable dairy business milking 450 cows.

However, setting up two sons for a financially sustainable farming future has required more than just enthusiasm and ambition.

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Julian has had to keep going through setbacks such as buying in lameness and leptospirosis when setting up his autumn block-calving herd.

A farm that once relied on family labour has had to learn what it takes to recruit, then train staff to develop a strong team culture and make the unit perform.

Mindset

Starting from a clean sheet in dairying was to Julian’s advantage. Together with his wife, Mary, and sons Christopher and George, he spent time researching successful farms and gathering information before committing. As a result, their progression into dairy quickly turned a profit.

Recording, weighing and measuring are the norm – Julian knows that it costs £1,167 to rear a heifer to calving, for instance – as is sharing financial information with fellow dairy farmers at discussion group.

The family meet regularly, and twice a year “talk big stuff” with their consultant. They have also joined a local co-op.

“We have built from the ground up. We have embraced change, invested in the right areas, and used data and technology to make better decisions every day,” he says.

Yet he is aware that the challenges continue, already noting how changing weather patterns are affecting grass growth.

Measurements on the platform show grass dry matter (DM) yield fell by 1.5t DM/ha last year from 2024’s yield of 11.8t DM/ha. About 10-15% of the grazing platform is reseeded each year, with herbal leys increasingly featuring in the mix.

The farm has grown in land area, including buying a 40ha run-off for youngstock and dry cows. Julian credits heat detection collars with improving fertility, while a review of dry-cow nutrition has reduced incidence of milk fever and retained cleansings.

Grant funding, invested in four vending machines (and a mobile event trailer), are retailing 165,000 litres/year of their milk.

Further expansion

Converting to dairy brought his sons as partners into the business. It is hoped a 400-head youngstock building completed this year will help future-proof it. For Julian, good staff are now a driver to expansion. He says there are many tweaks to do as genetics and feeding continue to evolve.

But his hope is to settle at 500 cows, targeting a yield of 9,000 litres, in a few years. In time, the ideal would be to buy another farm to replicate their current system.

“It’s not yet a settled business. We want a life and to enjoy it, and keep production costs down,” he adds.

What the judges say

Julian achieves strong profitability, and diversification into milk vending adds stability to the milk price. He has an active succession plan and the family works well together. A staff-centric approach to management and training are driving the business forward.