Spanning approximately 380 acres of mixed arable and grassland, the farm operates a high-performing system finishing around 680 beef x dairy cattle at any one time. Calves are brought onto the unit from just over three months of age and are finished efficiently at an average of under 16 months, demonstrating the strength of ABP’s data-led approach to beef production.
Under the guidance of Farm Manager Andrew Macleod, the enterprise places a strong focus on forage-based nutrition and continuous marginal gains. By consistently improving “the 1% factors” across health, nutrition and management, the farm demonstrates how incremental improvements can deliver significant commercial returns.
Discussions centred on the key challenges facing the sector, including economic pressures, environmental expectations and policy development. Importantly, ABP shared how it is working in partnership with farmers to address these challenges through direct investments in the sector, such as their flagship sustainability programme PRISM, and a variety of customer-aligned initiatives, helping producers focus on evolving market demands.
The demonstration farm highlighted ABP’s leadership in adopting and trialling innovative technologies, including feed efficiency systems and emissions monitoring. These tools are not only improving on-farm performance but are also generating valuable data to support the wider supply base. The day also reinforced the importance of open collaboration across the industry. Honest, practical conversations across the supply chain created a constructive environment to share experiences, identify solutions and explore how knowledge can be scaled across the wider farming community.
Beyond production, there was a shared recognition of the importance of engaging the next generation and improving public understanding of the farm-to-fork journey, with many in the group actively involved in hosting farm visits and education initiatives. Following a showcase of the farm’s performance, the group heard from Mike Weavers, who provided an update on the NFU’s work in shaping TB policy and ensuring farmers’ voices are effectively represented at a national level.
Overall, the visit demonstrated ABP’s commitment to supporting its farmer base through innovation, collaboration and practical on-farm solutions.
An interesting visit
Helen Wainwright, Cheshire County Adviser and North Dairy Lead, said: “Thank you to ABP for being such fantastic hosts, and to all our members who joined us. It was a really interesting visit and great to learn more about the Gamechanger Programme. The cattle looked fantastic and, with Aberdeen Angus being close to my own heart, the visit was especially enjoyable for me. It was great to see the animals and hear more about the programme and the opportunities it offers.”