Devondaler-June-2015

Volume 30 Number 6 Issue No. 352 June 2015 

‘LITTLE JEM’ INSPIRES 

A FAMILY’S LEGACY 

DEVONDALE Murray 

Goulburn suppliers, 

Mat and Amy Daly, 

have been selected to 

appear on the cover of this year’s 

Bairnsdale Yellow Pages and 

White Pages telephone books for 

2015-16. 

This year’s cover theme is 

Australian Stars Rising Above, 

and celebrates up and coming 

Australians who are achieving 

beyond their years and making 

positive changes in their 

community. 

Mat and Amy from Tinamba 

West, near Maffra, are helping 

parents cope with the loss of a 

loved one. 

Motivated by the loss of their 

daughter Jemma Sue in 2005, 

who was born 13 weeks early 

and fought for her life for eight 

days, Mat and Amy have set out 

to support local families experiencing 

similar loss to help them 

through their time of grief. 

They are the second current 

MG family to be honoured in 

such a way with Thomas 

Haymes, son of Devon North 

suppliers, Paul and Glenys 

Haymes, appearing on the cover 

in 2010-11. 

Thomas, who was then 15, 

played a critical role in fighting 

the fatal 2009 Black Saturday 

bushfires that devastated Central 

and East Gippsland. 

Thomas was recognised for 

ploughing firebreaks with his 

tractor despite the flames overwhelming 

his vehicle at one 

stage. 

His efforts paid off as he 

managed to stop the fire from 

damaging several Devon North 

properties. 

Last year, retired MG supplier, 

Mary Salce, from Sale, was featured 

on the cover in recognition 

of her work to establish the 

Rural Women’s Network . She 

arranged the first International 

Conference for Women in 

Agriculture in Australia in 1994, 

Mat and Amy Daly are featured on the front cover of this year’s 

telephone book in East Gippsland. 

attracting more than 850 delegates 

from 33 nations. 

Mat and Amy Daly established 

the Jemma Sue Daly Golf Day 

in 2005 to create an event to 

help their daughter, Jemma’s 

legacy live on. 

Together, the pair has raised 

more than $80,000 for local 

charity groups and driven 

awareness the impact of losing 

a child has on the family unit 

and the community. 

Mat and Amy’s legacy for 

their daughter continues with the 

establishment of the Little Jem 

Foundation to connect families 

in similar situations through 

counselling and support groups. 

Last year their 860km Sydney 

to Newry in Central Gippsland 

bike ride exceeded expectations, 

raising more than $150,000 

and attracting more than 500 

supporters. 

The foundation aims to 

connect families who have 

experienced the sudden loss of 

a child during pregnancy, as a 

newborn, or as a young child. 

Their service offers bereavement 

counselling, peer support 

groups and referral information 

on where help is available. They 

have also created an online support 

group, where anyone who is 

experiencing the loss of a child 

or baby can access support, as 

well as professional counselling 

services. 

“Having experienced the loss 

of a child, we understand the 

Mat and Amy Daly were featured on the front page of the 

Devondaler early last year following the bike ride from Sydney to 

Newry that raised $150,000. 

Flashback to 2010 when Thomas Haymes featured on the cover 

of the telephone book, recognising his courage during the Black 

Saturday bushfires in 2009. 

support and comfort families 

need.. 

“Through the Little Jem 

Foundation, we will continue to 

raise awareness on what is often 

a taboo subject and provide support 

to families that require it,” 

Amy said. 

Yellow Pages Marketing 

Specialist, Belinda Di Pietro, 

said this year’s theme, Australian 

Stars Rising Above, recognised 

young Australians volunteering 

their time to champion projects 

that were helping their 

communities to thrive. 

MG capital structure: Indicative price range announced - see p10

2 

JUNE 2015 

DEVONDALE MURRAY GOULBURN 

INTERNATIONAL MARKET REVIEW 

Prices down but decline has slowed 

International prices $US/MT FOB 

THE results of Global Dairy 

Trade (GDT) Event 140 

which concluded on 19 

May 2015 produced a GDT 

Price Index which was down by 

2.2 per cent. 

While this is the fifth successive 

decline in the index, the rate 

of decline has slowed with the 

participation rate increasing to 

162 buyers from a low of 127 on 

1 April. 

The result on Whole Milk 

Powder (WMP) was down 0.5 

per cent suggesting that prices in 

this category may be stabilising 

which is positive given that this 

represents nearly half of the total 

volume on offer at this event. 

Prices were down in all categories 

other than Butter Milk 

Powder (BMP) and Lactose 

where volume traded was 

minimal. 

The result of this auction event 

continues to reflect a weak market 

where buyers are still coming 

to terms with the forward direction 

on prices. 

The weakest category at present 

is Skim Milk Powder (SMP) 

where supply exceeds demand 

The Devondaler is published 

by Devondale Murray 

Goulburn 

Editor: Robert White (03) 

9846 5188 or 0427 329 815 

tophill@optusnet.com.au 

and supported by milk growth in 

major producing regions. 

Milk production in the EU is 

still increasing and expected to 

be just as strong as last year. 

Year-on-year milk production in 

the EU is currently down, however 

early reports suggest that 

April numbers are well up on 

forecast. 

In the USA, April milk production 

figures confirm growth 

of 1.75 per cent over last year 

with declines in drought-hit 

California more than off-set by 

gains in the more traditional 

milk production regions. 

The Australian dollar continues 

to trade strongly and even 

strengthened, following the drop 

in the cash rate of 25 basis 

points announced by the RBA 

on 5 May. 

This highlights that the 

Australian dollar rate is influenced 

more by the actions of the 

US Federal Reserve, where continued 

delays to the much publicised 

first rise in interest rates 

since the Global Financial Crisis 

continue to support our dollar. 

Any significant easing in our 

dollar is likely to be dependent 

on the timing of this rate rise in 

US which is now likely to be 

September 2015 at the earliest. 

The latest weakness in the 

Euro is also likely to maintain 

downward pressure on commodity 

prices in the short term. 

The ongoing absence of 

Russia and China remains a concern. 

With China’s milk production 

reportedly up five per cent 

and retail demand down in 

China, a recovery in this market 

appears increasingly unlikely in 

2015. 

Russian sanctions expire early 

August 2015 however most EU 

producers and trade experts 

believe that sanctions will continue 

beyond August 2015. 

While the overall sentiment 

remains weak, it is likely that we 

are at or near the end of the 

current easing cycle. 

Many buyers report they are 

covered for supply in the 

medium term. 

Therefore we do not expect a 

significant improvement in 

prices until there is either a supply 

side event to curtail production 

or a return of key buyers to 

bolster demand and restore balance 

to global trade. 

● Mal Beniston is MG’s 

General Manager Ingredients 

Key Results: 

MAIN PRODUCTS 

SMP down 3.6%, average 

price $US1992/MT 

WMP down 0.5%, average 


AMF down 4.8%, average 


OTHER PRODUCTS 

Butter down 3.2%, average 


BMP up 3.2%, average price 

$US1930/MT 

Cheddar down 7.1%, average 


Lactose up 0.9%, average 

price $US50 

Rennet Casein down 0.4%, 

average price $US6067/MT 

Don’t take a risk with risk management 

Advertising and classified 

enquiries: (03) 9040 5000 

Murray Goulburn 

Co-operative Co. Limited, 

Level 15, 2 Southbank 

Boulevard, Southbank, 

Victoria 3006 

Phone: (03) 9040 5000 

MG suppliers and employees 

are welcome to submit 

photograps and editorial for 

consideration. Deadline is the 

24th of each month. 

The Devondale 

Murray Goulburn 

Twitter account is 

online now at 

@DevondaleMG 

RISK is something we all 

face every day. It’s part of 

the normal rhythm of life. 

But it is a bit sobering to think 

that farms remain one of the 

most dangerous of all workplaces. 

And with National Farm 

Safety Week starting on July 20, 

it is timely to consider how safe 

your farm is. 

Each month, the Devondaler 

runs a column on farmer health, 

highlighting issues confronting 

each and every Devondale 

Murray Goulburn supplier. 

A couple of issues ago, the 

Devondaler highlighted how 

simple it is to be cut down by a 

staph infection after a supplier 

was hospitalised when a small 

open wound was exposed to 

milk infected with mastitis. 

In the past month, both 

Worksafe and Farmsafe have 

highlighted the fact that tractors 

and quad bikes remain the greatest 

killers on farms. 

An accident is just that. 

Something that was unexpected. 

But in too many cases, failure 

to understand and manage risk 

means that an accident is more a 

case of irresponsibility. 

I am encouraged by the number 

of farmers I now see wearing 

helmets when they ride both a 

two wheel bike and/or a quad 

bike. 

But there are still too many 

instances where I have seen a 

quad bike used as a racing 

machine, rather than the valuable 

farm tool that it can be. 

Farming, and dairy farming in 

particular, can be a lonely life. 

Many hours are spent in paddocks 

or in the milking shed on 

your own. 

This, in itself, creates risk. A 

fall, an attack by stock or even a 

cardiac arrest can leave a farmer 

vulnerable. 

Let people know what you are 

doing on a particular day and 

where you will be. 

The mobile phone can also be 

a wonderful safety tool and regular 

calls can provide reassurance 

at both ends of the line. 

Children also need to be 

educated in farm safety. Dams 

and channels may be fun in 

summer heat but they are also 

dangerous. 

Tanker drivers cannot always 

see everything that goes on 

around them when they arrive at 

a farm, so teaching children to 

be alert and aware is critical. 

MG has introduced a Goal 

Zero program to cut workplace 

injuries in factories and offices 

and the themes that form the key 

parts of the program could easily 

be followed on farm. 

As National Farm Safety Week 

approaches, let’s not be yet 

another statistic to add to the 

fatality list.

DEVONDALE MURRAY GOULBURN JUNE 2015 3 

Education leads to better prospects 

By SHARON CAIN 

ROB Beverley, a recent 

graduate of Go Tafe in 

Victoria, believes the 

world is your oyster if you have 

education. 

Rob grew up at Dorrigo, near 

Coffs Harbour, on the central 

coast of New South Wales, 

where his parents Terry and 

Louise had a 23ha hobby farm. 

“We had four dairy cows and 

would milk them through a single 

milking machine and then 

feed the milk to calves,” said 

Rob. 

“Dad also worked on a dairy 

farm when I was growing up and 

I did a fair bit of relief milking 

to help out,” he said. 

The Beverley family decided 

that dairying would be their 

future and in August 2002 they 

bought a dairy farm in Katunga 

in northern Victoria. 

