Ensuring and improving animal welfare is a strategic and integral topic on a dairy farm. The impact goes beyond the farm and is closely watched by consumers at the purchasing decision. Transparency is key. The continuous improvement of the welfare of all animal groups on farm will positively impact the cost of production and efficiency. Cows that are kept under higher welfare standards, life longer and are finally more productive.

Harvesting top quality from field and transform that into milk is the most critical, impactful and difficult process on a farm. The right choice of crops can improve soil health, reduce carbon and water footprints, sustain animal welfare and health and improve margin of the farmer. Providing this in the optimal diet is a daily task.

Using soil data and crop requirements to balance nutritional needs of the growing crop will enable to deliver optimal yield and quality whilst delivering profitable and sustainable crop production. Optimising the use of nutrients for crop management will mean a higher return on output. This is achieved through balancing requirements of crop with inputs available on farm (soil and organic) and external (mineral fertiliser).

Cow herd is the foundation of dairy farm. From young stock to lactating females, optimising reproduction through best practices can yield more sustainable dairying for years to come, with better herd and economic performance (increased herd value and longevity), and overall less worries for farmers. Reproduction is multi-factorial and complex: the challenge is to find the most important risk factor(s) to work on.

The soil is where life starts. Healthy soil enables to capture carbon in the soil, nurture biodiversity and retain water, which in turn create healthy productive crops, more resilient to drought and other consequences of climate change. A long term plan for the soil management (with cover crops, balanced minerals and nutrient inputs, and low tillage) will improve soil health and fertility. Continuous implementation of best practices is key since improving soil health takes time.