“One of the benefits from going once-a-day is that you cut costs but production doesn’t go down by the same proportion,” Karrinjeet says. Karrinjeet Singh-Mahil and Brian Schuler have made big changes designed to improve their lifestyle, profit and the environment. supposedly to improve their bottom line, but the reality was the total opposite. “We milk cows off-peak,” Karrinjeet said. “The vast majority of our power, running the plant and cooling down the milk, is off-peak because we start at 4.45am. “They changed our tariff without talking to us and we are hugely worse off.” Karrinjeet says “the battle continues” and they are finding it much harder to get changed back to the previous arrangement compared to how easily the surprise change was made. Power costs are hitting many farmers — just another reason to adopt sustainable practices, Karrinjeet says. “I know one farmer who has a generator to cover gaps on the dairy and now they have put one on the house as well,” Karrinjeet said.
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Continued, page 2 AUGUST 2022 ISSUE 142 WEST VIC REGION
“He wants to put alternative energies in place because he’s sick to death of how unreliable the power is.”
BY RICK BAYNE AS A proud member of Farmers for Climate Action, Karrinjeet Singh-Mahil is trying to live by example.Fromonce-a-day milking to solar panels, and from changing to multi-species pastures to potentially buying a hybrid car if the milk price stays high — Karrinjeet isn’t shy about trying new things that are good for her, the farm and the“It’senvironment.crazythatpeople just assume there’s only one way to do things — there are many ways to do things,” she says. “The way we are living at the moment isn’t sustainable. We all have to think about what we can Karrinjeetdo.” and her husband Brian Schuler farm at Crossley in south-west Victoria, and have been constantly adjusting their practices to be sustainable and family-friendly. Changing from twice to once-a-day milking in February 2020 was a big move that paid off, both for finances and family. “One of the benefits from going once-a-day is that you cut costs but production doesn’t go down by the same proportion,” Karrinjeet said. “Our power costs dropped by more than 40 per cent when we went once-a-day but our milk production didn’t drop as much.” Production initially dipped by about 30 per cent but slowly recovered, creating ongoing cost and lifestyle benefits. “We didn’t do it for the cost benefits — we did it because we wanted more time with our family,” Karrinjeet added. However, there has been a fly in the ointment. A few months ago, the farm’s power costs suddenly shot up by about 50 per cent. Brian rang and asked both their retailer and supplier and discovered their tariff had been changed without their knowledge on the expectation that it would lead to savings. They were no longer on off-peak power,
Karrinjeet and Brian were early adopters of solar power, enjoying big savings, and they have a battery on the house that kicks in at peak“Wetime.could have gone through summer without any power bills on our house, until the tariff change,” Karrinjeet said. The shift to once-a-day milking in 2020 was well researched and ultimately successful.“Wespoke to farmers in Gippsland, New Zealand and in western Victoria and they all said there would be an adjustment and it doesn’t suit some cows who will dry themselves off early,” Karrinjeet said. “We’ve slowly weeded those out of the herd and stuck with the ones who respond well.”Overall, the herd is in fine shape. “They’ve all put on weight and one of the interesting things is that last year our calving compressed when we had 120 cows due in a week,” Karrinjeet said. “This year we’ve got only got seven noncyclers which is extraordinary — we might have another huge calving. “Everything is so much easier around once-a-day; we’d never go back. You get to a point where your life goes beyond twicea-day.”The change makes it easier to manage the grass and it’s better for staff. Karrinjeet and Brian had earlier changed their Sunday milking times to accommodate staff needs. “A few years ago, we had young staff and they weren’t really on their game on Sunday mornings,” she said. “We asked how they would feel if we milked a bit later on Saturday and milked 11am or noon on Sunday and then slightly early on Monday, in effect dropping out one milking on Sundays. “They were overjoyed. They could go out and have plenty of time to sleep on Sunday and then be fine on Monday. “We did that and there was no difference to our production or our cows ... we all felt a lot better for it. “People don’t need to tie themselves to the wheel of twice-a-day milking. “It has meant a drop in our grain consumption, less walking and we have more flexibility in how and when we feed our“Overall,cows. it’s easier on cows and people; it makes life far more comfortable.” They milk early — or “stupid o’clock” as Karrinjeet calls it — to suit her off-farm work.Brian still feeds as if milking twice a day, and a shift to multi-species pastures in response to climate challenges has helped with reducing feed costs. “We were having to re-sow more of the farm each autumn because the rye-grass pastures were not surviving summers and we had erosion happening between the plants,” Karrinjeet said. “We started the deeper-rooted multispecies pastures a decade ago. It means we have feed in the paddock for more of the year and we hardly buy in any additional feed. “We’ve got fat, happy cows and it has cut our costs.”
It has been my privilege to lead the board this past year — they are a committed team dedicated to achieving our objective of a vibrant, profitable and valued dairy region.
As members of Farmers for Climate Action, Karrinjeet and Brian want stronger climate“Whattargets.we’ve got now doesn’t really cut it,” she said. “We really need to shift the narrative away from fossil fuels.”
