The Dairy Experience Podcast

Our second episode addresses the recent research completed by Lely and the University of Melbourne to investigate robotic milking efficiencies within a grazing based system. Our FMS Advisor and co author of the paper Innocent Rugoho sits down to chat with Tasmanian dairy farmers John van Adrichem and Garry Carpenter.

Unlike most of the world, dairy farms in Australia and New Zealand are commonly operated utilizing a grazing based system. Despite this, interest in barn setups has been growing within the Australasia region, especially when paired with robotic milking. In this episode of the Dairy Experience, we sit down with dairy farmers Mandy Dee who operates a barn setup and Sara McNeil who runs a grazing based system. Together with Lely team member Jason Koenig, they will be discussing the two types of dairy farming setups while comparing some of their advantages, challenges and processes.

The New Zealand dairy industry is currently facing significant challenges. Despite production costs remaining stable or even increasing, there's a dip in milk prices. In our upcoming fourth episode of The Dairy Experience Podcast titled, "Surviving Tough Times," we take a closer look at these challenges with the insights of Helwi Tacoma and Graham Petrie.

In this fantastic episode, Jason Koenig, Lely Australia's Regional Accounts Manager with over 17 years of dairy farming management experience, joins forces with Briar Loveridge, Lely's farm management support team leader. Together, they debunk common misconceptions surrounding the transition from traditional dairy farming setups to the innovative realm of robotics.

Peter and Lisa Vening are two forward thinking dairy farmers in the Gippsland region. Lely Center Gippsland manager Dale Serong sit down with them to discuss how technology has played a role in how they're preparing their three sons to eventually inherit their farm. Get valuable insights on setting up the next generation for success and delve into the inspiring story of the Venings family by tuning in to this compelling upcoming episode!

Intrigued by the idea of robotic milking systems, Southwest Victoria dairy farmer Mat Lyne initially dismissed it as financially unattainable however, after further research and discussions with DLL, Mat found a viable solution to bring his robotic farming dream to reality. Join us as we sit down with Mat and DLL representative Alexander Hucker Stewart to explore Mat's path to automation and the diverse financing options DLL have to offer!

For New Zealand dairy farmer Layne Greensill, the journey to where he is now has been one of excellent foresight and meticulous planning. Over the past ten years, Layne has been enacting his incredibly well thought out transition from a traditional system to robotics. Discover how Layne prepared his farm, his cows and himself for robotics in this upcoming episode!

Loren Greensill, daughter of dairy farmer Layne Greensill in the previous episode, sits down with Graham Petrie to discuss feeding dairy cattle, and how robotics plays a part in optimising this essential process.

During last year's WestVic Dairy Gala dinner (november 2023), young dairy farmer Oscar Baxter won a trip to the Netherlands and brought his mate Max Bond to visit the Lely campus and tour a few farms in the Netherlands. Listen to this exciting episode to learn about their experiences and how their perceptions of robotics have developed since then.