Richard Davis

NFU Dairy Board appointee, East | NFU Environment Forum member

Richard Davis is a second generation dairy farmer based in Bedfordshire, who took over the family business in 1995. 

Richard started farming in 1965 with only a handful of livestock. Over the years, Richard has made significant changes to the farm to improve the welfare of his cows and promote a more sustainable farming approach.

Richard is committed to sustainable and responsible farming and believes that improving soil health is key to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the farm and its impact on the environment. This is reflected in the farm's practices. Since 2013, his farm has used a grass-based system as they sought to improve the welfare of their cows and promote a more sustainable farming approach.

Richard’s farm has been members of Arla since 2016, and since 2022 has been one of the six pilot regenerative farms of Arla in the UK. The aim of the pilot is to farm regeneratively without losing milk production while trying to improve soil health.

Richard is using multispecies herbal lays to improve soil biology and root depth, and he is exploring the use of compost to enhance soil health. The farm is primarily focused on improving soil health, especially by increasing organic matter to improve water retention, which is especially important given the farm location.

In addition to farming, Richard is actively involved in the dairy industry. He was the Vice Chairman of the Dairy Co for five years and was a Director of First Milk for 15 years. Currently, he is a Director of Anglia Farmers. He has also held several positions in the NFU, including County Chairman for Bedfordshire, the NFU Regional Dairy Board Chairman, and the NFU Council.

Richard's future plans for the farm are focused on improving soil health and sustainability. He wants to continue farming regeneratively and look for ways to increase fungal activity in the soil.