Dairy News Australia - February 2018 - With West Vic Region

WEST VIC REGION

Opportunity knocks for dairy manager PAGE 3.

For Jorge Massa, keeping people happy is as important as keeping cows happy.

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2 // WEST VIC REGION

Chair’s message

Heat hits farmers and cows WE ARE right into 2018 now and I sincerely hope most of you have had a chance for some family time and at least a small bit of ‘R and R’ over the summer period.

Those few really hot days we’ve had have been nasty on not only us farmers who are working in it, but our livestock as well. We’ve had plenty of information available on cooling cows and planning ahead but if you’ve missed any of it please feel free to contact the office and we can assist you. Naturally, we will keep

you up to date about helpful workshops and resources.

Some upcoming events to keep an eye out for are the farm business management workshops throughout the next few months, as well as our Focus Farm field days in March. It’s amazing how you can always pick up one or two ideas at these days to streamline what you do in your own business.

The Great South West Dairy Awards are being held again in May and I would encour-

age you to think about nominating yourself or a fellow farmer for one of the award categories.

There will be plenty of information available on them on our website.

Please don’t be shy about giving yourself or another farmer a pat on the back for a job well done. We need to celebrate more of what we do well and this is a great night to do it!

If you are a young person in our industry, please get involved in our Young Dairy Network. Heidi Van Es is our co-ordinator and we

need more young people to get involved and help progress the industry. We would really love to hear from you — this is a great social group as well.

I’m heading out the door now to get the cows in for milking — a job I happily enjoy on a 25 degree day but not when it’s 37 degrees. Keep cool, my fellow farmers.

• Simone Renyard WestVic Dairy chair

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WEST VIC REGION // 3

Caring for humans and bovines RICK BAYNE

JORGE MASSA spends as much time planning his staff ’s days off as he does his herd’s three-times-a-day milking.

For Mr Massa, keeping people happy is as important as keeping cows happy and he’s achieving both as manager of Leslie Manor Trust’s Hilltop Dairy near Simpson in southwest Victoria.

He oversees six permanent staff and a bank of casuals who take care of a milking herd of 650 Holsteins on the 300 ha farm.

The 2017 Great South West Dairy Awards Employee of the Year winner likes to make sure all systems are working well and that staff know what they’re doing and enjoy it.

“The people are the most important part of the business and I want to make it a place where they want to work,” he said.

“It might be something very simple like we get together and celebrate every birthday.”

Mr Massa is also adamant about giving people regular breaks from their work.

Jorge Massa in front of home-grown silage.

The semi-intensive production system includes a feed pad and wagon so plenty of silage is needed on hand.

“Everyone has a set day off. In this industry you can be forced to do a lot of changes but the only thing I never change is the time off for people. That’s very important.

“We never let any task fall behind on the farm but my focus is keeping the people happy.

It’s most important you spend time with your family and you have your time off.”

It was Australia’s opportunities for his young family that encouraged Mr Massa to leave his native Colombia in 2007.

“I was looking for better opportunities for my family. This country is full of opportunities.”

That has proven to be true and Mr Massa is now a permanent resident with his wife Antonia, daughter Valeria and young son Damian.

A qualified vet in his native country, Mr Massa completed a business diploma after moving to Brisbane and worked different jobs in maintenance and construction and live food producers.

He worked for several years for Inghams, one of the largest producers of chicken and turkey in Australia, where he quickly moved through the ranks, becoming a site supervisor looking after hygiene and quality assurance and managing a team of nearly 50 people.

“It was connected to what I studied; as some of the credits from my degree are on public health which is directly related to the processes involved in food production. We look after people as well as animals,” Mr Massa said.

“That job gave me credibility in Australia.

When you’re coming from another place you need Australian experience.”

It also rekindled his love for being on a farm.

“Farming was my dream.”

His grandmother’s family were cattle people and he was keen to work in that field in Australia.

He joined the Leslie Manor Trust in 2014 and later became manager of the Hilltop Dairy operation.

“We love the countryside and the life here.

We always wanted to live in the country but it’s hard in Colombia,” Mr Massa said.

Colombia is a tropical country and therefore there are no seasons but climate varies depending on the altitude, temperature, humidity, winds and rainfall.

“It’s mainly hot at sea level and in the high mountains it’s colder. In Australia you have four seasons; in Colombia it’s only wet and dry.”

Dairy farming in Colombia is done mainly in more suitable mountain climate regions above 1000 m. However, there are tropical dairy systems at coastal areas where temperatures are above 30 degrees all year, using Bos Indicus dairy breeds and crosses with Holsteins called Gyrolando.

“This is a complete different model to what

Leslie Manor Trust’s Hilltop Dairy is near Simpson.

Jorge Massa was named Employee of the Year at the 2017 Great South West Dairy Awards.

we have in Australia,” Mr Massa said.

The Australian seasonal conditions prompted him to instigate three-times-a-day milking for five to six months of the year, usually reverting to twice daily from June to December.

Milking starts at 4 am, noon and 8 pm, with staff rostered to start their shifts half an hour earlier.

“The cows are happy with that,” Mr Massa said.

“The main thing is to have the cows nearby in summer so they can use the feed pad and mixer wagon rations and then sleep in the resting area and not need to walk looking for food.”

Having a healthy and well-fed herd is paramount for maintaining production.

“We check every 15 days to see how we’re going. If you’re not feeding enough they’ll lose body condition and if they lose body condition you lose production.”

The farm’s target is 8500 to 10, 000 litres/cow and it’s now operating in that range.

