APRIL 2022 ISSUE 137
WEST VIC REGION
Making her mark down under
After 24 years of living in Australia, Karin Chittenden Couch proves you can take the farm girl out of the United States but you can’t take the farm out of the girl. Page 3
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA APRIL 2022
2 // WEST VIC REGION
Autumn a time for reflection IT’S HEADING towards the end of March as I
Chair’s message
write this report — my favourite time of the year. It’s a little more relaxed at our place, with most of the autumn calvers out on holidays, no calves to feed and beautiful weather to enjoy the great outdoors. In a repeat from last year, restrictions have made planning holidays with any certainty difficult, so we have spent our break from the farm exploring our own backyard. Whether it’s been bushwalking in the Otways, food trails around Timboon or dropping a fishing line at Port Fairy — we have enjoyed wonderful hospitality as the region opens back up to visitors. And while we revel in another good season to date, we are mindful of our fellow farmers in northern states who continue the recovery battle following devastating floods. Early in March I had the privilege of speaking at the Gardiner Foundation Leaders Lunch, together with Natalie Egleton, CEO of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, and Conny Lenneberg, who is currently working as the interim CEO of Anglicare North Queensland and is a board member at the Gardiner Foundation. This was a collective presentation where we each spoke about our experiences in community development and engagement, and was a prelude to the key note speaker, Sam Bailey. Sam’s inspirational tale of triumph over adversity, his determination and humility as he navigated a return to life on the land as a quadriplegic
was truly incredible — all captured in greater detail in Sam and Jenny Bailey’s book Head Over Heels, added to my bulging bookshelf. The Gardiner Foundation does some wonderful work on behalf of Victorian dairy farmers, particularly in the youth, leadership and community space — their website is a great place to start looking for opportunities if these areas are of interest to you. There are still openings for farmers in the WestVic region to participate in the silage plastic recycle project, which started in late March/ early April. The farmers selected for the trial will be provided with free recycling bins and bin liners to collect their clean used silage plastic in. Farmers can then book on-farm collection of the silage plastic for a small fee, or drop it off themselves at waste transfer sites located at Killarney, Peterborough, Simpson, Naroghid and Colac for free. The trial outcomes will be used to develop recommendations for a final scheme design, which has strong input from farmers and is practical, sustainable and commercially feasible for all involved. All farmers in western Victoria who use silage, generate silage plastic waste and would like to see that material recycled should apply. Trial participants will be selected who provide a cross section of farm sizes, locations and types. For inquiries, please contact Ian Olmstead at: Ian.olmstead@dairyaustralia.com.au
Our Great South West Dairy Awards will again be staged in Warrnambool on May 12 and we do hope many of you will join us on this wonderful occasion to celebrate all things dairy. While nominations have closed for most categories, nominations for the Honour Roll and photo competition are due by April 25. With some really positive signs for another profitable year ahead in our region, managing input costs will be key — and subscribing to the Dairy Australia hay, grain and production inputs reports could be a useful planning tool in the months ahead. As always, WestVic programs and staff are there to assist you make the most informed decisions for your business. Make sure you take advantage of what are your levies at work. Jacqui Suares WestVic Dairy chair
Jacqui Suares at the Gardiner Foundation Leaders Lunch.
