Devondaler-June-2015

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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/<strong>2015</strong> 4:12 pm
DEVONDALE MURRAY GOULBURN JUNE <strong>2015</strong> 5 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.
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