The herd was previously 70 per cent Holstein Friesian and 30 per cent crossbred, but they decided pure Holstein was better suited to

The Hilltop Dairy herd.

the system.

“We have semi-intensive production with the feed pad and mixer wagon,” Mr Massa said. He works with a nutritionist and more home-grown feed is part of the plan, with big stacks of silage on hand if needed.

Feed testing to ensure cows get good quality and balanced intake is essential when milking three times a day, he said.

They have autumn and spring calving, stopping in winter and December-January.

“The winters here can be fairly wet and it’s hard for the cows and in December you want people to spend time with their families,” Mr Massa said.

“Then we calve and produce milk in autumn when we get good prices.”

The farm has been using high quality Holstein genetics aimed at improving health and production. This year they started a stud — Homestead Holsteins.

“If you’re improving the herd you can share with others,” Mr Massa said. “We’re looking for the best all the time and try to improve the farm every day.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

4 // WEST VIC REGION RURAL RUMENATIONS RURAL RUMENATIONS with Katie MacAulaywith Katie MacAuley

Columnist Katie MacAulay has been married to a dairy farmer long enough to appreciate the smell of good silage. She loves chooks, enjoys stacking hay bales with the tractor and wonders why the lawn grows twice as quickly as the grass in the paddocks.

Wee problem with supply and demand AFTER SO much turmoil with our milk proces-

sor, a resolution was in sight.

All would be revealed at the upcoming suppliers’ meeting. Usually Hubby went alone but this time I was determined to attend personally.

I cajoled Tinkerbell into a nappy then hunted for appropriate toys. Why are her favourites always so noisy and bulky? I finally found some small, silent tractors and non-vocal cows and jumped in the car.

Upon arrival, we crab-shuffled past already seated suppliers and sat down. There was an expectant buzz in the air. As soon as the room fell silent, Tinkerbell held out her hand, her eyes fixed on my container of emergency snacks.

I shook my head. But Tinkerbell wasn’t silly.

As every toddler knows, any threat of noise in a silent room will cause most mums to cave in immediately. Tinkerbell’s face started to crinkle.

“Here,” I whispered, thrusting a biscuit at her. She beamed and bit into it.

Minutes later, Tinkerbell had demolished my entire collection of snacks, showering the floor and my previously clean pants with crumbs. She wriggled onto my lap and started chatting.

“Shhh!” I handed her a toy cow. The people sitting to my left looked at me. Tinkerbell slid off my lap with the cow and began playing quietly on the floor.

A new PowerPoint slide appeared. Good! I really wanted to hear about this topic.

“Wee.” I looked down. Tinkerbell had taken

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her nappy off and was handing it to me. “Can’t you just go in your nappy?” Tinkberbell shook her head earnestly. I sighed and picked her up.

“Excuse me, sorry, thank you,” I whispered, straddling people’s ankles as we made our way into the centre aisle. The toilets were located toward the front of the room. With all eyes on us, we made our walk of shame.

A quick toilet visit and hopefully I wouldn’t miss much of the speech. But Tinkerbell had other ideas. There wasn’t just one toilet to flush — there were three! And taps that were different to home. And a paper towel dispenser.

And most excitingly, a hand drier! Every time I tried to get her to leave, she would tantrum.

Eventually we made it back to our seats.

Until the next interesting slide.

Tinkerbell had removed her new nappy and was jiggling about at my feet. I got back up. And missed the next speaker. This time it took even longer to convince Tinkberbell to return quietly.

Question time. Good, I had questions I wanted to ask.

But so did Tinkerbell. And hers were simpler and more urgent. Back to the Ladies. By the time Tinkerbell had finished playing peek-a-boo with the hand drier, question time was finished.

“I travelled all this way and learnt nothing,” I complained as we drove home.

Hubby feigned surprise. “Nothing? Not even a wee bit?”

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WEST VIC REGION // 5 More milk needed to fuel Fonterra expansion

Field day tackles energy and drones ENERGY PRICES have increased recently and are expected to increase further into the near future.

In response to these price rises, many farmers are investigating alternative energy sources to supplement the power from the grid.

This has led to frustration and confusion about making sound investments in alternative energy sources, with concerns about payback periods and expected working life of the different types of technology available on the market. Many farmers have also expressed concerns about the legitimacy of some door-to-door solar panel providers.

Corangamite Shire Council, with the support of WestVic Dairy, will hold a field day at the Simpson Recreation Reserve on Thursday, March 15 with renewable energy expert Wayne Lording, to outline how alternative power sources may

play a role in reducing power costs on farms.

Mr Lording is a renewable energy expert and has installed a geothermal heating and cooling system, solar PV and solar hot water on his farm.

This investment reduced his average quarterly energy bill for 2016 to $19.

At the field day, Mr Lording will share his experiences to help guide you through the benefits and potential pitfalls of these technologies.

He will provide independent advice about how the different technologies may be able to save you considerable money.

Another topic covered at the field day will be the use of drones. Recent developments in drone technology have meant they are more affordable and available to everyone.

Mr Lording will demonstrate how this emerging technology can be applied to dairy farms. He will discuss safety, regulations and what model/

type of drone is going to be most suitable for agricultural application.

At the field day, Mr Lording will fly a drone over a local dairy farm that will show weed, crop and land health using an NDVI camera on the drone. This data will be fed back to the screen in the live presentation, showing what the farm may need with such things as fertiliser and water.

