From Truffles To Berries

FROM truffles to berries and back to dairy farms, the annual conference had a bit of everything. In Tasmania for the first time since 2015 and with most participants travelling from the mainland, the conference proved to be a resounding success with nearperfect weather, interesting farm visits, spectacular tourist attractions and good food and companionship. Tasmanian branch president and one of the local organisers, Ken Lawrence, said people attending the May 24-26 conference gave consistently positive feedback. “We had a very good three days; everyone enjoyed it,” he said. His thoughts were echoed by fellow organiser Jane Sykes who said the feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. While dairying and Jersey cows were at the heart of the conference, there were plenty of other opportunities to appreciate Tasmanian agriculture and scenery. One of the highlights was a visit to Tasmanian Truffles, Australia’s only growers of French black truffles. “Everyone was positive about that visit,” Ken said. Tour members got to find and taste the rare treats. “They’re not particularly appealing when you dig them out of the ground but we got a tasting at the end and I know a few members took home sample bags and bottles of truffle mustard and oil,” Jane said. The Tuesday tour also included visits to Dip Falls and Big Tree – which lived up to its name – and either a chair-lift ride or walking tracks at The Nut. A visit to Tasmanian Berries also drew a positive response, with 46 hectares of the property under tunnels once the latest expansion is completed. “It’s a huge investment and they have had to deal with bringing in staff and accommodating them, which everyone found fascinating,” Ken said. “It was amazing to look through their tunnels,” Jane said. “Obviously it was not dairy related, but as farmers we could still appreciate the infrastructure they have to put up, their water, fertiliser and spraying costs and how they have to contract their products. “There was something we could all relate to.” Tasmanian Berries was part of a group of employers that chartered a Qantas plane to bring employees to Australia during the pandemic and also had to cover hotel quarantine costs. But dairy was never far from the agenda, with visits to three farms. Judy and Brian Johns’ Craiglawn Jerseys stud, started in 1967 by Peter McCulloch, currently milks 180 with split autumn and spring calving, giving visitors the opportunity to see freshly born calves in a lovely setting overlooking the Nut. Long-time breeder Geoff Heazlewood shared his Jersey herd at Latrobe, with a good mix of younger cows coming through along with older cows that are still looking good and performing well. The Bennett family’s farm Ashgrove Cheese at Elizabethtown also provided an insight into commercialising milk and Paul Bennett shared his philosophies and attitudes on a wide range of topics. Most on those on the tour bus were from the mainland and the Wednesday night dinner drew 55 people. President Lisa Broad praised the Tasmanian branch for hosting such a successful event. “They embraced the whole agricultural industry and took us to different areas while still focussing on how families run their businesses,” Lisa said. “There are limited Jersey members in Tasmania so it was good to shift

the focus but remain very centred on family-run businesses. We all have the same principles and goals; we just produce a different product.”