After leaving school, Rob 

started an engineering apprenticeship 

but gave that up after he 

was offered a job on a dairy 

farm. 

“I worked in a couple of farm 

jobs but it was not until I started 

working at Oxdale Dairies in 

Cobram under the guidance of 

Manager, Mark Edwards, that I 

really began to learn a lot,” said 

Rob. 

“Having someone who can 

lead and teach was a great help 

to me and I really appreciated 

that,” he said. 

“One day I got a call from 

Mum asking if I would be interested 

in coming back to the family 

farm to help with the possibility 

of taking over one day,” 

said Rob. 

Rob has been working on the 

farm for the past four years, 

assisting his father during the 

week and looking after the 

calves for his mum in the 

weekends. 

Rob has 10 cows of his own 

with a goal to start a Brown 

Swiss stud. He is joining his 

cows by AI to Brown Swiss this 

year. 

“They have good milk and 

good components so I think that 

is they way to go,” said Rob. 

Rob began studying towards 

certificate III Agriculture Dairy 

through Go Tafe in 2013 and has 

just graduated after achieving 

certificate IV. 

When Rob was in year 11 at 

high school he contracted 

Rheumatic Fever which progressed 

to Sydenham’s chorea, a 

medical condition affecting his 

nervous system and movement. 

After a long recovery, he had to 

repeat his year 11. 

“I didn’t really take year 12 

seriously and that is the reason 

why I am working hard towards 

study now,” said Rob. 

“I look back and think I 

should have tried harder then. I 

didn’t, so I am going to make up 

for it now.” 

Apart from the day-to-day 

work on the farm, Rob breeds 

and shows a variety of chickens 

with the help of his wife, 

Melissa. 

“My grandfather had chooks 

when I was growing up and I 

used to go to chook shows then,” 

said Rob. 

“Our children help feed them 

and they all have their own 

breed of chooks to look after. 

When it comes time to sell them, 

Rob Beverley with his son, Jackson, 4, check out some of the new Brown Swiss stock on the farm at 

Katunga in northern Victoria. 

they get money to put into their 

bank accounts. 

“It gives them an interest and 

teaches them animal husbandry,” 

he said. 

Rod is furthering his studies 

this year towards a Diploma in 

Agriculture Dairy. 

“I wish I had known about the 

opportunity to study and complete 

these courses 10 years 

ago,” he said. 

“Had I known about this when 

I was 20, who knows where I 

would be now. If you can get the 

knowledge, you can turn it 

around to benefit yourself and 

others,” he said. 

Online advice to help 

cut energy costs 

New Cohuna MG Trading store Manager, Keegan Ryan. 

Keegan is new Cohuna store manager 

MG Trading at Cohuna has a 

new store manager, Keegan 

Ryan, who was appointed in 

April. 

Keegan has been with MG for 

more than three years and joins 

the Cohuna store from his 

previous position as assistant 

manager at Numurkah. 

“I had about eight months 

break after leaving school and 

had various jobs before applying 

for the role with MG Trading,” 

he said. 

Keegan was born and bred in 

Numurkah but said Cohuna had 

a strong community based on 

farming and sport. 

“It is very much like the town 

where I grew up and people have 

been very supportive since I 

arrived,” he said. 

Keegan has quickly got 

involved with the local Cohuna 

Kangas Football Club and has 

already won senior selection. 

He admitted that during his 

teenage years he wanted to join 

the police force but is now more 

than happy to be part of the MG 

Trading team. 

“It’s a real challenge and an 

opportunity for me,” he said. 

DAIRY farmers can now 

view quick and simple 

ways to save energy 

online, and potentially add 

thousands of dollars to their 

business bottom line, thanks to 

a joint venture of WestVic 

Dairy and Sustainability 

Victoria. 

WestVic Dairy secured funding 

through Sustainability 

Victoria’s Smarter Resources 

Smarter Business program last 

year to produce five 3-5 minute 

videos about how to save energy 

on farms. 

The videos are now available 

and were inspired by the Dairy 

Australia’s (DA) publication 

Smarter Energy Use on Dairy 

Farms. 

Focusing on simple, cost 

effective measures farmers can 

implement to reduce energy 

costs, the videos are part of 

WestVic Dairy’s Victorian 

Farmers View Simple Ways to 

Save Energy project. 

They cover the different 

aspects such as water heating, 

milk cooling, milk harvesting, 

general energy use on farms 

and low cost steps to reduce 

energy. 

The project’s goal is to 

encourage more dairy farmers 

to consider undertaking energy 

saving measures and build on 

the experiences and findings of 

the Smarter Energy Use on 

Australian Dairy Farms project. 

WestVic Dairy’s Executive 

Officer, Paula Doran, said the 

videos were another way 

WestVic Dairy was helping 

farmers increase business profitability 

on their farms. 

“High energy use is a necessary 

evil of dairy farming and 

contributes to high on-farm 

costs,” she said. 

“Not only does reducing 

energy use on farms improve 

profitability, it also ensures that 

we build a sustainable industry.” 

For more information about 

the videos, please contact 

WestVic Dairy on (03) 5557 

1000 or email amanda@westvicdairy.com.au

The extra care they 

could get used to. 

Each season brings new challenges to your herd’s health. These challenges 

require tailored nutritional responses to assist optimum health. Nutrimax 

introduces the first range of grain additives that match minerals and vitamins 

to seasonal conditions for daily coverage and ongoing health and milk 

production during every season. 

Introducing 

the new 

Nutrimax 

range. 

Go to nutrimaxgrainaditive.com.au or contact your local reseller to get 

your herd onto Nutrimax Winter Essentials. 

Aids in 

Rumen 

health 

Hoof 

health 

Grass 

tetany 

Heat 

stress 

Low 

DCAD 

Nutrimax Summer Essentials 

Nutrimax Winter Essentials 

Nutrimax 150 

Nutrimax Transition 

*Ingredient in Nutrimax product helps prevention of these issues. 

Gippsland and Western District – Michael Wright – 0409 682 759 

Goulburn Valley – Lyndal Hackett 0408 577 240 and Stephen Blain 0407 667 117 

North East Victoria – Mark Lister 0408 691 420 and Ellen Versteegen 0407 923 799 

Nutrimax is a registered trademark of Rivalea (Australia) Pty Ltd. 

RIV0079_NutrimaxWinterEssentialsFA380x262.indd 1 

15/05/2015 4:12 pm


Out of Africa and now into Bodalla 

By ROBERT WHITE 

IT could be a tale entitled 

“Out of Africa”, because in 

the end, that was the fate of 

Devondale Murray Goulburn 

supplier, Vanessa Todd. 

“I always wanted to work in 

Africa, and in the end, that’s 

what I did for five years,” she 

said. 

But eventually, she had to get 

out of Africa. She was working 

in agriculture, mainly with 

sheep in Zimbabwe and tragically, 

it became no place for a 

single woman with violence 

becoming a keynote of the 

country. 

So she returned home to her 

family at Nowra, south of 

Sydney, not really knowing 

what to do and where her wool 

classing credentials would take 

her. 

At the age of 26, a little over 

21 years ago, her father, Greg, 

considered setting up a dairy 

farm on what was his property 

where polo horses were trained 

and polo games were staged. 

He offered Vanessa the 

chance to take on the dairy as a 

means to satisfy her urge to be 

involved in agriculture. 

But it was to be no easy, walk 

up start. Vanessa had a farm she 

could use but still had to find 

Vanessa Todd with her father, Greg, at the farm at Bodalla on the 

south coast of New South Wales. 

the finance to buy the cows she 

needed. 

She put that in train as she 

spent the next nine months on a 

self-imposed work experience 

program with dairy farmers in 

the Nowra district, doing her 

best to learn as much as she 

could in what was a crash 

course. 

She then started out with 80 

cows and within two and a half 

years, she was milking 120 cows 

in an old dairy that was on the 

farm and had undergone a thorough 

renovation. 

But Vanessa wanted more out 

of dairying and the Nowra property 

was landlocked and expansion 

was not an alternative. 

It was then that she moved to 

Bodalla on the south coast of 

New South Wales and it was 

again her father who, from the 

outset, lent a helping hand in 

establishing the farm. 

Now, 19 years down the track 

at Bodalla, Vanessa owns the 

farm and is now a single mother 

to her 10-year-old son, Jack. 

And she freely admits that 

being a farm owner and a single 

mum is a challenge. But despite 

the demands of the farm, she 

still finds time to serve her community 

and for the past four 

years has been a Junior 

Development Officer for the 

Australian Rugby Union on the 

south coast. 

She loves the involvement, she 

loves the game and it provides a 

much-needed break from the 

farm. 

Her personal circumstances 

have also meant that she is 

reliant on her staff of four full 

and part time workers to help get 

her through the task of maintaining 

a 180ha property and milk 

up to 340 cows. 

She said her move to Bodalla 

carried some risk. She neither 

knew the geography of the area 

or the community into which she 

was entering. 

“But I have found the right 

people to help me. As a livestock 

person, I needed to get the 

foundation of the farm right and 

I have been able to get the support 

from people who have 

helped me establish that foundation,” 

she said. 

Like all farmers, there have 

been setbacks over the years. 

She has faced drought and 

flood and then the fear of not 

knowing where her milk would 

go when the Lion Group decided 

with withdraw from the 

south coast. 

“It was really a dark time,” 

she said. “I guess I was at the 

crossroads because I really didn’t 

have anywhere to send my 

milk. 

“Then Murray Goulburn 

came into our area and we have 

all been very thankful as we 

now have security and can plan 

for the future.” 

Vanessa said she remained 

passionate about the dairy 

industry and urged young people 

keen on agriculture to take 

it on. 

“It’s the only way for young 

people who are prepared to 

work hard to get a foot into 

agriculture,” she said. 

“If you are motivated and can 

get the right support you can 

build up an asset and a future.” 

Vanessa believes that MG’s 

commitment to Bodalla has 

given the region the backing it 

needs to encourage more young 

people to be involved. 

“This is an amazing dairying 

valley. We need to let more 

people know about it,” she said. 

Tractors, quad bikes lead farm deaths 

LEADING occupational 

safety authorities have 

issued an urgent call for 

renewed vigilance by the farming 

community following the 

recent deaths involving tractors 

and quad bikes. 

According to Farmsafe 

Australia, quads bikes are the 

leading cause of death and serious 

injury on Australian farms, 

outranking tractors. 

There is an average of 14 quad 

bike related fatalities in 

Australian every year. 