To RSVP for the workshop or for more information, phone WestVic Dairy on 5557 1000 or email amanda@westvicdairy.com.au For more information about Wayne Lording, go to: www.lordingestate.com.au For an outline of how dairy farmers will be impacted by energy price rises, go to the Dairy Australia website at www.dairyaustralia.com. au/farm/land-water-carbon/energy and click on ‘Energy briefing note 2017–18’.

Service providers added to awards A NEW category will be added to the 2018 Great

South West Dairy Awards, acknowledging the service providers in the dairy industry.

The new award is called the Service Provider Award and recognises those who show excellence in providing services to farmers, develop the capabilities of people within the industry, exhibit passion and commitment to enhance the reputation of the dairy industry and show active involvement in the local community, as well as the wider industry.

WestVic Dairy regional manager Lindsay Ferguson said the new award was designed to acknowledge those who serviced the industry at the highest level.

“The dairy industry is a vital part of the regional economy and service providers play an integral part in making sure it remains profitable and sustainable,” Mr Ferguson said.

The other award categories for 2018 are: ■ Dairy Farm Business Management

Award (sponsored by the Gardiner Dairy Foundation).

■ Dairy Employer Award.

■ Dairy Employee Award.

■ Sharefarmer Award.

■ Young Dairy Leader Award.

■ Natural Resource Management Award.

■ Farm Photo Award.

■ Dairy Industry Honour Board Induction.

The Great South West Dairy Awards have been running for 12 years and celebrate the achievements of the dairy industry in western Victoria.

The winners of each category will be announced at a gala evening in May, which offers a chance to network and socialise.

Mr Ferguson said the Great South West Dairy Awards had become an important part of the dairy calendar.

“It is important to recognise those that are driving the industry and are striving to improve

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their own business, as well as the industry as whole,” he said.

“I encourage everyone to consider a nomination, for themselves or others.”

To find out more about the categories, phone the WestVic Dairy office on 5557 1000.

Nominations close on Friday, February 23 and nomination forms are available on the WestVic Dairy website, or via email from awards@westvicdairy.com.au

NEW ZEALAND dairy company Fonterra is looking into whether its Australian operation could become a co-operative, and will put information to its Australian suppliers in April.

Fonterra will be looking for up to 200 million litres of milk to satisfy its $165 million factory expansions across Victoria.

Managing director Rene Dedoncker said about $125 million would be spent on the company’s Stanhope cheese factory, which had only recently been upgraded.

“We are looking for the next 200 million litres of milk,” Mr Dedoncker said.

“We are seeing a boost in production, particularly in the north. We hope an extra 60 to 80 million litres will come from our own farmers.

“We do see the need for more farmers.

We have a number interested in joining. It will be a mix.”

Mr Dedoncker said customers wanted trusted supply options out of Australia, especially for products like cheese, whey and nutritional powders, which were in high demand.

“We have a clear strategy that is delivering sustainable returns,” he said.

“To create value, we need to invest to stay ahead of the demand curve. These investments support our aim to secure positive returns back to our farmers on both sides of the Tasman.”

Mr Dedoncker said Fonterra Australia would play to its strengths in cheese, whey, nutritionals and butter, increasing production capacity to meet rising domestic and global demand — but filling its expanded capacity would mean securing more supply.

He said the Stanhope investment largely focused on expanding the site’s cheesemaking capacity and doubling the daily milk volumes it could process.

The investment will double the size of the cheese plant, increasing cheese production by a further 35,000 metric tonnes for a range of cheeses including cheddar and mozzarella. Stanhope can currently produce 45,000 metric tonnes of product including cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan, pecorino, romano and ricotta.

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6 // WEST VIC REGION

Sorting the men from the boys DATAGENE’S Good Bulls app is streamlining

bull selection and cutting out the hype when it comes to identifying the best dairy genetics.

And it’s proving to be a valuable tool for herd improvement advisers, resellers and dairy farmers.

Rodney Brooks from National Herd Development at Terang believes the Good Bulls app is invaluable in helping sort out groups of bulls for clients.

“There are more than 20,000 Australian and overseas bulls with detailed ABVs on the Good Bulls app — there’s a lot of information out there and this app helps me sort through all the data and find the best bulls for my clients which match their breeding objectives,” Mr Brooks said.

“You can sort bulls on Australia’s three breeding indices — Balanced Performance Index (BPI), Health Weighted Index (HWI) and Type Weighted Index (TWI) — then apply further selection pressure using any of the 50 filters avail-

able to produce a shortlist.

“Recently I was working with a farmer to develop a list of bulls and we set some parameters and had an initial report of 750 bulls. We then started applying filters which put emphasis on daughter fertility and teat length — which cut the list back to 92 bulls.

“I can put a group of bulls together using the Good Bulls app and get it to email the client a bull list which covers the traits they want as well as pedigree details, availability and price.

“The more I use it the more confident I am that it is a fantastic tool,” he said.

“One of the best things about it is that you can be with a farmer, talking to them in a paddock, and you have all the information you need on the phone. I can access everything on the mobile — you don’t need to be carting around a heap of printed catalogues.”

While the app can be used to compare bulls or view an individual bull in detail, it also allows

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bulls of interest to be saved to a customised short list.

Mr Brooks has been using the Good Bulls app with Noorat dairy farmer Con Glennen to select suitable bulls for his 400-cow split-calving herd, White Star, which ranks joint number one in Australia for Jerseys for BPI (August 2017).

“Con and I both use the Good Bulls app and will be looking at bulls throughout the year — we send information back and forwards to each other using the app because it is so easy,” Mr Brooks said.

