OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE 120
WEST VIC REGION
CHANGING FOR THE BETTER
The Glennenes have never shied away from a challenge. It’s an attitude that’s taken their farm from strength to strength. More on page 8 and 9. Free:e Branding
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2020
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Chair’s message
Looking towards the future I’M HOPING by the time this has gone to print
some COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, and our team is able to start getting back out on-farm to hold some small group sessions to further enhance our online offerings. We all desperately miss face-to-face catch-ups and know all our farmers do as well. Our renewed Strategic Plan for the next three years has been launched, along with our Annual Report for last financial year. Please try and find a few minutes to have a look at both documents, they are available to view on the new-look WestVic Dairy website.
They are really useful guides to the levy spend in the region. The board works hard to ensure we listen and gauge what is needed so that we can accurately target delivery to the key focus areas. We farewelled farmer board director Matthew Glennan at our recent Annual General Meeting. He has been a fantastic contributor over the past three years and always made sure farmer engagement was our top priority — as it will continue to be. We thank him immensely and wish him much success in his future endeavours. We welcome farmer Will McDonald to the board in an associate role and look forward to his contributions.
We welcome back Rhonda Henry for her second term as a non-farmer director, and Brad Collins steps up to a farmer director role following one year as an associate. We have a great mix of people around the board table and we take our role very seriously — we are your voice so please feel free to catch up with us on any issue or concern you may have. Our Dairy Awards that were held online this year for the first time wrapped up in early September. They were a great success with many tuning in to watch the videos of our category winners and those inducted onto the Honour Board.
We hope to have a wonderful celebration evening next year when COVID-19 permits, to see everyone and celebrate in person. There’s plenty happening in the extension space and our team is here to support you in your business decision making. We look forward to seeing you around the region any day now. Should be a bumper silage season — take care and keep smiling under those masks! • Simone Renyard WestVic Dairy chair
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Senior UDV members resign RICK BAYNE
TWO SENIOR Wannon UDV members have
resigned their positions, claiming the state organisation lacks accountability and transparency and fails to represent grassroots farmers in the Australian Dairy Plan. UDV Wannon branch policy councillor Oonagh Kilpatrick has resigned from the Policy Council and vice-president and deputy policy councillor Bernie Free has resigned from the UDV completely. Branch president Bruce Knowles said he was disappointed by the resignations, but he understood and shared their concerns. In her letter of resignation, Mrs Kilpatrick said she had struggled with a “lack of accountability and transparency back to members throughout Victoria, especially with the Australian Dairy Plan (ADP)”.
Mrs Kilpatrick said a united dairy farmeronly advocacy body was needed but would not be achieved by the ADP. The branch presented a model known as the Wannon Solution to the ADP review and despite receiving widespread support from farmers across Australia, the Joint Transition Team would not consider a farmer representative model. Mrs Kilpatrick said the Wannon Solution aimed to strengthen and drive democratic principles and give control to grassroots farmers. “UDV Wannon will continue to drive for these requirements,” she said. Mr Free has been a UDV member since he started dairy farming in 1993 but said he felt compelled to resign due to the lack of action, engagement and accountability over the ADP. He said there was widespread concern in the branch about the plan.
“We feel the plan is heading down a direction that dairy farmers don’t want it to take. “I follow ethics, accountability and responsibility to the industry and if you can’t change it from within, then you have to take a stand and resign and do it in a different way. “I will be agitating through every other means I can.” Mr Free said the impacts of the ADP would reverberate in the industry for 20 years. “If my daughter wishes to continue dairy farming, it needs to be the right model, which means processors are not in the same room as dairy farmers,” he said. “Everybody I talk to agrees with that but publicly they won’t state it.” Mr Knowles said the resignations were disappointing but the ADP and its processes had consumed the energies of the Wannon branch.
“I was disappointed with their decisions, but I understand and respect what they are doing,” he said. “Oonagh and Bernie have been heavily involved in the dynamics around the Australian Dairy Plan and represented the concerns of the branch and their fellow farmers.” Mr Knowles said he shared their fears as the ADP had possible ramifications for the next generation of dairy farming businesses and communities depending on them. He said the branch was united in its goals. “Our Wannon Solution was endorsed by the branch and we will continue to push that. We are united and committed to getting our point of view across and it’s still a work in progress.” Mrs Kilpatrick will remain a member of the Wannon branch while Mr Free has resigned from the UDV.