While quad bikes now rank as 

more dangerous, Worksafe 

Victoria Executive Director of 

Health and Safety, Len Neist, 

said tractors were an integral 

part of country life but they 

needed to be treated with care. 

“In less than 12 months, there 

have been six fatalities in regional 

Victoria that have involved 

tractors,” Mr Neist said. 

“In five of those fatalities, the 

operators have been run over by 

their tractor.” 

Mr Neist said that tractors 

pose the same risks to farmers 

running a business as they do to 

farmers running hobby farms or 

families owning a 2ha lifestyle 

block. 

“Older tractors may have more 

maintenance issues than current 

models, but it is the operator’s 

commitment to safety that determines 

its potential dangers,” Mr 

Neist said. 

Tractor accidents remain high on the farm fatality list. 

“The best maintained tractor in 

the world will still harm you if 

you are using it for the wrong 

purpose or if your systems of 

work don’t ensure safety.” 

Mr Neist said tractor operators 

needed to make safety a regular 

part of their daily planning. 

“For example, make sure the 

hand and foot brakes are regularly 

serviced and maintained as 

they are critical to controlling 

the tractor when pulling loads, 

moving about your property or 

merely getting off the vehicle,” 

he said. 

“Make sure tractor loads are 

not exceeded, and that any 

attachments are used solely for 

the purpose that the manufacturer 

intended.” 

Mr Neist said every workplace 

was different and all reasonably 

practicable steps had to be taken 

to ensure risks were controlled. 

“But taking just five minutes 

to inspect your tractor before the 

day’s work gets under way could 

save you – or your family – a 

lifetime of grief,” he said. 

TRACTOR SAFETY CHECKLIST: 

Operator controls: Check 

steering, brakes, park brake for 

proper operation. Ensure hand 

controls are labelled and all 

safety interlocks are operational. 

Guards: Replace guards that 

may have been removed for 

maintenance including those fitted 

to attachments. 

Lights: Check that headlights, 

work lights and warning devices 

are operational. 

Load capacity: Ensure tractor 

load capacity is not exceeded 

when fitting attachment and/or 

towing. 

Power Take Off: Check PTO 

master guard and PTO shaft 

guard are fitted and in good 

condition. 

Rollover Protection System: 

Check ROPS is securely fitted 

and has not sustained any structural 

damage that could make it 

defective. 

Faults: If any faults are identified 

that result in unsafe equipment, 

do not operate it until the 

fault is repaired or rectified. 

This pre-operational check does 

not replace a thorough risk 

assessment of all operations and 

does not include all hazards 

related to tractor use. 

Farmsafe encourages the following 

safety principles: 

• Is the quad the most appropriate 

vehicle to do the job? A 

farm ute or Side-by-Side 

Vehicle, can carry loads and passengers 

safely. Alternatively, a 

tractor or two wheel motorcycle 

may be more appropriate 

depending on the task(s) to be 

undertaken; 

• A suitably tested crush protection 

device (CPD) should be fitted 

to the quad bike; 

• Always keep the quad well 

maintained and tyres correctly 

inflated according to manufacturers’ 

recommendations; 

• Do not allow riders under 16 

years old to operate a quad of 

any engine size (kids and quads 

are a fatal mix). Allegedly “child 

appropriate quads” also kill by 

crush/asphyxiation and are present 

in Australian coronial 

records; 

• Do not carry passengers. 

• Do not carry or tow loads 

(including spray tanks and trailers). 

Loads make an unstable 

vehicle that is “prone to 

rollover” even more so. This 

adds to the risk of rollover 

and fatal crush injuries or 

asphyxiation. 

• When riding a quad always 

wear a helmet. 

More information can be 

found by downloading the Safety 

of Quads and Side-by-Side 

Vehicles on Australian Farms in 

the Related Documents section.

6 

MAY 2015 


BUTTERFLY’S KITCHEN 

AFTER 147mm rain in the 

past 10 days, it’s no 

wonder the farm is wet 

and slippery. This heavy autumn 

rain didn’t immediately soak 

into the ground so feeding stock 

with the tractor has been difficult 

and dangerous at times and 

caution has been the byword in 

the hills. 

This week we dried off the last 

of our seasonal spring calving 

herd and now have them spread 

in groups all about the back hills 

so that the closer milking pasture 

has a chance to grow and build a 

feed wedge before calving and 

winter. 

I am very lucky to live in a 

wonderful community and just 

last night almost 40 locals came 

together at the Hallston Hall for 

a barbecue and huge bonfire. 

We were fortunate to share in 

the generosity from Tony the 

fireworks man who had returned 

for a visit back to his childhood 

home and shared his talents with 

new and old friends with a spectacular 

display of fireworks in 

the paddock next to our gathering 

place. 

It was surreal as the rain had 

gone and with barely a breeze, 

the stars shone as the night sky 

came alive with colour. 

Standing by a huge bonfire 

creates the best ambience for 

chats with neighbours, new 

locals and for me, the opportunity 

to ponder. 

I admit I felt a little emotional, 

for not only was my community 

gathered together, I was reflecting 

how this week, 10 years ago, 

we moved here to a new farm at 

Allambee. 

There was much excitement 

on my behalf for the time had 

finally come to buy my own 

herd of cows. Yes, the ultimate 

Butterfly’s 

Chocolate Cake 

Serves 10 to 15 and is lovely 

with or without icing. 

Ingredients 

● 250g Devondale unsalted 

Butter 

● 200g Dark chocolate, 

roughly chopped 

● 1 tablespoon instant coffee, 

dissolved in 1 1/2 cups hot 

water 

● 2 cups castor sugar 

● 1/2 cup plain flour 

● 1 1/4 cups self – raising flour 

● 1/4 cup cocoa 

● 2 eggs, lightly beaten 

● 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Method 

Preheat oven to 150’C. Grease 

and line with baking paper a 

24cm spring form cake tin. If 

you plan to ice cake with 

glossy icing and want a soft 

smooth top then cut a piece of 

baking paper the size of the 

cake top and place it in top of 

the mixture before baking. 

Melt the butter and chocolate 

in a saucepan over low heat, 

stirring to melt. Add the coffee 

and water mixture and sugar, 

stirring to dissolve. Remove 

pan from heat and pour into a 

large mixing bowl and cool for 

5 minutes. 

Sift the flours and cocoa into 

shopping experience for me 

indeed! 

In fact it had taken almost 10 

years to get to that point with the 

long, often difficult journey, 

from farm hand, managers, share 

farming and moving regions 

while gathering experience and 

skills, proving commitment and 

of course, saving money so the 

Chocalte decorations put finishing touch to Butterfly’s Chocolate Cake. 

the chocolate mixture and stir 

through. Add eggs and vanilla 

and mix well with an electric 

mixer until smooth. 

Pour mixture into prepared tin. 

Bake for 90 minutes or until the 

cake is cooked through, keeping 

in mind it’s a very moist cake. 

The top will be crusty and 

cracked or smooth if you have 

covered it. 

day would come when it all 

came together. 

Now as the 11th year begins 

here and with some uncertainty 

on what the future will bring, I 

can honestly say I feel so proud 

to have had this time here in the 

hills I call home with my beautiful 

girls. 

This herd not only provides 

CHOCOLATE GLAZE 

● 175g dark chocolate and 

150ml Devondale Cream 

Chop up the chocolate into 

small pieces and combine with 

the cream in a saucepan. 

Heat gently, stirring occasionally 

until the mixture is smooth. 

Pour mixture into a cool bowl 

and place in fridge to cool until 

it coats the back of a wooden 

me with financial security but 

has given me much joy as I 

watch them grow from strength 

to strength. 

So to celebrate my dairy 

herd’s 10th birthday I baked my 

much-loved celebration chocolate 

cake and shared it amongst 

friends at the bonfire night. 

Naturally I didn’t tell anyone 

spoon, then mix well and pour 

over cake. 

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED GANACHE 

(ideal for kid’s birthday cakes 

or layer cakes) 

● 200g chocolate / 200ml 

Devondale cream 

Follow as above and once 

cool, whip with handheld 

mixer until mixture is light and 

fluffy. 

that I baked it with love in my 

heart for my girls because they 

probably would have given me a 

good ribbing and chuckled at my 

expense. 

I have learnt much on my journey 

and while life will always be 

full of uncertainty, there is no 

doubting that a thousand mile 

journey begins with one step. 

FARMER HEALTH 

Take up the fight against influenza this winter 

JEANNE 

DEKKER 

DAIRY directly employs 

around 43,000 people and 

to manage your staff 

effectively and as part of building 

the people within your business, 

employers should consider 

offering the influenza vaccine as 

part of a workplace illness prevention 

program. 

The flu can be serious, with an 

estimated 2800 Australians 

dying from the flu each year. A 

further 18,000 are hospitalised 

with serious complications of 

secondary bacterial pneumonia 

and inflammation of the brain 

and heart. 

People with an underlying 

medical condition or reduced 

immunity are at a greater risk of 

influenza complications. The 

high-risk groups include: 

● anyone aged over 65 years. 

● children under five years. 

● pregnant women. 

● people with a chronic conditions 

such as diabetes, heart disease, 

lung disease and chronic 

neurological conditions. 

● residents in aged care facilities. 

● people with severe asthma 

who require frequent hospital 

visits. 

The flu is highly contagious 

and spreads from person to person 

by respiratory droplets 

released during talking, coughing, 

sneezing, laughing or 

singing. 

People with the flu can be 

infectious shortly before signs 

and symptoms appear and last 

for up to 5-7 days after becoming 

sick. 

The flu is not the common 

cold as it is more severe with 

symptoms lasting up to a week 

with muscular pains and shivering 

attacks with a sore throat and 

runny nose. 

Dairy farmers who work with 

or live in close contact with people 

with an underlying medical 

condition or reduced immunity 

should be immunised. 

Dairy operations that employ a 

number of staff members can 

have influenza seriously impact 

your workplace. 

The close proximity and people 

coming into work unwell 

makes it the ideal place to share 

the highly contagious disease. 

Influenza can affect your dairy 

operation as it takes workers 

with flu two weeks to recover. 

The farm gate is the workplace 

for dairy farmers and it is 

worth being immunised against 

the symptoms of the flu. 

It will protect staff from illness, 

protect those who live and 

work on the farm and reduce 

absenteeism. 

Dairy farmers and staff of 

dairy operations who get vaccinated 

against influenza every 

year are better protected than 

those who do not get vaccinated. 

Your doctor and local government 

immunisation service can 

assist you.


