Dairy News Australia Gippsland Region February 2024

FEBRUARY, 2024 ISSUE 160

GIPPSLAND REGION

HEALING POWER An annual calendar project is breaking the stigma around mental health. Dairy farmers Paul Cocksedge of Nerrena, with Michelle and Andrea Axford, of Korumburra South, are all featured in the 2024 calendar. Page 3.

All things rural

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2 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Chair’s message

Find your strengths

BY SARAH O'BRIEN

CHRISTMAS AND New Year celebrations

feel distant now, but I hope you all enjoyed some precious moments made with family and friends between rain events, milking and feeding cows, and trying to harvest.

Recently I attended the funeral of Shiona Berry, a successful Gippsland dairy farmer who lost her battle to brain cancer after a brave and unwavering fight.

She gave her time and skills to the GippsDairy Board for six years and was passionate about showcasing the varied skills and attributes of dairy farmers.

Shiona’s care was displayed clearly to me during an important strategic conversation I was privy to where she asked, ‘What do you see when you look at me?’.

While at the time the other person was lost for an answer, it’s a great question to consider and was a pivotal point in that conversation.

This industry is made up of strong and resilient professional business owners with access to many wealth, skill and capacity creation opportunities.

We are skilled engineers, innovators, human resource managers and strategists, just to name a few, and we all work as farmers of both stock and land who understand, care for and value the moral code of what we do.

There are definitely tough times, but we support and encourage each other to make the hard decisions along the way.

What do you see when you look at yourself?

This question helps me to see through the day-to-day grind of what I do. It encourages me to stop, appreciate and talk to others about the amazing opportunities farming offers.

I hope you can see yourself, your team and your farming business in a similar way that I know Shiona saw all farmers.

During her fight, Shiona found the strength to raise $25,000 for ongoing brain cancer research. Her husband Caleb and their three daughters — Ella, Freya and Olivia — are on a mission to continue that legacy.

2 If you would like to donate, visit: https:// www.carriesbeanies4braincancer.com/

Q fever warning

Q fever has spiked in Gippsland this past year.

If you aren’t aware of what Q fever is — or the physical impact it can have on you, your staff and your business — please educate yourself.

Gippsland represents about 31.1 per cent of Victoria’s Q fever cases. So far this year 30 cases have been reported in Victoria, 11 of those have been from Gippsland, and more than half of those cases were reported in the Wellington Shire.

Vaccination is the preferred protection for humans.

GippsDairy is currently in discussion to assist in coordinating a program to make things easier for farm teams to access vaccinations, but this takes time. Please consider what you and your team may be able to do in the meantime to stay safe.

2 For more information on Q fever, visit: https://www.qfever.org/

Succession planning

GippsDairy is holding a succession planning day in beautiful Inverloch on Wednesday, February 28.

Succession planning is a difficult conversation to have at times and hopefully this day can help — whether you are ready to take a step back or just starting to look at your options. It’s never too early to start preparing for the future.

Remember that Dairy Australia has a range of programs on offer that can support growth, skills and capacity for you and your team.

2 For more information, visit the People, Skills & Capability page at: https://www. dairyaustralia.com.au/gippsdairy

GippsDairy Muster

GippsDairy is proud to announce our next Muster will be held on-farm in West Gippsland on Thursday, March 14.

This year’s theme of ‘Pastures, Pathways, Performance’ promises to be another amazing day with timely topics relevant to our farm businesses in Gippsland.

Please mark your calendar now and watch for registrations to open shortly. It’s a great way to rub shoulders and network with other like-minded professionals and catch up for a long-awaited chat.

I look forward to seeing you all out and about over the coming months.

Sarah O’Brien is the GippsDairy chair.

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GIPPSLAND REGION // 3

Calendar has healing power

BY JEANETTE SEVERS

AN ANNUAL calendar project in Gippsland,

focused on dairy farmers, is breaking the stigma around talking about mental health.

The first calendar was created in 2018, and since 2020 has been an annual publication, and so far has told the stories of 72 Gippsland dairy farmers.

“That’s nearly 10 per cent of the dairy farmers in Gippsland,” Gippsland Jersey calendar founder Sallie Jones said.

The 2024 calendar was launched at Lakes Entrance on Wednesday, December 6 at the processing factory, or home base, of Gippsland Jersey.