App helps on-the-job learning RECENTLY HIRED dairy industry workers
will be able to learn the skills and knowledge needed in their new field in an easier way, with the launch of an app supported by the Victorian Government’s Agriculture Workforce Plan. Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes launched the updated Dairy Passport app developed by Dairy Australia, which is now available on desktop, iPhone and Android devices. Dairy Passport provides coaching guides, learning modules and support resources as employees are inducted during their first 90 days on the job. Victorian dairy farmers will also have access to a capability coach to provide additional training support.
The app provides an easier way for employers looking to quickly and safely develop workers’ skills, while providing the knowledge and capabilities needed for on-farm roles. Topics covered include farm safety, animal handling and essential tasks such as milking. “The Victorian Government’s support has enabled us to rapidly develop new induction and training resources for Dairy Passport, designed to help farmers safely employ newcomers to the industry at short notice,” Dairy Australia managing director David Nation said. Dairy Australia’s development of the Dairy Passport app has been supported by $715,000 from the Victorian Government.
Dairy Australia managing director David Nation says a Victorian Government investment has allowed the organisation to rapidly develop new induction and training resources for its app.
Strategic plan released THE BOARD of WestVic Dairy has launched
its strategic plan for the next three years, which outlines the four main areas of focus for the organisation and provides a guide on how levy money is spent in the region. The priorities of profitable dairy farms and people remain at the forefront of the plan, with about 78 per cent of the budget allocated to these topics. Promoting a trusted and valued industry, along with responsive communication and engagement, complete the four strategic priorities. “As a board we believe the four key strategic priorities are still the most essential and relevant to focus on, especially profitability and attracting and developing good people,” WestVic dairy chair Simone Renyard said. “This renewed plan takes us through to 2023 or until the industry is restructured. “We have worked hard to ensure we’ve listened to our farmers and key stakeholders so that we are able to deliver what they need.” WestVic Dairy’s vision and mission have also been updated, with a summary of the document being sent to all levy payers in the region. The full strategic plan, along with the summary, can be found on the WestVic Dairy website.
WestVic Dairy chair Simone Renyard says the four priorities in the strategic plan are still the most essential and relevant for western Victoria.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2020
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Isaac Hose is now in charge of the out-paddock and will move the three-way-cross herd to make way for hay cutting on the home farm.
Award winner ignites dairy passion RICK BAYNE
ISAAC HOSE reckons you need to be passionate
if you’re going to do something that gets you out of bed before dawn. Although he grew up partly in town at Terang and partly in a family home on his grandfather’s dairy farm, Mr Hose hadn’t always considered dairy as a career option. He studied sports management for two years before making the switch but now the pieces are falling into place. Recently named the 2020 Great South West Dairy Awards Employee of the Year, Mr Hose is looking at a bright future and is keen to expand his knowledge and his contribution to the industry.
He has been working at the Philp farm near Garvoc for more than six years, rising to secondin-charge during the past year. Mr Hose is making all the right moves in forging a successful career and says passion, attention to detail, a willingness to learn, and flexibility are keys to farming success. “If you want to succeed and move up in farming, you’ve got to be passionate; you don’t get up at four or five o’clock in the morning to milk cows if you don’t like it.” After completing school, Mr Hose thought he’d end up farming but decided to go to university first to try something different. In 2012-13 he did two years of a sports management bachelor degree but didn’t finish the final year.
Isaac Hose has worked on Josh and Lilli Philp’s Garvoc farm since 2014.
“I decided it wasn’t what I wanted,” he said. “I learned a lot of good things in the HR field that I’ve been able to transfer to my work here, but there’s not a lot from sports management that can transfer to dairy farming.” While studying, Mr Hose worked as a weekend relief milker, but that was his only dairy experience. At the end of 2013, he returned to the south-west. His older sister Lilli is married to Josh Philp and Mr Hose was already friends with his brother-in-law through football and cricket. Mr Philp had two good workers so there wasn’t a job available at the time, so Mr Hose continued as a milker at another farm. In March 2014 a job came up and Mr Hose was quick to take the opportunity.
“I’ve always loved being outside. I never wanted to work in an office,” he said. “I like working by myself; to get away from people and knuckle down and get a job done.” Along with on-the-job lessons, Mr Hose turned to formal training. “I had to learn how to drive a tractor, how to do everything. We were calving at the time so I was picking up calves, feeding out with the tractor, and milking and harvesting and everything else.” He completed Certificates III and IV in Agriculture and a Diploma of Agriculture, including being named NCDEA Student of the Year in 2017. “They were really helpful,” Mr Hose said. “The Cert III and IV were a lot of hands-on work to show you the basics, which I needed because I’d never done a day of it, while the diploma was more about taking a step back and doing planning and staff management.”
