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Cheshire Dairy Innovators Win Recognition For New Cow-Locating Technology



A family business from Ellesmere Port is celebrating after being highly commended in the New Product competition at the UK’s leading dairy event.


Eye Farm Innovative Dairy Solutions impressed judges at UK Dairy Day 2026, with Cow Locate® standing out in a highly competitive field of eight finalists.


The product provides a precise location for every cow in a housed herd – helping to keep robotic milking moving by finding fetch cows easily and making it quicker and easier to pull cows out for routine health checks or emergency veterinary attention.


“Solving everyday challenges for farmers by saving them time, improving profitability and enhancing animal welfare is our driver for innovation at Eye Farm,” said founder Dave Hawkes.


“Being highly commended in our first New Product competition at such an important event for the UK dairy sector is a welcome endorsement of Cow Locate and its value to farmers. What really excites us, however, is the difference we are already seeing Cow Locate make on our early adopters’ farms."

"For example, being able to locate an individual cow without disturbing or moving others makes working inside the shed safer for farm staff and reduces unnecessary stress for the animals.”


Cow Locate uses a continuous stream of real-time data transmitted wirelessly from collar tags worn by the cows. Using a phone, tablet or PC, farmers can select an individual cow by her unique number or be guided by the health and fertility alerts from Cow Locate – all without needing to be in the shed.


Cow Locate then displays her precise location on a digital map of the shed. Once inside the shed, the cow’s collar tag lights up, along with LED indicators on the antennas above her location, guiding farmers and their teams to find her quickly and efficiently.


“There are more than 450 dairy farms in Cheshire – including mega dairies with over 2,000 cows,” said Dave.

“Herd management involves a range of daily demands, with individual cows needing attention for everything from hoof trimming, insemination and pregnancy checks to health concerns such as mastitis. Being able to locate and bring the right cow out quickly for examination or treatment helps keep the parlour running smoothly, supports successful breeding and maintains overall farm productivity."

"Our hope is that Cow Locate will make a practical difference to dairy farming in Cheshire and beyond, with the potential to benefit the wider UK dairy industry.”


Eye Farm was founded by Dave and his wife Jane in 2025, and the couple have since welcomed their son William, aged 25, to the team following his graduation from Edge Hill University this summer.


Their wider operations, customer service and business development team bring first-hand farming experience – having grown up on family farms or worked in the industry, alongside specialist knowledge of cow fertility and herd management.


“It’s been an incredible first year in business,” said Dave, who spent 14 years specialising in electrical systems for farms before founding Eye Farm.

“More than 350 farms across the UK now use our herd management system, which has continued to evolve with the addition of tools to monitor and prevent heat stress, an automatic sort gate and, most recently, Cow Locate. I would especially like to thank our colleagues at ENGS Systems Ltd.”

Eye Farm are set to unveil their next innovation at Dairy-Tech 2027 – taking place in Stoneleigh Park on 3 February.


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Going into the office three or four times a week marks sweet-spot for wellbeing. There is a strong positive correlation between how frequently employees attend their workplace and their overall wellbeing, a new study has revealed.


An independent, nationally representative survey of 1,210 UK employees, commissioned by infinitSpace, quizzed remote, hybrid and fully in-office workers about their wellbeing.


It found that hybrid workers who attend the office one or two days per week were least likely to self-report “great” or “good” wellbeing, with 50% saying they had a positive physical wellbeing and the same number (50%) a positive mental wellbeing.


By contrast, those who go to their workplace on average three or four days per week report the highest levels of wellbeing, with 60% experiencing great or good physical wellbeing and 61% saying the same about their mental wellbeing.


Those attending the office every day report slightly lower but comparable wellbeing levels to those attending three or four days a week, with 59% indicating good physical wellbeing and 57% experiencing good mental wellbeing.


The type of workspace also plays a role in wellbeing outcomes. Employees working in flexible workspaces report higher levels of wellbeing, with 60% experiencing good physical and mental wellbeing. In comparison, employees in traditional private or serviced offices report slightly lower levels, with 56% indicating good physical wellbeing and 55% reporting good mental wellbeing.


Wybo Wijnbergen, CEO of infinitSpace, said: “While attendance policies should remain flexible to meet diverse business and employee needs, it’s important that we don’t overlook the relationship between going to a workplace and one’s wellbeing."


"The research shows that opportunities for social interaction, a sense of community, and regular access to thoughtfully designed spaces can profoundly impact our overall wellbeing."

“More than just somewhere to collaborate or be productive, by having the workplaces, organisations can play a meaningful role in boosting the overall health and happiness of their employees."


"And if smart leaders want engaged, productive teams, fostering wellbeing and providing a workspace their staff want to visit must remain a key focus.”

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