Category: News

SUPA Deep slurry channels delivered

Wolfenden’s latest product innovation – the Agri-Stride range – is proving a success for one Yorkshire farmer and his herd.

At Long Bank Farm in Clapham, North Yorkshire, Colin Price’s herd of 40 pedigree Holsteins are benefitting from Wolfenden’s new flooring solution for herd housing.

Building on the positive impacts our hybrid slats are showing on-farm, for dairy productivity and herd welfare, Wolfenden’s latest innovation is the Agri-Stride range. The first two products – Agri-Stride Classic and Agri-Stride Vario – provide the cutting-edge innovation that farmers expect from Wolfenden, the only UK-based manufacturer of hybrid flooring solutions.

The finalists for the Pendle Business Awards have been announced, with Wolfenden selected for the prestigious Make it in Pendle Award.

The Pendle Business Awards celebrate the success, innovation and hard work, the vision and entrepreneurship of companies across the region. And Wolfenden are one of only three finalists for the Make it in Pendle Award. This is in recognition for their innovative hybrid slats development, investment in R&D, and the translation of that into a successful, commercial product that meets pressing and future needs of UK farmers.

Richard Moody, Managing Director at Wolfenden, comments,
“Recognition is always appreciated, particularly when it comes from either the farming sector or the Pendle region. Wolfenden have been based in Kelbrook for over 30 years, and every product we develop is designed and manufactured here, contributing to regional business growth.

Our hybrid product innovation recognised by the judging panel – particularly the sustainability agenda which drives our new product lines – is key to our own company growth. Environmental issues and improved animal welfare drive everything we do – and this is helping position us as a leading dairy infrastructure specialist, working at the forefront of innovation for British farming.”

When Andrew and Richard Pidcock-Matkin and family decided to invest in the dairy housing at their family farm in Nottinghamshire, they came to Wolfenden for advice on adapting an existing building so that it could incorporate the latest developments in robotic milking, extend their slurry stores, and include the latest hybrid flooring products for hoof health and cow comfort.

All businesses want and need to get the best value for money – and for UK agriculture that’s necessary now, more than ever. Current pricing information is crucial to inform decisions in volatile markets and through uncertain economic times.

To provide dairy farmers with the best possible product options, Wolfenden have invested in a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, to benefit customers while also streamlining their own business operations. It’s a significant back-end investment ensuring that Wolfenden can maximise their capacity to plough revenue back into new product design and development, to help dairy farmers across the country.

DEFRA have opened their much-anticipated Slurry Infrastructure grant scheme, to help farmers improve or expand slurry stores – and the deadline for Stage 1 applications is 31st January 2023.

The purpose of the grants is to help farmers future-proof slurry infrastructure, to make better use of organic nutrients; improve water quality; improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases. And these imperatives chime perfectly with Wolfenden’s ethos: helping farmers to reduce emissions and make on-farm improvements for better herd welfare, a better working environment, and more efficient use of resources.

Since starting out as a small farm shop selling fruit and veg in the late ‘80s, the Green family’s Penshaw Farm Shop has grown to include tearooms, a bakery, and an award-winning butchery for the Farm’s own beef, grass fed lamb and pork products. Having decided to further expand into dairy – to sell fresh, local milk through vending machines at the Penshaw Farm Shop – they looked to Wolfenden in their quest to install a complete dairy management solution, with herd welfare and cow comfort as the top priority.

With ambitious plans for continued development and growth, Wolfenden have made major investments this year – keeping the company at the forefront of innovation in agriculture.