DAERA minister Andrew Muir visited NFFN Northern Ireland steering group member Tim Morrow to see how he is farming in a way that prepares him for the future.
The visit to Tim’s dairy farm at Steamvale near Belfast was arranged to give the minister and his team an insight into how nature-friendly farming can make agricultural businesses more resilient, both financially and in terms of protecting soil health.
Tim is currently five years into a 10-year plan to transition his fields to multi-species swards. These contain nitrogen-fixing species such as clover and deep-rooting plants like chicory. This reduces the need for artificial fertiliser while also preventing soil compaction and bringing nutrients from further down in the earth to the surface for Tim’s livestock.
The government delegation discussed how the cows’ more varied diet is improving milk quality and how spending more time outside boosts animal welfare. Viewing the pasture also prompted discussions of how Northern Irish farming could reduce bought-in feed and ensure animals could be primarily fed by the landscape around them.
The tour also took in Tim’s reedbed system, which filters farm runoff to protect local watercourses while also providing a haven for native trees and birds.