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The knowledge has held Mr Hose in good stead as he progresses through the ranks. “As I’ve moved up, that was really helpful — especially with staff management,” he said. “I’ve got to work in a team and make sure I can manage people to get the best out of them. It will come in handy as I develop here and move more into management, not just planning for the day-to-day but for the future. “Because I haven’t worked on another farm, I haven’t bought a lot of ideas into the place but doing those courses gives you a broader insight.” Mr Hose was quick to learn that attention to detail is vital, particularly in maintaining herd health. “You can’t milk cows on auto-pilot; you have to pay attention to what they’re doing,” he said. Health is a priority for the 750-cow JerseyFriesian-Aussie Red cross herd. The farm has a Jantec computer system that includes alerts for mastitis, lameness and other health issues.
Cow Manager tags link to the system and will draft out cows on heat. A GPS-driven pasture management map, which takes photos of the farm and can tell how much grass is in a paddock, helps with planning for feeding in the paddocks. “You’ve got to be flexible and change with the times and keep up with technology to stay ahead of the game,” Mr Hose said. In recent months, he has been put in charge of the out-block where a lot of the young stock are reared. “We have heifers there at the moment and in a couple of weeks the calves will go down there, so we get all of them off the home farm to cut as much as possible here,” Mr Hose said. During the past year, Mr Hose has been more involved in informal strategic planning. “A lot of my ideas have come from Josh anyway and it’s a really good farm, but it’s good to have another pair of eyes looking at things from a slightly different perspective.”
Isaac Hose’s passion for the dairy industry, dedication to learning and plans for the future helped him to win the Great South West Dairy Awards Employee of the Year title.
The 2020 Great South West Dairy Award judges praised Mr Hose’s passion for the industry and his vision for the future. He now sees dairying as his career choice. “I’d love to share farm, ideally with Josh and Lilli, and work up to running my own farm,” he said. “I really like the way they run the business, and we’ve had a few chats about the future. The
first goal was to work into a management role here and I’m on my way in that respect.” Although reluctant to accept the nomination for the award, Mr Hose admitted it was nice to be recognised. “Now I’m just focused on my work,” he said. “Particularly this year in the lockdown— because there’s nothing else to do except work.”
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Farmers voice frustrations DANEKA HILL
WESTERN VICTORIAN dairy farmers have
described their anger at, and hopes for, the dairy industry before a Senate hearing. Simpson farmer Alex Robertson was one of 52 Victorian farmers and industry stakeholders who gave evidence before the Commonwealth inquiry currently investigating the performance of Australia’s dairy industry since deregulation. “We’ve had this dairy plan that’s come in. We’ve been told that we have a say, and people are noticing that their say is being changed into other types of questions and proposals,” Mr Robertson said. Overwhelmingly, Western Victorian farmers at the hearing expressed disappointment in their advocacy bodies WestVic Dairy, Dairy Australia and Australian Dairy Farmers, and mistrust in the Australian Dairy Plan. According to Mr Robertson, the industry’s biggest problem since deregulation has been Dairy Australia and the dairy levy all farmers must pay to it. “I can honestly say that, for the $25,000 a year I pay into that organisation called Dairy Australia, I’m still waiting to see where my investment is improving on my business,” he said.
Branxholme farmer Adam Campbell drew on his past as a Fremantle Dockers player to make his opinion clear. He described DA as the AFL organisation, dairy processors as the clubs and farmers as the players. “They (farmers) should have their own farmer association, like the AFL Players Association, and have their own board. All boards, I understand, are skill-based, and it should be the same in the dairy industry,” Mr Campbell said. “Let’s focus on setting up a sensible dairy farmers’ advocacy model that represents us.” Terang farmer Matthew Glennen is a young farmer with 600 milking cows. “The industry needs a fundamental shift to encourage young farmers into the industry,” Mr Glennen said. He described the proposed Australian Dairy Plan as “fundamentally flawed” and a disappointment considering it could have been “a new way forward”. Mr Glennen criticised the current options for farmers, which is to either change nothing or adopt the new model. “So, as farmers, what do we vote for?... we need more say,” he said The new dairy plan - known as NewCo B had few friends among the 52 who spoke before the inquiry.
