Mount Pleasant Farm
‘We’re currently breeding
more replacements to get a
cow that is right for the robots.
The robot arm struggles with
close teated cows and what we
have had are now a bit big, so
we’ve started started serving
a few with Norwegian Red to
get a bit of strength into them
and we’ve effectively building
the type of cow that’s most
suitable. We’ve also found that
our herd average has gone
up from last year’s 9047 litres
to a current rolling average of
9497 litres although we haven’t
consciously gone for yield.
We’ve majored on efficiency
and margin.
‘We’re currently
breeding more
replacements
to get a cow
that is right for
the robots’
‘Our cows go out a little. We’re
97,000 metres of flailing and
on with zero grazed grass at the
weed cutting. In the spare time
moment. As they’re inside most
gained through not having to
of the time we are mucking out
handle the milking, Mitch works
far more and have a muck for
with his father on the JCBs as
straw arrangement with other
well as looking after all the farm
farms.’
machinery.
Chris started his JCB plant
‘The digging work was
business 22 years ago with just
responsible for the start of the
one machine working part-time
holiday cottages at Bridge Farm,
for local farms on digging work.
which was added to the family
He now has four machines and
business in 1962. We had quite a
has a contract
with
the
drainage
bit 1 of 20/09/2017
work for 14:31:52
a builder who was
65819 - ColleyFarmBuildings - QUTR.pdf
board that sees him working on
handling barn conversions and
we had buildings down there that
we had the idea to convert into
holiday cottages. We developed
four that sleep 10, 6, 4 and 2 and
they have proved really popular
for such as big birthday parties
and family get-togethers of all
kinds.’
Today’s Foreman family
farming operation includes
around 250 acres with 183
owned. They have around 50
acres of arable land growing
wheat, barley and fodder beet
for the cows. Mitch is a fourth
generation farmer. Chris’ father
William Edward (Ted) Foreman
moved to Mount Pleasant Farm
in 1947 from Manor Farm where
he had worked with his father
and brother. Originally a mixed
farm, the sheep went in the
mid-1960s to help fund the silage
pit in order to expand the dairy
herd.
Ted bought Mount Pleasant
Farm in 1956 and also had Mill
Farm in Foston that was taken on
C
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PORTAL STEEL FRAME MANUFACTURER
DRIFFIELD, EAST YORKSHIRE, YO25 9PF
01430 810 210 | www.colleyfarmbuildings.co.uk
Proud supplier to Chris & Chris�ne Foreman of Mount Pleasant Farm
74 Autumn 2017 www.farmers-mart.co.uk
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