Mr Glennen has been using the Good Bulls app for a couple of years and was involved in trialling the app during its development.

“It’s a great app that works really well and I love having all the information I need in my pocket,” he said.

“The ability to set parameters and then apply filters takes away all the marketing hype and makes sure you are dealing with honest facts

when it comes to choosing bulls.

“There are a lot of bulls out there and not everyone marketing a bull has the best bull. The beauty of the Good Bull app is that the information is impartial and makes bull research easy.

“I generate files on bulls I like based on the parameters I want, which I send to Rodney and then he can come back to me on availability and price as well as other suggestions.”

Mr Glennen said his bull selection placed a heavy weighting on BPI, but also involved applying filters on a range of characteristics such as feet angle, chest width, udder traits and somatic cell count.

Although the Glennens’ farm support block has very poor mobile phone reception, the Good Bulls app does not require phone coverage to operate once it has been updated with the latest ABV data.

The Good Bulls app is available free of charge from the App Store and Google Play.

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WEST VIC REGION // 7

New training providers for local dairy sector WESTVIC DAIRY has announced the appoint-

ment of two south-west Victorian training providers to take over the delivery of education and training programs for local dairy farmers.

South West TAFE and Rural Industries Skill Training (RIST) will replace GOTAFE as the new preferred providers of a range of programs to boost the capability of local dairy farmers and their employees.

GOTAFE recently announced it would close its Terang campus to focus on the delivery of programs in the state’s north-east, where it is based.

WestVic Dairy regional manager Lindsay Ferguson said anyone presently undertaking courses with GOTAFE would be able to complete those studies using the new provider network.

SEEKING SOME SAGE ADVICE Dairy Sage is a one-on-one mentoring initiative for anyone involved in the dairy industry.

The program assists people from across the industry to establish and formalise meaningful and rewarding mentoring

South West TAFE will run courses out of its Glenormiston Campus, while RIST dairy programs will be offered from a new Terang campus.

The changes follow Dairy Australia last year announcing a new industry training framework to create local provider networks in each of the country’s eight dairy regions.

“We are very fortunate to have two good industry training providers in South West TAFE and RIST to deliver these vital programs, so we’re very pleased to welcome them on board,” Mr Ferguson said.

“We are working with Dairy Australia and the two providers to strengthen existing programs and develop new training initiatives to really build the capability of those people working in the local dairy industry.”

Dairy Australia program manager Shane Hellwege said industry training was an important component of the organisation’s work to help people in the industry reach their full potential.

“These programs carry enormous benefits for a region like the south-west, where dairy is such an important part of the local economy,” Mr Hellwege said.

“The involvement of WestVic Dairy in customising the local delivery of education and training ensures that these activities meet specific local needs and that’s good news for regional farmers.”

RIST chief executive officer Bill Hamill said the organisation was thrilled to expand its contribution to the dairy industry.

“We have been active in the dairy training space for many years and this development

partnerships. It is open to anyone involved in the Australian dairy industry, including farmers, manufacturers and service providers.

Dairy Sage will be held in Cobden on Thursday and Friday, February 22 and 23.

As a participant or mentor, you will have access to: ■ The six-month mentoring program.

workshop (includes training, meals and accommodation).

■

A free two-day introduction/training

■

Speed networking and a dairy industry dinner where you will meet inspirational mentors.

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Opportunity to work on your personal goals with the support of a committed mentor.

■

Monthly webinars to monitor your progress through the program.

is a great opportunity for us to grow that and link more closely with the significant industry research and resources that Dairy Australia brings to the table,” Mr Hamill said.

South West TAFE chief executive officer Mark Fidge said the organisation had the support and infrastructure in place to ensure a seamless transition for students presently enrolled in GOTAFE courses.

“With our dairy industry connections and collaboration, we can offer programs that will allow our students to deliver real value and best practice to their employers,” Mr Fidge said.

“All of our agricultural programs, including dairy, are co-designed with our industry reference group to ensure that we are really hitting the needs of those industries.”

■

Mentor training.

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Opportunities for you to establish a supportive network with like-minded dairy industry people.

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Access to reputable and highly regarded trainers.

If you would like to be a part of the program — either as a mentor or participant — phone Heidi Van Es on 0459 227 337.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

8 // WEST VIC REGION

Subsurface drainage keeps farm on top of the game RICK BAYNE

FARMING SUCCESS all starts underground

for Cooriemungle’s Andy Powell.

His farm, just 15 km inland from the iconic Port Campbell National Park, receives about 750 mm of rain every year but, with subsurface drainage covering 98 per cent of the land, he’s strong on controlling the wet soil as part of a stringent pasture management program.

“Subsurface drainage is one of the management tools — it doesn’t solve wet pastures; you’ve still got to manage it, but it has transformed how we can farm the land,” Andy said.

“We can drive a tractor on the farm 365 days of the year and 24 hours after a rain event we can get on the paddock and spread fertiliser.”

The Powell farm — named Warraboon after Warracknabeal and Timboon, the homes of Andy’s grandparents — was settled as a sheep property.

They later diversified into beef but about 50 years ago a fellow farmer told Andy’s dad Ross that if he wanted to make money, he should go into dairy farming.

Within 12 months they sold the beef cows and converted half the farm into a trial dairy.

After the first year, dairy income almost doubled sheep and since then it has been totally dairy, with all its income peaks and troughs.

“It’s wet country and better suited to dairy,” Andy said.