There was a trio of farmers, however, who played down the cataclysmic talk - all former or active members of the advocacy groups currently out of favour with other farmers. Colac farmer, Nuffield Scholar and WestVic Dairy associate Shannon Notter said the large majority of dairy farms were profitable, and felt the inquiry was “hearing a lot of noise from a minority”. “I believe Dairy Australia is adding value to our industry for the levy being paid,” Ms Notter said. “Without the research they do we risk being left behind by other dairy regions in the world … that’s not to say I don’t think they can improve.” Karrinjeet Singh-Mahil is a Crossley dairy farmer who serves on the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority board, the ACCC’s dairy consultative committee and the WestVic Dairy board. Ms Singh-Mahil advised against tampering with milk pricing as it risked losing sales to cheaper alternatives and inviting overseas product onto the shelves. “We need to make sure that Australia is in a good place to do business, because we need our dairy processors,” she said. “I find it really hard to believe that our industry needs a levy on milk (minimum farm gate price), which is basically taxing consumers to pay a fair return to farmers.” Ms Singh-Mahil said the dairy plan was for “us to work out”, not the inquiry. “With respect, that is not something government should be messing with,” she said, reasoning industry will work out the plan through “robust discussions in appropriate formats”.
“If you put in a floor price we’re going to wipe out whole segments of the industry … on top of that, all of us would become less competitive.” Hawkesdale farmer, former WestVic Dairy chair and non-executive director of Dairy Australia Lisa Dwyer said farmers should take responsibility and improve through “basic things” like milking and pasture management and herd genetics. “No-one I ever knew was motivated by negativity,” Mrs Dwyer said. “In my view there is not a lot wrong with the Australian dairy industry, we just need an environment that encourages growth rather than impedes it.” Mrs Dwyer asked the inquiry to focus on removing regulations, rather than adding. Cobden dairy farmer, retired World Bank economist and UDV Corangamite branch sectary Ian Morris said the current industry structure was not “fit for purpose”. He accused Dairy Australia of not representing farmer needs, echoing criticism of DA’s involvement in robotic dairies and virtual fencing. Mr Morris also highlighted regional development program (RDP) WestVic Dairy for a perceived lack of accountability. “It comprises of only nine members, none of who are elected by DA levy payers. All are DA employees … why then are RDPs so prominent in the revised plan consultations process? It’s DA talking to DA.” The inquiry into the performance of Australia’s dairy industry and the profitability of Australian dairy farmers since deregulation in 2000 has been hearing evidence since December 2019, and is expected to hand down a report in February 2021.
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Western Victorian dairy farmers have had their say at a Senate inquiry into the industry.
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Tackling a wet season WHEN MANY think of managing seasonal vari-
ability, they cast their minds to drought. But for dairy farmer Craig Dwyer, who farms just outside of Cobden in south-west Victoria, the opposite can cause just as many issues. Excessively wet winters can prove an issue when juggling the needs of his herd, but with a break arriving early this year, things are shaping up well. “We did dry-off a fraction and then had a very, very early break,” Mr Dwyer told Agriculture Victoria’s Ag Vic Talk podcast. “Our down period was probably only about six weeks. I would have said last year, combined with a nominally high milk price, was probably one of the best ones we’ve ever put together.” Mr Dwyer said his farm could get very wet, often averaging about 850mm of rain a year. “It’s a management challenge in a wet winter,” he said. “The winter (we’ve gone) through right at the moment, up until this point in time has been very, very kind to us. “Given that June was quite dry and July probably ... I know others have had it, unfortunately too dry for them, but July’s been ideal for us. “The only thing that could have made it better was probably a little more sunshine.” When it came to managing his property during a wet year, Mr Dwyer said a few things were key.
“We ensure that we’ve got enough grass cover on the property before we actually open the farm back up to the milking cows. “We try to have grass cover levels at 2500 kilos of dry matter to the hectare, and then once the majority of the farm is at that point, we’ll allow the cows to start grazing. “Generally, with our calving pattern, we’re calving around the 15th of May, so therefore we do sacrifice the cows off into a couple of paddocks to allow that grass cover to get ahead, to give us a feed wedge. “Then once that wedge is established, we strip graze them around the farm to keep the rotation as long as possible.” Mr Dwyer said it had taken a lot of effort to get his farm to where it was today. Although it was a dairy farm from the early 1980s up until 1999, he said it was a very underdeveloped farm with no trough or water infrastructure and minimal laneways. The property, which was just 22 paddocks and 22 dams according to Mr Dwyer, was a beef farm from the late 1990s until the Dwyers bought it in 2012 and moved onto the property in 2015 after leasing it out for three years. “We’ve renovated virtually the whole place back into the more newer varieties of perennial grasses,” he said.
