Good decision: Don Harris is delighted with his effluent treatment. IT’S a bus trip with a difference but it could make a huge difference to dairy farm management.
Effluent tours of local farms are coming up, offering dairy farmers the chance to look at successful treatment options for animal waste.
Don and Jennie Harris’ Nyora property will be one of two dairy farms visited during the West Gippsland effluent system day on 2 March.
With a two pond system on their 138 hectare farm, the Harris’ are more than happy with the results they are getting.
“There was only one small pond which was totally inadequate for our set-up,” Don said. “We wanted a two pond system like we had on our previous farm. It was a fairly simple system but it worked well.”
Washdown time has been slashed from 40 minutes to just five and uses water from the second pond rather than fresh water from a dam.
Don said connecting the washdown system to the ponds was money well spent.
Dairying for Tomorrow Gippsland co-ordinator Gillian Hayman said there is no “one size fits all” solution to effluent treatment, but the rewards from developing a system were well worth the effort.
“The bottom line is, farmers who treat their effluent properly end up increasing the profitability of their business – which is something we are all looking to do,” she said.
“It’s also reducing the impact dairying has on the environment, especially in waterways that run through farms.”
While those who treat dairy effluent can reap the rewards, farmers who ignore the issue are at risk of trouble with the law.
Dairy effluent is legislated under the Environment Protection Act and administered by the EPA. Basically, there are rules about dairy effluent release and those that refuse to comply can be fined.
“The situation with effluent should never get to that stage. There’s plenty of incentive for farmers to do the right thing, which is also the financially sensible decision,” Ms Hayman said.
The effluent management bus trips will run in South Gippsland on March 1, West Gippsland on 2 March and Maffra on 3 March from 10.45am to 2.30pm.
Bookings are essential, so call Melanie Smith at GippsDairy on 5624 3900 or email executiveassistant@ gippsdairy.com.au.
