Insights from UK Dairy Day

What a brilliant day we had at UK Dairy Day! The event was a resounding success, offering valuable insights—particularly around the key theme of people, and their direct impact on performance and profit within the dairy sector.

The Crucial Role of People in Dairy

Hugh was asked to participate in a panel discussion on the vital topic of "People" in the dairy industry. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear diverse perspectives and expertise from industry leaders.

The discussion, expertly guided by Emma Shaw, featured:

• Hannah Batty, who passionately spoke about her vision for happy, healthy animals supported by happy, healthy people on the farm.

• Alix Morley, who shed light on the critical challenges surrounding mental health in farming.

• Lyndsey Awde shared her day-to-day experiences managing a large farm team.

Their contributions led to some crucial takeaways for anyone looking to foster a thriving, profitable farm business:

Key Takeaways for Attracting and Retaining Talent

• Embracing Flexibility for Loyalty and Attraction: Greater flexibility in working arrangements is crucial for fostering loyalty and attracting new talent. This could involve offering varied working hours or adjusting milking times to appeal to a broader talent pool.

• Work-Life Balance and Its Impact on Livestock Health & Welfare: A healthy work-life balance, fair compensation, and reasonable working hours directly influence team morale and, ultimately, the health and welfare of livestock. Happy staff leads to healthy cows.

• The Indispensable Role of Training: Training is essential for enhancing individual performance and cow performance. A more informed workforce is undeniably a more productive workforce.

• Addressing Mental Health in Farming: Taking the time to ask "Are you okay?" is critical. Recognising changes in behaviour can be an indicator that someone is struggling mentally, highlighting the need for strong support systems.

Ultimately, the insights from the panel confirm that investing in your people is the most direct route to sustainable performance and profit in the dairy sector.

Capturing the Buzz: A Marketing Director's Perspective

From a Marketing perspective, UK Dairy Day was equally productive, and it was fantastic to connect with so many familiar faces and meet new people in our industry—the day truly flew by!

The marketing team’s focus was on collaborating with the brilliant team at Knew Productions Ltd to capture some pre-arranged client and candidate testimonials. Testimonials are invaluable for sharing authentic experiences and insights, and we're excited to share this content with you soon.

A huge thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to participate. We know how hectic these industry events can be, and your willingness to share your experiences means the world to us.

Did you attend UK Dairy Day this year, and what was your key takeaway from the event?