Dairy News Australia - December 2019 - With Murray Region

DECEMBER, 2019 ISSUE 110

MURRAY REGION

Going farming The men behind a company snapping up Murray Valley dairy farms, see page 4

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

2 // MURRAY REGION

Hay making season in full swing “MAKING HAY while the sun shines” is prob-

ably a good summation of what many us in the Murray dairy region have been doing over these past few months.

As I move around the region, northern and central Victoria contrast the north-east corner, with the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District and

Chair’s message

southern Riverina experiencing below average rainfall and unprecedented water pricing.

Thankfully, welcome rains allowed good silage and hay production in much of our region in earlier months which many farmers used as an opportunity to build fodder reserves; the downside is that a recent downward revision of the GoulburnMurray Water inflow forecast to “dry to very dry” has added another pressure point for our farmers in those regions.

In contrast, the north-east continues to benefit from better conditions with reports of rain “falling at just the right times” and farmers reporting a better-than-expected silage and hay making season.

Season preparation Many farmers will have been busy setting up their season with businesses using irrigation to boost production on-farm and, if the opportunity is there, bringing in extra feed for the summer.

We encourage farmers to feed test and obtain Vendor Declaration forms to ensure you are receiving the quality needed if you are purchasing fodder in for your herds.

To assist you in preparing for the season, I hope that many of you took the opportunity to attend the events that were run in October, including: Transitioning to Temporary Feed Areas — options and information for those considering a temporary feed area or sacrifice paddock.

Fix Your Mix — a detailed session on the use and operation of mixer wagons to improve the quality and consistency of the ration.

For information about managing nutrition as your herd changes diets moving into the

summer, Dairy Australia has developed a new series of videos and fact sheets, available on the Feed Planning website, or you can use a Taking Stock consultation to catch up one-on-one with an adviser to develop feed and nutrition plans.

Secondary income Murray Dairy has also been successful in securing a partnership with Regional Development Victoria under the Regional Skills Fund to assist farmers in adding to their skills or re-skilling for a secondary income.

If you are interested in the program, contact Murray Dairy for more information.

Focus Farm face of next generation At our last Murray Dairy board meeting, held in the Upper Murray town of Corryong, the Murray Dairy directors took the opportunity to catch up with Paul and Jess Furze, our current Focus Farmers in Tallandoon.

What a great young couple and the face of our next generation.

Jess and Paul have worked hard to get to the point they are now, with a toehold firmly in the industry, however they are excited about the next step in that journey and believe that being the Focus Farm for the next two years offers them a great opportunity to explore the opportunities they have to reach their goal of farm ownership. We look forward to following their journey.

Annual report online Murray Dairy also held its AGM in October along with a post-AGM dinner.

Both events were well patronised with more than 100 people attending the dinner where our guest speakers from the Australian Fresh Milk Holdings group, Michael Perich and Quentin Moxey, captured the audience with their innovative

approach to farming, their perspective on dairying in the region and the vision they have for their business going forward.

I think AFMH is a great example of how business relationships can thrive and grow with the correct structures and supports around them to become true powerhouses.

If you would like a copy of Murray Dairy’s 2018– 19 Annual Report or Achievements Report, you can find it on the Murray Dairy website or contact the office for a hardcopy.

Draft statement on dairy plan On a broader scale many will have participated in the consultation process for the Australian Dairy Plan.

A Key Directions Statement has recently been issued by the organisations involved, articulating the key focus areas for the plan.

A first draft is due to be presented to the industry at the end of November and I would encourage anyone who is interested in providing feedback to do so (via the website).

Looking to the future It’s hard to believe we are nearly at the end of 2019 and many of us already looking to the season and year ahead.

Now is a great time to reflect on our achievements and the challenges, and remember that we all get to wake up every day and choose whether we are going to be a glass half-full or a glass halfempty person, I know which one I would rather be.

