dairy
Two local dairy farmers have made the list of the top 100 dairy farmers in the nation, while also ranking as two of the top three farms in the state. Angledale’s Norm Pearce and Toothdale’s Phil Ryan were named by Dairy Australia in their list of 100 of the best Australian dairy farmers in their annual Milk Quality Awards this week. Mr Pearce’s Warwick Farm at Angledale, which has been in the family since 1906, came agonisingly close to being hit by the summer’s firestorm. Mr Pearce, who says he now has a number of plaques stuck to the entrance of his dairy, said despite severe drought and natural disasters, a good routine will produce top quality milk. “It’s been tough with the drought and the fires, but we take care of our animals,” he said. “We just do the same thing every year.” He said it’s the little things that go along way to producing the best milk possible. “For ten years I haven’t washed a cow’s teat, to avoid any possible bacteria contamination,” he said. Since the fires hit on New Year’s Eve, Mr Pearce and his son Thomas haven’t stopped milking. Keeping the dairy running while deadly fires raged from each side of the valley. Recent heavy rain will maintain ground moisture until September due to recent low rates of evaporation, he said. Over recent years he has also started exporting excess heifers, created through the use of imported semen with a 95 per cent chance of creating female offspring, to growing markets in China and Japan. While he has excess animals, the story is different with feed. “Since we had three more silage pits put in three or four years ago we’ve no excess grass to put in them,’ he said. Mr Pearce said he will miss the “friendly competition” he has had with friend and fellow farmer Michael Shipton who tragically died this week after a battle with cancer. Mr Shipton has also previously made the national top 100 dairy producers list.
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Two local dairy farmers have made the list of the top 100 dairy farmers in the nation, while also ranking as two of the top three farms in the state.
Angledale’s Norm Pearce and Toothdale’s Phil Ryan were named by Dairy Australia in their list of 100 of the best Australian dairy farmers in their annual Milk Quality Awards this week.
Mr Pearce’s Warwick Farm at Angledale, which has been in the family since 1906, came agonisingly close to being hit by the summer’s firestorm.
Mr Pearce, who says he now has a number of plaques stuck to the entrance of his dairy, said despite severe drought and natural disasters, a good routine will produce top quality milk.
“It’s been tough with the drought and the fires, but we take care of our animals,” he said.
“We just do the same thing every year.”
He said it’s the little things that go along way to producing the best milk possible.
“For ten years I haven’t washed a cow’s teat, to avoid any possible bacteria contamination,” he said.
Since the fires hit on New Year’s Eve, Mr Pearce and his son Thomas haven’t stopped milking. Keeping the dairy running while deadly fires raged from each side of the valley.
Recent heavy rain will maintain ground moisture until September due to recent low rates of evaporation, he said.
Over recent years he has also started exporting excess heifers, created through the use of imported semen with a 95 per cent chance of creating female offspring, to growing markets in China and Japan.
While he has excess animals, the story is different with feed.
“Since we had three more silage pits put in three or four years ago we’ve no excess grass to put in them,’ he said.
Mr Pearce said he will miss the “friendly competition” he has had with friend and fellow farmer Michael Shipton who tragically died this week after a battle with cancer.
Mr Shipton has also previously made the national top 100 dairy producers list.
