C.R.E.A.M., one of several student-led enterprise management projects, at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus provides Higher National Diploma Agriculture and Agricultural Technology Degree students with the unique opportunity to manage a high genetic merit Holstein herd.  The herd is milked three times a day, with students carrying out the routine tasks including milking, feeding and breeding decisions.

The students leading the project this year hosted the second of their biannual C.R.E.A.M. project Advisory Board day meetings earlier this month. C.R.E.A.M. students provided updates of recent performance from their feeding, breeding, finance and promotion, milking and health teams. One main area for discussion was the feasibility of growing and feeding maize to high yielding dairy cows. Maize silage was a major component of the total mixed ration for the cows this winter. Obvious improvements in milk protein were observed by the students and this was discussed in context with the economic costs of growing the crop.

For further information on C.R.E.A.M. and other student learning projects and courses at Greenmount please visit www.cafre.ac.uk or www.ruralni.gov.uk

Pictured above is Dr Stephanie Woods (C.R.E.A.M. project coordinator) with C.R.E.A.M. board members Alan Irwin, Alec Brown and Sam Campbell (Ai services), discussing the diet currently offered to the cows.