AgriSearch hosted the first UK Dairy Carbon Network farm walk in Northern Ireland on the Williamson family’s Co. Down farm, focusing on breeding and.
First-of-its-kind event showcases practical carbon reduction on NI dairy unit
AgriSearch hosted the first UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN) farm walk to be held in Northern Ireland earlier this week, drawing dairy farmers to the Williamson family’s unit close to the village of Scarva in Co. Down. Ivan, Elaine, and Lewis Williamson milk 90 Holstein cows and have built their system around making the most of grazing and home-grown forage — exactly the kind of practical approach the UK-DCN programme wants to spread across the industry.
The event took place at the end of what many farmers are calling the wettest winter in living memory, with spring weather and ground conditions continuing to give great cause for concern. Despite these challenging conditions, the farm demonstrated how breeding decisions and grassland management can be aligned to support performance within a commercial dairy system.
“We’re not talking about theoretical fixes here,” said an AgriSearch spokesperson. “This farm walk gave attendees the chance to see real solutions working on a real commercial unit. The Williamsons have put together a breeding and grassland strategy that’s focused on efficiency and resilience — the two things every dairy farmer needs right now.”
What the UK-DCN aims to achieve
The UK-DCN is focused on six priority areas with strong potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving on-farm efficiency and productivity. By trialling proven approaches on real commercial farms, the project aims to demonstrate that meaningful emissions reductions can be achieved alongside better performance and greater resilience.
Participating farms receive tailored support, including individual implementation plans designed around their production system, local climate, and geography. The programme also promotes shared learning through farm walks, open days, and peer-to-peer activities, enabling farmers to learn directly from each other’s experiences and build confidence in practical, evidence-based solutions.
Within the project, AgriSearch leads the Northern Ireland Farm Network and works alongside AHDB, which manages three additional networks in Great Britain, as well as contributing to communication and knowledge exchange across the programme. The three-year initiative (2024–2027) brings together partners from leading research, advisory, and industry organisations across the UK, including universities, research institutes, and agricultural development bodies.
Specifically, uK-DCN is led by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and brings together a consortium of leading research and industry organisations, including: Aberystwyth University, AHDB, Harper Adams University, Newcastle University, Queen’s University Belfast, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), and the University of Reading. These research organisations bring internationally recognised expertise in greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement and mitigation, as well as in improving nitrogen use efficiency and phosphorus utilisation in UK dairy systems.
Why this matters for farmers
Let’s be blunt about what’s driving this. The dairy sector faces mounting pressure to cut emissions while keeping viable as a business. That isn’t changing regardless of what happens with government policy after the next election. Farmers who get ahead of this curve now will be in a far stronger position than those who wait until they’re forced into it.
The UK-DCN approach sidesteps the ideology and focuses on what actually works on commercial units. No one’s asking you to tear up your system overnight. Instead, the programme offers tailored plans based on your specific setup, your land, your herd. That pragmatism is what makes it worth paying attention to.
With the industry still reeling from one of the worst winters in recent memory, farmers are understandably focused on immediate survival. But the conversations happening at events like this Scarva farm walk suggest there’s also a genuine appetite for building systems that are both more efficient and more resilient to whatever the weather throws at us next. The UK-DCN isn’t offering magic solutions — it’s offering a structured way to test what’s already working on similar farms and adapt it for your own setup.
How to get involved
Farmers interested in joining the Northern Ireland Farm Network or finding out more about the UK-DCN should contact AgriSearch directly. The programme runs until 2027, so there’s time to get involved and benefit from the tailored support on offer. Farm walks like the one at Scarva will continue across the UK, giving more producers the chance to see these approaches in practice and speak directly with the farmers already implementing them.
Keep an eye on britfarmers.com for further updates on UK-DCN events and the latest developments from the programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UK Dairy Carbon Network?
The UK-DCN is a three-year initiative (2024-2027) focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms while improving efficiency and productivity. It is led by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and brings together research organisations, industry bodies, and commercial farms.
Where was the first Northern Ireland farm walk held?
The first UK-DCN farm walk in Northern Ireland was held on the farm of the Williamson family near Scarva in Co. Down. The family milks 90 Holstein cows with a strong focus on grazing and home-grown forage.
How can farmers join the UK-DCN?
Farmers can contact AgriSearch, which leads the Northern Ireland Farm Network, to express interest in joining the programme and receiving tailored support and implementation plans.
What are the priority areas of the UK-DCN?
The UK-DCN focuses on six priority areas with strong potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving on-farm efficiency and productivity, including nitrogen use efficiency, phosphorus utilisation, and grassland management.
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