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With no river irrigation allocations from the Murrumbidgee River to water his 580 acres, including his fodder crops, the Wagga Wagga dairy farmer took a proactive approach and bought failed grain crops at a reduced rate from nearby farmers to use as silage.
By bringing in his own contractors to turn the standing crops into 1,500 tonnes of wet silage which will last him nine months, Glenn has found an affordable way to feed his herd of nearly 150 Holstein Friesians.
“When grain crops started to fail early in the season, I approached the crop farmers in the area to buy their failed crops at a decent rate,” Glenn said.
“A terrible situation worked out pretty well in the end for everyone; I paid a fair but discounted price, and the crop farmers got returns well above their costs.
“With no river allocations to water my own fodder crops and pastures, I would have had to pay really high prices for fodder through the usual channels.”
Glenn is hoping the situation will improve when the new year rings in, but in the meantime he is ensuring he produces the highest quality milk for Aussie-owned co-operative, Dairy Farmers.
Glenn has received a quality bonus each year from Dairy Farmers for producing high quality milk. His strategy for achieving this is straightforward.
“Attention to detail to central. We are extremely diligent with tests and hygiene,” Glenn said.
“We never take short cuts.”
Glenn is also appreciative of Dairy Farmers' successive farm-gate milk price increases this season.
“With the drought, the price increases are helping us to keep pace with rising input costs. It is definitely a good thing; it keeps our heads above water,” he said.
“We also prefer to supply to an Australian-owned company and we have always found Dairy Farmers good to deal with and competitive.”
Glenn and his wife Andrea, along with their four sons who live with them on the property, have owned their farm for the past 15 years, but it has been in Andrea's family for five generations.
