GippsDairy deputy chair Lauren Finger and her husband Simon have been named as The Weekly Times Coles 2016 Dairy Farmers of the Year.
The Yannathan couple milk around 950 cows across three farms and were rewarded for their resilience in adapting to a changing climate in 2016.
Once-a-day milking improved cow welfare and slashed running costs for electricity, meaning they were able to maintain their business during a difficult and often unpredictable period.
“I’d like to think we were chosen because we were able to see our way through a challenging year and grow our business at the same time,” she said.
“We are very adaptable farmers which is absolutely essential in this day and age. You need that awareness of all those factors that operate around you like grain price, milk price and the season and how you can use those to your advantage.”
Since receiving the award, Lauren and Simon have reflected on their time in the dairy industry.
“We’ve done it initially as sharefarmers in 2007 with 200 cows, so it’s nice for people to know you can start out as a sharefarmer and grow from there,” she said.
In her role as GippsDairy deputy chair, Lauren encouraged other dairy farmers to build their knowledge and skills, just as she and Simon have done.
“There’s such a huge range of courses and training that GippsDairy and Dairy Australia offer, and we have taken advantage of that, particularly around farm business management, which has given us an understanding of where our business is at any given time.”
* The Fingers will be the subject of an On The Land feature story in coming weeks.