Be vigilant with biosecurity
Continued from page 1
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2022 2 // WEST VIC REGION
WE REALLY are in the depths of winter now — the woodpile at our place is looking a little more depleted than we would have hoped in earlyButJuly!theautumn-born calves are mostly out of the sheds and doing well despite the cold, while my shoulders are enjoying a welcome reprieve from the repetition of twice daily calf feeding. Perhaps it’s another sign of ageing, but for me the excitement at the arrival of that firstborn heifer of the season is now well and truly surpassed by the relief at the last-born heifer’s departure from the calf shed! At the time of writing there are heightened biosecurity concerns regarding foot and mouth disease due to the spread of the disease in Indonesia, particularly the popular holiday island of Bali. Our federal and state governments and their departments are the key agencies with responsibility for both the protection and management of biosecurity risks; however, we can all help by ensuring we have implemented sound biosecurity practices on our farms. You will find some really helpful resources at www.farmbiosecurity.com.auReviewingyourcurrentbiosecurity plan is one really important step in managing potential risks and putting in place management practices that you are in control of. Please don’t hesitate to talk to the team at WestVic if you need any assistance in this area.
TAKING ACTION ON CLIMATE
A shift to multi-species pastures in response to climate challenges has helped with reducing feed costs.
• Jacqueline Suares WestVic Dairy chair
Chair’s message
Karrinjeet says more farmers need to take notice of the group’s messages. “We get a lot of good research on options for farmers in adaptation and mitigation.“Wewant good strong targets so that ag is not going to have to carry the can for other industries that are being let off lightly.“Alot of FCA’s messages need to be heard by more farmers. We’ve just got to reduce our footprint. “It’s not a good quality of life worrying that it’s going to be so hot you can’t let your kids go out to play safely or knowing your house is going to be flooded every other year or not being able to get insurance or it’s too expensive. “We should have learnt from the pandemic — a happy, healthy, secure population is a productive and profitable population.”
Our Young Dairy Network activities continue apace, and I wanted to draw your attention to the YDN Intensive Our Farm, Our Plan workshop being held in Warrnambool at the end of August. At the same time as some farmers have used the OFOP process to help prepare for retirement and exit from the dairy industry, there are many younger folks looking to step up and develop their dairy journey. The Our Farm, Our Plan program is an equally valid and useful process for younger farmers or new entrants to the dairy industry, helping them articulate their goals and define a pathwayCheckforward.out the dates coming up for the OFOP workshops on the WestVic Dairy events calendar page on the website or call the office on 5557
The1000.WestVic Dairy AGM is scheduled for October 4 and we certainly plan and hope to be able to hold an in-person meeting this year without any pandemic restrictions. The current WestVic board demonstrates diversity across farm size and objective, location and geography, skill set and experience — and I believe this means we are able to bring a range and balance of views around the table.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA AUGUST 2022 4 // WEST VIC REGION Set your farming and personal goals with Our Farm, Our Plan Got your game plan? Proudly supported by Having a game plan is vital for success – on the field and on the farm. And creating one has never been easier. Our Farm, Our Plan, developed for dairy farmers, helps you put your goals down on paper, prepare for the season ahead (and beyond) and get your whole team on the same page. Ways to get started today: Contact your regional team Visit dairyaustralia.com.au/ofop Call 1800 548 073 Grants boost communities
NEW EQUIPMENT, facility upgrades and improved digital access among the projects funded in the south-west Victorian dairy region through the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants Program. The program is delivered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and has been running for 20 years. The south-west Victorian dairy region funded projects were:
were
■ Archers of Warrnambool Associated: To support volunteer participation with a mower to maintain grounds for combined community activity and tourism ($5000).
■ Loved and Shared: To increase capacity of this start-up not-for-profit group to repair and distribute nursery equipment and children’s clothing and items to the Warrnambool community ($5000).
■ Purnim Recreation Reserve: To upgrade the kitchen facilities at the Purnim Community Recreation facility to support community events and activity ($3500).
■ Simpson Indoor Bias Bowls Club: To replace the bowls carpet to support community activity for the Simpson community ($4235). Gardiner Dairy Foundation chief executive Allan Cameron said he was delighted to continue supporting dairying communities.
“These grants will help local organisations in many small towns to thrive with initiatives that range from COVID recovery and disaster preparedness, to improved digital capabilities and facility upgrades,” he said. “The grants help to ensure the viability of theseFRRRorganisations.”chiefexecutive officer Natalie Egleton said there was strong demand for this kind of support.“Half of the projects receiving funding are geared towards building organisational capacity or improving access to the internet or digital technologies,” she said. “This is a reflection of how the last couple of years have impacted remote, rural, and regional community groups and a great reminder of why it’s important to engage in conversations with the locals on the ground and find out how we can adapt our approach to better serve the needs of their Communitycommunities.”groups were presented with their funds at a series of ceremonies held during June and July. Representatives from some of the south-west Victorian groups receiving a grant with FRRR’s Jill Karena (middle) and Gardiner Dairy Foundation chief executive Allen Cameron (left).
■ Anam Cara House, Colac: To support residents’ socialisation and staff training with smart TV equipment ($2446).
■ Pennyroyal Hall Committee: To improve community facilities at Pennyroyal by re-plastering the local hall ($5000).
■ Camperdown Botanic Gardens and Arboretum Trust: To develop digital capability that will promote and enable wide engagement with Camperdown Botanic Gardens and Arboretum ($4752).
