Netherlands-Windmills & Bikes

Windmills & Bikes is the stereotype and that's what we saw.

No lycra to be seen, practical bikes and no need to dress down for a bike commute. Heels, short skirt or a weeks groceries.

No cargo too large either!!

Fleckvieh Cross

Herd in Netherlands milking around 130 cows with robots and fodder is fed in large blocks, the farm is run with about 40 hours of labour per week.

Maybe not their best example of Fleckvieh cross cow (all the good looking ones were camera shy), these Holstien-Fleckvieh cows are out producing their Holstien herd mates.

Whilst the Fleckvieh cross cows carry a lot more condition they were no taller than the Holstiens in the herd (as I said all the good looking ones were camera shy).

No extra calving problems reported with the Fleckvieh calves.

Automated Dutch Dairy

Dairy at Ten Boer in the Netherlands with robotic milking, feeding and methane digester.

Auto feeding hoppers deliver custom rations to separate mobs of cattle.

Feeding system loaded to keep ration up to cattle.

Methane digestor which processes all the manure on site requires the addition of externally sourced carbohydrates eg. hay cut from nearby roadsides.

Groningen-Netherlands

The Martini Tower once the tallest tower in northern Europe.

Don't know what brought on this brotherly love. Maybe it's the fact they are skipping school.

Rabobank building in Groningen, around 80% of Dutch farmers bank with Rabobank.

Amsterdam-Canals, Flowers And Bikes, Bikes, Bikes...

Quick overnight stay in central Amsterdam before heading into the farmland.

Inner city living!!

Floating Flower market

Hendrika the cow in one of my favourite childhood books always wanted to see the "stepped" rooves of Amsterdam. Incidentally this is now one of the boys favourite books.

Another canal...

Sunny England

Back to the UK for the weekend to meet up with Gill, Hugh, George and the Schreuder's.

Whipsnade Zoo

The Tower of London, Hugh and George were sure they would be able to get out with just a few of the jewels.

It was so warm the boys had loads of fun with their cousin in the paddling pool.
Checking out some English crops with the boys.

Au Revoir France

From the eastern mountians of Jura to the Atlantic coast of Brittany I have crossed France from east to west and yet only seen such a small part of this very diverse nation.

From robotic dairies to extremely low cost systems and high value cheese production, the modern and the ancient are mixed together in France like no other country I have visited.

Big french heifers grazing in Brittany

A typical grazing operation in Brittany still has the cost of a barn to house the cows through the winter.

Normandy-Holstien cross cow in Brittany, this native French breed of cows has been used in many crossbred systems but wasn't popular with any of the farmers I visited.

French farmers planning their next blockade of Paris streets. No not really, discussing the results from this latest pasture cut.

Atlantic Coast-France

Overnight between farm visits I decided it was time to visit some local surf beaches! Very impressive swell.

Camaret sur-Mer a small fishing village on the Brittany coast.

Fantastic weather too!

Le Faou-Brittany

Once-a-day milking herd south of La Faou-France

The "Bell Cow" is the only cow in this Brittany herd which wears a bell. She is the most economically profitable cow in the herd from the previous season. This years bell cow in the crossbred herd is a Monty-Jersey cross.

Many of the Montbeliard cross heifers in this herd are smaller in stature than their Friesan-Jersey cross dams. It appears the concerns of the stature of Montbeliarde cattle can be managed with the choice of the correct genetics within the breed

Monty cross heifer.

Saint Urbain, Brittany

Moving to Brittany I've have a great week visiting many farms. I have seen a wide range of approaches to deal with reducing milk price and increasing costs.

Crossbred calves are beginning to be appear on a small number of pasture based farms.

A number of farms have been experimenting with various crossbred systems for long enough to be milking a range of crossbred dairy cattle.
Montbeliarde-Holstein cross heifers.

Heifers in a Brittany pasture based system.

One of the significant issues facing dairy farmers in France is the challenge of putting together a contiguous parcel of land. This railway bridge dissects a heifer grazing area.