We took over our new farm at Meeniyan last November 2023. Meeniyan is in South Gippsland in Victoria near the coast. On a clear day its possible to make out the hills on Wilson’s Promontory. The farm is a bit over 400 acres and is not quite as hilly as the Ranceby farm. Its well…
Category: dairy farming
Trace elements for pastures
Trace elements are needed in relatively small amounts but are critical for pasture growth. Recommendations for trace elements vary but a useful indicator for the amount required is information on the amount of trace elements typically found in plant tissue. Because trace elements are needed in relatively small amounts, they can be applied to paddocks…
Still dairy farming in 2022.
After nearly 7 years we are still dairy farming in South Gippsland. Around our area there have been several farms that have closed. Overall, Australia wide, dairy farms are getting fewer and bigger but according to the latest statistics, total milk production is down. Milk price is rising so that’s a positive. Last year we…
Dairy farming in SW Gippsland – our farm.
Well, much to everyone’s surprise we are still farming after 5 years! Someone said our act of faith in starting a dairy farm at a low time in the industry was like “attempting to jump over 50 cars in a Harley Davidson without any practice”. Its true we bought a going dairy farm but we…
Our dairy farm – waiting for rain!
We’ve had our dairy farm in the Strzelecki Ranges in South Gippsland for nearly 4 years now. And yes, waiting for rain. Its been dry well into autumn. We’ve had a few showers and the grass is starting to grow but much more is needed. Around the farm. Calving is just about finished. There are…
A pasture growth problem solved?
Its easy to get tied up with the day to day chores of a farm and it seems to be inevitable more so if you’re running a dairy farm! But sometimes its good to take a walk out on the farm without any particular job in mind just to see how things are going. This…
Our dairy farm
We’ve had our dairy farm for just over 2 1/2 years and that’s also as long as we have been dairying! The farm is 250 acres of rolling hills in South West Gippsland. The current herd is 125 milkers, 50 heifers which are up and coming milkers, and 75 calves. Around the farm. This summer…
Farm dam water filter – the results are in!
On our farm we require good quality water for jobs like cleaning in the dairy. We built a water filter that would be capable of treating a large volume of dam water so that it could be used to top up our rain water tank through dry periods. The design can be seen Low tech…
Low tech filter for farm dam water
Farm dam water is challenging to treat because it typically has high overall bacteria levels, is often discoloured by humic materials, has elevated turbidity and often has elevated levels of fresh organic matter. On our dairy farm we rely on dam water through the dry months. The dam water is pumped to a holding tank…
Water quality – its Basic!
Its December and in South Gippsland our creeks have slowed to little more than a trickle. Like many rural properties we have to rely on water stored in dams to get us through to Autumn. Our garden and nursery stock put extra demands on our supplies, and of course the cows are always thirsty! Around…