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA APRIL 2022
WEST VIC REGION // 3
Making her mark down under KARIN CHITTENDEN Couch describes herself
as a New York farm girl transplanted down under. After 24 years of living in Australia, she proves you can take the farm girl out of the United States but you can’t take the farm out of the girl. Along with raising five children, Karin has continued her dedication to dairy farming, particularly her interest in Jersey cows and genetics. Although now living off-farm, after her former Riverside Jerseys herd was dispersed in 2018, Karin continued her passion for breeding cattle and she has a small herd of cows based at a stud farm in the Warrnambool region. She has more recently turned her passion into a career as a genetics consultant for Alta Genetics Australia where she is responsible for the Jersey portfolio, mating programs and dairy sales across all breeds in western Victoria and South Australia. Karin was raised alongside three brothers on the family’s Dutch Hollow Farm at Schodack Landing in upstate New York, where her family still operates an ever-growing dairy milking 1000 Jerseys. Her grandfather on her father’s side, Stanley Chittenden, was a long-time Jersey breeder and the pioneer of polled Jerseys across North America. One of his bulls, from the Fair Weather Farms stud, was the first polled bull to be marketed from the US into Australia. “He pioneered polled Jerseys across the world from bulls he bred,” Karin said. From age 13 to 20, Karin was responsible for de-horning on the family farm. Today she is pleased to see a trend to polled animals, as it is seeing her grandfather’s goals realised. “If you can breed an animal without horns and eliminate the de-horning process for the sake of the animal and create a better image for the industry, then we should,” she said. “But I was raised to not forfeit the most important traits or the bottom line to do so. “My grandfather bred milk cows first and foremost. Polled was a bonus, a goal, a lifelong dream and he never took a step backwards to achieve that. “I hope community expectations and milk factories realise how long-term the process of breeding polled is, and that they stay realistic about it.” Karin admits she brings three generations of bias on both sides of her family to the dairy industry and the Jersey cow. “I love all cows of any colour, especially the good ones, but I do love the Jersey cow more than any other breed. “Like anything, you grow up with some bias but they are efficient, economical and easy to handle. “Combine their solids per kilo to their weight and feed intake, I don’t think you can get a more efficient producer.” Karin’s move to Australia was inspired by people. “I met several wonderful, like-minded Australians on their trips to the United States. “They would often stay with my family on the farm as they travelled state to state and became friends of my family for years to come.” Deciding to travel, Karin sold a heifer to pay for a plane ticket to Australia and “one thing led to another” and she’s still here, along with five children. Karin’s life-long interest in genetics was a big part of Riverside Jerseys’ success, breeding four Jersey grand champions, two intermediate and two junior champions as well as reserves in other years.
“We put upwards of 40 bulls into AI service, had a number one ASI cow for a few years standing and peaked at an 8000-litre lactation average while milking three times a day, all in the space of around 15 years.” Her favourite cow was Lollypop. “She was the standout cow,” Karin said. “You always hope you can breed a cow that can win at (International) Dairy Week, classify well, top your milking herd and contribute back to the breed genetically through sons. “To breed a cow that can do everything is like hitting the trifecta — she was our trifecta cow, she ticked every box.” Karin is upbeat about the future of Australian Jersey cows. “We’ve got our cows in the right place to be able to influence at every level, commercial, stud or show cow. “Whatever someone is trying to breed, our Australian cow is a valuable asset.” After selling the farm and herd, Karin took a job as herd manager on one of the Midfield Group’s large dairies. “It was a great experience and a complete 180 to being in the stud sector for 20 years,” she said. While there, the herd moved from 700 to 1000 cows, transitioned to a full A2 herd and improved farm production and health with every step. “It was a 100 per cent commercial focus, which I embraced wholeheartedly,” Karin said. “I thought I might have wanted a job outside the industry but once I got involved with Midfield and back to the core of dairying, I soon realised I didn’t really want to be anywhere else.” Karin, who has a Bachelor in Dairy Science and Agribusiness from Cornell University, has always harboured great interest in dairy and genetics. “It’s about the bottom line, people’s livelihoods. No-one ever wants less milk. “A bull that ticks every box is not easy to come by, for any breed, but you’re going to want cows that are fertile and get in calf in two services or less, which means one less straw to buy, income over feed costs and cows that produce that milk most efficiently, health traits, milk quality, healthier calves and bulls that give you balanced type or simply the exact traits you want or the cow you want to milk. “The healthier your cow, the more money she makes for you.” Karin’s US family farm is barn-based. “Americans say it takes a stronger cow to live in a free stall barn; Australians say it takes a stronger cow to walk two kilometres to the dairy. “It’s all relative. I wouldn’t choose — I think it takes a strong cow to do both. “Every farm is different and herds are tailored to specific conditions. “You can breed the herd that you want; we work too hard every day not to get up in the morning and like the cows we milk for whatever reasons we like about them.” Karin is now making her mark in the traditionally male-dominated world of genetics, working across all dairy breeds. “A long-time friend told me he was retiring and thought I might be interested in applying for his position working for Alta Genetics this past July,” she said. “I jumped at the opportunity as it would not only give me a career in the industry working across stud and commercial sectors, but potentially gave me more flexibility for family time, and time to chase children across the state playing sport — which couldn’t have happened at a better time.”
