Lely Center Holsworthy - ”Meet our Farmers” Series

Episode Two - Ben Ward - Lely Automation

In this podcast, we’re near Wadebridge in Cornwall speaking with young farmer Ben Ward who, with his family, milks 360 cows, the majority of which are Holstein with some Fleckvieh and Norwegian Red also running in the herd. Currently the cows are split between a new shed with two Lely A5 milking robots, Juno feed pusher and Discovery barn scraper, with the remaining animals milked 3 times a day through the old parlour. Ben discusses their new barn considerations when transitioning from old shed to new, how they manage their high yielding cows as well as other factors that impact the business and the families’ future plans.

Episode One - Bex Heywood - Lely Astronaut

We’re on farm in Croyde, Devon with Lely robot customer & young farmer Bex Heywood for the first podcast in our new ‘Meet Our Farmer’ series. In this episode we talk to Bex about returning home to North Hole Farm after university and how she has helped the farm diversify by adding the very popular Milk's Up milk vending machine to their farming enterprise. 10 years ago, the Heywood’s installed an Astronaut A3 Next milking robot along with the Grazeway system allowing their herd the choice of when to be milked and when to graze outside. The two systems working in tandem has given the family the time to diversify into value adding initiatives such as daughter Bex’s Milks Up vending machine, which uses pasteurised milk from their grass-fed organic herd and Linda’s North Hole Farm holiday cottages.