WORDS // RICK BAYNE
TREVOR’S PLACE IN HISTORY
T
revor Saunders has a special place in Jersey Australia’s history as the first president of the newly formed national organisation in 2008. But his legacy goes much deeper than that, as does his contribution to the breed over the past 25 years. Trevor, 62, has decided to retire from the Board of Jersey Australia but his love for Jerseys and the broader industry remains strong. Trevor and his wife Anthea Day will continue farming at Shady Creek near Warragul in Victoria’s Gippsland region. “I’ve loved being on the Board and it’s been easy because it’s my passion and what I wanted to do,” Trevor said. “But we’re running a big operation and want to concentrate on that. Anthea and I want to travel and there’s a myriad of things we want to do together, so I’m confident the time is right.” Born and raised on a farm, Trevor came up through the ranks of share farming before he and Anthea invested in their current property in 2004. His love of cows was a prime motivator, though it wasn’t always Jerseys. “We had a Jersey herd when I was a little boy, but by the time I left home Dad had brought in cross-breds and Friesians,” he said. “I didn’t start with Jersey cows but I became convinced in the 80s that Jerseys were more efficient and easier to work with. By 1990 I had enough Jerseys in the herd and registered them through genetic recovery and my involvement started from there.” Trevor and Anthea now milk 1000 cows over two farms, including 650 on the home farm. It’s a partnership in all ways. “Without Anthea, none of this would have happened,” Trevor said. “We milk alongside each other, she rears the calves and she’s my greatest support, like a lot of partners are. We work so well together as a team.”
Their main stud, Araluen Park, has had many successes over the years, though Trevor is typically modest. “We’ve been very lucky; we’ve had three Great Southern winners and we’re currently milking seven former number one genomic heifers. We’re comfortable with what we’re doing and with our production. It’s a developing farm; we’ve grown fairly quickly over the past five years, effectively taking
The Australian Jersey Journal – May-June 2020 // 16
it from a milking herd of 300-350 to over 1000 but there’s always room for improvement.” They also have a smaller stud Stony Run Aus with an American partner. The expansion reflects their confidence in the industry, and Trevor and Anthea plan to continue running the business and breeding good cows. Trevor will remain senior vice president of the World Jersey Bureau