I wish you all a happy and safe Christmas season and hope you find time out with family and friends to enjoy all the festive offerings this time of year. · Karen Moroney Murray Dairy chair

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

MURRAY REGION // 3

Fires hit Strathallan farm THIS SEASON has been tough enough for our

dairy farmers but for Strathallan’s Andrew and Belinda Burgoine, things just went up a level after fire raced across his property on Code Red Thursday, November 21.

The fire initially started on the north-west of the property, but a wind change brought it charging across the paddocks, destroying fences, shedding, 1800 rolls of hay and amongst other things, a rodeo ute and an old tractor.

But perhaps most distressing of all, was the sight of 25 dead Brown Swiss calves — some of the future genetics of the herd.

“I get attached to my babies so it’s pretty hard,” Andrew said with tears in his eyes.

“Our calf shed was severely affected — the compost on the floor was burning and the radiant heat was just terrible. The majority of our calves will be okay though and we are just keeping an eye on a couple who have some smoke inhalation,” Andrew said.

While Andrew said the day has now become a bit of blur, around 19 vehicles were called to the fire about 12.45 pm.

“There was that much smoke, and we could see the flames, so we had to get out pretty quick,” he said.

Thankfully the dairy and the house of Andrew’s parents Ian and Denise survived, although it was a close call.

“We were watching the fire and then it turned and came at us.

“My son and I grabbed a couple of machines and tractors and took off down the road when the fireys were coming our way. They wanted to know where it was, and I said ‘it’s coming straight at us.

“We couldn’t come back and grab any more stuff, there was too much smoke and we couldn’t see, so we just had to hope for the best.”

The dairy herd were safe on irrigated pasture although they missed their Thursday night milking.

“We did some emergency repairs including some plumbing and fencing and were able to get the cows milked, although they were a bit wary of the smoke blowing through,” he said.

The Burgoine family had just started to recover from the devastating impacts of the 2011 floods, which inundated their 809-hectare property which left Andrews’ parents homeless, their Brown Swiss herd marooned, and fodder destroyed.

With no flood insurance, the Burgoines paid for the financial impact for years.

“We survived the flood and then this happens, which is a lot worse,” Andrew said.

“This is going to cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“My parents are devastated.”

Andrew said while he is still asking himself what impact this disaster will have, the fact he is moving forward is a good sign.

Hay burns on the Burgoine property.

“This is what I do, and I know it will be hard and there will be challenges ahead.”

Community spirit has been strong, and support has been overwhelming.

“The phones haven’t stopped,” Belinda said.

“We’ve had people dropping off hay and coming

in with an excavator to help, so we can’t thank people enough.

“But while it’s great today, what are we going to do next week?”

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4 // MURRAY REGION

Company buys Murray farms A PRIVATELY owned company has been snap-

ping up dairy farms in the Murray Valley region, with a view on climate, soil quality, infrastructure and global opportunities. goFARM has bought about a dozen dairy farms in the past 15 months, with so-called hubs at Yalca, Katunga and Cobram. goFARM’s managing director Liam Lenaghan explained the reason for buying land in the Murray Valley.

“I guess we’ve got a global view on food production and dietary trends and the need for more plant-based food crops and we have exposure in other regions, including Sunraysia and the Riverland,” Mr Lenaghan said.

“It’s pretty well documented, the water security and deliverability risks below the choke, and our view is that those issues are negated by being above the choke.

“The region has good water delivery infrastructure, it has a mix of soils, it’s got a great climate … and of course there is the pre-existing infrastructure.

“It’s got relatively closely settled farming communities and large regional centres supporting infrastructure that goes with it — in terms of agriculture support but then more broadly the social infrastructure around people and schools and hospitals, which ultimately are required when you need people in production systems.

“There’s a lot to like about the region but challenges too, like anywhere.”

While long-term plans are yet to be set, the company is leasing 75 per cent of the land it currently owns back to the dairy and beef industries, while growing corn on the properties it has not leased out.

