This year, the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies -fully affiliated to the British Grassland Society - marks it’s golden jubilee and several significant events have already been lined up.

The first of these, in conjunction with the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, will be with the 2015 Welsh Grassland winners at Home Farm, Stackpole, (SA71 5DQ) on Wednesday of next week, April 27.

This particular spring farm walk is part of the ‘Milking Grass for Profit’ series moving around the UK.

On their 1,450 acres at Stackpole, brothers Nigel and Chris James run 1,150 cows milked through two parlours -an 80/40 herringbone and a 50 stall rotary - grazing on a 21 day cycle with the use of electrified fences. The herds are usually housed from the end of November and are turned out to grass as they calve from the beginning of February. They also carry 360 dairy followers.

Located on a mixture of red sandstone and limestone loam, specialist advisors are used to closely monitor soil fertility, and the grassland policy is to reseed about every 10 years with late heading perennial ryegrasses and a minimal amount of clovers. Silage is made in clamps and big bales as appropriate at the time of cutting.

Slurry is applied by umbilical systems but the brothers are becoming increasing anxious in anticipation of a Welsh Government Nitrates Directive which is expected to put forward proposals for a number of new designations that could affect a significant number of local farms.

With an estimated 25 per cent of the Welsh dairy herd within the county, this could have a major impact on Pembrokeshire farmers who are working with the NFU in an ongoing action programme exploring measures that farmers in affected areas might gain a better understanding of the costs and likely effects to their individual businesses.

Farming the Stackpole estate, with much of the land running to the cliff edge, the James brothers have to be continually conscious of the unique environment, being within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and land in use by the National Trust, with public paths being shared by farmed livestock.

The locality features natural and man-made landscapes, including freshwater lakes created over 150 years ago by the Cawdor family, and the dramatic coastline and superb beaches are just as nature intended.

Miles of footpaths link the lakes, woods, cliffs and beaches and the nearby Bosherston ponds form part of a national nature reserve and home to otters, wildfowl, dragonflies and some 30 species of butterfly.

The otters really are the stars of Stackpole and occupy a special place in staff, NT volunteers and visitors’ hearts alike but also the estate’s varied landscape makes it a great spot for our feathered friends - wrens, chiffchaffs and goldcrests right through to buzzards, tawny owls and sparrowhawks.

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Stackpole Home Farm, in 2015, received the Welsh Federation Grassland award.