PROFILE M&L Dairying
Desirable Traytes
New entrants Mike and Laura Trayte are bringing a fresh approach to milk production. Simon Wragg reports
W
anted: Opportuni- ty for experienced young dairy farm- ers with proven
track record in cow welfare and forage-based milk production generating over 10% return on capital invested to progress to 200 plus-cow unit – willing to relocate for right opportunity. Mike and Laura Trayte don’t intend to stand still. Since win- ning the British Farming Awards’ New Entrant category in 2016 – nominated by their landlord – the couple who run a 100-cow dairy unit at Lynwood Farm, near Staf- ford – part of the county council’s property portfolio – have active- ly been seeking their next move on farming’s ladder. Laura explains: “It would be easy to think now we have a coun- cil tenancy we can sit here for the
10 years (of the FBT). But we have a clear idea of where we’d like our careers to take us.” With two three year old twins, Henry and Oscar, the couple aim to have a 350 plus-cow unit by the time the boys leave school. This, they hope, will allow them an opportunity to join the busi- ness if they want a career in farm- ing.
The couple’s development in dairying is all the more engag- ing as neither come from farm- ing families. Both have studied at university – Mike at Aberyst-
“
We’ve been very fortunate with the people we worked for
wyth and Laura at Harper Ad- ams – and met when working on a 300-cow unit operated by NFU dairy board vice chairman Tom Rawson near Dewsbury.
Fortunate Mike says: “We’ve been very for- tunate with the people we worked for having been trained to do rou- tine tasks such as AI and foot- trimming. But rather than have extra wages we wanted to have our own cows, the first were pur- chased in 2011.” M&L Dairying was formed.
It was a strategic move, explains Laura, allowing them to build a trading record to show prospec- tive business partners and help secure finance. This was en- hanced greatly when asked to en- ter a share-farming agreement at Bleasby Grange, a 350-cow unit
in Lincolnshire (part of Evolution Farming).
The grass-based system used
cows ‘rented’ from other produc- ers but, importantly, allowed the Traytes to take their own Mont- beliarde x British Friesians to join the herd. Laura explains: “We treated it as if it was our own business.” It was a huge learning curve.
For a 18.33% of the monthly milk cheque, Mike and Laura provided all the labour – including hired- in help such as foot-trimming – and got actively involved in the business management under the wing of Evolution’s Tom Rawson and Ollie Hall.
Trading record
The experience helped Mike & Laura secure Lynwood Farm on a 10-year FBT. By this point they >>
OCTOBER 2017 • MIDLAND FARMER 37
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