“We’ve renovated the whole farm over a period of five years, and upped the fertility base too, to support that grass. “I think we’ve almost got the place up to the right spec that we need for it to be producing as good as we could possibly get it.” Although producing their own silage, Mr Dwyer said he would buy in up to 300 tonnes of cereal or clover hay when needed to ensure they have enough fodder to get through tough seasonal conditions — whether it be an overly wet winter or a dry summer. After putting in a hayshed in May, Mr Dwyer has gone into the season with a clear plan in mind. “We’ll put in a fodder rape crop into paddocks that have been either badly damaged by pugging, or have the most tired grass species in them, as in the ones that were probably sown five years ago. “If they’ve got some ongoing issues, either from cricket damage, or pugging, etc, we’ll renovate them, so those decisions have already been made for those paddocks that will probably get pulled out of the rotation. “Then we’ll try and get those fodder crops in early to give us a feed wedge, to keep the cows milking through until hopefully at least February. “We will get as much fodder on farm as we can, and as our cashflow allows, anyway, and
It’s not just dry conditions that can cause headaches. Cobden dairy farmer Craig Dwyer talks through how he tackles wet conditions.
given that this hayshed is now here, and we’ll probably try and keep that as full as possible over the journey. “Probably the next capital expenditure will be on some drainage, so we can avoid damaging some of that pasture that we’re putting into the wetter paddocks.” For more episodes of Ag Vic Talk, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/support-and-resources/ podcasts/agvic-talk-podcast-series
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2020
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With the top Jersey herd in Australia, Con Glennen and his family have a close connection to their cows.
Changing for the better RICK BAYNE
William, James, Michelle and Con are working together to expand their Noorat farm.
The farm’s three centre pivots make sure there’s plenty of growth for the well-fed cows.
THERE HAVE been a few clangers along the way, but the Glennen family has never shied away from making changes to their Noorat farm. Their willingness to adopt new technology and try new things has been overwhelmingly successful, leading to their White Star Jerseys toping the latest Australian Breeding Values with a Balanced Performance Index (BPI) of 108. It’s not the first time they’ve been at the top of the list, and third-generation farmer Con Glennen says it’s due to a long-standing family commitment to innovation and excellence. More than 100 years ago, Mr Glennen’s grandparents Con and Margaret bought 15 ha at the bottom end of the existing farm. They had 15 children, with a lot of them making their way into the dairy industry. Mr Glennen, who grew up on a dairy farm at The Sisters, moved onto the farm with his uncles Con and Jack in 1992. Since then it has doubled to 400 cows and they have plans to reach 500, reflecting the broader family connections after Mr Glennen and his wife Michelle were joined in the business by their sons James and William. As Mrs Glennen says, the Glennens are “very forward-thinking people”, including an 87-yearold living on the farm who now enjoys Zoom meetings. Jack and Con, now in his 90s, were doing AI in the early 1970s; they always keep meticulous records, continually herd test, and were using
genomics “as quick as we could get our hands on it.” “We’ve been into genomics for five years. Old Con came to me and said, `you’d better get on to it’—so we did,” Mr Glennen said. The dairy is 26 years old but it’s now fitted with meters, automatic teat sprays, auto-draft and new feed bins. It’s going to be a busy dairy as the herd grows, and it’s no longer central since the farm grew in an elongated L-shape, but there are no plans to replace it at the moment. Neck collars on cows have been a good investment. “We get more accurate AI, timing is better so we can use more sexed semen and we have less health issues,” Mrs Glennen said. A few things haven’t gone to plan—some bulls didn’t work, haylage (a mix of hay and silage) rotted, chicory was a failed crop and an earlier irrigation system didn’t suit and was replaced by pivots—but that’s never stopped their desire to try new things. “It’s the same as any industry—you’ve got to be willing to have a go, keep doing what you know works and try and keep things sensible,” Mr Glennen said. “It’s the old KISS theory, Keep it Simple, Stupid,” Mr Glennen added. “The art of all agriculture is to grow stuff, and you use technology to breed the best cow you can to convert that grass into the best milk.” The farm is in the shadow of the dormant Mt Noorat, resulting in a mixture of soil types, but the rainfall is regular and they have access to 400 Ml of underground water that is spread by three centre pivot irrigators.
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Michelle and Con’s Jersey herd has a Balanced Performance Index (BPI) of 108.
“We’re a split calving operation so there’s constant workload,” Mr Glennen said. “The autumn calving is worth good money but the risks are on. We’ve got good water so I can guarantee to grow some good feed.” Split calving — starting March 10 and August 1 — was introduced about 10 years ago to chase cashflow. “The centre pivot irrigators cost a lot so you’ve got to go for the liquid milk price,” Mr Glennen said.
