Waiting for the green light

Gordon, of Stanvale Farms, Neerim North, milks alongside his wife, Margaret, and their sons.

They own two dairy farms, and milk 510 mostly Holstein-Friesian cows across both platforms, using Lely robotic units.

Gordon said integrating virtual fencing and herding technology into his management system would improve worker safety.

It would also enable him to reconfigure his farms and reduce the need for infrastructure maintenance in hazardous conditions.

Both of his dairy farms are in steep country.

“Two of us get up at 4am every morning to move the stragglers to the dairy,” he said.

“With this technology, I can pre-program when I want the cows to get an alert and begin moving to the dairy.”

Gordon disputes any risk to dairy cows from using the technology.

“We make a living out of our animals, and the last thing we’d do is hurt them,” he said.