The inaugural WestVic Dairy Innovation Day on Wednesday, September 27 will showcase the latest innovations in the dairy industry along with hands-on workshops on how to implement innovations on-farm.
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The day at the Emmanuel Centre in Warrnambool will focus on current and future technology and innovations such as the use of sensors, drones and new tractor technologies.
The keynote speaker will be Tasmanian farmer and 2017 Nuffield Scholar Duncan MacDonald, who will talk about his experiences in implementing different types of innovations on his farm.
Mr MacDonald said he was thrilled to be part of the day and was hoping his experiences would help other farmers.
"Innovation comes in many forms and it’s great to see such a diverse list of presentations in the program,” Mr MacDonald said.
He will be joined by Nicholas Lyons from NSW Department of Primary Industries who will speak about making wise investment decisions.
Researcher Michelle Axford will speak about her use of Mid Infrared Technology to predict production, feed efficiency, fertility, health and longevity through herd test milk samples.
Ian Halliday of Dairy Australia, will provide an overview of Dairy Australia’s research priorities and projects.
Steve Lee of Allenby Engineering will be the feature speaker at an evening dinner on Wednesday night, asking farmers what innovation they had sought to implement.
The presentations during the day will be followed by ten workshops that will be held in five streams to ensure everyone has the chance to attend the sessions they want.
After the workshops there will be a visit to Anthony and Wendy Eccles’ Purnim farm..
WestVic Dairy’s regional manager Lindsay Ferguson said the day was designed to help farmers think innovatively and to make sense of some of the new technologies that were available.
“An innovation is not necessarily an expensive piece of technology, it can be something as simple as improving a business practice,” he said.
“Our program really has something for everyone, from large farms to small farms, high input to low input.”
“The motto of the day is “Innovation Generation- farmers leading the way” and we truly believe that our industry is one of the leading ones when it comes to innovation,” Mr Ferguson said.
Tickets for the day sessions are $10 for farmers and $30 for service providers. The evening dinner costs $30, which includes a two course meal at the City Memorial Bowls Club.
Tickets can be bought by calling WestVic Dairy on 5557 1000 or email amanda@westvicdairy.com.au.