First Milk Home

He farms two dairy units at Myremill Farm and Burnton Farm in Maybole, Ayrshire, with his brother Nigel and three other farms are also rented between them. All in all a total of 1400 acres and 600 milkers plus young stock are farmed. Needless to say they’ve got the bills to match! So any small savings per unit will soon add up.

The Academy meetings, which are run in conjunction with the Milk Development Council (MDC), started in Ayrshire at the turn of the year and it was the electricity meeting which has been the most significant for Philip, so far. The session compared electricity costs across several members, and revealed that some were paying 12p per megawatt hour while others were being charged the bargain price of just 6.5p, which was available through the First Milk Direct group contract.

“It raised a few eyebrows when we went back to see what the status of our contracts,” he said. Needless to say sparks flew in the direction of his supplier, and Philip is now in the process of changing his contracts, generating significant savings across the units.

“Our electricity bill gradually crept up and had effectively doubled in the last few years. The companies never put you on the cheaper tariff unless you threaten to leave,” he said.

Other Academy sessions have also generated useful new ideas. “The biggest thing we will do as a result of the meetings is put in more tracks.”

But the meetings aren’t just for business, he insists. They’re also a good social evening. So much so that Philip now brings his workers along too so they can also learn something new.

“We go along to try and learn how to save a £ or two, but we also get out for a good night. The meetings are not like other farmer meetings which can be a lot of politics and very little practical stuff. These meeting are very useful and potentially very profitable.”