When reflecting on the year for the UK dairy industry, I think we can comfortably say it's been pretty good. Although it has had challenges, with rising input costs and the summer drought in the south putting pressure on forage stocks, the long-awaited rise in milk price has more than helped.

We are pleased to report we now have firmed up plans for the return of Down to Earth next year at not one but two locations. Due to the thirst from visitors at this year's event for information on regenerative farming, we will be hosting an event in Cumbria and Somerset over the summer months.

Good afternoon,

Following ministerial changes and recent media speculation on the future of farming policy in England, we have re-enforced our commitment to the environment alongside food production.

Please read our post on Defra's media blog which sets out our response and position. There is also a link to the ministerial appointments and the governments Growth plan.

Last month's Women in Dairy Conference was a stonking success! The passion in the room was something to behold, with a sense of camaraderie among members. A talk from Fran Edmunds, Head of Animal Welfare Schemes and Labelling at Defra, about the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway created a lot of discussion, with delegates keen to know more about future funding.

Behind the scenes, at the RABDF, the team is busy beavering away preparing for the various events, courses and competitions we run. Of course, there is never a quiet time in the calendar, but it’s rewarding when we see the months of planning and organising come to fruition.

It's been a busy few weeks for the RABDF team, with two major events taking place. The first was the inaugural Down to Earth event hosted by council member Tim Downes at his farm in Shropshire. We had almost 1,700 visitors through the gate, which shows farmers want to learn more about regenerative farming principles.

Spring is now officially here and with that comes great optimism for the months ahead. It feels like we are entering the final stages of the pandemic with rules being relaxed. We are also seeing milk price increases, with record average prices set for butter and Cheddar at the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction last month (15 Feb).