“The lease arrangements are part of buying us the time and head space we need to do the planning and getting ourselves organised and make decisions around soils, amelioration and ultimately crop type,” the company’s chief farming officer Nick Raleigh said.

“In the instance of the farms that are under

our control, we are already embarking on an annual cropping program of summer and winter crops.

“The summer crop of our choice is corn.

“That’s what we think works both from a revenue point of view and the ability to ameliorate soils where we deem that’s necessary.

“Ultimately our plan is to develop to high value horticulture-type crops.

“For us that equates to nut crops and fruit crops but we haven’t made a final decision.

“We have some favourites, we have some that we are more attracted to from a labour, a perishability and an automation and mechanisation point of view.”

Mr Raleigh said an example of one of those crops was walnuts.

“We think that suits the region for a whole range of different factors,” he said.

Mr Lenaghan said it was likely to be a mix of crops they would grow, rather than just one.

“Ultimately given the range, or the variability, of soil types in the region I think it will be a matrix or mosaic of different crops,” he said.

“It’s not going to be a mono-culture from one end to the other of one crop; it will be horses for courses based on soil types and access to other infrastructure.”

Mr Lenaghan said the farms they had purchased all had entitlements attached.

“We are buying farms with existing entitlements and those entitlements are across a spectrum including high-reliability water shares, low-reliability water shares, Katunga Deep Lead and Shepparton irrigation region water too.” goFarm was founded by Mr Lenaghan seven years ago. It is owned by his family as well as one other family.

Both Mr Lenaghan and Mr Raleigh are agscience trained, with Mr Lenaghan a fifth-generation farmer.

Mr Raleigh is the former general manager of field operations at Kagome and grew up on the family farm in the Goulburn Valley.

Liam Lenaghan (right)and Nick Raleigh (left) from goFARM.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

6 // MURRAY REGION

Krystal Sheridan and partner Benj Roubini are embracing a career in the dairy industry and hope to one day run their own farm.

Love of cows unites pair KATUNGA’S KRYSTAL Sheridan and her

partner Benj Roubini might have been born on different continents, but they have been united by a love of cows.

Neither grew up on dairy farms but together they are determined to carve out a future in the industry.

Krystal grew up in Heathcote and was on her way to becoming a vet when she realised her heart just wasn’t in it.

“I had never touched a dairy cow until placement at Wagga,” Krystal said.

“I ended up finishing my first degree and started travelling and working on different dairy farms around the countryside and that was it.”

Krystal began working on the Katunga dairy farm of Ross and Melissa Nicholl in 2017.

“I was looking for a job a little closer to home until I decided what I wanted to do with my career,” she said.

“I started out milking and rearing calves and loved it. I have worked my way up to herd manager and eventually hope to manage my own farm.”

Benj came to Australia 12 years ago.

He has grown vegies, worked on huge grain properties and worked with sheep and cattle. It wasn’t until he got involved with dairy cows that he found his calling.

He started working for the Nicoll family at the start of the year.

“I left school in Year 10 and have always been more comfortable surrounded by land and animals: in fact when Krystal and I met, what

bonded us was our love for cows,” Benj said.

“Farming is fine but the cows are what it is all about for us,” Benj said.

The couple has a long-held dream to own a farm, but for future sustainability is thinking more of a mixed operation selling rustic artisanal dairy products like cheese and cream.

“I think to have a farm in Australia we are going to need to be smart and versatile and definitely farm in an area where there is more rainfall,” Krystal said.

“I have some young stock and as time goes on, I will build-up my numbers.”

Until that day arrives Krystal and Benj are busy working on improving their own knowledge and skills.

The couple is involved in the Young Dairy Network and when it comes to learning, Krystal said Ross had been very supportive and encouraging.

“I participated in the pastures for profit course and that has helped us transition the herd to more of a lot feeding scenario. Ross supports us going to workshops and trusts that it is important to us,” she said.

