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All First Milk members are part of a co-operative but co-operation can extend beyond the marketing of your milk. For instance, have you considered sharing equipment, or even your farm?

British farmers have engaged in co-operation on this level via machinery rings or informally between neighbours, but most still prefer to buy their own machinery rather than to share it.

However the English Food and Farming Partnerships (EFFP) is encouraging a change in attitude from farmers through its Share to Farm and Share to Milk initiatives.

EFFP is an expert on how farmers can collaborate to share resources, save money and generally develop their businesses. The advice given by the organisation works on a whole farm level or can simply be practical sharing of individual pieces of expensive equipment. For example, EFFP could help facilitate a contract partnership arrangement between a young, ambitious farmer who wants to grow a dairy business to an older, retiring farmer who would like to take more of a back seat. Equally, EFFP could also help four or five farmers get together to buy machinery and share costs.

Assessing the potential of farmer to farmer co-operation lies behind a series of meetings planned by First Milk Academy and EFFP. The objectives are to:

• Raise awareness of the opportunities and benefits
• Advise on how to set up collaborative ventures
• Help interested groups to become established

“Farmers face a lot of costs in areas like muck and slurry management,” says Simon Thelwell of EFFP. “We think there is potential for farmers to share the costs with their neighbours as they are increasingly doing on forage making or feeding equipment. There are a lot of successful ventures around the country now, and we are keen to see how we could help First Milk members develop some as well.” EFFP also has a DVD available for interested farmers.
First Milk Academy is organising meetings with EFFP early next year. Any member who would like a DVD, or would like to attend one of the meetings, should contact their Area Manager.

More information on EFFP can be found at www.sharetofarm.com