Highly productive, non irrigated dairy farm in very reliable rainfall area in the lee of the Western Tiers, in North West Tasmania. Lush pastures produce abundant fodder for cows that have provided a stable dairy income for two families for many years.

This very picturesque property has traditionally milked between 130 and 150 cows, run all followers, and produced all fodder requirements of property and has milked up to 160 cows without the necessity of irrigation. The cows are milked in a 12 a side swing over forty five degree Herringbone, with, twin Frigrite vats, Pendulum exit gates and automated feed system with 30 tonne silo (30 tonne pellets or 38 tonne barley). Replacement stock are raised in a number of well appointed and ventilated calf rearing pen facilities afforded by the substantial outbuildings situated around the dairy complex.

Well maintained laneways service and access all reaches of the farm, making stock flow and management trouble free in all seasonal conditions. The farm is lightly elevated above the surrounding farms of Western Creek and adjacent Dairy Plains which also provides invaluable air drainage. One of the biggest advantages to this property and in fact cost saving measures is the availability of abundant natural water resources at the upper slopes of the property which provides all the properties domestic, stock, and commercial requirements by direct supply (and strategically sited additional water storage tanks) via gravity, therefore is an immense cost saving to the operation.

In fact the potential of a private hydro-electric generating scheme is currently being investigated and financially planned by the vendors to make the property even more cost effective and self sufficient.

The farm has three substantial homesteads, which current serve as residences for two vendor family units and the third for a tenant who is also currently employed in the local dairy industry. The two brick and one weatherboard and colour-bond residences are four bedroom and three bedroom respectively, with the main four bedroom residence being double brick construction. As such this property provides the opportunity for a healthy income for two family units, while the third residence provides for a handy supplementary rental income.

All three units have generous undercover parking and utility areas, with parking for at least two vehicles and as many as four undercover at the homesteads. All residences have generous storage facilities and well appointed cooking, heating, bathroom and laundry fixtures and services.

All homes feature installed insulation, and have had power, window, gutter and fascia, and heating upgrades in recent years. The best description of the pastures is lush. There is a good balance of grasses and clovers providing sustained growth through the seasons for milk and fodder production. The pastures have a strong fertiliser history with the most recent applications being 3 tonne to the acres of Dolomite across the entire farm over the past two seasons, with other fertiliser applications carried according to needs that may be indicated by tests as required.

The pastures are also subject to stringent continuous weed control regimes so that it too is more of a simple maintenance measure. On average the farm produces approximately 200 Tonnes of silage (pit or wrapped) and approximately 300 larger than standard rounds bales of hay (at 6 foot by 5 foot) per year to cater for the current fodder requirements. In addition, approximately 30 additional acres of pasture has been cleared and is being further renovated, currently displaying a highly vigorous growth of clover and will be used to service the additional followers. All boundaries of the property are vermin proofed to protect pastures and the recent capital investment, and routinely checked and maintained in good order as is all internal electric fencing.

With the newly claimed area the farm area sown to pasture is approximately 270 acres with the remaining acreage areas comprised of domestic and farm compounds, and approximately 40 acres of native bush.

Outbuildings are both substantial and plentiful, catering for undercover facilities for all machinery, plant and equipment, fodder storage, chemical and workshop storage and facilities. They are maintained like all areas of the property in very good order, and like the residences demonstrate not only maintenance but numerous and ongoing upgrades when required. Further details and capacities are available upon request.

This is a farm that has been able to comfortably afford a reliable income to two family units over an extended period of years, without the necessity of modern irrigation trends or expense, and while much of that is down to sound management of both farming and financial practices, it is rare to find a property of being able to maintain and provide both returns and lifestyle with current industry demands and margins to the primary producer at farm gate. COST EFFECTIVE – HIGH RELIABILITY DAIRY FARMING THAT CAN STILL BE GENUINELY DESCRIBED AS FARMING WITH LIFESTYLE.

The current herd is comprised of approximately 130 Jersey cows with a production test average of 5.5% butterfat and 3.8% protein, currently producing approximately 230 kg of milk solids per day with a season target in excess of 55,000 kilograms of milk solids. The vendors have retained 45 yearling and 45 weanling heifer replacements with the intention of returning the herd to 150 plus cows for next seasons 2012/13 season.

The vendors commitments with a second dairy farm in seasons previous to the past two seasons had seen the herd numbers restricted to 110 to 125 to allow for a single family unit operation. Those seasons still saw the property produce between 44,500 and 54,000 kilograms of milk solids; in 2008/09 milking 125 cows the farm produced 30,682 kg/f and 23,310 kg/p; in 2009/10 milking 112 cows 25,800 kg/f and 17,866 kg/p; in 2010/11 milking 120 cows 28,574 kg/f and 19,574 kg/p.

The dairy herd is available for negotiation at valuation (S.A.V.) Additional to the purchase of the property as is a component of the plant and equipment to facilitate a W.I.W.O. (Walk In Walk Out) sale as a Going Concern should a purchaser desire. A list of available P & E is able to be supplied upon request.

This property would also suit a highly productive beef breeding and grazing operation, particularly if stock rotation regimes were maintained of a similar nature to dairy rotations.

Property Code: 360