The farm feed base is predominately pasture including summer crops but this season the herd will be lot fed, getting them through a long and dry summer with as much milk as possible is a high priority.

“To encourage intake, we will be feeding silage for moisture and shading the cows with access to sprinklers so they can regulate their temperature,” Krystal said.

This year’s herd number will sit somewhere between 300 and 350.

“We peaked at 410 but with no spring last year

we culled pretty heavily to 300 and numbers have been stable ever since,” she said.

Krystal said pushing efficiencies is essential to remain viable.

“One of the biggest efficiency’s we have capitalised on is to feed less cows, more.

“Just as we did after our number cut back last spring, we produced the same amount of milk as the previous year with 100 less cows.

We achieved this by focusing on feed quality and micro managing cows through weather extremes, driving intakes to maintain production all season, regardless of temperature.”

Krystal said she never thought she would become a dairy farmer.

“One of the biggest things I worked out when I left vet school was it’s great to fix an animal, but I like the intimate relationship of calving down, rearing the calf and watching them go into the herd and do really well.”

She said learning to farm in northern Victorian’s tough conditions was teaching them some valuable lessons.

“We have learnt to do a good job with as little feed waste as possible and we have also learnt you can’t cut numbers back too far or you end up in a downward spiral next season — you need to be ready to bounce back.

“You also need to have a trigger point for exiting and make a call before things turn too bad.”

Despite these thoughts the couple is not planning on leaving the industry and instead is hoping for a strong future.

“The season has been challenging but it makes you feel strong and smart enough to adapt to change — the challenge is every day is different and it is certainly not repetitive,” she said.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

MURRAY REGION // 7

High water cost dries up basin profit margins A SIGNIFICANT increase in temporary water

prices in the Murray-Darling Basin is placing permanent crops like almonds, wine grapes and citrus under considerable pressure, with water costing up to 40 per cent of the per-tonne average value of commodities in some instances.

The NAB rural commodities wrap, released in November, highlights the impact persistent drought across eastern Australia is having on both water storages throughout the MurrayDarling Basin and how subsequent skyrocketing temporary water prices are impacting producers.

NAB Agribusiness economist Phin Ziebell said permanent plantings were in a particularly tricky position due to their need for constant water.

“The temporary water price in VIC Murray (Barmah Choke to South Australian border) has increased 138 per cent in the past year, to $950/ Ml,” Mr Ziebell said.

“Upstream of the Barmah Choke, temporary water prices have increased 55 per cent over the same period.

“Our modelling shows that for a temporary-water reliant wine grape producer in the Sunraysia region, the $550/Ml uplift in price equates to roughly $180/tonne of grapes, or nearly 40 per cent of the per-tonne average value of warm climate wine grapes.”

“It looks as though early autumn conditions may improve, and while rainfall outlooks this far in advance are speculative, any indication of above average rainfall is welcome.”

With most general security entitlements across NSW at zero per cent, the report details that elevated temporary water prices are beyond the reach of annual crops like cotton, with production volumes tipped to be low again this season.

“Based on current prices and average application rates and yields, neither cotton nor rice are overly profitable at a temporary water price of $800/Ml,” Mr Ziebell said.

Despite the challenges presented by low water availability, the NAB Rural Commodities Index recorded an overall gain of 2.5 per cent in October.

NAB Agribusiness customer executive Neil Findlay said resilience in livestock markets was a key driver of the increase.

The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator reached its highest level in several months, at 517¢/kg.

“While there is still considerable weakness in the store cattle market, processor demand for finished cattle runs hot amid strong export market performance,” Mr Findlay said.

NAB’s winter wheat forecast remains on hold, at 15.5 million tonnes, with eastern states predicted to face another season of international and West Australian grain imports.

High input costs in northern Victoria persist,

but consistently improving Global Dairy Trade auction results are providing a boost to processors offering strong farmgate prices to maintain milk flow.