“We’re always looking at what opportunities arise and we’re not stocked at our maximum capacity at about two cows per hectare. We have been higher but you don’t want them bumper to bumper.” As befitting an award-winning herd, production is good and getting better at 6469 litres and $6.30/kg MS. The herd is totally Jersey. “We’re happy with the results we’re getting, especially the feed conversion,” Mr Glennen said.
With the easy-to-use pivot irrigators, the Glennens use mostly home-grown feed. “We feed them well rather than let them go hungry,” Mr Glennen said. The home-grown feed is topped up with a tonne-and-a-half of grain. “I’m not scared of grain prices; if we need to put two tonnes into them it wouldn’t worry me,” he said. “I bought two lots of straw mostly for calf feeding and transition diets and one load of vetch in the last three years, and half of that is still sitting in the shed.” On the irrigated country, permanent ryegrasses and clover have been hard to beat, while the higher volcanic stones country is hard work and is basically sown every year to Italians. The Glennens always look to the future. Priorities at the moment centre on boosting herd numbers and improving the in-calf rate, which is expected to rise with the introduction of collars, improving on the usual 50 per cent for the first insemination. The farm is going well on the back of a strong season, and the ABV honour was the icing on the cake. “It’s good to see that you’re not doing a bad job and gives you confidence that you’re making good choices,” Mrs Glennen said. For Mr Glennen it’s pleasing to share the honour among three generations. While succession planning isn’t yet on the table, Mr Glennen will turn 53 in October and his shoulders are telling him he shouldn’t be
dragging milk machines and calves around for too much longer. The Glennens also look forward to being able to travel, while Mr Glennen will continue his role on the Board of National Herd Development. In recent years, the couple has visited Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand, the United States and Africa, always with an opportunity to view dairy farms. “We’re always looking for the next thing, planning for where we’ve got to go,” Mr Glennen said. “We’re already thinking about next autumn.”
Michelle and Con have travelled the world to look at dairies and look forward to continuing their travels after the pandemic.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2020
10 // WEST VIC REGION
Standing up for farmers RICK BAYNE
CHRIS O’KEEFE has been out of dairy farming
for 10 years, but he has never stopped standing up for grassroots farmers. Mr O’Keefe was recently inducted onto the Western Victorian Dairy Industry Honour Board, alongside Larpent farmer Phillip Harris, recognising their outstanding contribution to the dairy industry over many years. Along with building a successful dairy farm business at Winslow, Mr O’Keefe has served the dairy community through a 40-year involvement with United Dairyfarmers of Victoria. He may have sold his Winslow dairy farm 10 years ago, but farming remains a big part of his life. Mr O’Keefe took over the family farm at Winslow in 1979. At the time the farm was milking about 100 cows on 161 ha; by the time he sold it in 2010 the herd was 600 and there was a new rotary dairy and extra leased and purchased land. At 57, Mr O’Keefe retired and moved into Warrnambool with his wife Beryl. “I was quite young but I had no-one following on to take over, so I felt I may as well sell,” he said. “The decision to sell the family farm was hard but the actual move turned out to be quite easy. I wasn’t a person married to the land like my father (John) was. The land runs through the blood of some of the older generation, but that wasn’t the case with me.” However, moving to the city didn’t end his connection to dairy farming. Mr O’Keefe had started going to local Warrnambool branch UDV meetings with his father in the mid-70s. In the early 80s Mr O’Keefe became secretarytreasurer and he was elected to the district council and became treasurer in 1987. When the Wannon regional branch replaced the district council, Mr O’Keefe continued as treasurer and then added secretarial duties in 2013. He has contributed 33 continuous years as treasurer. He remains dedicated to the concept of the UDV, although he gets frustrated by the organisation. “It’s the organisation that lobbies for farmers’ interests; it’s our union, if you like,” he said. “It’s meant to stand up for our interests. If things aren’t going how they should be going, the UDV is meant to be there to lobby government and other areas to stand up for our rights.” There have been a few “hot topics” along the way, none bigger than deregulation at the turn of the century. “A lot of people disagreed with what the UDV did, but we voted for deregulation, which meant the price for drinking milk was no longer regulated by the government,” Mr O’Keefe said. “People argued that it would let the supermarkets discount milk, but there was good reason to vote for it in Victoria; at the time only 13 per cent of milk in Victoria was drinking milk.” Mr O’Keefe said some northern Victoria farmers were threatening to cross the border into NSW where farmers were paid more per litre for the drinking milk market. “I remember the UDV was frightened of an outright milk war between the states,” he said. “People may disagree with what I say, but when you come to a fork in the road and you go down one way and see the consequences, you don’t know what the consequences would have been if you went down the other path.”