With a Bachelor in Dairy Science and Agribusiness from Cornell University, Karin has always harboured great interest in dairy and genetics and now works for Alta Genetics.
“I love all cows of any colour, especially the good ones, but I do love the Jersey cow more than any other breed,” Karin says.
Karin and her five children pictured in 2011 enjoying their Dairy Week success.
Karin was raised alongside three brothers on the family’s Dutch Hollow Farm at Schodack Landing in upstate New York, where her family still operates an ever-growing dairy milking 1000 Jerseys.
One thing Karin had to learn after moving to Australia was cricket, and now her son Brody is a Victorian state and Melbourne Stars Big Bash League player. “I played a lot of backyard baseball with my brothers, but I never knew cricket existed,” she said. “My ex-husband was an excellent cricketer and great clubman and it was part of our routine. “All of our kids played ball sports as soon as they could, which is part and parcel of small rural community life.
“Brody seemed to excel at everything he did and the other four children aren’t far off him. “He wouldn’t trade growing up on the farm for the world, and I’m the same. There’s no better way to grow up. “I have no doubt that all of my children growing up in an environment that dealt with harsh realities, adversity and hard work on a daily basis, while still staying passionate in that work, has made them who they are now and will be in their futures.”
DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA APRIL 2022
4 // WEST VIC REGION
Master of his own destiny FIFTY YEARS ago, a Gippsland farmer told
Julian Benson he’d never make it as a dairy farmer. Instead of being deterred, the young lad who grew up in Broadmeadows used the criticism as a spur. “That was probably the biggest incentive I’ve ever had; it made me more determined,” he said. Julian was inspired to become a dairy farmer by visiting his uncle’s farms in school holidays and he has no regrets as he celebrates his 50th anniversary in the industry. Today, as he nears the age of 73, Julian and his wife Dianne are in a sharefarming agreement with son Luke and considering the next step of selling the farm, but they plan to continue running their successful and expanding Apostle Whey Cheese business. The Bensons have made a career out of turning adversity into opportunity. Stung by the early criticism, Julian worked on different farms to learn the trade and studied a Diploma of Agricultural Science at Dookie from 1967 to 1969. “I tried different jobs but when I sat down and thought about what I was happy with, it was milking cows,” he said. “I loved being among the cows and also being in the environment.” He married Dianne in 1975 and they bought their initial herd of 65 cows for $7500. A market collapse three months later could have been a disaster but they turned it into an opportunity. “The silver lining was that you could pick up two-year-old heifers in-milk for $20 who would pay for themselves in six weeks,” Julian said. They soon had to get to a bigger farm and build up stock numbers, so leased a property for four years, expanding to about 150 milkers. When it came time to buy, an acre cost about $2000 in Gippsland, $800 in the Heytesbury Settlement. Simple economics drove them to south-west Victoria. They bought a farm in 1981 and added more land in 1988 and 1992, peaking at 350 cows, and in 1994 put a tunnel under the road to connect the property. In 1996, they built a 50-unit rotary dairy to accommodate potential further growth. “It was probably worth as much as the farm, but you’ve got to be looking forward,” Julian said. However, that positive outlook was dampened in 2003 by a severe drought, low milk prices and grain costing more than $500 a tonne. “Dianne said we should be doing something about all these people dropping in to see our cows milked. “I was watching Landline (on ABC TV) and saw a segment about sheep and goat farmers making cheese for farmers’ markets so we decided to have a crack. “We’re on a main road going to the Twelve Apostles; if we had been on a back road, it probably wouldn’t have happened.” They completed a cheesemaking course and consulted neighbour Melonie Pollock, who worked at another artisan cheesemaking business, Timboon Farmhouse Cheese, and later came on board as a cheesemaker. They had a Friesian herd but wanted more butterfat and protein — so introduced Jerseys. “We wanted higher butterfat and protein to get more yield,” Julian said. “For the same amount of energy to pasteurise, with a Friesian herd you might get 100 kilograms out of 1000 litres but a mixed herd you get 120
Apostle Whey Cheese continues to expand with a new milk bottling plant coming online.