Nominations open for 

DA director roles 

Barbecue lunch for 

Blue Tag customers 

NOMINATIONS are now 

open for two positions on 

the Dairy Australia (DA) 

board 

The election will be held at 

DA’s annual general meeting on 

November 27 this year. 

There are two Board vacancies 

this year with Kelvin Jackson 

retiring after serving a maximum 

nine years as a director. 

The second position is vacant 

following the expiration of John 

McKillop’s first three-year term 

on the board and he has indicated 

his intention to stand for reelection 

this year. 

Chair of DA, Geoff Akers, 

said the requirements of the constitution 

meant that one of the 

new Directors must have a milk 

producer background. 

“The other Director being 

sought should have proven 

expertise in agribusiness and 

strategy,”he said. 

For those seeking nomination 

by the Board Selection 

Committee, a Board Pre- 

Selection Committee, comprised 

of three presidents of State Dairy 

Farmer Organisations, will be 

formed by Australian Dairy 

Farmers to assess applications 

for the milk producer vacancy 

and recommend to the Board 

Selection Committee candidates 

who are suitable for interview. 

National milk production rises 

AUSTRALIA’S milk production in the 12 months to the end of 

April this year was up 2.9 per cent. 

Tasmania led the way with an increase of 11 per cent or 6.89 million 

litres.Victoria also showed a substantial production increase of 

12.07 million litres or 2.3 per cent over the 12 months. 

Western Australia showed a 4.9 per cent increase off a lower base 

with an additional 1.56 million litres produced. 

New South Wales production increased 531 million litres or 4.7 

per cent.Queensland went backwards by 5.9 per cent or 3.27 million 

litres and South Australia had a loss of 0.2 per cent. 

For those wishing to apply for 

the agribusiness/strategy role, an 

executive search firm has been 

retained to assist in finding suitable 

candidates. 

Applications for the milk producer 

vacancy should be sent 

(mail or email) to the Dairy 

Australia Board Pre-Selection 

Committee C/- Florence Roney, 

Level 2, 22 William Street, 

Melbourne 3000 or ea@australiandairyfarmers.com.au. 

Applicants for the agribusiness 

and strategy vacancy are 

requested to apply via Mick Hay 

at http://rimfireresources.com.au. 

Applications for consideration 

by the Board Selection 

Committee for either vacancy 

must be made by no later than 

5pm on Thursday 18 June 2015. 

Where an applicant is not 

selected by the Board Selection 

Committee or wishes to nominate 

separately, the applicant can 

apply in writing supported by 

signatures from at least 100 

Group A members of Dairy 

Australia. Nominations must be 

received by Dairy Australia by 

5.00pm on Friday 28 August 


MG Trading’s Blue Tag Sale is 

now in full swing and will run 

until the end of July. 

The sale has returned to MG 

Trading after a short break and 

each store is now offering special 

prices on a wide range of 

products. 

The Blue Tag Sale Catalogue 

is being distributed to all 

Devondale Murray Goulburn 

farmers and MG Trading stores. 

It has also been part of a letter 

box drop campaign and has 

been inserted in many regional 

newspapers. 

“This is a special event for 

MG Trading and we want our 

customers to get the best 

chance to buy the product they 

need at a very competitive 

price,” said MG Trading’s Head 

of Buying and Marketing, 

Stuart Himing. 

“The Blue Tag Sale has long 

been popular with farmer suppliers, 

especially in the lead up 

to tax time, and we are very 

proud to have been able to 

bring it back this year.” 

During each Friday in June, 

MG Trading stores will hold a 

free barbecue lunch for customers 

and these will be supported 

by a product 

training/information sessions 

with key MG Trading vendors. 

“Customers will be able to 

seek advice from specialists in 

their field, as well as enjoying 

a bite to eat,” said Stuart. 

“MG Trading has a strong 

community base and we want 

to offer the best service we can 

both in sales and support for 

services such as agronomy, 

stock feed, fertilisers, dairy 

services and fuel.” 

The back page of this issue 

of the Devondaler highlights a 

number of the products on sale 

over the coming weeks.

BONNIE has the right fuel 

for the working dog


A busy life serving a dairy community 

FAY Sinclair rises at 

5.30am to milk her 280- 

strong dairy herd and 

come midnight, she is just as 

likely to be baking a birthday 

cake for those without a family 

or finishing the paperwork for 

one of the many committees 

she dedicates her spare time 

and energy to. 

For Fay, it’s what life in a 

farming community is all about. 

“You have to enjoy what 

you’re doing,” she said. “I 

enjoy milking cows. I wouldn’t 

get out of bed at 5:30 every 

morning if I didn’t.” 

Fay and her husband, Daryl, 

are Devondale Murray 

Goulburn suppliers at Stony 

Creek in South Gippsland. 

Healthy cows, rich pastures 

and modernised infrastructure 

are the keys to making the farm 

a productive and profitable 

dairy business. 

Their milk is high quality and 

their young cows are in demand 

from international dairy producers 

looking to boost herds 

from China to Mexico. 

Closer to home, Daryl and 

Fay’s remarkable revegetation 

efforts saw them win the 2003 

National Landcare Award. 

Since then, the total number of 

trees planted on the farm has 

topped 6000. 

Fay and Daryl Sinclair at their farm at Stony Creek in South 

Gippsland. 

“We like shade and shelter in 

the winter, and so do the cows. 

If the cows are comfortable, they 

actually give you better production,” 

Daryl said. 

It’s this commitment to the 

bigger picture of their local 

environment that makes the 

couple such a special part of 

the South Gippsland community. 

Daryl, who prefers to stay in 

the background, has been president 

of the local football 

umpires’ association, helps 

maintain the immaculate playing 

surface at the Meeniyan 

Recreation Reserve, has held 

various football management 

positions and has been secretary 

of the cricket club for many 

years. 

For 30 years Fay has been 

secretary of the Meeniyan 

Recreation Reserve, has been 

involved with the Meeniyan 

Dumbalk United Football Club 

for almost as long, is secretary 

of the Meeniyan basketball 

stadium, secretary of the 

Leongatha branch of the Cake 

Decorating Association, teaches 

baking to local primary school 

kids and helps out each week at 

three-year-old kinder in 

Meeniyan. 

Apart from all that, Daryl and 

Fay were inaugural participants 

in Dairy Australia’s Focus 

Farmers program, regularly participate 

in on-farm discussion 

groups and have mentored young 

dairy farmers. 

In their spare time they also 

managed to raise four boys. 

In 2011, Fay was honoured 

with the South Gippsland 

Citizen of the Year award for her 

community work. 

“I do the work because I want 

the community to go forward 

and be in good shape for the 

next 50 years, for our kids. 

“Small towns are great places 

but someone has to do the work. 

If we can keep the facilities up 

to scratch, then it will survive.” 

Now in their early 50s, the 

couple are adamant that 

involvement in off-farm activities 

is vital for their wellbeing. 

Whether it’s helping at the 

local footy club or participating 

in a farm discussion group, getting 

away from the constant 

demands of the farm is crucial 

to both Daryl and Fay. 

“It’s important for any farmer 

not to be at home all the time. 

Any person in any industry 

needs to go outside their own 

field, to give them an interest,” 

said Daryl, who had just 

returned from his fifth Great 

Victorian Bike Ride. 

Speaking to other farmers 

also helps remind the pair what 

they love about dairy farming 

and the passion that drives so 

many in the industry. 

“You need to go and see other 

farms. Even for us, it’s still 

exciting seeing other farmers 

who are doing things slightly 

differently It might only be the 

way they clip a gate, but you 

think, ‘well, I can apply that on 

our farm’,” she said. 

With each gate clipped, every 

cake baked, every meeting 

attended and each lap of the 

footy oval on the mower, Daryl 

and Fay Sinclair are making 

their farm and their community 

a better place to live. 

Couple heads north to secure their future 

By SHARON CAIN 

DAIRY farming was not the 

obvious choice for Rod 

Gundrill when he finished 

high school at age 16. 

Although farming did run in 

the family with his grandparents 

having a dairy farm and his 

father owning a hay contracting 

business, Rod decided to complete 

a roof tiling apprenticeship. 

That decision was to prove to 

be a good choice a few years 

down the track. 

After marrying his childhood 

sweetheart, Aleisha, the couple 

decided to go down the farming 

path and at age 20, they moved 

to Gippsland where Rod got his 

first job on a dairy farm. 

Three years later they moved 

to Northern Victoria where Rod 

took up another position on a 

dairy farm, until drought conditions 

proved too hard and Rod 

found himself wondering if he 

should return to the trade of his 

apprenticeship. 

“In 2009 we decided to move 

back to Gippsland, bought a 

house and started our own roof 

tiling business and that decision 

got us through the next three 

years,” said Rod. 

Although the roof tiling business 

was going well, the desire 

to be on the land was never far 

from Rod’s mind and he accepted 

a manager’s position on a 

dairy farm in Yanakie, near 

Wilson’s Promontory, while 

We are very family 

orientated and 

love spending time 

together, whether 

it be helping each 

other out on the 

farm or watching 

the children play 

sport. 

ROD GUNDRILL 

still keeping the roof tiling 

business. 

In 2014 Rod and Aleisha were 

asked if they would be interested 

in leasing a dairy farm and a 

herd of cows at Katunga, 

Northern Victoria. 

They believed this would be a 

great opportunity to start their 

own farming business and live 

closer to family. 

“I enjoyed the manager’s job 

in Yanakie but it was not ideal 

managing a farm and our roof 

tiling business at the same time,” 

said Rod. 

So the roof tiling business was 

sold and the couple moved 

north. 

Rod and Aleisha started on 

their lease on the 60ha farm on 

1 August 2014 with 75 cows inmilk 

and 75 spring calvers. 

The farm is planted in rye 

grass and shaftal with 75 per 

Rod and Aleisha Gundrill have made the move from Gippsland to 

the irrigation region of Northern Victoria. 

cent in annuals and 25 per cent 

in permanent pasture. 

The milkers are currently 

being fed 5kgs of grain per cow 

through the dairy and then put 

out onto pasture. 

Rod would like to go back to 

once a year calving in the 

autumn. 

“The cows get stressed in the 

summer with the high temperatures. 

“I would rather have them dry 

and sitting in a paddock chewing 

on some hay. 

“There is no need to irrigate 

and waste our water allocation 

over the Christmas period and 

with the MG’s flat milk incentive 

in the autumn, we get paid 

more for the milk at that time of 

year so it makes sense,” he said. 