The NAB report also details a somewhat brighter Bureau of Meteorology three-month outlook.

“It looks as though early autumn conditions

may improve, and while rainfall outlooks this far in advance are speculative, any indication of above average rainfall is welcome,” Mr Findlay said.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

8 // MURRAY REGION WATER OFFER FROM GOVERNMENT

Rochester couple celebrates FORMER ROCHESTER dairy farmers, George

and Marje Milne have celebrated 70 years of marriage.

The couple tied the knot on November 12, 1949 at St Peter’s Church in Eaglehawk.

Now with a big happy family and a lifetime together to commemorate, the pair reflect on times of hard work, hardship and most of all, love.

“We were just a young pair of kids who enjoyed each other’s company and who just wanted to be together,” Mr Milne said.

“And that’s how it has been since; we met in 1943 halfway through the war and we married in 1949 and have never been apart since.”

The two left Eaglehawk in 1953 to begin farming and start a family, and to eventually run a successful dairy farm for 18 years in Rochester, where they have now happily retired to.

“Our children were all into sports and played football and netball for various clubs: Calivil, Rochester and Bamawm,” Mr Milne said.

“We love our family dearly and love to see our young grandchildren and great grandchildren grow into confident, well-adjusted young

George and Marje Milne.

men and women — it gives us plenty to live for.

“It has been a wonderful journey for us both.

Our love for one another and strong commitment to our marriage has seen us through the occasional difficult times early on with everything needed to make a home when a family starts to grow.

“We were both born prior to the start of the Great Depression and we grew up during those times of great hardship for our parents, and we were old enough during the ‘30s to understand how hard it must have been for them to put food on the table.

“But we survived that period only to have World War II begin in 1939, giving us another six years of hardship — shortages and ration books.”

Some of the region’s farmers are set to get some relief from dry conditions and high input costs with the Federal Government announcing 100 Gl of water will be released to grow feed.

However, those growing rice, cotton or fruit will be excluded from using the water that is part of a new drought stimulus package announced late last month.

Kaarimba irrigator Dudley Bryant said the minimum 25 Ml allocation for each farmer would give him a head start if no rain fell or allocation was provided.

“The biggest thing is government has done something,” he said.

“It’s a recognition there is a problem but we are long way from fixing it.

“It’s a good step. In our case 25 Ml will start up 25 hectares of annual pasture.”

Jerilderie rice, barley and oats grower Peter Burke questioned how successful the allocation would be.

“Divvying up that amount of water amongst 6000 irrigators is like giving someone one piece of chicken for tea when they need three,” he said.

“I haven’t seen any of these options that offer any long-term security for anyone.”

Mr Burke said he wasn’t normally a negative person but he wondered who was advising the government.

“In the millennium drought, under the Howard government, we could access interest-free subsidies capped at

$100000,” he said.

“That wasn’t a complicated procedure and provided a real option.”

Speak Up chair Shelley Scoullar questioned the practicality of the roll-out.

“It is great to see that state and federal governments can work together to provide solutions to the water crisis, a good step forward,” she said.

“Unfortunately the practicality in the roll-out of the 100 Gl will not provide the best results.

“Twenty-five megalitres per farm is not a lot and is not an efficient use of water.

“It would have been much better for the water to be distributed as an allocation, with an intra-valley pool established so that those who were not in a position to grow a summer crop could trade to those who were, especially dairy farmers.”

The Australian Dairy Industry Council has also welcomed the announcement.

In April, ADIC called on the Federal Government to use Australia’s six functional desalination plants in a move that would “deliver a permanent water supply for farmers, regional communities and environment”.

“It is fantastic to see the government listening to the needs of dairy farmers who are suffering from the impacts of drought and offering real solutions to the problems we face in securing water,” ADIC chair Terry Richardson said.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

10 // MURRAY REGION

Harry Rowlands is the first person on Gunbower Island to install a bore.

