From the installation of solar pumps; hump and hollow drainage; establishing native shelter belts; using effluent water for irrigation and yard wash; and energy-saving technologies in the dairy – these measures ensure long-term resilience while minimising environmental impact.
“We are fortunate that every day, our production volume is measured, so you can manage that and make proactive decisions – whether it be hourly, daily, monthly or yearly,” says Alistair.
This measured, forward-thinking approach has future-proofed the Harris family’s third-generation dairy farm, Writhgil, which spans 550 hectares in Larpent, South-western Victoria. They run a closed herd of 800 Holstein cows, producing six and a half million litres and approximately 480,000 kilograms of milk solids annually, with seasonal calving from May to July providing a balanced workload for seven full-time staff.
Using a pasture-based system, the Harris family supplement their cows with a mix of predominately grass silage and maize silage, and when needed add vetch, almond hulls and cottonseed, adjusting seasonally and feeding out in the paddock for summer and autumn half the year to support lactation conversion.
“It’s about making small changes and looking for inefficiencies you can fix – like water pumps or energy use – weighing up the benefits, and doing the maths to ensure a timely return on investment,” says Alistair.
“We want to be financially sustainable now and into the future. For us, it’s wanting to give our children every opportunity if they desire to go farming.”
Driving water and energy efficiency
Writhgil spans two blocks: the home dairy, which relies entirely on dam water from rain run-off for stock drinking water, with town water used as a backup and for plant washing; and a 66-ha run-off paddock where the Harris’ grow grass and maize crops, irrigated by a 40-ha centre pivot supplied by bore-water.
To reduce reliance on town water, the family installed four solar-powered pumps to automate water transfer from dams to tanks, cutting both fuel costs and manual labour previously needed for diesel pumps.
“The solar pumps have been a game changer,” Alistair says, noting their minimal maintenance needs.
With town water a significant cost to operations, they also upgraded an old bore to supplement their supply and are looking to trial soil moisture probes.
“This year’s been extremely dry, so we’ve focused on making every drop count,” Alistair explains.
Tech-savvy dairy shed
Two years ago, the family upgraded its 40-bale rotary shed to a 64-bale, featuring automatic cup removers, teat sprayers, milk metering, and individual computer-managed feeding systems.
This upgrade cut milking sessions by three hours daily. The addition of a new plate cooler heat exchange system also improved efficiencies, cooling milk to 4°C before it enters the vats – reducing energy costs and enhancing milk quality.
Land management
The Harris family has been improving drainage on 15-20ha annually – transforming inefficient waterlogged areas into higher productive land, doubling pasture growth, and utilising runoff as stock water.
This work is set to be complete within five years and will provide another 60ha of allowable land for milking, expanding the milking platform from 250 to 310ha, increasing direct pasture consumed and increasing production.
The generation of Harris’ have also built native shelter belts around all their fence lines, providing cows shade in summer and protection from westerly winds and rain. Alistair says the native tree lines protect cow health, help increase milk production and enhance biodiversity, especially birdlife.
Adopting a forward-thinking approach is essential for increasing efficiencies on-farm, Alistair says.
“It’s about making the job easier, so our team can focus on the day-to-day demands. Each small investment adds up and ensures our farm’s long-term resilience and sustainability.”
Alistair notes that his involvement in Dairy Australia’s programs and services have provided valuable insights and practical support for his farm budgeting, benchmarking and helping improve land and other environmental management practices.
“There's fantastic industry support from Dairy Australia,” he says.
To find out more about how Dairy Australia supports farmers to better manage climate and environment, visit dairyaustralia.com.au/climate-and-environment or contact your regional office.
