About William Chestnutt

William Chestnutt is a fourth-generation dairy farmer from the north coast near Portrush, where he has been working on the family’s 360-acre farm since 2010. Alongside the dairy enterprise, William and his wife Alison have diversified the farm through a milk vending machine and farm shop, selling produce directly to their local community.

William has a particular interest in soil health and in finding practical ways to reduce the farm’s reliance on purchased inputs. He has been experimenting with reduced fertiliser use, alternative inputs and greater diversity in grassland and forage, looking at how improvements below ground can support healthier, more resilient farming above it. His approach is rooted in testing ideas on his own farm, observing the results and continually adapting how the farm is managed.

William will be speaking on the panel – “If I Could Start Over in Dairy Farming I Would…”