Ross started the subsurface drainage system about 25 years ago and quickly realised the benefits and spread it across the farm.

They have interceptor drains in the gullies and re-mole about 25 per cent of their paddocks each year, creating a shaft in the heavy clay soil to remove further water.

The farm has three main dams and is completely rainfall reliant with no irrigation.

“The drainage allows us to push up our stocking rates to get more out of the land, plus we get the benefits of less sick and lame cows and better soil health,” Andy said.

The pastures are old — most of them sown

Andy Powell manages the farm while his father, Ross, still contributes and there are four staff members.

before 30-year-old Andy was on the scene — but they continue to perform with yields of more than eight tonnes a year.

Andy spends about three hours every week scoring every paddock, and makes sure they are grazed and stimulated.

“We monitor growth rates to get the best utilisation,” he said.

“A lot of farmers are good at growing grass but because of the wet soils they can’t utilise it. With the drainage we can utilise it and not damage pastures. It all comes back to monitoring, recording and analysing. Our Excel spreadsheets make it easy.”

In spring they keep post-grazing residuals at

1650 to 1750 kg dry matter. If the pasture gets outside this range they take paddocks out for silage and have shortened the rotation down to as little as 12 days. They aim to cut as much silage as possible to reduce risk.

“If we have a bad year we’ve got the silage.

That bad drought a few years ago we were able to sell silage to farms in the district because we had excess feed,” Andy said.

Because of the good drainage system they are able start silage very early, which allows an extra couple of cuts. Andy described this season as “great”.

“We always try to keep pastures in a growing stage. You’ve got to know where your prof-

its are. If we can cut an extra half-a-tonne per hectare over the whole farm from better utilisation then it’s a good investment of my time.”

Andy now runs the farm while Ross still contributes and there are four staff members.

“We try to find the balance between profit and lifestyle,” Andy said.

A veteran of the local surf lifesaving club and SES, Andy has used his training experience to create a positive working culture on the farm.

They are milking nearly 500 cows. The herd was originally Holstein but Australian Red and Scandinavian Red genetics have been introduced to improve in-calf rates.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

WEST VIC REGION // 9

They milk in a 42-year-old rotary dairy – probably one of the oldest in Australia – but it’s well maintained and has been updated with modern technology.

“We’re a seasonal calving herd so fertility is paramount,” Andy said.

“The red genetics have definitely helped but we’ve also improved management and got better at picking up sick cows and doing transition and everything that affects conception rate.”

Their current goal is to get a more than 70 per cent six-week in-calf rate and they’re in the mid-60s range at the moment. Traditionally calving started June 1 but that has been recently brought back to May 15.

“We always aim to calve down when we have pasture to feed them,” Andy said. They aim at

about 30 per cent replacements.

The Powells weigh stock every six weeks and focus on achieving target weights. Production is gradually improving and they achieve 590 kg milk solids/cow.

They milk in a 42-year-old rotary dairy — probably one of the oldest in Australia — but it’s well maintained and has been updated with modern technology.

“We’re always looking at new opportunities and technologies,” Andy said.

“It’s a one-man dairy so we need technology to back that up; we’ve got ACRs, auto draft,

Andy Powell with Tanner Wallace.

yield and cell count meters that create automatic health alerts for cows with high cell counts.”

Most recently they’ve added the CowManager activity monitor sensor system, which identifies sick cows and cows on heat. It then reports to the auto draft system and drafts these cows out.

“I have found it is an incredible nutritional tool. The easier I can make the milking process for staff to milk, the easier it is for me,” Andy said.

Ross has always encouraged Andy to look for new opportunities and they have been active participants in local discussion groups.

“We aim to be proactive farmers; we want to

The Powell family is milking nearly 500 cows.

The herd was originally Holstein but Australian Red and Scandinavian Red genetics have been introduced to improve in-calf rates.

stay ahead of the game,” Andy said.

“The farming system I’ve grown up with has been very successful. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel but we know what technology has done for the farm to date; we don’t know what technology will be out there in the next 10 years.

“We’re always looking for opportunities where we can improve the farm.”

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10 // WEST VIC REGION a u s t r a l i a

Champions crowned at Tatura Park INTERNATIONAL DAIRY Week welcomed more than 195 exhibitors from across the country to

Tatura Park from January 21 to 25. With record youth entries and more than 1100 entrants across the six breeds, the event saw Elmar Holsteins’ cow Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11 named International Dairy Week Grand Champion.

National Jersey Show Results Supreme Champion Cow: Bushlea Van Fernleaf 10, owned by F. and D. Borba, M. Senecal, C. Fisher, A. and J. Vander Meulen, B. Cullen and J. Hanford of Koonwarra, Victoria.

Champion Cow: Bushlea Van Fernleaf 10, owned

by F. and D. Borba, M. Senecal, C. Fisher, A. and J. Vander Meulen, B. Cullen and J. Hanford of Koonwarra, Victoria.

Intermediate Champion: Cairnbrae Valentino Daisy 16, owned by A. G. and J. A. Carson of Irrewillipe East, Victoria.

Junior Champion: Rivendell Principal Tammi, owned by M. and I. Cole of Wagga Wagga, NSW. National Holstein Show Results Supreme Champion Cow: Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11, owned by Elmar Holsteins of Leitchville, Victoria.

Champion Cow: Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11, owned by Elmar Holsteins of Leitchville, Victoria.

Intermediate Champion: Avonlea-YF Windbrook Cinnamon-ET, owned by Cinnamon Partners of Finley, NSW. Junior Champion: Sunvale Lotus Donna, owned by Sun Vale Holsteins and L. Orton of Yarroweyah, Victoria.

