Developments at the college

Farm and Estate

During the 1980's a small nucleus of pedigree Suffolk ewes were purchased to add an extra dimension to sheep husbandry. The ewe hoggs from North Lees were overwintered at Broomfield. Conservation was based upon quality silage that was made in clamps at the 3 remaining farms. Cereals were a main crop with the largest area being under winter sown barley together with a good area of winter wheat. These cereals were fed to cattle and pigs on the college farms. A small area of main crop potatoes was grown, primarily for student observation and practice. Other crops were occasionally grown e.g. sugar beet, fodder beet, combine peas.

During the early 1980's the Ayrshire Society donated l0 young calves which were reared at Lime Farm along with the College's Friesians. The object was not a trial but a comparison. The Ayrshires, though performing well could not out-produce the Friesians’ volume of milk and the by-product bull calves did not sell nearly as well. These Ayrshires gradually departed as had the previous ones.

The Lime Farm buildings were completely re-built to house 120 cows in a cubicle house with slatted floors. self feed silage pit and a full range of young stock buildings. The younger end were built on a kennel system. The parlour was an 8/16 herring bone discharging into a 850 gallon bulk vat with acidified boiling water cleansing system. Self feeding of silage was changed to easy feeding to eliminate some wastage and to enable the use of alternative feeds as and when needed. Milking was eventually stopped at Broomfield Farm and the Ayrshires were moved up to Top Farm and gradually phased out, the Red Polls were culled out and some Friesians were moved from Lime Farm and so the herd became totally Friesian.

During the 1980's the decision was taken that part of the College farms be converted into an organic farming system with the support of the Soil Association. This was commenced in the plots below the main hall and in the 1990's was extended to encompass Top Farm. Ten years since the conversion began Broomfield had an organic farm encompassing around 180 acres of permanent pasture and rotational land, (all of which carry the Soil Association Symbol). This was grazed by a pedigree herd of Dairy Shorthorn cattle, their calves and a flock of spring lambing ewes. Winter wheat is grown as a cash crop followed by triticale as a feed crop. Organic vegetables were also produced on a smaller scale..