“I just feel we are better off 

having that milking window 

from February 1 to December 

1,” he said. 

Breeding is something the 

Gundrills are passionate about. 

“We are not fussy but we do 

like Brown Swiss and in time we 

will probably have a cross type 

herd rather than just one breed 

or the other,” said Rod. 

“It all comes down to profitability 

so that is the challenge 

for us over the next two to five 

years to see what breed and 

what size cows to have. 

“It is simply a numbers game 

for the next two to three years. 

We are just focused on building 

herd numbers at the moment and 

then in time we can pick and 

choose what cows we would like 

to milk.” 

Rod and Aleisha have two 

children, Tahlia, 12, and Nathan, 

10, and believe that farming is 

the best environment in which to 

raise children. 

Aleisha is proud to be able to 

be a ‘stay at home’ mum. 

“Having this number of cows 

and this farm size, we are able to 

do all the things with the kids 

because we are not putting in the 

big hours,” said Aleisha. 

“We do not need two people in 

the dairy and I am able to take 

the children to their sports and 

dance training,” she said. 

“We are very family orientated 

and love spending time together, 

whether it be helping each other 

out on the farm or watching the 

children play sport,” said Rod. 

“Life is pretty much farming 

and family for us. We don’t 

employ anyone or have relief 

milkers which means we are 

here all the time, but we all 

enjoy it and it is a different challenge 

every morning you wake 

up,” said Rod.

10 



MG’s capital structure proposal 

Indicative share price range set 

FOLLOWING the strong 

shareholder vote in favour 

of the capital Structure at 

the recent Extraordinary General 

Meeting (EGM), Murray 

Goulburn has made further 

progress towards implementation 

of the capital structure. 

Immediately following the 

EGM, the Supplier Share Offer 

(SSO) was opened to Eligible 

Suppliers and closed on 25 2015. 

With all applications under the 

SSO now processed, MG is 

pleased to report that the SSO 

was well supported, with more 

than 50 per cent of available 

shares taken up in the offer. 

MG has now lodged with the 

Australian Securities and 

Investments Commission (ASIC) 

a Supplementary Prospectus for 

the Supplier Priority Offer and 

MG Responsible Entity Limited 

(Responsible Entity), as the 

Responsible Entity of the MG 

Unit Trust, has today lodged 

with ASIC a Product Disclosure 

Statement (PDS) for the initial 

public offering (IPO) of units in 

the MG Unit Trust. 

Together, the SSO, the 

Supplier Priority Offer and the 

IPO are expected to raise 

approximately $500 million. 

MG plans to invest this capital 

to further support its growth and 

value creation strategy to 

improve farmgate returns and 

market reach, by funding investment 

in world leading manufacturing 

capability. 

Shareholders have the opportunity 

to acquire additional MG 

shares through the Supplier 

Priority Offer as well as the 

opportunity to invest in the MG 

Unit Trust by acquiring units in 

the MG Unit Trust through the 

IPO. 

SUPPLIER PRIORITY OFFER 

UNDER the Supplier Priority 

Offer, existing shareholders will 

have the opportunity to buy 

shares in excess of their Share 

Standard up to the hard cap – the 

0.5 percent ownership limit set 

out in MG’s constitution, currently 

1.6 million shares. 

Suppliers who participate in 

this offer will acquire their 

shares at the same price at which 

units are issued to investors 

under the IPO. 

The Supplier Priority Offer 

will open on 9June 2015 and 

close at 5pm (AEST) on 24 June 


The Supplementary Prospectus 

relating to the Supplier Priority 

Offer will be mailed to all eligible 

MG shareholders on or 

around 9 June 2015. 

Accompanying the 

Supplementary Prospectus will 

be a personalised application 

form, which will need to be 

completed and returned by 5pm 

(AEST) on 24 June 2015, if you 

wish to buy shares in the 

Supplier Priority Offer. 

It is important that the 

Supplementary Prospectus is 

read in conjunction with the MG 

Prospectus dated 1 May 2015 

which was mailed to all eligible 

Shareholders in early Mayand is 

also available on MG’s website 

(www.mgc.com.au). 


supplements the MG Prospectus, 

which contains important information 

about the offer of shares, 

MG’s financial and operating 

performance and a description 

of the relevant risks and 

opportunities. 

It is important that you read 

the MG Prospectus and the 

Supplementary Prospectus carefully 

and in their entirety before 

deciding whether to apply for 

shares under the Supplier 

Priority Offer. 

Included in the Supplementary 

Prospectus is important new 

information, ncluding the indicative 

price range of $2.10 to 

$3.20 for shares to be offered 

under the Supplier Priority Offer. 


also includes forecast information 

regarding dividends to be 

paid to MG shareholders and 

therefore distributions which 

will be paid to unit holders). 

The forecast fully franked dividend 

to be paid to MG shareholders 

in relation to financial 

year 2016 is approximately 17.0 

cents per share, representing a 

dividend yield of 6.4 per cent 

based on the midpoint of the 

indicative price range. 

Achieving this forecast 

remains subject to changes in 

external factors such as global 

dairy commodity prices, 

exchange rate fluctuations and 

other risks detailed in the MG 

Prospectus. 

Shareholders should note that 

the final price for shares in the 

Supplier Priority Offer will not 

be determined untilafter the 

close of the Institutional Offer 

and the Retail Offer as part of 

the IPO, and may be set at a 

price below, within or above the 

indicative price range of $2.10 

to $3.2 per share. 

It is expected that the final 

price will be announced on 3 

July 2015. 

IPO 

THE PDS sets out the terms of 

the offer of units by the 

Responsible Entity to investors. 

Unitholders in the MG Unit 

Trust will be eligible to receive 

annual and half yearly distributions 

which will be equivalent to 

dividends paid to MG Shareholders. 

The PDS, like the 

Supplementary Prospectus, contains 

the indicative price range 

of $2.10 to $3.20 per unit to be 

offered in the IPO and forecasts 

a fully franked distribution of 

approximately 17.0 cents per 

unit to be paid to unitholders in 

relation to financial year 2016, 

representing a cash distribution 

yield of 6.4 per cent based on 

the midpoint of the indicative 

price range. 

Achieving thisforecast remains 

subject to changes in external 

factors such as global dairy commodity 

prices, exchangerate 

fluctuations and other risks 

detailed in the PDS. 

The establishment of the MG 

Unit Trust will have no effect on 

the co-operative nature of MG. 

The existing 100 per cent farmer 

control will remain unchanged 

as unitholders will not have voting 

rights in respect of MG and 

will therefore not have control 

over the strategic and operational 

decisions of MG. 

The PDS contains important 

information about the offer of 

units, MG’s financial and operating 

performance and a description 

of the risks and opportunities 

of the offer. 

It is important that you read 

the PDS carefully and in its 

entirety before deciding whether 

to invest in the MG Unit Trust. 

FRIENDS OF MG OFFER 

AS set out in the PDS, the 

Responsible Entity makes an 

offer of units under the ‘Friends 

of MG Offer’ to: 

● Eligible Former Preference 

Shareholders of MG; 

● Eligible Current and Former 

Shareholders of MG; 

●Eligible Employees of MG; 

● Eligible Local Residents of 

MG’s dairy regions. 

The Friends of MG Offer will 

run concurrently with the 

Supplier Priority Offer from 9 

June 2015 to 5 pm (AEST) on 

24 June 2015. 

Shareholders are encouraged 

to inform people in eligible 

dairying communities that the 

Friends of MG offer is open to 

them, if they wish to invest in 

the MG Unit Trust and receive 

an economic exposure to the 

performance of MG. 

MG will also run advertisements 

in newspapers during the 

IPO offer period, to advise dairy 

community members about the 

Friends of MG Offer. 

The PDSlodged with ASIC 

today remains subject to an 

‘exposure period’ of at least 

seven days. As such both the 

IPO and the Supplier Priority 

Offer will not open until 9 June 


The Supplementary 

Prospectus will be mailed to 

shareholders, but the PDS will 

not be automatically mailed. 

Shareholders can access a 

copy of the PDS online at 

www.mgc.com.au or by visiting 

www.MGUnitOffers.com.au or 

by calling the MG Offer 

Information Line on 1300 477 

596 (within Australia) or +61 3 

9415 4293 (outside Australia) to 

request that a copy be mailed to 

them. 

Please read the offer documents 

for the Supplier Priority 

Offer and the IPO carefully and 

in their entirety before making 

any decision to purchase shares 

or units and contact the MG 

Offer Information Line on 1300 

477 596 (within Australia) or 

+61 3 9415 4293 (outside 

Australia) if you have any questions. 

All potential investors are also 

encouraged to seek independent 

professional advice before 

deciding whether or not to buy 

shares under the Supplier 

Priority Offer or units under 

the IPO. 

MG Shareholders are encouraged 

to complete their applications 

online at 

www.MGShareOffers.com.au 

for the Supplier Priority Offer 

and at www.MGUnit 

Offers.com.au for the Friends of 

MG Offer. 

The online process is by far 

the most efficient way to participate 

in the offers and will help 

ensure applications are received 

by the closing date and time.


From left, Randy Munzel, Field Services Officer, Brock Williams, Kurt Brereton and 

Matt Spittle. 

From left, supplier Greg Crichton with Commonwealth Bank representatives, Brian 

Cooper, Nat Walker and Tim Triplett. 

Annual Cohuna golf day up to par 

WELCOME morning rain 

followed by a bright, 

sunny afternoon, was 

the recipe for another successful 

annual north west Devondale 

Murray Goulburn golf day, held 

at the Cohuna Golf Club. 

A strong field of suppliers and 

local business and agribusiness 

financial representatives took 

part in the two-ball Ambrose 

event. 

The winners were Darryl 

McGowan and Brett Whitman 

while runners-up were Paul 

Pickford and Richard Myers. 

Nearest to the pin on the second 

hole was Matt Walker; 8th 

hole ‘Skeeta’ Verhay; 11th hole 

Andrew Hipworth and 17th hole, 

Greg Crichton. 

A wide variety of prizes were 

provided by sponsors and thanks 

go to: ANZ, Commonwealth, 

National Australia and 

Rabobanks, TruTest, Riverlea 

and Gunbower Butchers. 

A team from the Rochester area made the trip to Cohuna for the golf day. From left, Matt Young, Corey Mitchell, Ian Smith, Andrew 

Cochrane, Noel Mitchell and Jarod Ireland. 

From left, Leigh Fletcher, Craig Cotton, Noel Mitchell and Ian Smith. 