National Holstein Show Best Udder winner Hawova R Reginald Tamie owned by Shaw, Clarke and Sieben from Torrumbarry is presented with the award by Australian Dairy Farmers’ Jennifer Shaw, Phillis Stephens and judge Kiichi Matsushima.

National Jersey Show Champion Cow Bushlea Van Fernleaf owned by F. and D. Borba, M. Senecal, C. Fisher, A. and J. Vander Meulen, B. Cullen and J. Hanford. Pictured (from left) are judge Pat Nicholson, Alex Walker from Semex and handler Matt Templeton.

National Ayrshire Show Results Grand Champion: Parkville Burdette Katie, owned by James Dillon of Waaia, Victoria.

National Illawarra Show Results Grand Champion: Landovery JR Joan 982, owned by Gorbro Holsteins and C. Rapley of Cohuna, Victoria.

National Brown Swiss Show Results Grand Champion: Tandara Jolt Sarajevo 55, owned

by Tandara Brown Swiss of Dingee, Victoria.

National Guernsey Show Results Grand Champion: Rockmar Miami Graceful, owned by M. and R. Shea of Bacchus Marsh, Victoria.

Elmar Holsteins’ cow Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11 was awarded International Dairy Week Grand Champion at Tatura Park. The seven-year-old Holstein is pictured (from left) with owner Deanne Hore, Kelsie Hore, owner Steve Hore, Marty Hore and Brady Hore, of Leitchville.

Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11 was also awarded Champion Cow and Grand Champion in the National Holstein Show.

Cairnbrae Valentino Daisy 16 owned by Janine and Alan Carson (far right) led by Brad Gavenlock and pictured with judge Pat Nicholson was named Intermediate Champion in the National Jersey Show.

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DAIRY NEWS You are invited to Australia’s ... AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

WEST VIC REGION // 11 a u s t r a l i a

Strong showing at dairy week Western Victorian competitors were out in force at International Dairy Week in Tatura from January 21 to 25.

With competitors participating in all levels of competition, from youth to senior shows, there was plenty of success enjoyed by the region.

National Guernsey Show Best Udder and Grand Champion Cow Rockmar Miami Graceful (owned by Mark and Roxanne Shea from Bacchus Marsh) with Australian Dairy Farmers’ Alastair Dowie; handler Tyson Shea; Phyllis Stephens, who presented the John Stephens Memorial Best Udder Award; and Guernsey judge Patty McMurray from the United States.

Ally Dickson, 16, from Bookaar prepares for the Holstein Australia Victoria Youth Challenge Trials with Red Gum Milly on Sunday, January 21.

Hannah Gleeson, 9, from Crossley, with Elm Banks Bradnick Lass Dee on Sunday, January 21.

Jake Rundle, 11, and his sister Matilda Rundle, 9, from Terang with six-month-old Jersey, Bell, on Sunday, January 21.

CALF PELLETS COME WITH A SURPRISE Bostocks Creek farmer Lance Robilliard is the lucky recipient of a Kubota RTV-X900 as the prize in calf rearing product company Veanavite’s spring promotion.

“It was a bit of a shock to the system”, Mr Robilliard said when he learned of his win.

But Geoff Ross from Veanavite said it couldn’t have gone to a more deserving winner.

“Lance has been a very loyal user of Veanavite over the past 30 years,” Mr Ross said.

Mr Robilliard rears up to 50 to 60

calves on his farm, describing them as “lean, mean, eating machines”. He believes Veanavite No.1 Calf Pellets is the best product on the market.

Mr Ross said Veanavite No.1’s high protein gave calves the best possible start to a working life.

Mr Robilliard said the Kubota RTV-X900 would be a great addition to the fleet on his farm.

He also thanked Country Road Farm Supplies at Camperdown for providing him with the winning Veanavite product.

– Camperdown Chronicle

Bostocks Creek farmer Lance Robilliard and his grandson Charlie Ansalde are congratulated by Veanavite manager Geoff Ross (right) after Mr Robilliard won a Kubota RTV-X900.

PERFORMACE FEEDS

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

12 // WEST VIC REGION

Young sharefarmers make most of early opportunity RICK BAYNE

IN 2014, Todd and Madeline Leddin were planning to get married and maybe go into a sharefarming deal a year down the track.

In November that year everything sort-of happened at once; they started sharefarming on November 1, married on November 28 and not long after found they were expecting their first child.

The sharefarming opportunity at Toolong arrived a bit quicker than expected, but they weren’t going to miss a good opportunity.

More than three years later they look back with pride at how they tackled the challenges and moved ahead — but the start wasn’t easy.

“We were putting the feelers out for a share farm but thought it would be another 12 months,” Mr Leddin said.

“We heard that the sharefarmer here had bought his own farm and the owners needed someone in about six weeks,” he said.

“It was earlier than we anticipated. We didn’t have any money and probably just 100 heifers in total. The first 12 months you’re living off the skin of your teeth.”

The move was complicated by one of the worst droughts in recent memory; it was six months before they saw any decent rain.

“We were lucky there were quite a few clearance sales at the time. We bought as many as we could and the family that own the farm were really helpful,” Mr Leddin said.

The farm is owned by George and Heather Cummings with their sons Colin and Russell.

Russell runs another farm and provided 75 cows on a lease-purchase deal.

“That was a huge thing to make it work,” Mrs Leddin said.

“We had enough to make it worthwhile and they were getting 50 per cent of the milk so it worked for them.”