“People telling their stories through the calendars builds social capital in our industry,” Sallie said.

“As we’ve heard today, the biggest help any of us can give to each other is to show up and help when we need it, whether that’s a disaster like flood or fire, or a personal crisis.”

The calendar project grew out of a combination of factors — the dairy crisis brought on by the collapse of Murray Goulburn, poor milk price at the farm gate, the suicide of Sallie’s father, a serious accident experienced by Gippsland Jersey co-founder Steve Ronalds — and has been compounded by drought, bushfires and floods across Gippsland.

It is now an entrenched part of psychosocial connections across the Gippsland dairy industry.

“Every year we go on the hunt for 12 outstanding Gippsland dairy stories to feature in our calendar,” Sallie said.

“We’re always surprised by the heart-filled stories that pop up.

“The calendar was born from my own experience of publicly sharing the loss of my father.”

Her father, Michael Bowen, died in 2016.

Prior to that, he leased his dairy farm and sold his value-added ice-cream business.

Sallie said he was clearly unwell.

Unfortunately, the support of her mother, herself, her sisters and Michael’s sister, Miriam Basset, was in vain.

Steve Ronalds experienced a motorbike accident in late 2015 that saw him unable to milk cows for most of the following year.

Sallie and Steve, supported by their partners, brainstormed possible futures as business partners and decided to open a boutique milk processor, Gippsland Jersey.

In 2023, they celebrated seven years of operation, and a business partnership for the same

Linda Smeaton, Miriam and Barry Basset and Luke Smeaton, all of Lakes Entrance. Miriam is sister to Michael Bowen, to whom the calendar is dedicated.

length of time with another processor, Burra Foods, ensures excess milk is collected from their farmer suppliers.

“Gippsland Jersey’s foundational pillars have remained since day one — ensuring farmers are paid a fair price, driving social change in rural mental health, and promoting kindness,” Sallie said.

The calendar project reflects these pillars and is aimed at driving social change about talking about mental health and well being.

“Our goal is to get Gippsland dairy farmers talking and it starts with the question of, what stories would my Dad have loved to read,” Sallie said.

“Through the calendar, we see the importance of sharing stories, to make a difference.

“We believe that personal stories are the most powerful catalysts for change.”

This year’s calendar is titled Farming Conversations and features dairy farmers telling stories as diverse as the impact of the sudden

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death of a teenage son, to raising a family as a single parent, managing breast cancer treatment, dealing with floods and sinking so far into depression as to be unable to make a decision.

After telling their story for the 2024 calendar, Willow Grove dairy farmers Lisa and Mark Wilms started seeing a counsellor.

Mark is a genial but quiet man and Lisa had noticed his behaviour change. But she was having trouble getting him to communicate what was going on.

“I wasn’t able to make decisions,” Mark said.

That realisation saw Lisa step up to become the key decision maker and manager for their farm. She remains in that role.

“Since doing the calendar, we’ve been seeing a counsellor together,” Mark said.

“I wouldn’t have done it without Sallie’s prompting.

“I think it was a good thing to do and we’re going back,” he said.

Warragul dairy farmer Joe Meggetto featured in the 2018 calendar and was a guest speaker at this year’s calendar launch.

Since appearing in the calendar, he has become an advocate for mental health awareness.

“I don’t know what made me depressed,” he said.

Looking back, he believes his mental health struggles began in the early 1990s and by the mid-’90s he was expressing it through anger.

“I didn’t want my mates to know I was suffering, I thought they’d think I was weak as piss,” Joe said.

“What do men do when something’s wrong?

We hide in ourselves.”

Joe said his Italian heritage made it easier to focus on working harder, but also made it harder to share how he felt.

Continued on page 8

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4 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Farmer calls f

BY JEANETTE SEVERS

DAIRY FARMER and mental health advo-

Gippsland Jersey’s co-founder Steve Ronalds, with dairy farmers featured in the 2024 calendar, Paul Cocksedge of Nerrena and Lisa and Mark Wilms of Willow Grove.

Some of the dairy farmers participating in the 2024 calendar.

cate Joe Meggetto is concerned about the slow implementation of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s mental health system.

In March 2021, the final report was released and the Victorian government undertook to fully implement all 65 recommendations.

“I was invited to Parliament House for the Royal Commission’s report, and I wanted to know, where is the money going,” Joe said.