to 130, and I think you get more flavour in the cheese. It makes a real good coffee!” Prior to the change they were calving in midJuly but changed to a split system in February and July to ensure good milk supply all year. They started in 2005 with a batch pasteuriser, only allowing cheese to be made twice a week, but later installed a high temperature, short-time pasteuriser to make cheese four times a week to keep up with demand. When starting the cheesemaking business, the Bensons supplied Murray Goulburn. “We only used a small amount of our milk but MG was going to charge us for what we took out of the vat,” Julian said. “I said bullshit to that and we went to Warrnambool Cheese and Butter who said you take what you want, we’ll take the rest. At the time we were producing about 2.4 million litres.” For the first three years, every weekend was spent selling blue, white mould and semi-hard cheeses at markets along the Great Ocean Road and in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Port Fairy to expose the Apostle Whey brand. They also entered dairy industry competitions, winning six major awards among many others, and enjoyed a lot of positive media coverage that helped to build a reputation. Tourism is a big part of the operation. They have a number of distribution outlets, make their own gelato after another expansion and installation of a separator, and are embarking on a new venture bottling their own milk. “We have built a separate building to process bottled milk, cream and low-fat milk, which will allow us to expand both cheese and milk production,” Julian said. “With COVID, a lot of people are now using their holiday homes along the Great Ocean Road as their permanent residence and we’re going to target that market with our milk.” They now milk 250 cows and hope to use more of their milk in the plant while continuing to supply Bulla.
Above and below: Apostle Whey Cheese has continued to add cheese varieties and go into new markets.
COVID-19 was a blow to the business — not only stopping international tourists from visiting the shop but also impacting on distribution outlets. However, Julian found a new market and sold products to Queensland cheesemonger Cheese Therapy, now known as Artisans Bend. He is confident tourism will rebound. “Not only are we paddock to plate; we actually make the product here. “They can see the cows being milked and get the whole farming experience. People want an experience; it’s not just about selling a product.” Youngest son Luke has returned to the farm with his wife Susan and now manages the dairy operation, owns the cows and is in a 50–50 share agreement. The Apostle Whey outlet now employs 10 full-time staff plus casuals. Luke has approached his parents about buying the farm and they are keen for it to stay in the family, and they are in the process of subdividing the house and Apostle Whey cheese off as a separate title.
Continued page 7
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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA APRIL 2022
WEST VIC REGION // 7 From page 4
Julian continues to support the broader industry, recently hosting the Cream of the Crop conference and the launch of DemoDAIRY Foundation’s Dairy Innovation Challenge. “I’ve been blessed,” he said. “I love what I’ve done and nothing is hard if you enjoy what you do. What milk you see in the milk vat is the result of your management. “Having developed the farm, bred the animals and made a product that people enjoy, as a farmer you don’t get more satisfaction than that. “Sometimes you have to create your own destiny.”
Julian Benson was inspired to become a dairy farmer by visiting his uncle’s farms in school holidays and he has no regrets as he celebrates his 50th anniversary in the industry.
An avid bird watcher, Julian has added hundreds of trees to the property, which also provide great shade for the cows.
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