‘Hillbillies moment’ hits jackpot at Gunbower UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING the future

of irrigation was the catalyst for Gunbower dairy farmers Harry and Jodie Rowlands to look outside the square and do something no-one in the area had done before — install a bore.

It was October 2018 when Harry had his lightning moment — staring out across the paddock he thought what if next year is worse than this year?

“That was my Beverly Hillbillies Jed Clampett moment when I thought ‘Let’s have a look underground and see what is there’, ” Harry said.

After receiving the paperwork Harry sat on it for a while before he decided to go ahead.

The paperwork took four months to organise and the test bore was dug in September.

The couple decided the initial $10 000 to $15 000 cost to drill a test site was worth the risk.

“There is no real way of knowing what is underground unless you drill,” Harry said.

“It is a whole new world under there and our area hasn’t been mapped before so we had no idea whether this was a good idea; we certainly didn’t get our hopes up.”

The Rowlands family has farmed on Gunbower Island for generations and Harry’s grandfather always thought there was groundwater in the

area, it turns out he was right, although not for the reason he thought.

“The drillers laughed when I told them my grandfather’s reasons why there would be bore water here, apparently old wives’ tales don’t work underground!” he said.

At 90 m they hit a small water pocket, but it wasn’t until 130 m they hit the jackpot.

“The drillers weren’t really expecting to find water here. The general rule of thumb is the closer you get toward Pyramid Hill the saltier the water is but once water testing looked positive, we decided to go ahead,” Harry said.

It took around three weeks to build and line the bore.

A 14-inch pump sits in the bore. It has a 110 kW electric motor sitting underneath which pushes water 55 m up eight inch, lay flat tubing, to the surface. The bore line then connects into the black brute pipe-and-riser system and can be sent anywhere around the farm.

Before the bore water hits the farm line, it passes through a Delta water conditioner which in layman’s terms changes the way the minerals react in the water once they hit the soil so there is no build-up of salt or nasty elements.

“The conditioner was optional, but I thought it was worth spending the money on to be safe and improve our water quality,” Harry said.

A second-hand diesel generator powers the bore site.

“We have to wait for a transformer upgrade

by Powercor, so we decided to install the generator with plans to sell it down the track when our power is upgraded.”

The decision to build the bore was not taken lightly − the significant financial cost was a worry.

“It was a gamble and I am still nervous

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

MURRAY REGION // 11 because we are in a bit of a grey area,” Harry said.

“They tell me the pump has a 30-year life span and Dave Watson, the bloke who dug the bore, said we have got quality sand underground which could mean a good, long-term supply of water,” he said.

Harry said running a grass-based system with very little grain consumption made the risk of constructing a bore worthwhile.

“Continuing to grow green grass from bore water is very appealing. In 2007–08 I spent the whole year sitting in a tractor feeding out hay and I never want to do that again, I would much rather grow grass than drive machinery.”

Harry said the bore offers security for the 380 spring calving herd, along with the possibility of expansion down the track.

“I have been concerned about the future of our existing irrigation scheme for a while now,” he said.

“I am not sure if politicians have an agenda to finish irrigation − the National Party’s silence on the water issue has been deafening.

“They are steering the ship as we sink and I am just glad now come election time, we have other options out there to vote for,” Harry said.

Harry said once upon a time, a full irrigation dam ensured an allocation.

“That’s not the case anymore — water policy is buggered, and it is like irrigation is now a filthy world. My farm is not far from the national park, but I can guarantee irrigation brings more biodiversity to my farm than I have ever seen in the bush,” he said.

The second-hand generator will be on-sold when the transformer is upgraded.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

12 // MURRAY REGION

John Cockerell and son Edan.

Farm evolves at steady pace IN THE words of dairy farmer John Cockerell,

the family has been ‘puttering away’ on its Baulkamaugh North farm, Warrain Jersey’s, for four decades.