Former Field Services Officer, Graham Archard, centre 

with National Australia Bank Agribusiness representatives, 

Peter Irwin and Trudy Denham. 

Chris Hinks from TruTest had 

the barbecue under control. 

MG Field Services Officer, Warren Collins, centre, with suppliers, Greg 

Church and Kevin Orr. 

Craig Cotton gets into the swing of things.

12 



Maximise pasture growth this winter 

NITROGEN is an essential 

nutrient important for 

plant growth. 

It assists chlorophyll production, 

which gives a plant its dark 

green colour. 

A lack of nitrogen usually 

results in yellowing of the 

leaves. In ryegrasses, nitrogen 

deficiency is often first noticed 

with yellowing of the oldest 

leaves, but then moves to the 

younger leaves in severe 

cases. 

Without sufficient nitrogen a 

plant cannot optimise sunlight 

for energy, limiting essential 

functions and restricting the 

plant from reaching its full 

growth potential. 

Soil micro-organisms are useful 

in helping to breakdown soil 

nutrients including nitrogen, 

however as the soil temperatures 

get cooler, they become less 

active. 

Supplementing soil nitrogen 

levels with fertilisers in the cooler 

months is common practice 

for maintaining adequate levels 

of nitrogen to continue plant 

growth. 

Urea is the most commonly 

used nitrogen-based fertiliser 

and the most concentrated providing 

46 per cent nitrogen, 

Supplementing soil nitrogen levels with fertilisers in the cooler months is common practice. 

which usually makes it the 

best value nitrogen product 

(cheapest $/kg nitrogen) for 

pasture, provided it is used 

correctly. 

Urea is normally applied at 

between 60-120 kg/ha, in an 

application. The application rate 

can vary due to a number of reasons, 

such as existing soil nitrogen 

levels, grazing rotation 

length, feed demand, soil moisture 

and temperature, pasture 

composition and density and soil 

type. 

These all potentially influence 

the desired growth response per 

kg nitrogen applied. 

Responses from nitrogen 

applied in winter can vary significantly, 

but typically 1kg of 

nitrogen can result in 10kg of 

Dry Matter (DM) per hectare on 

grass pasture in good growing 

conditions. (example: 1kg nitrogen 

= 10kg DM; 100kg Urea = 

460 kg DM). 

Where additional feed can be 

utilised, nitrogen is usually 

always the cheapest source of 

additional feed. 

Promoting growth with nitrogen 

only works when the plant 

is growing. There has to be 

growth for the nitrogen to be 

utilised, so more nitrogen isn’t 

always better. 

Other nutrients levels, such as 

phosphorus, potassium and sulphur 

availability, can also influence 

the response to the applied 

nitrogen. 

Low soil temperature can also 

lead to low sulphur availability. 

Similar to nitrogen, sulphur is 

also helps to make chlorophyll 

and sulphur deficiency can be 

confused with the symptoms of 

nitrogen deficiency. 

But unlike nitrogen, sulphur 

deficiency is usually first seen as 

yellowing in the newer leaves. 

So, best practice for applying 

nitrogen is as follows: 

● Apply nitrogen when stock 

can be held off the area for a 

minimum 21 days. Annual 

grasses and brassica species in 

particular, can accumulate 

excess nitrate nitrogen and 

become toxic to stock that are 

not conditioned to eating them. 

These are likely to be dry, or 

young, stock that do not have 

high daily energy intakes from 

grain. 

● Apply nitrogen with phosphorous, 

potassium and sulphur 

if there is a likelihood that these 

nutrients are also deficient. 

Asoil test can assist in identifying 

this. 

● Be strategic with the nitrogen 

application. Nitrogen applications 

generally follow the 

grazing rotation, which along 

with reducing the ill effects to 

livestock, will also assist in 

achieving the greatest economic 

benefit from the nitrogen fertiliser. 

● Consider the use of natural 

growth hormones, such as 

Gibberellic acid (such as 

ProGibb SG or RyzUp), to 

enhance nitrogen responses, particularly 

on pastures that are a 

winter dormant grass. 

NOTE: You may need to 

shorten your grazing rotation to 

achieve maximum benefit from 

these products. 

MG Trading is able to provide 

an end-to-end solution for your 

fertiliser requirements in most 

areas including blends, bulk 

deliveries, field bins and spreading 

options. 

Contact your local MG 

Trading Store, Fertiliser Depot, 

or Agronomist to see what can 

be done for you.


Half a new dairy is better than none 

By SUE WEBSTER 

HALF a herringbone is better 

than none. Just ask Pat 

Purcell. The slick, new 

16-unit swingover is a one-sided 

herringbone fitted to take a second 

side sometime in the future. 

The new shed abuts the old 

four-unit timber walk-through 

that at one time handled up to 

140 crossbreeds at Pat’s farm on 

the floodplain of the Brodribb 

River at Marlo in East 

Gippsland. 

Milking used to take up to 

three hours. Now, with a herd 

varying between 50 and 80, 

milking through his new demiherringbone 

takes half that time. 

He has a relief milker two 

days a week and the old farm 

dog Pugsy, a blue heeler/terrier 

cross, comes in handy, 

although a new dog is awaiting 

training. 

The old shed is now used for 

storing junk and Pat is delighted 

with the shiny new piece of technology 

that has turned up on his 

farm. 

Oh … and I forgot to mention 

his age. Pat is 82. 

How long will he keep working 

in his new shed? 

“We’ll just have to see,” he 

said. 

He had four children but none 

of them want to take on the 

farm. 

Pat came into milking late in 

life. He was a farm hand as a 

teen, then at about age 18, he 

joined bush crews and roamed 

widely through East Gippsland 

until suddenly the Australian 

Paper Mill logging contract 

stopped. 

The sub-contractors went, so 

did all the equipment and Pat 

and his partner, Ella, went milking, 

initially leasing a farm at 

Orbost for two years. 

“I always wanted to be a dairy 

farmer,” he said. “And then, in 

1982, we were driving around 

one day when Ella saw this ‘for 

sale’ sign for this farm. So we 

bought it.” 

And the place hasn’t changed 

much since then. 

There are no laneways and the 

cows just wander up for milking. 

There’s no renovation to the 

80ha of ryegrass/kikuyu pasture 

which floods in high water. He 

doesn’t bother with conserving 

fodder, he just buys it all in. 

During floods he simply brings 

the animals up onto the high 

ground. 

Don’t ask him how much feed 

they get, or how much milk they 

produce. Components, rolling 

Pat Purcell is all smiles in his new dairy at Marlo. 

herd averages, dry matter …. 

he just smiles and shrugs. 

The small-framed animals 

look well-formed and well-fed. 

Fertility is close to 100 per cent 

off a Jersey bull chosen for calving 

ease. 

The herd is spring-calving and 

Pat rears all his own replacements. 

Even on this sometimes 

muddy country, he only cops 

three of four cases of mastitis a 

year. 

Some of the girls are old too, 

he admits, maybe up to 12 years. 

So how did they make the 

transition to the new shed? Pat 

rolled his eyes. 

“The first four months wasn’t 

very funny but they’re alright 

now.” 

Ella helped out with the milking 

in the old shed but grew 

increasingly weary. 

In 2011 she was diagnosed 

with an exceptionally rare cancer 

of the heart and in 17 days she 

was gone. 

Pat hit some bad health of his 

own. And that’s when friends 

stepped in. 

He asked Dawn, a widowed 

friend from the Latrobe Valley, 

to come and help run the place 

and a local dairy farmer, Geoff 

Morgan, offered to help Pat 

build the herringbone. 

An experienced concreter, 

Geoff did the raised platform 

and concreting, leaving Pat only 

to have to pay for the shed and 

fittings. 

“He built all that out of the 

kindness of his heart.” 

Meanwhile, the cows have 

milked out and there are no 

automatic cup removers. 

Pat notices the observation 

bowls are dry and quickly starts 

removing the clusters. 

“Better get these off or else 

they’ll go cross-eyed,” he 

laughed.

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Seek professional advice on the best nutritional program for your situation.


Rebecca Barry of Coopers caught up with MG supplier, Bronte Medhurst. 

Sam Work of Water Dynamics Mt Gambier, left, with MG supplier, Graeme 

Hamilton, from Mount Gambier. 

DairySA Innovation Day at Mt Gambier 

THE annual Dairy SA Innivation 

Day was held at Mount Gambier 

last month. 

The theme of the day was 

Powering Up Your Herd and 

drew speakers from the United 

States, Victoria, Tasmania and a 

representative from Dairy 

Australia. 

The spoke on a wide range of 

subjects including genomics, 

innovations in herd testing, 

selection and management and 

technology advancements. 

Many Devondale Murray 

Goulburn suppliers from across 

South Australia and south west 

Victoria attended the event. 

Pictures: MICHELE HAMILTON 

David Kuchel of the DairySA board, left, with MG Director, John 

Pye. They were among the large number of visitors to attend the 

2015 Dairy SA Innovation Day at Mount Gambier. 

MG supplier Daniel Hunt with his baby son, Mason, who was the youngest farmer to attended the 

DairySA Innovation Day. 

Jess Bloomfield, left, of TRAC Performance Minerals, right, chats with Isla Wilson and Sam Symonds 

from Hamilton’s Run dairy at Mount Gambier. 

MG supplier, Travis Telford. of 

Munduloon Dairy, is a member 

of DairySA board. 

Chairman of DairySA board, 

and MG supplier, James Mann, 

of Donovans Dairying.

16 



CLASSIFIEDS 

FARM FOR SALE 

315 acres, 250-cow yard, 

9000 litre vat, 24-a-side 

swingover shed, 30 tonne pellet 

silo and feed system. Excellent 

water supply.South west 

Victoria. 

3-bedroom house, school bus 

service to all Hamilton schools, 

WIWO available. 

Phone: (03) 5576 8554 

FOR SALE 

30 tonne Nelson silo with mineral 

dispenser. 

Manure pump 4hp Dumac. 

Price: $1500 

Phone: (03) 5659 5220 or 

0408 523 513 

44 Alfa Laval clusters. 

Phone: (03) 5566 5175 

Milk vats for sale. Second hand 

10,300 litre horizontal Barry 

Brown vat and Frigrite 4800 

litre round vat. Both on glycol 

systems. 

Phone Keith Hammond: (03) 

5561 1705. 

800 litre Wilson rapid dump 

HWS. 

Price: $4000 

11,600 litre Fitzroy vat. 

Price: $30,000 

2300 litre Anderson vat & compressor 

unit. 

