THE Farm at Duchy College is officially being run by one of the best herdsmen in the country!

Michael Retallick, who manages the dairy herd at Duchy Home Farm, has been recognised in a national competition, which is run by LKL, an employment agency that supports the agricultural industry.

Michael had been nominated for the award by LKL’s regional manager and was shortlisted from entries across the UK. He was officially crowned at this year’s Herdman’s conference, which was held in Shropshire and his prize includes a trip to America.

Duchy College farm manager James Coumbe said: ‘I am delighted for Michael; he is a real asset and thoroughly deserves to be recognised on a national level. The farm at Duchy College is a great learning experience for our students, where they can get hands on with the day to day running of a dairy unit and now they get to experience working with the best herdsman in the country.’

This is not the first award for the farm team at Duchy College. Last year they were presented with a ‘Supreme Milk Quality’ award by Dairy Crest for the quality of their milk output. The 270 strong Holstein Friesian herd received the Supreme Bonus in each month during the 2014/15 milk year for consistently producing top quality, farm assured milk over this period.

Michael said: ‘I am delighted to be recognised in this way and incredibly humbled, because the standard was extremely high. It still hasn’t sunk in yet, but I would like to share this award with the students and the team who ensure our herd consistently produces high quality milk.’

Principal of Duchy College Andrew Counsell said: ‘I would like to pass on my congratulations to Michael; this is a great achievement for him and one that he truly deserves. We work hard to deliver best practice on our farm and dairy unit, setting a clear example for our students and Michael is a great role model for our future dairy farmers.’