The share arrangement sees all land asset costs paid by the farm owners, the Leddins pick up the herd costs and they split all other costs and the milk cheque.

Despite the drought, country spirit and determination kicked in. They planted a summer sorghum crop that did well and a neighbour sold them silage and allowed them to defer payment.

“We had a tractor but not a motorbike or anything when we first came on the farm. For the first seven months we had to borrow everything,” Mrs Leddin said.

However, they didn’t panic and don’t regret taking the opportunity. “It’s in a good spot with a bit of irrigation and a good dairy and we thought we may as well make the jump,” Mr Leddin said.

The success is reflected in the Leddins winning the 2017 Great South West Dairy Sharefarmer Award.

“The biggest things with sharefarming are communication, being flexible and helping each other out, like Russell did for us,” Mr Leddin said.

“Everyone has different ideas with farming.

They’ve allowed us to run our business model the way we want to and we’re constantly asking for their feedback.

Todd and Madeline Leddin with Fletcher and Darcy.

The Leddins now have 400 milkers and 250 young stock.

“Communication is the best thing. You can’t afford to be stuck in your ways. It’s been in their family their whole lives so they know the farm and country better than we do.”

The Leddins have made a few changes, mostly around pasture and an ongoing challenge to improve fertility.

The farm was mostly annual pastures but the Leddins are trying to convert to a perennial base.

“If you’re constantly drilling each year the soil seems to open up,” Mr Leddin said.

“If you can create a good base everything seems to hold together with perennials and hopefully not get too wet in winter.”

They use basic varieties not specified options

and plant a bit extra to allow for cricket and pest damage. Different options are being trialled, though the dry summer this year has hurt growth of Italians.

Out of necessity, the Leddins keep a close watch on costs and profit margins and work long hours. But they’re not complaining and recommend sharefarming to other ambitious young farmers.

“It’s worth having a go,” Mrs Leddin said.

“Three years down the track and we’re close to paying off our cows. We’ll have 400 and 250 young stock. It’s hard work but there are not too many places you can work for three years and build up so much equity.”

Zoe takes a dip.

“The milk price when we started was $5.70 but it didn’t rain til May but we managed to get through. It wasn’t easy but if you have a go you can make it work,” Mr Leddin said.

They have developed a mainly Friesian herd, enjoying good re-sale value and production but struggling with fertility.

“It’s probably taken until now to get the cows settled. We bought cows from 14 or 15 different farms and that takes a long time to settle down.”

This year they have tried cleaning out the cows prior to joining and treating the dirty ones with Metricure, lead feeding a week earlier to try to avoid milk fever and feeding hay during the joining period.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

WEST VIC REGION // 13 “We’re spending extra but the cows are calving down a lot better. It is definitely improving and becoming more consistent,” Mr Leddin said.

They aim for about 100 replacements a year and cull older cows and those not in-calf.

“We feel we’re in control of our young stock and getting better cows in the herd, rather than buying in cattle where you don’t know their history,” Mr Leddin said.

They’ve also boosted grain feed this year with an extra kilo a day. Combined with a good start to the season, production should be about 7000 litres/cow, up from 6000 and 6500 in previous years.

The farm has split-calving in autumn and spring, avoiding the wet winters.

The Leddins run the farm themselves, with only occasional relief milking in the one-person 44-unit rotary.

“We worked out a plan; knuckle down for five years and get the cows paid off. When you’re working together it’s not as bad as what it sounds,” Mrs Leddin said.

Mr Leddin has backed off a bit and is down to 12-hour working days. “It’s busy but I wouldn’t want it any other way. You don’t really count the hours.”

Todd, 28, and Madeline, 29, say they are happy with the ongoing share arrangement but will be open to opportunities in the future and one day aspire to own a farm.

The Leddins sharefarm with the Cummings family at Toolong.

Todd (pictured) and Madeline Leddin run the farm, with only occasional relief milking in the one-person 44-unit rotary.

The farm was mostly annual pastures but the Leddins are trying to convert to a perennial base.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

14 // WEST VIC REGION

Improving feed base performance FINDINGS FROM a recent Gardiner Dairy

Foundation feed base research survey of 153 Victorian dairy farmers found that most respondents felt ‘very’ or ‘reasonably’ confident about their ability to get the most out of their pastures.

This feedback is in contrast with the 19 industry consultants/advisers who were also surveyed and overwhelmingly identified significant room for improvement in the production and consumption of home-grown feed by their client farmers.

Knowing what ‘good’ pasture consumption can be achieved for your local climate is important in setting realistic targets for your farm. A rough rule of thumb is to target one tonne of dry matter per 100 ml of rainfall and irrigation. However, this has obvious limitation in climatic extremes.

Of the 50 farmers who took part in the research in the south-west, only 47 per cent were able to provide a figure of the estimated home grown-feed consumption. This is a concern because how do you improve performance if you don’t measure it?

The responses of farmers who did quote a pasture consumption ranged from 3.3 to 12 tonnes DM/ha. Both individual farmer’s performance and climatic conditions across the region account for the wide range quoted.

To increase home-grown feed performance it is essential to know how you have performed in the past.

When estimating your pasture consumption, there are a number of tools available to assist you. The gold standard is the DairyBase tool:

www.dairybase.com.au If you are not looking to analyse the whole business and only want to focus on your pasture, the Pasture Consumption Calculator may be more useful: dairypastureconsumptioncalculator.com.au Once you have signed in, click on the ‘ask the calculator’ tab for the simplest tool to use.