Price: $1500 

2300 litre Alfa Laval vat & 

compressor unit. 

Price: $2300 

Shepp fibreglass flood wash 

tank. 

Price: $4000 

Phone Michael: (03) 5436 6226 

2 x Delaval auto calf feeders. 

Delivers milk and grain. Can 

feed 25-30 calves each. 

Includes computer and milk 

storage vessel. Leongatha area. 

Price: $9000 plus GST for 

both. 

Phone Ben: 0431 479 675 

Jersey bulls from high production 

herd. All breeding available. 

Price: $1300 plus GST each 

Phone Darryn: (03) 5727 3604 

or 0439 273 606 

WANTED TO BUY 

3 PL round bale feed out 

machine. Not trailed. Kerang 

area. Phone or leave text message. 

Phone Keith den Houting: 0427 

554 186. 

Friesian heifer calves. 

Phone Ray: 0431 366 401 

Friesian chopper cows, not 

in calf. Will pay more than 

chopper price. 

Phone: 0403 481109 or (03) 

5658 1680. 

LEASE FARM WANTED 

Dairy farm to lease, to milk 150 

cows, many years experience, 

excellent references. 

Phone: 0437 330 521 

FARMS FOR LEASE 

Kyabram District 150 acres 

90% lasered, modern 12 double-up 

dairy, 8100 litre vat. 

64,000 kg solids last season. 

Five bedroom house plus office. 

School bus at gate. 

Preferred start date July 1 

Phone Rochester Field 

Services: (03) 5484 0222 

135ha farm at Timboon, south 

west Victoria, available 

June/July 2015. 

Dryland farm in high rainfall 

area able to milk around 

1.6cows/ha (approx. 230 cows) 

4 bedroom house, good tracks 

and water system. 30-a-side 

swingover dairy with cup 

removers. 

Phone Matt Morrow, MG Field 

Services: 0418 589 758 

matt.morrow@mgc.com.au 

Honest and reliable couple 

looking for a 200 to 300 cow 

farm in south west Victoria. 

Long term lease and good facilities 

preferred. 20 years of 

experience in the industry. 

Phone Kerry: 0417 957 600. 

SHAREFARM WANTED 

Experienced couple looking for 

a share farm in Gippsland. 

Phone Kellie or Anthony: 0488 

490 790 

POSITION VACANT 

Farm hand, must have experience 

(Lockington area). House 

provided. 

Phone Cindy: 0427 849232 

AGISTMENT 

180 acres at Almurta in 

Gippsland available from May. 

Up to 150 head. 

Phone Peter: 0418 360 275 

Quality dairy agistment 

available long term in south 

west Victoria. 

References are available on 

request. 

Phone: 0438 831 526 

Devondale 

Murray 

Goulburn is on 

Twitter: 

@DevondaleMG


It’s all official at Smithton as local MP, Roger Jaensch, cuts the ribbon. From left, 

MG Trading Regional Manager, Tasmania, Colin Cook, MG Trading General Manager, 

Michael Loxton, TDP Field Services Officer, Chris Haynes and Robert 

DiPierdomenico. 

The store openings provided a busy time for MG Trading employees. From left, 

Frank Matkovich, MG Trading General Manager, Michael Loxton, MG Trading 

Regional Manager, Tasmania, Colin Cook, MG Trading Store Operations Manager, 

Tony Gomersall, Jo Taylor, Jaymi-Lea Anderson and Kanon Lockett. 

MG TRADING NOW IN TASMANIA 

Large crowds back store openings 

TWO new MG Trading 

stores were officially 

opened in northern 

Tasmania last month with more 

than 400 people attending at 

both Deloraine and Smithton. 

Local Members of Parliament, 

Mark Shelton, led the opening 

ceremonies at Deloraine while 

Roger Jaensch, performed the 

opening duties at Smithton. 

Former Hawthorn footballer 

and Brownlow Medallist, Robert 

DiPierdomenico (Dippa), was 

also on hand to help with the 

opening celebrations. 

MG Trading’s Regional 

Manager, Tasmania, Colin Cook, 

said the two openings were an 

outstanding success and set the 

platform for future growth. 

“We had big numbers of people 

at both openings with sales 

transactions peaking around 

lunchtime,” he said. 

“Dairy products were an 

absolute hit, all but clearing the 

dairy lines. It was a new theme 

to the standard rural supplies 

stores in Tasmania.” 

Colin praised the store 

employees who he said did a 

sensational job in the lead up to 

the day and on the day. 

“This was no mean feat with 

the doubling of the product 

range in each store, significantly 

more showroom racking was 

required to be erected, stock 

ordered, receipted and priced 

ready for the day,” he said. 

Colin also gave a brief 

presentation on the history 

leading up the MG Trading 

purchase of AgriCorp Pacific 

and its stores at Deloraine and 

Smithton and the alignment of 

the values in both businesses. 

MG Trading General Manager, 

Michael Loxton, also spoke at 

both events and presented the 

vision of MG Trading on the 

mainland and shared the future 

Tasmanian strategy. 

His key message was around 

supporting MG suppliers and 

the continued growth of the 

company’s business into the 

key cropping and pasture 

markets previously established 

by its predecessor, AgriCorp 

Pacific. 

Dippa was the key guest for 

both days, drawing a connection 

between the Legendairy dairy 

campaign and his status in 

football.. He emphasised the 

strength and synergy of team 

play, drawing on the similarities 

of the game of football to that 

of business. 

“More than 30 farm supply 

vendors attended both days, 

which on the back of Agfest 

only the week before was very 

much appreciated,” Colin said. 

At the Smithton opening, Mr 

Jaensch highlighted the investment 

Devondale Murray 

Goulburn had made in the 

The bidding was strong when former Hawthorn champion, Robert DiPierdomenico produced a signed 

football jumper. MG Trading’s Regional Manager, Tasmania, Colin Cook, was quick to take the bids. 

Circular Head area and the 

resulting employment. 

In addition he spoke of the 

confidence MG had in the dairy 

industry and its sustainable 

future particularly as international 

relations continued to grow 

and exports increased. 

Local MP, Mark Shelton, 

speaks at the official opening 

of the Deloraine store. 

From left, TDP Field Services Officer, Peter Korpershoek, Robert DiPierdomenico, MP Mark Shelton, MG Trading Regional Manager, 

Tasmania, Colin Cook, MG Trading General Manager, Michael Loxton.

18 



MG FarmC@re 

Trees, carbon offset values outlined 

By MARK JAGO 

FIFTEEN dairy farmers and 

Devondale Murray 

Goulburn More from Less 

project staff gained valuable 

insight into how trees can be 

used to their full advantage on 

farms. 

MG’s More From Less project 

organised a tour of Jigsaw Farms 

owned by Mark Wooton and Eve 

Kantor in south west Victoria. 

Jigsaw Farms is made up of 

two large land parcels totalling 

6700ha running a mixed grazing 

operation. A fine wool sheep 

flock, a prime lamb operation 

and a self-replacing beef herd 

make up the mixed grazing operation. 

The underlying focus of 

Jigsaw Farms is to integrate a 

profitable highly productive 

stock and agroforestry operation 

while adhering to environmental 

guidelines. 

This philosophy has led Mark 

and Eve to work on planting out 

many of the non-productive 

areas of the farm with either permanent 

plantings (55 per cent) 

or agroforestry plantations (45 

per cent of plantings, managed 

on a cycle of harvest and 

replanting). 

“Looking after the non-productive 

areas of the farm in this 

way has helped us gain efficiencies 

in production from the 

farm,” said Mark. 

Mark spoke passionately about 

the projects they have undertaken 

for carbon offsetting. The 

plantations on Jigsaw Farms 

cover include 1.2million trees 

that act as a carbon sink, taking 

in carbon dioxide from the 

atmosphere and storing carbon 

in the trees, also known as terrestrial 

sequestration. 

The farm expels less than or 

equivalent amounts of carbon 

Devondaler Murray Goulburn suppliers and Field Services Officers get ready for a visit to Jigsaw 

Farm in south west Victoria. 

Planting of trees 

is not seen as 

taking land from 

production, quite 

the opposite, as 

the evident lift in 

grazing production 

is attributed to the 

shelter provided 

by the trees. 

dioxide through its operations, 

especially through reduced use 

of fuel powered equipment 

which has enabled the farm to be 

carbon neutral. 

Planting of trees is not seen as 

taking land from production, 

quite the opposite, as the evident 

lift in grazing production is 

attributed to the shelter provided 

by the trees. 

Jigsaw Farms also participates 

in other carbon offset projects to 

continue to lower its environmental 

footprint. 

Water also plays an integral 

part on the farm. 

All waterways and creeks have 

been fenced off and revegetated, 

wetlands created and linked to 

other plantings to create biodiversity 

corridors. 

Bird surveys are completed 

every season and have been 

undertaken for many years and 

not only have bird numbers 

increased but so have the number 

of different species. 

“Climate change is an issue 

whether you believe it or not,” 

said Mark. 

“We have been able to demonstrate 

the reduction of the impact 

to our business through what we 

have done on farm.” 

Some of the benefits Jigsaw 

Farms sees from planting trees 

and protecting waterways are; 

● future income from wood 

products, 

● shelter for stock welfare and 

productivity, 

● shelter to lift winter pasture 

production, 

● contribution to climate change 

mitigation through CO2 capture, 

● habitat for wildlife and 

● prevention of nutrient build up 

in waterways. 

As a result the farming system 

is more resilient and adaptive. 

Methane, which comes from 

ruminant stock on farms and 

land fill, is a major contributor 

to greenhouse gases in the 

atmosphere. 

By finding ways to reduce 

methane levels expelled by ruminant 

stock there will be less contributing 

to atmospheric greenhouse 

gases. 

To address this issue, Jigsaw 

Farms has begun the process of 

improving the genetics of their 

animals so they are more efficient 

in converting feed to wool 

and meat. 

A number of positive outcomes 

are realised with 

improved reproductive rates 

resulting in increased lamb and 

calf numbers on the ground per 

breeding unit. 

On Jigsaw Farms, the fertilizer 

strategy aims to lift Olsen P levels 

to around 20+ resulting in 

the paddocks running at an average 

stocking rate of 18-20 

DSE(dry sheep equivalent) per 

ha, close to double the district 

average. 

This makes the business more 

profitable while decreasing the 

methane intensity from the business 

through increased productivity 

from the same area. 

MG, via the More from Less 

project, aims to assist its dairy 

farmer suppliers to investigate 

these same links between 

increased productivity and 

reduced greenhouse gas emissions. 

