Storm’s Farm – Cadnam
Sarah and Andrew Parry-Norton are commoners and farmers in the New Forest National Park. They own Storm’s Farm in Cadnam where they produce and sell beef, pork, lamb and chicken eggs. Their main enterprise is beef production using Ruby Red Devon cattle. The family also turns out cattle, sheep and Pannage pigs onto the New Forest’s common lands.
Sarah and Andrew secured funding through the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grant to install a RoteX® Mobile Cattle Handling System, cattle crush and calving hurdle. The new system enables cattle handling with fewer people and eliminates the need to position themselves between animals. From a welfare perspective, the equipment significantly reduces stress in cattle by streamlining the handling process and reducing sharp corners.
Sarah Parry-Norton says: ‘Having the cattle handling system has made our lives so much easier because there’s only the two of us, it’s been absolutely brilliant. It’s the best bit of kit because the cows don’t realise that they’re walking round the corner. It’s so easy, you can push it with one finger.’
The additional hurdles facilitate the birthing process by isolating pregnant animals in a controlled and safe environment. The equipment has recently been used to separate a new calf and its mother from the rest of the herd.
Sarah and Andrew have also received a 10,000-litre water storage tank as part of the New Forest Water Resilience Scheme. The tank is fitted just behind the cattle den and features a pipe that feeds directly into a large water trough filled with drinking water for their cattle. Since installing the tank, they have been able to completely turn off the mains water supply and rely solely on non-potable rainwater for their cattle.
Installing the rainwater harvesting tank will help the farm save on energy costs while conserving local water resources by reducing dependence on mains water. This initiative aims to lower the farm’s environmental footprint while enhancing its overall productivity.
Sarah Parry-Norton says: ‘With the water bills going up, having the rainwater system in the form of a tank filling up our cows’ water is brilliant. We’ve had a water tank for ages for the horses and that reduced our water bill by a huge amount, so we’re thrilled to have the same for the cows. We are chuffed to bits!’
