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Westmorland County Agricultural Society Silage Competition 2007

An overwhelming response resulted in thirty-nine entries being received for this year’s silage competition – quadrupling the number received in 2005. Competition was fierce with twenty-seven individual farms taking part and the final results were very close indeed – less than one mark separated the top three in the dairy class.

“A mixture of factors has led to the increased interest” reported Christine Knipe, the Society’s Chief Executive, “a re-vamped structure, a new sponsor and increased publicity have all helped.”

This year also saw the introduction of a Maize section, alongside the more traditional dairy, beef and big bale classes. “We have to change with the times” explained Christine, “Maize is popular these days, with many farmers growing a variety of crops to ensure good quality feed is available for their stock.”

The competition, sponsored by BOCM Pauls, was judged in two sections, one for analytical/nutrient content and the other on visual assessment. Following the analysis, shortlisted farms were visited by the judges with the results being announced at a presentation dinner in the evening.

Alan Irving from Carlisle was the visual judge for the dairy and maize sections, whilst Alec Robinson from Staveley judged the beef and big bales. They were particularly impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the finalists, along with the quality of silage produced by the farmers.

A major change for 2007 was that only the judge’s party visited the short listed farms for the visual assessment. “But no-one missed out on seeing what the winning silage looked like,” emphasised Mrs Knipe, the Society’s Chief Executive. “Digital photos were taken from all the farms and shown to everyone attending the evening meal and presentation.”

Silage Competition 2007 Results

Andrew Ladds winning entry