One of the key recommendations was the establishment of Adult and Older Adults Mental Health and Wellbeing Services, scattered across Victoria.

The service hubs are meant to be an easy entry-point for people 26 years and older, seeking support to prevent, manage and recover from mental illness.

They are being established because a key finding of the Royal Commission was that local services would fix many problems in the system, and enable people with mental illness who need support to access that within their own communities.

By the end of 2022, six service hubs were set up — in Benalla-Wangaratta-Mansfield, Brimbank, Frankston, Greater GeelongQueenscliffe, Latrobe Valley and Whittlesea.

In late 2023, the Victorian Government announced further hubs would begin operating in the new year — in East Gippsland,

Greater Bendigo-Loddon-Campaspe, Greater Dandenong, Greater Shepparton-StrathbogieMoira, Melton, Mildura and Yarra Ranges.

In East Gippsland two hubs will be established, at Bairnsdale and Orbost. An additional Gippsland hub is expected to be opened later in the year at Leongatha.

Gippsland Lakes Complete Health CEO Anne-Maree Kaser said GLCH partnered with Wellways Victoria and Latrobe Regional Health to tender for the service at Bairnsdale and Orbost, and delivery of psychosocial support to clients would build upon GLCH’s allied health and other clinical services.

The hub will host psychiatry and psychology clinicians and peer support workers.

Anne-Maree said while face-to-face support was preferred by many people, the challenge of recruiting the right people into remote and rural regions would also be met with other modalities.

“The pandemic taught us we can use other modalities to deliver health care, such as online modes,” she said.

“We’ll certainly be able to provide telephone support from early 2024 through these hubs.”

Anne-Maree said East Gippsland was chosen in the second round of funding because of the high incidences of mental distress self-reported in the region, supported by high call-out rates for domestic violence intervention.

“East Gippsland is number three in Victoria for reported incidences of domestic violence — Victoria Police receive more than 40 call outs in any week,” she said.

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GIPPSLAND REGION // 5

COM BAT M I LK FE V ER

s for mental health reform

hout ffort

Hannah Borland, who works on a dairy farm at Lindenow and is featured in the 2024 Gippsland dairy farmers’ mental health calendar; Sallie Jones, co-founder of Gippsland Jersey; and guest speaker Joe Meggetto, of Warragul, who featured in the 2018 calendar.

“There is a high rate of mental distress being self-reported in the region.

“Hearing about the pressures that farmers are experiencing, it shouldn’t surprise us that cowwehealth see the incidences of that in family violence, and in people increasing their alcohol and drug atural systems to elevate use to feel better.

during transition

“In East Gippsland, there is less access to services and support. Evidence shows the more remote a population is, the worse health service delivery is because of a lack of clinicians.”

But Anne-Maree also believes therapists need to have lived experience for the people they are helping.

“It’s very important to us that we recruit people who understand the pressures being experienced by our local communities, including our farming communities,” she said.

When Joe was diagnosed with depression, it was at a community event where he underwent a health check.

The health worker was concerned enough about the results to encourage him to seek further help, including making an appointment to see a counsellor.

“At my first appointment, I knew I was seeing the wrong therapist,” Joe said.

“They didn’t know anything about farming, and nothing about dairy farming. So they didn’t understand what I was talking about.”

Joe didn’t return to that therapist, although he did seek help from his GP, who was also a farmer.

“What I’ve found is that talking about my mental health journey is therapy for me,” he said.

Joe’s view is that mental health services, especially counselling services, need to be delivered by a diversity of people.

That includes recruiting people with an understanding of farming and the pressures of food production.

“We’re all embarrassed to identify with mental health challenges. As much as I can, I recommend people find the right person to talk to,” Joe said.

The Commonwealth government has also recently announced funding for psychosocial

support service programs, to increase people’s access to enhanced primary mental health services.

Tenders for this program delivery closed in November 2023.

In early December 2023, the Commonwealth government also announced funding for multidisciplinary healthcare delivery in rural and remote communities.

Queensland’s Southern Downs region was a recipient for the funding, through the government’s Innovative Models of Care program, to provide outreach mental and physical health services through Killarney Medical Centre to Yangan, Mt Colliery, Legume and Tannymorel.

The funding focus will be on recruiting clinical resources and services into communities in recognition of the local population’s needs.