John, wife Margaret, and son Edan have expanded their land holding from one settlement block to include four across 180 ha, and

The next generation of the Warrain Jersey herd.

the herd size has more than tripled from 100, to a peak of around 350.

The family has always milked Jerseys because of their efficiency and ease of management.

This season numbers will sit around 320 with a per cow milk solid average of 600 kg-plus.

Feeding cows has always been a management

priority and the establishment of a feed pad in 2000 has underpinned much of the success of doing this well, and as efficiently as possible.

“When the herd went from six bales a day back to four because of less wastage I was convinced,” John said.

The feed system started out to supplement

pasture and prevent wastage, it has now become a primary source for kilograms of dry matter.

Additives such as canola may be added to the mix and a nutritionist is involved in ration programming.

Initially the pad was just a temporary area set up close to the dairy with Waste Not feeders.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

MURRAY REGION // 13

“In the first year of the feed pad, production jumped 850 litres per cow and then 250 litres the following year.”

“I carted in dirt to build-up the area and added a foot of white rock but within 12 months I was sick of the cows digging holes, in the second year I wanted something more permanent, so I concreted it,” John said.

The dairy is a 22 a-side herringbone and the feed pad is set up to take three rows or 66 cows at a time. When both sides are filled the first side can be moved off and the next batch enter.

This allows the cows approximately an hour of feeding time.

“In the first year of the feed pad, production jumped 850 litres per cow and then 250 litres the following year,” John said.

In 2006, during the millennium drought, the family decided to purchase a mixer wagon.

“Since we have had the mixer, we have found every cow has access to the same quality feed which has been great for production.”

Per cow production has increased from 5700 to 7400 litres − much of this attributed to the change in feeding.

The herd is currently chewing through about 8 kg of PMR (hay, silage and PKE), plus 5 kg of grain and minerals in the dairy.

The pad is cleaned using the bucket on the tractor as needed, to prevent problems occurring such as mastitis.

The manure removed from the pad is stored in piles and every couple of years it is spread across the farm.

This season John irrigated his perennials through October to maximise yields, but lack of water has affected the amount of feed the family has been able to grow − this season they have sourced 250 tonne of vetch, 230 tonne of cereal silage and 240 tonne of oaten hay.

“We will play it by ear for autumn, but we need water because it is critical for our business to get going in March if we can. The water situation is scary. If they did away with carry over water there would be more allocated water − you should have to use it or lose it,” John said.

The last couple of years John said the farm has managed to pay its way despite spending $300 000 on water last season.

They have also invested in collars for the cows which has made breeding and herd health a much easier and simple process to manage.

“The mating data is all there when you look on the computer screen which has been pretty good. We use mating consultant Amy Wright which has worked very well for us over the years.

“We used to breed for milk and protein, and we peaked at a herd average of 287 kg protein — it is still over 270 kg now, but we have changed our priority to include health traits, good udders and conformation.”

Both John and Margaret are looking to scale back as they start to contemplate retirement and a life after dairying.

“We have put one of the blocks on the market to make things easier for our son Edan to run and we are hoping to start to slow down.”

The manure removed from the pad is stored in piles and every couple of years it is spread across the farm.

The pad is cleaned using the bucket on the tractor as needed, to prevent problems occurring such as mastitis.

The feed pad was set up in 2000, concreted the following year and has became an integral part of the feeding regime for the herd.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

14 // MURRAY REGION

‘Struggle’ family moves on BARRY AND Rosey Warburton bought dairy farming, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and the effects of poor water policy into the spotlight when they recently featured on the SBS documentary Struggle.

The couple were facing their second year with zero water allocation over summer 2018-19 when their dairy life was beamed across the country as they battled physical and financial stress, to survive and feed their Illawarra herd.

The couple were approached by SBS after receiving help from the charity Aussie Helpers.

It is fair to say Rosey was reluctant to participate from the very beginning and on the first day the camera appeared she took off with their two young kids Lincoln, 6, and Anabella, 2.

