The 1-stop-shop for one-2-one expert farm advice from ALL4ONE
It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.
Professor Jennifer Dungait FRSB FISoilSci
Soil Health Expert
Knowing the facts about how healthy your soil is and how to improve it will help your farming business to be more successful. Soil Health Expert founder Jenni Dungait is a soil science geek with decades of hands-on experience in soil biology, chemistry and physics research in agriculture all over the world. She is passionate about getting the latest science know-how where it needs to be - in the hands of farmers! Learn the latest about the science of farmed soils, get the most out of your valuable data and learn how to work in partnership with the life in your soil.
Jenni Dungait runs an independent soil science consultancy ‘Soil Health Expert’ and is Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Soil Science. She holds honorary professorial positions at SRUC in Edinburgh and the University of Exeter and has 20 years’ research experience focussing on the application of science to problems of soil management agriculture.
She has a global reputation for expertise in soil organic matter management, including soil carbon sequestration, in farming systems. In this unique position, she straddles the interface between academic research and practical application and has developed strong working relationships within the agricultural sector across the UK.
The secret to soil health is based on scientific fact, not good intentions
Dr David Davies
Silage Solutions
Dr. Dave Davies graduated from Aberystwyth University with a BSc in 1988 and continued in education at University of Manchester with the Grassland Research Institute where he gained a PhD in Rumen Microbiology in 1991. Afterwards he worked at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in Aberystwyth until 2010. His research focused on all aspects of silage production and interactions with the rumen and ruminant. In 2010 he left academia and established his own company, Silage Solutions Ld. He continues to conduct research experiments on silage, but also spends a lot of his time talking to farmers across Europe and beyond discussing practical issues with silage making and feeding and these discussions help drive his research. He has links to many academic organizations in the UK and Europe and is an Honorary Professor at Szent Istvan University, Gödöllö, Hungary and visiting Professor at North Wyke, Rothamsted Research UK. Dave is from a farming background and has never forgotten his roots with a strong desire not only to get the best advice and information to farmers but also to ensure his research is of use to the practicing farmer.
The company offers practical advice to farmers on all aspects of silage production from field to feed-out. The company has developed a number of unique but simple methods that can be used on farms to monitor silage quality and the losses occurring during the ensiling process. These can help at a very practical level to enable farmers reduce their losses, increase their quality and overall improve their economic performance.
Dave has a wealth of experience of the full range of silage additives available on the market and regularly conducts research to examine the latest claims made by companies. His background in Microbiology and Biochemistry enable him to challenge many of these claims both on a scientific and practical level. He is currently writing a farmer facing book on silage additives, with the focus on explaining to farmers what they need to know.
The tools developed for on farm assessments are simple and in expensive and enable the farm to measure silage density; estimate losses due to poor preservation and aerobic deterioration. Silage Solutions Ltd are also well linked to commercial analytical laboratories that can provide a service in accurate wet chemistry assessment of silages for standard and less standard chemical components that may be causing specific on farm issues.
Silage Solutions Ltd also conducts research projects for third party organisations both commercial and for organisations such as AHDB, Two recent AHDB pieces of research being ‘a survey of grass silage clamps across English farms’ (to look at silage quality, DM losses and variability both within a single clamp and between farms) and ‘Factors affecting Silage Slippage’. The reports for both being freely available on the AHDB website.
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.
Peter Bone
Ruminant Mineral Nutrition
Mineral supplementation of Ruminants can be undertaken professionally by using modern cost effective analytic tests to confirm in-puts and animal status. This should be considered as mineral nutrition is about BALANCE NOT MORE IS BETTER.
This will enable targeted cost effective supplementation across all livestock sectors supported by monitoring protocols which can results in savings and target use of supplements.
Information gathered in this manner may also identify medium to long term approaches which could decrease the requirement for supplementation ;these areas are most likely to be in soil and crop management.
Peter Bone owns an independent agricultural consultancy called Livestock and Grassland Mineral Consultancy which specialises in ruminant mineral nutrition.
Peter has spent over 30 years working in the field dealing with livestock farmers and veterinary practitioners about mineral nutrition. Over the years his work has taken him to New Zealand and Mexico where he has been invited to speak at inter-national meetings. He is also currently involved in research projects and training programmes linked to livestock mineral nutrition.
The main aim is to support livestock producers with the best possible recommendations when using mineral supplements. This is achieved by implementing a system called Total on Farm Mineral Auditing which can cover up to four areas, animal status, current & historical mineral in-puts, livestock drinking water sources and fertiliser usage. In the medium term it may also include suitable soil analysis being conducted.
Peter is keen to promote analysing in-puts as it supports the best possible recommendations.
Never Has So Much Been Achieved By So Little
Luppo Diepenbroek
Ruminant Nutrition & Farm Consultancy
Luppo Diepenbroek owns the independent agricultural consultancy called Straight Line Nutrition, which Specialises in Ruminant Nutrition and Farm Consultancy.
Luppo spent initial 14 years of his career as a Commercial Feed Plant Manager and Company Feed Formulator as well as executing Farm Sales Back Up. During this time, learning Farming Systems at Home and Abroad by travelling oversees, as in Robotic Milking in Holland, Compound Feed production in Germany, as well as Grazing Studies to Ireland and Australia. All this whilst managing his own Family Dairy Farm Business.
Main aim Now as an Independent Farm Consultant/Nutritionist is Helping Clients with their Day to Day Management on Farm by Measuring to Manage: Recording Soil Health and Analysing for Soil Fertility, Grassland Production, Analysis and Utilisation, as well as Analysing Ensiled Forages and Co-Products and subsequently Rationing Cattle for The desired Outcome. The end result being Optimising Client's Social Obligations and Profitability, whilst caring for the Environment. What is called the "Holistic" approach.
We know more about the movement of the celestial bodies than about the soil beneath our feet
Mike Harrington
Soil Health & Restoration
Edaphos is an agronomy based consultancy company with a specialist interest in soil health and the restoration of fertile growing systems. We are dedicated to creating the solutions necessary to facilitate the best from any system from Direct Drilling, Organic agriculture, Biodynamics and Agroecology to some of the most intensive Growing systems in the world.
Through a balance of consultancy and knowledge Edaphos provides a range of services and products aimed at targeting the farms specific requirements.
Our philosophy is to improve soil and plant health, whilst harnessing the soils stored resources to their full potential to achieve a healthy, well balanced system.
Until we understand what the land is, we are at odds with everything we touch