“By strengthening community bonds and promoting proactive healthcare, we can serve as a model for better health in rural regions, and inspire positive change in our communities,” Killarney Memorial Aged Care heath care manager Dannielle Hersant said.

“Our community healthcare initiative aims to transform our rural community, setting a precedent for better health outcomes that can be replicated in communities across Australia.”

The government has committed $24.7 million over four years to the IMOC program, to trial new ways of delivering multidisciplinary primary care in rural and remote communities.

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Dairy women share journeys

BY JEANETTE SEVERS

RECOGNISING DAIRY as a career for wom-

Sarah Kelly, Alanah Moore and Chloe Brown talked about their journeys into dairy farming. Sarah farms alongside her father, Alanah works on two dairy farms, and Chloe married a dairy farmer.

Dairy farmers Denna Tharle of Nambrok, Nicole Christensen of Glengarry West and Irene Baker of Lillico, also representing Australian Consolidated Milk.

en was a big part of the theme of the Women in Dairy Gippsland gathering on Thursday, November 23.

More than 100 women attended the second annual Christmas lunch.

Sarah Kelly, Alanah Moore and Chloe Brown, as a panel of speakers, shared insights into their journeys into the dairy industry.

Sarah farms alongside her father on the family farm at Skye.

Alanah works as a milker and farm hand on two dairy farms in West Gippsland.

Chloe Brown married a dairy farmer who wanted to continue his family legacy, at Kirkstall.

Chloe and Rodney Brown milk 200 Jersey cows and are leasing a family farm on a vendor finance agreement.

“Rodney worked on his parents farms, then we became sharefarmers and now we’re leasing the farm,” she said.

“We’ve converted from a mixed herd of Jersey, Friesian and Holsteins to straight Jerseys.”

Chloe said when she began learning about farming, she didn’t know the difference between a heifer calf and a rising-two-year-old.

Sarah Kelly works alongside her father on a family dairy farm, milking Holstein cows in a rotary dairy.

She became interested in genetics when herself and her father decided to breed their herd down to medium-sized cows.

“I’ve also brought in changes to our record keeping system,” she said.

“One of the best things about coming back to the farm is working with my Dad.” Sarah’s ambition is to buy her own farm, and continue working alongside her father.

In the meantime, her three daughters are also learning how to be dairy farmers, growing up on the farm.

Alanah works in two teams on two different farms and enjoys the responsibility of working on her own.

“Working on my own is something I thrive on. I’ve always liked having responsibility,” she said.

“I thrive on juggling milking the cows with

checking the paddocks are set up, and working on two different dairy farms, with two different dairy sheds and production systems.”

Donna Gibson, program manager for Research and Innovation at the Gardiner Foundation, thanked the panel of speakers.

Gardiner Foundation was a key sponsor of the event.

Donna spoke about how the dairy industry thrives by supporting women across a range of career roles, from milking to research and executive roles.

“Dairy is not just a male domain, women have played a pivotal role in shaping the dairy industry,” she said.

“From dairy farmers to researchers, women have been making their mark in this industry, driving innovation and ensuring the sustainable future of dairy farming.

“The Gardiner Foundation understands that empowering women in agriculture is about more than gender equality, it also provides an economic advantage.

“Women’s participation in the dairy sector ensures its resilience and growth.”

Gardiner Foundation support extends to education, training and leadership development, including scholarships to support tertiary studies, and funding for people within the dairy industry to participate in the Australian Rural Leadership Program and the Gippsland Community Leadership Program.

“Women play a vital role in diversifying and growing the dairy sector, which benefits the entire community,” Donna said.

“We’re here today to celebrate the incredible women in dairy — all of you — and honour your dedication to the industry.

“You inspire future generations of women to take up roles in the dairy sector.”

New group launched

The Christmas gathering was also the official launch of Women in Dairy Gippsland group, supported by GippsDairy.

Gippsland women in dairy are being asked to design the logo for the Women in Dairy Gippsland group.

The logo will be used as a key focus of merchandising and promoting the group.

2 Entries are open until February 29, and can be sent to Allison Potter of Bulla Dairy Foods, by email to Allison.potter@bulla.com.au

Dairy farmers Sandy Gray of Hill End, Marlene Orton of Tanjil South, Louise Paul of Hill End and Belinda Egan of Trafalgar.

Dairy farmers Bree Whittaker, Amy Brumby and Lisa Whittaker, all from Denison.

