Changing course for health and sustainability

Roger Peters and his daughter Edith farm 350 crossbred cows at Tallandoon in the Mitta Mitta Valley, in northeast Victoria, Australia. After cutting cow numbers, changing the herd mix, and eliminating synthetic fertilisers, they have seen encouraging results and increased profits.

This transformation began around 15 years ago when the Peters moved away from purebred Holsteins and introduced VikingRed and VikingJersey. The changes have solved the herd’s fertility and health issues and shown that sustainable farming can also be profitable.

While Roger oversees the operation and Edith manages the herd, the Peters also have a couple of helping hands: John Godde, who has worked at the farm for over 20 years, and Sam Gordon, a farm assistant who joined last October.

In the picture is farm assistant Sam Gordon.

For the last three years, the farm has also stopped using Holstein semen altogether. “They were continually having trouble with the big North American-style Holstein cows that were always breaking down, weren’t getting in calf and were having metabolic problems,” says Sam.

After removing Holstein from the breeding program, the Peters began using VikingJersey on the heifers and VikingRed on the cows – all sexed semen – and introduced beef semen on everything else.

“I’ve found that the Jersey cross with Red makes a really good, little robust and healthy cow that seems to be perfect for a grazing system,” says Edith, explaining her breeding strategy.

Another success from the new strategy has been in pasture management, with Roger and Edith eliminating synthetic fertiliser use. Instead of fertiliser, the farm started sowing multi-species pastures, ensuring it gets a good recovery period and using effluent and compost.

“When the urea was still in the pasture system, we had some fresh cows getting grass tetany, but they haven’t seen any the last two years,” says Edith, explaining the reasoning behind the change.

With skyrocketing fertiliser prices and many farmers looking for alternatives, Edith is happy to have been ahead of the curve. “We’re going into our third year without synthetic fertiliser, and it has resulted in big savings,” she says.

“When we dig up the clover, you couldn’t see any nodulation when we started, now you can see a fair bit and that’s what the clover uses to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere,” she adds, highlighting another of the strategy’s long-term benefits.

“If the interaction goes well, it’s going to really benefit growing grass and herd health,” ends Edith, showing how the benefits of their sustainable strategy are interconnected.