Chris O’Keefe has been inducted onto the Western Victorian Dairy Industry Honour Board in recognition of his 40-year contribution to the dairy industry.
Mr O’Keefe said in the 1970s and 1980s liquid milk was regulated not to bring in more money for farmers but to guarantee supply in winter when cows were dried and production dropped. “Production changed and there was plenty of milk, so the government asked if there was a case to keep regulation in place. It was hard to argue there was a case to regulate.” More recently the Australian Dairy Plan has caused disquiet in the branch. “There has been a lot of dissent in our branch about the lack of information,” Mr O’Keefe said. “The question is, are we operating from the grassroots up, or the top down? We think we’re being ruled from the top — and other branches feel the same. “We fear the Australian Dairy Plan is taking away grassroots farmer representation from our lobby organisation and handing it to milk processors and Dairy Australia — they don’t have dairy farmer personnel.”
Mr O’Keefe said the main challenge for dairy farmers remained getting a fair milk price. “We should be working as a national lobby and looking at the holistic situation to address that,” he said. “There are still dairy farmers out there making a profit, even though some aren’t making the cost of production. There are good business people and not-so-good business people. You’ve got to make sure the median operators are making a good living. “It’s undeniable there has been a big exodus from dairy farming and an overall drop in production ... I just don’t know what the answer is.” After 40 years in various UDV jobs, Mr O’Keefe hopes to step down from his official roles at the next annual meeting, but he will be looking back with fond memories. “The branch is pretty strong and we get a dozen to 15 at a meeting, although we’ve got about 150 members in our branch, so that’s a small percentage.
“I look back on the people involved over the years; there were some real characters there but they were genuine and contributing people.” Mr O’Keefe says today’s farmers need to work hard and treat farming as a business. “It’s got to make money for you and you’ve got to put in the hard yards,” he said. While never a high-flier in the industry, Mr O’Keefe was happy to do the “grunt work” at a local level and was proud to be included on the honour board. Fellow inductee Phillip Harris has had a huge impact on the Colac district dairy industry and more broadly across the south-west. He has been described as a modern and progressive dairy farmer who has willingly shared his knowledge. His ability to encourage others to develop their skills and expertise has created a launching pad for many, providing young farmers with support as they have established themselves in their own careers.
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2020
WEST VIC REGION // 11
Tips to prevent hay fires DESPITE FARMERS’ best efforts, sometimes
hay is baled too wet, which creates a significant fire risk. Agriculture Victoria northern dairy manager Brett Davidson said reasons behind this could include poor curing weather, nodes and seed heads still wrapped in the flag leaf sheath not being cured enough, or incorrectly calibrated or improperly used moisture meters. “As a result, there is potential the forage being baled could be two to five per cent higher in moisture than it should be for the type of bale being made,” he said. Mr Davidson said large rectangular bales needed to be two per cent drier (12 to 14 per cent moisture) than large round bales (14 to 16 per cent), which themselves needed to be two per cent drier than small square bales (16 to 18 per cent). “This is due to their high density or large volume to surface area for the large rectangular and round bales,” he said. “Leaving wide windrows behind a mowerconditioner, tedding immediately after mowing (tedders will substantially speed up curing), and using a form of hay preservative will all increase the curing rate of hay. “While these options add to the cost of hay making, it will be well worth the additional expense for high quality forage.
“Occasionally however, some of the hay will end up in the stack that has not been cured well enough. “It is vitally important to regularly monitor the stack from week one after baling, for signs of heating.” Monitoring can include looking for: ■ Dampness on the top of bales; ■ Steam rising from the haystack; ■ Moisture build-up on roofing iron or under tarps of outside stacks; ■ Unusual odours (e.g. pipe tobacco, caramel, burning, musty); ■ Slumps in the stack; and ■ Corrosion on the underside of a tin roof. Mr Davidson said unfortunately much of the heating would occur in the stack’s centre, which was difficult to pick up. “A crowbar pushed into the stack as far as possible is one strategy that can be used to monitor heat,” he said. “After a couple of hours, remove the crowbar and feel how hot it is.” A guide for haystack temperatures include: ■ Cooler than 50°C — can handle the bar without discomfort. Check temperature daily; ■ 50 to 60°C — Can handle the bar for a short time. Check temperature twice daily; ■ 60 - 70°C — Can touch bar only briefly. Check temperature every two hours. Move hay from top layers to improve air flow;
Agriculture Victoria has provided farmers with tips to help prevent hay fires.