If the thought of plugging your information into a computer is undesirable, contact the WestVic Dairy office and staff will be able to assist you with a simple paper-based pasture consumption estimate.

Regardless of your tool or method used to estimate your pasture consumption, the important thing is to ensure you are comparing apples with apples. Comparisons between estimated pasture consumption should only be made when all the results have been created using the same method.

This is where the power of the DairyBase tool becomes evident, as there is an industry-agreed method, with more accurate data to benchmark against, already housed within the tool.

But at the end of the day, the most important farm to benchmark against is your own farm over time.

Another way to compare feed base performance is the Dairy Farm Monitor project. The annual report has captured estimated homegrown feed consumption from 25 farms in southwest Victoria over many years and provides a source of sound data to make reasonable comparisons if you have used the same method to cal-

culate pasture consumption.

The table below demonstrates the wide range in directly-grazed feed consumption that is possible in the region. It is important to note that both the lowest and highest estimated grazed pasture are a single farm’s result and no doubt there will be a story behind each of these results.

Once you have the data on hand you can determine how your farm’s pasture consumption stacked up. Any surprises? Are you above or below average? Did you receive average rainfall for the season?

If you are disappointed in your estimated pasture consumption result, it may be worthwhile participating in the 2018 Feeding Pastures for Profit program to sharpen up your pasture man-

agement skills.

Feeding Pastures for Profit is the major Dairy Australia feed base program. In south-west Victoria, the program starts in April with two contact days where the pasture fundamentals, tools and concepts are established. Then over five on-farm days throughout the seasons, the farmer action group visits course participants’ farms to apply the principles to practical situations.

Two programs of 10 to 15 participants will be run across the region in 2018. For more information or to secure your place in the program, phone Peter Gaffy on 0438 345 712.

• By Peter Gaffy, WestVic Dairy regional extension officer

Year

Lowest estimated grazed pasture

Average estimated grazed pasture

Highest estimated grazed pasture

2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12

1.1 0.9 1.9 2.7 2 0.1

4.8 3.4 4.5 4.6 4 4.2

7.9 6.4 6.7 6.9 6 8.9

The wide range in directly-grazed feed consumption that is possible in the south-west region.

Source: 2016-17 Dairy Farm Monitor Report. Note: home-grown fodder has not been taken into account in this table.

Feeding Pastures Pastures for for Profit Profit Feeding

This course is widely recognised as providing the foundation for good pasture management. It will help you This course is widely recognised as providing the foundation for good pasture management. It will help you maximise profit by providing you with hands-on tools and skills to: maximise profit by providing you with hands-on tools and skills to:

Get the the maximum maximum quantity quantity of of high high quality quality pasture pasture on on your your farm farm -- Get Use supplements supplements profitably profitably The courses will commence -- Use The courses will commence The program runs over twelve months, starting with two theory days and The program runs over twelve months, starting with two theory days and five on-farm days throughout the year to help participants apply the five on-farm days throughout the year to help participants apply the principles of profitable feeding. principles of profitable feeding.

This includes one-to-one consultations for all participating businesses.

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in April 2018. in April 2018.

Registations will help Registations will help determine the location, so determine the location, so make sure you register your make sure you register your interest. interest.

For more information about Feeding Pastures for Profit, please contact Peter Gaffy, For more information about Feeding Pastures for Profit, please contact Peter Gaffy, Regional Extension Officer at WestVic Dairy on 0438 345 712 or email peter@westvicdairy.com.au Regional Extension Officer at WestVic Dairy on 0438 345 712 or email peter@westvicdairy.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2018

WEST VIC REGION // 15

Diary dates

Terang Focus Farm Field Day Meet the WestVic Dairy Focus Farmer to hear how they work with their consultant and the support group.

Tuesday, March 13, Terang WestVic Dairy

February Dairy Sage Mentoring Program Dairy Sage is a one-on-one mentoring initiative for anyone involved in the dairy industry.

Thursday and Friday, February 22 and 23, Cobden

Setting Up Your Farm Office Learn how to set up your farm office.

Wednesday, March 14, Camperdown WestVic Dairy

WestVic Dairy Developments In Profitable Nitrogen Fertiliser Use From Local Trials Learn about local research trials by the University of Melbourne into the efficiency of nitrogen fertiliser.

Friday, February 23, Mepunga

Cups On Cups Off (COCO) Two-day course designed to achieve best practice in milking and detection, treatment and prevention of mastitis.

Wednesday, March 14 and 21, Terang WestVic Dairy

WestVic Dairy

March Farm Business Fundamentals This three-day course provides participants with the skills and knowledge to improve their farm business management.

Friday, March 2, 9 and 16, Colac WestVic Dairy

Service Provider Business Breakfast Breakfast event to hear the latest outlook from a Dairy Australia analyst and an update on a farm safety project.

Tuesday, March 6, Warrnambool WestVic Dairy

Contact us for a FREE on farm consultation

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Drone Usage On Dairy Farms And Alternative Energy Sources For Agriculture Hear from Wayne Lording about how he reduced the energy consumption on his farm, as well as how to use drones in agriculture effectively.

Thursday, March 15, Simpson WestVic Dairy

Simpson Focus Farm Field Day Meet the WestVic Dairy Focus Farmer to hear how they work with their consultant and the support group.

Tuesday, March 20, Terang WestVic Dairy

To express interest or RSVP to any events unless otherwise stated please phone Amanda on 5557 1000 or email amanda@westvicdairy.com.au

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