Encircled by industrial and residential zones means any expansion is impossible for Kelly’s Dairy Farm in Victoria, Australia, but that does not hinder Sarah Kelly’s farming ambitions.
The young mum of three works closely beside her dad, Gerard (65) on the traditional farm near Skye that the family has run since 1978, and is a huge advocate for the dairy industry.
Given the fact their dairy farm is the closest to Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD), the Kelly family are unsure how long it can exist before being swallowed up for development.
Even with such an uncertain future, Sarah and her dad milk on each day doing the job they love the most, and continue to promote dairy farming to the public.
Oz farm
Sarah (38), whose grandparents hail from Northern Ireland, takes any opportunity to promote dairying and ensure her three young daughters make the most of growing up on a dairy farm.
She said: “Our family has been dairy farming here since 1978 when my grandparents purchased the property.
“Right now we are the closest dairy farm to Melbourne CBD and are classified as metropolitan surrounded by housing and industrial estates.”
The Kelly farm extends to 300ac and runs 280 Holstein Friesian cows with an average yield of 8,000/cow/year.
With an average butterfat of 4.5% and protein at 4%, the milk is sold to the Australian Dairy Farmers Corporation for around AUS$9/kg of milk solids.
“In 1993, we replaced the old herringbone milking system with a DeLaval 32 unit rotary parlour to milk the cows,” Sarah explained.
“The cows are grazed outdoors on a pasture-based system and we make our own silage and buy in feed as we need it.
“When the cows are milking they receive some grain dispensed on the rotary parlour, depending on lactation, and we also buffer feed hay and silage out on the pastures, when required.
“Along with my dad and I working on the farm is my cousin Josh, so it’s a fairly tight labour unit,” she added.
Investment
In terms of the herd’s breeding strategy, the Kelly family introduced genomics over the past two years, in a bid to improve the overall status of their cows.
Sarah added: “We have introduced genomics in the last two years and are looking forward to seeing what improvements have been made.
“For the past 30 years, it’s been our policy to practice AI (artificial insemination) on the farm using top genetics. With that, alongside good farming methods, we have built up good mastitis resistance, good milk production, cow health and fertility,” she said.
“And going forward with genomics, if we can improve any of these traits, even slightly, then it has all been worth it. A Friesian bull is used to mop up any of the cows that are not in calf, following AI.”
Although the Kellys are investing in the breeding system on the farm, the only other big investment on the farm recently has been a more powerful tractor.
“We normally just stick to what works for us here, with no huge financial outlays,” Sarah continued.
Uncertain future
With the farm’s location so close to Melbourne, the future of dairy farming for the Kelly family at their current site is quite uncertain.
Expansion is almost impossible but improving the efficiency of the farm and the herd is a goal for Sarah.
“Due to us being gridlocked between housing and factories, we are unable to expand,” she explained.
“We are always open to new ideas to diversify and do things a better, or more economically efficient way.
“Our main issue is the unknown of the future. We could be pushed out from this property next week or 20 years down the track.
“Therefore, it’s really difficult to know what upgrades or investments to make when we don’t know what the future holds,” she said.
Sarah admitted that they keep ‘going with the flow’ trying to make things work as best as possible.
“We don’t seem to have any issues with being surrounded by suburbia, more of a curiosity from the locals who have a complete disassociation with where their milk comes from,” she said.
“I love to educate them on what we are doing here and how loved our cows are.”
With that in mind, Sarah takes on every opportunity to advocate for the dairy industry speaking at events, meetings, and on every social media channel possible.
She has also recently travelled to New Zealand and the US to help champion the sector.
Sarah added: “Our family originated in Ireland and I am the sixth generation farmer, third one on this farm. I sincerely hope we can raise our seventh generation here.
“I am very passionate about the future of the Australian dairy industry and I chair the young dairy network. I also will be involved in more dairy advocacy groups in the future to come.
“All too often the dairy industry receives a hammering from an uneducated public and I see it as my role to help equip consumers with more knowledge of exactly how their nutritious dairy produce is made.”
