A day dedicated to farm studies and livestock out-wintering is to be held in Dorset.

Forage experts Germinal will organise the day, which is set to take place at James Cossins’ Down Barn Farm on Wednesday January 16.

“We’ll give an overview on the various out-wintering options that brassicas offer, including expected dry matter yields, key points around establishment and how best to utilise the crops,” said Germinal GB Product Development Manager Felicity Lenyk.

“This will include detail on forage budgeting, to enable farmers to calculate what is available to feed, what stocking rates should be and how much bought-in feed is being saved,” she added.

Brassica plants, which includes vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, and broccoli, have been used by the farm for several years for dairy heifers to graze upon.

“We’ll reveal results from a number of farm studies we are currently involved in, where we’ve measured the relative nutritional value of stem and leaf material in different types and varieties,” said Felicity.

“This is providing new information that is allowing better control of stocking rates and improved utilisation.

There will be refreshments at the event, which will begin at 11am at the Langton Arms in Tarrant Monkton before moving onto the farm. To register interest contact Christine Thomas on 01522 868714 or via email at christine.thomas@germinal.com.