Cheese-maker replaces imported soya meal with homegrown pulses

A Lincolnshire grain processing specialist is working with an award-winning cheese-maker to remove imported soya bean meal from the diet of its 300-cow organic dairy herd.

Scunthorpe-based McArthur Agriculture develops, builds and maintains food and feed processing systems for the food supply chain. It is working with Somerset cheese-maker Godminster Farms to replace imported soya feed with home-grown pulses.

Feeding trials suggest doing so will help Godminster Farms reduce its carbon footprint. The initiative is part of a Defra-funded project to help farmers cut emissions by the equivalent of 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

“Our overall aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of our cows’ diet and deliver full traceability of all their rations by growing beans here on the farm,” says Peter Cheek, who manages the farm’s 300-cow dairy herd.

Led by the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO), the project aims to increase pulse cropping in arable rotations – so livestock farmers can substitute up to 50% of imported soya meal with more climate-friendly home-grown pulses and legumes.

McArthur Agriculture managing director John McArthur said: “Godminster Farm is already adding beans to its crop rotations for inclusion in its cows’ rations, working towards the replacement of imported soya bean meal in organic dairy.”

Mr Cheek met Mr McArthur for the first time at Groundswell in June 2022. The two men then visited Denmark together to see first-hand how Danish farms are already substituting imported soybean meal with roasted beans and cereals.

“Work there has shown the roasting process improved the quality of the protein in beans, allowing the formulation of diets without soya bean meal while maintaining milk yield and quality,” said Mr Cheek.

“I was staggered as to the results achieved by the Danish farmers. They were achieving double the milk yield we get at Godminster by including roasted beans in their cow’s diets and without using soya,” he added.

Circular rations

“One famer was conducting circular rations. He grew the beans, lupins, maize and cereal and fed them and sold the milk produced. He grew everything he wanted to feed his cows. Danish organic dairy farmers seem to have it sussed.”

On returning to the UK, Mr Cheek started processing beans post-harvest in late 2022. The trial was successful and he now plans to permanently include roasted beans in the ration and is considering adding roasted lupins for more protein.

“We roasted the beans with a Mecmar T05 roaster from McArthur Agriculture, they were then milled and incorporated into the cows’ diet as part of the parlour feed and in the total mixed ration,” he said.

“The next phase will be to roast the beans we are growing on-farm this year straight from the combine, rather than roasting beans we have bought-in, this will allow us to store them safely and increase the amount we are able to add to the rations.”