Hotter than 70°C — Bar too hot to hold. Potential for fire. Avoid walking on top of stack. Put safety precautions in place. Call 000. Mr Davidson said an alternative monitoring method could be achieved by using thermal ■
couplings, which can be placed into various areas of the haystack at stacking and monitored simply and regularly. • For more information on hay moisture, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2020
12 // WEST VIC REGION
With above average rainfall predicted across the state, Agriculture Victoria dairy extension officer David Shambrook offers some tips on making quality hay.
Tips for making good hay MAKING GOOD quality hay in a year where above average rainfall is predicted for most of Victoria over spring will be a challenge, but if you stick to some key principles it is still feasible. The quality of hay is directly related to the stage of growth at cutting, the amount of leaf retention, diligent use of the right equipment at the right time and avoiding bad weather. Cutting as early as possible in the season, weather permitting, will produce the highest quality hay. It is inevitable that some quality will be lost during the curing and harvesting process. So what can be done about reducing the losses and improving the hay quality? Once the decision to cut has been made, increasing the rate of drying of the entire crop, particularly the stems, is the key to reducing losses and avoiding the risk of rain damage. Growing plants contain about 75 to 80 per cent water at the time of harvest. When the plant is cut, it continues to respire or breathe until water content is reduced to about 40 per cent, or 60 per cent dry matter (DM). Some loss of dry matter and quality has occurred. Below 40 per cent moisture, the leaves dry at a much faster rate than stems because they are very thin and have a large surface area to mass ratio.
However, stem drying occurs slowly due to the cell make up and surface wax layer. By the time the stem reaches appropriate moisture content for baling, the leaves may be too dry and therefore easily shattered. Wait for any dew to lift before mowing — there could be one to three tonnes of moisture trapped between the plants if mown with dew on them, moisture which must be dried off before the plants start to cure. Mowing in the rain would have a similar effect.
Use a mower-conditioner or conditioner The most common method of enhancing stem drying is by mechanical conditioning which uses a set of intermeshing, counter-rotating rollers. These are designed to crush, bend or break stems allowing moisture to escape more easily. Conditioners also reduce leaf shatter during raking and baling, as the leaves tend to dry at around the same rate as stems. Proper roller clearance adjustment is important, especially for roller-type conditioners. Don’t have them set too wide. The roller spacings used for thick-stemmed crops are often not adequate for finerstemmed crops. The flail or tyned-type mower-conditioners are more suited to pastures than the roller type.
They do a better job of the crimping and abrading. and tend to leave the windrows ‘fluffier’, which is more conducive to quicker drying. In both cases, leaving the swath boards out as wide as possible, to leave wider windrows, will greatly increase the drying rate.
Tedding straight after mowing A technique recommended for silage, tedding (spreading) will also reduce the curing time of hay by about 30 to 40 per cent, if used within a few short hours after mowing. Some farmers use the tedder the day after mowing, but the curing rate would benefit greatly if done soon after mowing. Some farmers worry about hay bleaching when using these machines, however tedding will allow far more even and quicker drying, so bleaching should be minimal. In any case, bleaching does not greatly affect hay quality, but it does reduce the carotene levels. The reduced risk of rain and its effect on reducing quality is reason enough to consider using a tedder, especially where rain is expected.
Raking Raking is used to enhance uniform drying. The most common type of rake rolls and fluffs the windrow, bringing the bottom layer to the top.
The rolling action exposes more of the stems while protecting the leafy portion of the plant. Hay should be raked at moisture content above 30 per cent, to minimise leaf shatter. Leaf loss can be further reduced by raking during early morning or late evening after the leaves absorb moisture from the air. As much as 15 per cent dry matter can be lost if legumes such as lucerne are raked at the wrong time, however pasture losses tend to be less.
When to bale Optimum moisture content for baling hay for conserved feed depends on bale size and density. For small rectangular bales, the moisture content should be no higher than 18 per cent. The upper limit for large round bales should be 14 to 16 per cent and large square bales 12 to 14 per cent. More than 80 per cent of hay fires have been in large square bales which have often been baled at the correct moisture content, but their high density disallows for breathing, hence there is no room for error with these large, very densely packed bales. For more information, go to: agriculture.vic.gov.au David Shambrook Dairy extension officer Agriculture Victoria