Julie Boulton, a dairy farmer at Seaspray, and Melissa Orgill, who works as a milker on a farm at Shady Creek.

Dairy farmers Andrea Barlow from Yarram, Carol Morley from Gormandale and Claire Matthews from Nambrok.

Shayne Hyman from West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Donna Gibson from Gardiner Foundation, a key supporter of the Women in Dairy event.

Dairy farmers Ainsley Whiteside and Airlie Whiteside of Lang Lang and Jess Price of Leongatha.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2024

GIPPSLAND REGION // 7

Dairy farmers Megan Kirk and Lisa Monson, of Krowera, Kellie Walker of Outtrim, Jennifer Read of Woodleigh and Louise Sherar of Loch.

Chloe Brown, from Kirkstall, with Lyn Johnson and Jude Conway from West Gippsland Women on Farms Group.

SCHOLARSHIP KICK-STARTS CAREER Gardiner Foundation scholar Hannah Thorson credits the scholarship she received in 2017 as a significant help into her agronomy career.

Hannah received her scholarship, awarded in the name of industry great, Bill Pyle, in readiness for her first year studying agricultural science at La Trobe University.

The scholarship paid for her accommodation and textbooks throughout the three years of her degree, and meant she could concentrate on study.

Hannah’s parents have a dairy farm at Dumbalk in Gippsland.

“I loved living on and helping around the farm,” she said.

“I was keen to study something related to agricultural at university.”

Hannah filled out the extensive application and was invited to an interview panel.

“I felt I learned a lot just from the process of application and speaking to an interview panel,” she said.

“I learned more about and grew in confidence about who I was and my abilities.”

Receiving the scholarship helped her confidence grow even more.

“The Gardiner Foundation gave me the confidence to believe I could have a career in agriculture,” Hannah said.

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Calendar has healing power Continued from page 3

“Once I opened up and started talking about my mental health, a lot of other people have surprised me by identifying their own issues,” he said.

Since participating in the 2018 calendar, Joe said he had grown as a person.

He has spoken at Dairy Australia and local events, raising awareness about mental health challenges. He sought advice from his GP and uses medication to help him cope with depression.

He has been the subject of an Archibald art prize entry.

A lot of Joe’s growth is about realising he has a community around him that care about him.

“At the end of the day, you may not think anyone cares, but your family and friends, the people in your community, care about you,” Joe said.

“I still think about suicide, but now I’ve learned to look through the problem for a solution.”

Mark Humphris, of The Milk Road, said psychosocial support was a key factor in helping people cope with and even recover from personal challenges and disasters.

He has been undertaking research, after realising he was struggling and looking for his own solutions to look after his physical and mental health.

“Building connections in the community are important,” Mark said.

“I learned I have to look after myself before I look after my family and my business.

Marion French and Tim Cross, representing Saputo in Gippsland, with Gippsland Jersey co-founder Steve Ronalds. Tim said Saputo’s truck drivers are part of the annual distribution of calendars to dairy farmers across Gippsland, to Saputo and third party suppliers.

Maree Cramp, Owen Wood, Henry Wood and Paul Wood, of Fulham, feature in the 2024 calendar.

Mark Humphris, of The Milk Road, Newry, with his neighbour Kate Mirams (featured in the 2024 calendar) and her son Tristan Neaves, both of Newry.

“Natural disasters and climatic events are having more impact on our farm businesses.

“Money for recovery is secondary to people being connected to family, friends and their own industry locally.”

Mark said it was important as a society to de-shame mental health issues. He said sharing experiences in a supported space was one technique that helped some people.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is one organisation that is leading by example.

In East Gippsland, there are three mental health support workers leading programs.

Mental health nurse with RFDS, and local resident, Louise Oswald, is working in the Ensay district and providing support for community programs that are enabling people to share their stories.

2 For further information, visit: https://gippslandjersey.com.au/

Deena and Jason Tharle, Nambrok, and Les and Lyn Hornby, Monomeith, are all featured in the 2024 calendar.

GippsDairy Muster Pastures | Pathways | Performance Thursday 14 March 2024, 9:30am–3:00pm, Trafalgar

© Dairy Australia Limited 2024. All rights reserved.

For more information and to register please scan the QR code or visit: dairyaustralia.com.au/gippsdairymuster