The visit to Jigsaw Farms, 

made possible by the More from 

Less project funding from the 

Australian Government, left the 

MG dairy farmers with a lot to 

digest. 

This included the observation 

that while Jigsaw Farms and 

their own dairy businesses were 

vastly different, there were 

many common issues and 

opportunities. 

Everyone who attended 

thought the visit was informative 

and worthwhile with some suggesting 

that one day was not 

long enough to take in all that 

Mark and Eve have achieved. 

MG suppliers wishing to learn 

more about increasing their productivity 

and lowering their 

environmental footprint can call 

their local FarmC@re facilitator 

through MG Field Services. 

New guide book launched to 

help minimise mastitis issues 

A NEW set of easy-to-use visual 

guides has been created by 

Dairy Australia’s (DA) 

Countdown 2020 team to help 

farmers minimise mastitis in 

the dairy. 

The wet winter months 

increase the risk of mastitis, a 

disease not only painful for the 

cow but damaging for milk 

quality, production and business 

profitability. 

The Countdown Shed Guides 

feature key aspects of the 

Countdown 2020 Farm 

Guidelines and clearly illustrate 

the steps required to prevent, 

monitor and treat mastitis 

through a pictorial format. 

Dairy Australia’s Program 

Development Manager, Erika 

Oakes, said the guide was tough, 

durable and a ‘must-have’ for 

the dairy. 

“The catalyst for this project 

is that we have had lots of 

feedback from farmers saying 

they wanted something they can 

refer to that is instructional 

and easy to understand,” she 

said. 

“For example, I often get calls 

from farmers asking how to 

mark cows, so now they will be 

able to hang this up in the shed 

and refer to it when they need. 

“While the Shed Guides will 

be useful for all staff milking 

cows it would also be a great 

document for training new 

staff,” Erika said. 

The new Countdown Shed 

Guides pack also includes a 

bonus high-quality milking 

apron and will be available free 

to all those undertaking Cups 

On Cups Off courses. 

Shed Guides packs, limited 

to two per farm, can also be 

ordered at www.dairyaustralia. 

com.au/shedguides. 

Coles backs business 

COLES will establish a 

Nurture Fund to help small 

Australian food and grocery 

producers, farmers and manufacturers 

to innovate and grow 

their business. 

Through the Coles Nurture 

Fund, Coles will allocate $50 

million over five years in grants 

and interest-free loans to fund 

the development of new market-leading 

products, technologies 

and processes. 

Coles Managing Director, 

John Durkan, said the fund 

would be open to businesses 

with less than $25 million in 

annual revenue and 50 or fewer 

full-time employees. 

“The Coles Nurture Fund is 

one way we can offer support 

and encouragement to small 

Australian businesses looking 

for assistance to take the 

next step in creating more 

productive and innovative 

ways of working,” Mr Durkan 

said. 

“Modest financial support 

can make the difference in 

getting great ideas up and 

running.” Small business 

entrepreneurs can submit 

requests for funds, along with 

their business plan, for review 

by the Coles Nurture Fund. 

Application forms for the 

Coles Nurture Fund are available 

at www.coles.com.au/nurturefund 

and applications 

should be submitted to nurturefund@coles.com.


Sale of family farm has been vindicated 

By ROBERT WHITE 

WHEN the hammer came 

down on the family 

farm near Nowra, just 

south of Sydney, Mark Bice, 

wondered whether he had done 

the right thing. 

A fifth generation dairy 

farmer, he needed to get bigger 

to survive and the family farm 

didn’t provide the opportunity to 

expand. 

“It was a big step. I remember 

driving home from the auction 

and wondering about what I had 

just done,” he said. 

That was 20 years ago and 

Mark and his wife, Gail, and 

children, Renae, 16, and 

Lachlan, 15, are now fully committed 

to their dairy farming 

operation at Bodalla on the south 

coast of New South Wales. 

The Bice family had been 

associated with the Shoalhaven 

region, near Nowra, since the 

mid 1880s but by the early 

1990s, life was changing as residential 

and tourist development 

encroached on traditional farming 

land. 

Something had to give, and it 

was the farmers. 

But that fact didn’t make the 

move away from where he was 

brought up any easier. 

When Mark left his family 

farm he was milking around 160 

cows. Today that figure at 

Bodalla is closer to 500 cows. 

When I first saw 

the farm I could 

see the development 

potential. 

But I had a 

whole new ball 

game ahead of 

me, especially 

when it came to 

irrigation. 

MARK BICE 

The dairy shed houses a 44- 

unit rotary system, the first to be 

installed in the Bodalla region 

and was one of the reasons 

that sparked Mark’s original 

interest. 

“When I first saw the farm I 

could see the development 

potential,” Mark said. 

“But I had a whole new ball 

game ahead of me, especially 

when it came to irrigation. 

“I was off a dryland farm so I 

had to learn how irrigation 

worked and how it could be best 

used” 

There was an even greater 

change to his life at Bodalla as 

he met Gail who was working in 

the office of her family’s business 

at nearby Moruya. 

The couple now has 560ha at 

Mark and Gail Bice with their children, Lachlan and Renae at the family farm at Bodalla on the south 

coast of New South Wales. 

Bodalla and they recently 

bought another block at Moruya 

where they run a small beef 

herd. 

It is also used as a run-off 

block for the dairy herd 

when needed. 

Mark said the Bodalla region 

was ideal for dairying with good 

soils and a relatively secure rainfall. 

There are six full and part time 

workers employed on the farm. 

“It’s a big operation but the 

purchase of the land at Moruya 

and works that we have undertaken 

here have made things a 

lot more streamlined,” Mark 

Reasons behind lower protein test 

MARK 

BROOKES 

OVER the past few weeks 

farmers have reported 

that their herds are 

declining in protein test and are 

dumbfounded as to why this is 

occuring. 

A lower protein test happens 

for a variety of reasons and 

below are things to think about if 

your protein test is on the 

decline. 

THE LINK BETWEEN ENERGY STATUS 

OF THE COW AND HER PROTEIN TEST 

IT has been well known for quite 

a long time that variations in 

protein test and yield are closer 

related to the energy component 

of the diet, rather than the protein 

component. 

By this we mean that a declining 

protein test is typically the 

first sign that a cow is in a less 

than ideal energy status and may 

be starting to lose a bit of body 

weight. We see this as a hint 

long before we ever notice the 

body weight or condition 

change. 

Such instances are generally 

seasonal and if certain feed is 

limiting or the nutrient quality is 

Monitoring your herd closely can help overcome lower protein test results. 

lower than ideal, it can have an 

impact on the protein test in the 

herd. 

This can occur in late spring 

as the pasture increases in fibre, 

and feed intake overall may drop 

away reducing energy availability. 

Alternately it may occur in 

autumn and winter when silage 

and hay is not of best quality, 

and again energy intake is a 

bit of a problem. 

WHY IS THIS LINKED? 

A COW has a big demand for 

glucose as an energy source to 

run her body. It’s a bit of a non 

negotiable for her. 

Without adequate glucose she 

becomes unwell and pushed too 

far, we may end up with downer 

or ketotic cows. 

When we reduce total energy 

intake per day, or remove feeds 

that are good at making glucose 

for her, she goes into her “plan 

B” to get glucose. 

That plan B is to take protein 

from her blood flow and run it 

back to the liver to make glucose 

from that. It’s a process called 

gluconeogenesis. 

Given that farmers are paid for 

protein in the vat, the cow cannot 

put that protein in two 

places. If it’s going off to the 

liver it cannot go into the vat. 

The cow is far more worried 

about her glucose status than 

she is about how much protein 

goes in the vat, so she will 

prioritise her wellbeing above 

the vat. 

At the same time, a low glucose 

level will reduce the cow’s 

insulin levels in blood. Insulin is 

a hormone that responds to 

blood glucose. 

When it declines we also tend 

to see reduced protein synthesis 

in the liver and reduced protein 

uptake from blood into the 

mammary gland. 

All of these show the link 

between the cow’s energy 

status, and why protein test is 

impacted. 

THE TAKE HOME MESSAGE? 

DON’T let the cow’s dry matter 

feed intake drop away and make 

sure you have high quality, high 

energy feedstuffs that are good 

glucose precursors (like some 

starch eg wheat) in your diet. 

Keep the energy status up 

and you will keep your protein 

test up. 

If it’s falling away, read the 

signs and adjust your feeding of 

the herd 

● Mark Brookes is MG 

Trading Nutritionist 

0447 500 450

JUNE-JULY 

While 

stocks 

last 

ON SALE 

$65 

pair 

Devondale 

Branded Clutha 

Gumboots Sizes 

3-13 

Various 

Davey Transfer 

Pump - XF171 

441002 

Heavy Duty Racking 

2m x 2m x 0.6m 

780650 

Assembly required 

Weight 

loading 

250kg per 

shelf 

$249 

each 

ON SALE 

$749 

each 

Suitable 

for use in 

the dairy 

shed 

Diesel 

Fired Fan 

Forced Space Heater 375W - 

Heating Area 289 m 2 409814 

ON SALE 

$269 

each 

Quad Bike / Mower Ramp 

450kg capacity (p/p) 

114469 

Speedrite Geared 

Reel Extreme 

Tape - 200m 

447118 

Waratah Long Life 

Flexabel Fence Wire 

- 2.5mm x 1500m 

487260 

ON SALE 

$185 

roll 

$199 

MG VALUE 

pair $135 

roll 

Bonnie 

Working 

Dog 

Formula 

20kg 

260896 

HOT PRICE 

$35 

bag 

min 

pallet 

buy 40 

bags 

ProfeLAC 

Gold CMR 

+ Bovatec 

- 20kg 

564339 

$91 

bag 

Trekz Parka 

Kids 2 - 8 

Various 

Trekz Trousers 

Kids 2 - 8 

Various 

$24pr 

See 

in store 

for Treks 

Youth 

range 

Sealtex 

Parka 

S - 5XL 

Various 

Sealtex 

Trousers 

S -5XL 

$80pr 

$35 

each 

$130 

each 

Veanavite 

No. 1 Calf 

Pellets - 

20kg 

564110 

Agri MP Plus 

20W-40 - 20ltr 

432150 

Oil Agri MP 

Plus 205 ltr 

432257 

$999 drum 

$16 

bag 

ON SALE 

$99 

drum 

Sale runs from 1 st June to 31 st July 2015 or while stocks last. 

Product are not available in all stores. Prices are inclusive GST. 

îs.29306

Devondaler-June-2015

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