Lucy May Griffiths - Sustainable grazing options

Lucy was announced as a winner of the NSA Samuel Wharry Memorial Award for the Next Generation in late 2022, to plan travels and write a report in 2023 and 2024. She impressed the selection panel with her interest in sustainable grazing practices, including outwintering of sheep. She used the funding to enhance existing travel plans, allowing her to visit New Zealand, Australia and farms in the UK. 

Partway through her travels she said: “I visited New Zealand in June, working on a dairy sheep farm before progressing to larger sheep stations in the South Island. It was interesting to make new farming connections and learn how they have adapted their farming systems to suit the region and regulations. I will shortly be travelling to Australia to see how farms prepare for winter grazing during the harvest and growing season in addition to the management of livestock on a larger scale."

The long-term aim of Lucy's study is to help both herself and other farmers in the improved utilisation of winter grazing options, which Lucy says will become particularly relevant as the cost of feed continues to rise and the need for farmers to maximise utilisation increases. 

“I am excited and motivated to gain as much information on the theoretical and practical implementation of grazing and cropping systems as I can,” she says.

Lucy's final report will be available before the end of summer 2024.