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HARPER ADAMS: Mynor Beech

All Harper Adams students spend a year on work placement during their studies, to gain more real world experience in the agricultural industry. This month we hear from 3rd year student Mynor Beech about his placement with Dale Farming Ltd.

My name is Mynor Beech, and I live in Bryneglwys near Corwen in North Wales. I am a 3rd year student at Harper Adams University studying Agriculture, and I’m currently on my placement year at Dale Farming Ltd. 

Fy enw i yw Mynor Beech rwy’n i yn dod o Fryneglwys ger Corwen yn Ngogledd Cymru. Mae gennai ddiddordeb mawr iawn mewn amaeth ers oed ifanc ac yn bwriadu mynd adref i ffermio ar ol ymadael Brifysgol. Ar hyn o bryd, rydw i yn astudio Amaethyddiaeth ym Mhrifysgol Harper Adams, ac fel rhan o fy ngradd, mae gofyn i weithio yn y diwydiant am flwyddyn.  

When looking for a placement I was looking for 3 key points / Pan roeddwn yn dewis rhywle i weithio, roeddwn yn edrych am 3 pwynt allweddol: 

As my main interest within the agricultural industry is milk production processes, my placement had to be within the dairy industry. Milking, rearing calves, and keeping products to a high standard has always been something that I would like to perfect. I also wanted to learn this in the most sustainable, effective, and cost-efficient way. 

Felly roedd rhaid imi ddewis fod ar fferm laeth. Fy mhrif diddordeb yn y diwydiant amaeth yw y broses o gynhyrchu llaeth, mae godro, magu stoc, a cadw safon y cynnyrch wedi bod yn rhywbeth rydw i yn bwriadu ei berffeithio ac roeddwn eisiau dysgu’r ffordd mwyaf cynaliadwy, effeithiol a di-gost o gwneud hyn.

I was enthusiastic about having a variety of experiences. I wanted to broaden my knowledge about how dairy farms can maintain a consistent quality of product and keep quality stock. It was important to me that I was able to learn about calving, tractor work, milking systems, and how to manage all aspects of the business. 

Roeddwn yn frwdfrydig am gael amrywiaeth o brofiadau. Roeddwn i eisiau ehangu fy ngwybodaeth am sut mae ffermydd llaeth yn cynnal ansawdd cyson o gynnyrch ac yn cadw stoc o safon. Roedd yn bwysig i mi fy mod yn gallu dysgu am loia, gwaith tractor, systemau godro, a sut i reoli pob agwedd o’r busnes.

I was also looking for somewhere that stood out from all other dairy farms. Therefore, Dale Farming Ltd was the perfect choice for me.  

Yn fwy na dim, roeddwn yn ‘disgwyl yr anisgwyl’. Wrth edrych am fferm laeth, roeddwn yn edrych am rhywle oedd yn sefyll allan o bob fferm laeth arall. Mi roedd Dale Farming Ltd y dewis perffaith.

Dale Farming Ltd is a great business to work for, with the ability to learn new and unique skills in the dairy industry.

I start work at 5 in the morning, either at the farm I live in Middlewich, or at the main farm in Holmes Chapel. After finishing with the morning milking I have the opportunity to learn a variety of skills, such as how to increase milk productivity within the herd, and the importance of hygiene when looking at diseases such as mastitis in dairy cattle.  Additionally, I have the responsibility of making sure the herd have enough water (especially in the summer) and enough pasture to graze on, among other duties.  

Mae Dale Farming Ltd yn fusnes arbennig ac unigryw i allu dysgu sgiliau sydd yn hollol newydd ar gyfer ffermio llaeth.

O 5 o’r gloch yn y bore, rwyf yn cychwyn godro ar y fferm rwy’n byw yn Middlewich neu yn y brif fferm yn Holmes Chapel. Drwy gydol y dydd, wedi gorffen a’r godro, mi fyddaf yn dysgu am gwanhanol fathau o ymarferion sydd yn gwellhau sut mae’r gwartheg yn cynhyrchu llaeth. Mae ffactorau fel cysondeb mewn gwaith, glendid a gwelliannau bob tro’n gwella ansawdd cynhyrchu. Wrth gwneud ymarferion fel hyn, mae posib cadw lefela risg o afiechydon fel mastitis yn isel.  

During the summer it is important to measure the grazing fields to ensure that all cows have the correct amount of dry matter, which is 17kg a day. However, weather does affect this factor.

At Dale Farming Ltd, the herd of dairy cattle are usually turned out at the start of February to graze, however this year the weather hasn’t allowed that to happen.

This has been a big learning curve for me, as it has opened my eyes to new ways of managing the herd in unpredictable situations. This year the dairy cows are out for 3-4 hours a day, this way it ensures that the ground isn’t ruined.  

Yn ystod yr haf mae’n bwysig mesur y caeau pori i sicrhau fod gan bob buwch y swm cywir o ddeunydd sych sef 17kg y dydd. Fodd bynnag, mae’r tywydd yn effeithio ar y ffactor hwn.

Yn Dale Farming Ltd, mae’r fuches o wartheg llaeth yn cael eu troi allan ddechrau Chwefror i bori, ond eleni nid yw’r tywydd wedi caniatáu i hynny ddigwydd.

Mae hon wedi bod yn gromlin ddysgu fawr i mi, gan ei fod wedi agor fy llygaid i ffyrdd newydd o reoli’r fuches mewn sefyllfaoedd anrhagweladwy. Eleni mae’r gwartheg godro allan am 3-4 awr y dydd, fel hyn mae’n sicrhau nad yw’r tir yn cael ei ddifetha.  

Having the opportunity to learn skills about rearing calves effectively and choosing the best steps forward for the calves has shown me how important it is to keep track of the calves’ weight to ensure that the calves are growing as effectively and consistently as possible, and how this minimises the risk of developing disease. Recording the results of the milk consistency has also been a big part of my placement, and has allowed me to expand my knowledge further.

When learning these new skills, one thing is common to all of them. They all emphasise and encircle one important factor that the health, welfare and environment of the animals always comes first in every situation.

After taking multiple spray courses, professional courses to do with agricultural machinery, and a few consultations with vets, I have been inspired to keep cattle to the highest standards to ensure that productivity is maximised.  

Mae dysgu sgiliau fel sut i fagu lloi yn effeithiol a gallu dewis y camau gorau ymlaen fel bod tyfiant y llo yn effeithiol a mor cyson a ffosib heb iddynt datblygu unrhyw afiechyd wrth eu magu. Hefyd mae dysgu am sut i gadw cysondeb a canlyniadau rhagorol mewn llaeth wedi dod yn rhan mawr o fy mywyd ac rydw i’n dangos diddordeb mawr ynddo. 

Wrth ddysgu’r sgiliau yma, mae un peth yn sicr ac yn gyffredin ym mhob un. Mae pob un ohonynt yn pwysleisio ac yn amgylchu un rheol pwysig, sef bod amdoau cysur, iechyd ag amglyched yr anifeiliaid bob tro’n dod gyntaf mewn pob sefyllfa.

Er enghraifft, ar ol bod mewn cyfarfodion efo’r milfeddygon, cyrsiau ‘spray’ a chyrsiau arbennigol ar gyfer defnyddio peiriannau amaethyddol, y bwriad yw i gadw gwartheg o safon uchel ac i gynhyrchu cynnyrch o safon uchel. Mae’r bwriad mor syml a hynny! Wrth ddysgu mae posib datblygu, ac wrth ddatblygu mae posib gwella, ond nid da lle gellir gwell! 

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