Farmer Focus: New cow breed on the horizon

I am admiring my suntan having had such a wonderful summer here in the Dales. Such fantastic weather coupled with the magnificent Tour de France Grand Depart gave us all here a real boost.

As I drive around the countryside I have been looking longingly into fields of gold, thinking how fantastic it would be back in my barn. Annoyingly crops of maize are looking rather good; the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Looking for new interest, Dad and I have been to look at some Danish Red cattle with a view to adding some to our herd.

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The primary reason being a good beef calf value and something just a little different.

This breed seems to tick all the boxes with the yield of fat and protein being good along with excellent overall herd management. We have decided to buy some to see how they go. We will keep you up to date – the proof will be in the pudding when they have calved and are milking.

I am just about to attempt a three-day motorbike trial. I have been researching high-protein foods in order to build myself up from using more energy than I had to spare.

From the small amount of information I gathered, I think DairyCo needs to have a new shot at marketing milk. All the recommended supplements are nearly full of whey protein. But a fantastic build-up drink would surely be a glass of fresh milk. It would also taste a lot better than one of the protein bars I attempted to eat.

We are preparing for second cut, the crop is not looking as good as we would have liked, and the sunshine and lack of rain has hit it hard.

Recent days have seen a good amount of rain, but it is a little too late for grass growth.

It is now time to assess if the grass is ready to cut, so I will be reporting back on the quality and quantity next month.

Adrian Harrison farms 81ha in partnership with his father Maurice in Wensleydale, Yorkshire. He runs 130 pedigree Jersey cows with 70 followers