Issue 5 2025 - Farm Manager
Farm Manager
Kevin Marshall
What’s been happening on farm?
What a terrific season Denmark is having, such a contrast to 2024. Early rainfall arrived in March with 74 mm, followed by 76 mm in April. This helped both self-seeded and sown grasses get up and away while conditions were still warm. May and June delivered a combined total of 190 mm, ensuring continued growth, followed by another 190 mm in July. The farm is now saturated and struggling to drain the lower country.
Feed supply
Thanks to strong establishment and growth, we’ve had an abundance of feed available—so much so that we purchased 51 commercial steers to act as a growth control mob. Some crops were at risk of maturing too quickly, but by grazing with the steers and encouraging tillering, crop maturity was kept in check. Now, with the farm very wet and temperatures lower, growth has slowed and we’re short on immediate feed. Fortunately, we have surplus silage and straw on hand, which will sustain all herds until spring growth kicks off.
Steers
Late in June we purchased 51 Angus steers from Mount Barker Sale. They averaged 270kg and we paid an average price per kilogram of $3.92. This put them at $1,058/head. The steers were drenched and vaccinated and put on very good feed. They have been growing very well with consistent weight gain. It is our intention to hold them until silage shut up, around mid-September them resell back through the yards. All going well we should achieve a minimum weight gain of 90kg/animal which is an average weight gain of 1kg/day. We are hoping for better than that, but even at that rate we could achieve a $360.00/head value add.
Priorities on the farm:
Advertise and employ dairy Technical Officer/trainer.
Spray all pastures for red legged earth mite.
Fertiliser applications. Ongoing after every grazing.
Repairs and maintenance of side by side buggy’s, one of which needing a new motor.
Construction of an additional cool room near the abattoir to store the eggs. We have achieved this in-house using used panels and farm staff to complete the task. This need to add the cool room was driven from heath department regulations about egg storage.
Several new fence lines completed to maintain quality infrastructure.
Trust Funding Request
As we proceed with the Denmark Dairy Re-development the financial request of funding to the Trust this year is dominated by Dairy funding. Aligning with the previous Dairy plans presented to the CAAC, we are requesting the Dairy as the priority 1 and provided three options of funding for the CAAC to select from.
Option 1: 2025 - 100% contribution $655,857.00
Option 2: 2025 - 75% contribution $491,892.00
2026- 25% contribution $163,964.00
Option 3: 2025 - 50% contribution $327,928.00
2026 - 50% contribution $327,928.00
This provides the CAAC with options to contribute all or some of the expenses required this year and next year.
We did add in second priority of funding for a new hay mower just in case they get to the end of distribution and there is left-over funds available.
The Trust distribution meeting is on the 22nd August which we will attend and 2026 Farm Staffing.
Among our many operational challenges, Denmark Farm will face its greatest staffing pressure in years. With the retirement of two long-serving and highly valued staff members, David York and Dai Thomas, the farm is in a vulnerable position. Finding suitably trained and experienced replacements is a concern, especially after the difficulties we had filling the dairy role. We’ll begin advertising later in the year.
On a more positive note…
Despite the challenges of the dairy redevelopment, staffing, and the never-ending daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, the farm is performing exceptionally well. We’re seeing strong results in livestock and grazing management, and the staff are handling the herds with great care. Crop weed control, fertiliser application, and growth are as good as they’ve ever been.
Machinery and equipment are of an exceptional standard and making a real difference to operations. Markets for cattle and sheep remain strong, and the quality and quantity of calves and lambs are excellent.
Milk prices are secure.
Sheep and Cattle Clubs are going well with steers and sheep being well prepared for future events.
Feedlot steers are nearly finished and will go through MSA Grading at Coles shortly.
Farm staff are a good group of dedicated workers enduring some pretty ordinary weather in recent months.
Kevin Marshall
Farm Manager
WACOA - Denmark