“I didn’t want the cameras here. Putting ourselves out there was just to confronting for me, but Barry agreed instantly because he wanted city people to see first hand what is happening to our farmers,” she said.

The SBS one-man crew fitted seamlessly into their lives and made the process so relaxing Rosey returned and ended up featuring prominently in the documentary.

Over the four-part series we see the family struggle with the impact of being unable to feed their cows properly over a long hot summer, the breaking down of a bore and the heartbreaking decision to sell part of the herd.

The Warburton family, Barry, Rosey and daughter Anabella featured in the SBS documentary struggle Street - a documentary highlighting the very day struggle faced by families and individuals across NSW.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2019

MURRAY REGION // 15 In a bid to cut costs they also put the herd on once a day milking.

We get a glimpse of Barry’s love for showing cows at the Deniliquin show and Lincoln’s first time in the show ring.

The couple relieve the terrible moment Lincoln got stuck in the rotary and the possibility he might have suffered irreversible damage.

There are tears (mostly from Barry) and not too many joyous moments over the period of filming but the couple make it through.

“Somehow we survived but I am not sure how and I still can’t believe how bad it really was,” Barry said.

They have found watching their life in replay stressful - especially the part about Lincoln.

“We both cried when we watched that. I don’t think we had time to grieve at the time and that was very hard to watch,” Rosey said.

It has also helped the couple make the hardest decision of all, to sell Barry’s beloved herd in December, and move interstate.

The genetics in Barry’s herd can be traced backed for generations and the history behind some of the cows is fascinating.

In 1909 Barry’s great grandfather JJ King walked an Illawarra, Lady of Nestlebrae 40km over four days to attend the Bangalow show. The walk was certainly worth the while after she was crowned champion cow and won a massive 20 pounds for the effort.

He also bred the highest producing Illawarra, Nestlebare Nellie 2nd who produced a record 1600 pounds (700kgs) of butter fat in 365 days.

She was fed on a diet of sweet potato runners and had a fat test of 6.4 per cent.

An Uncle of Barry’s, JJ Cole, managed the Scottish Australian Investment Fund and one of their cows Melba 15th of Darabalara knocked Nellie off the top perch.

Melba produced 1,614 lbs. of butterfat in 365 days.

“Melba was famous around the district and one old fella told me when he was a school kid they used to line up for her milk because her high fat test meant it tasted better than all the other cows.

“When she died (a bull broke her back) she was put on a cart and taken down to the river by a team of bullocks where they dug a hole and buried her by the river. She was a much-loved cow apparently.”

Barry has a strong love and Illawarra history on both sides of his family, and the breed has always done very well.

But that doesn’t pay the bills and without water, the couple have made the tough decision to sell.

“We scraped through last season borrowing money from the family. We didn’t even bother going to the bank because we knew what their answer would be, and we decided we can’t go through that ever again.

“Even though circumstances were different last year with a lower milk price combined with exorbitant feed cost, we just don’t know how much longer this drought will go on for.”

Barry said poor water policy and the MurrayDarling Basin Plan has ruined the area.

“There are no drought clauses in the MurrayDarling Basin Plan to elevate water pressure and the federal government aren’t doing anything to

One of the recently calved cows who will feature in the herd dispersal in December

help either and it is just too stressful and hard,” Barry said.

The couple have had a lot of support from the public who have been grateful they shared their story.

They even received a card in the mail from two pensioners with $20 addressed to Barry and Rosey (SBS Doco) dairy farmers Deniliquin, thanking them for producing food for the country.

“I think Struggle Street brings home to people just how tough it has been and with this season shaping up to be the same we have decided to exit and start again somewhere else,” Barry said.

It won’t quite be the end of dairying though as Barry is planning on taking a few of his favourite Illawarra’s with him in the hope he can still share the joy of showing cows with his young family in the future.

THE MURRAY MUSTER 2020

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