Currently milking 210 predominantly Holstein dairy cows and 400 Dairy doe goats, Wheso Farm is richly fertile and highly productive dairy farm full of potential and options, located in the lush setting of Gunns Plains, Tasmania on the banks of the Leven River.

With 740 Megalitres of licensed direct offtake irrigation supplied to pastures through 2.4 kilometres of very recently installed underground mains, supplementing existing infrastructure and the very reliable annual rainfall and 20 megalitre dam pasture growth is very secure.

With extensive shed facilities, comfortable and recently extended domestic residence and workers quarters, this property represents a very healthy investment opportunity with potential for further expansion of the existing land holdings to increase both stocking levels and production capabilities.

The options and potential are enormous, whether it be to continue in its current format of joint dairy enterprises with both cows and goats, value adding by producing artisan products on farm, converting solely to a dairy goat operation, or reverting to a more traditional dairy cow operation, all are viable options depending on the desires of new ownership.

Only 25 to 30 minutes from the popular north west Tasmanian towns of Ulverstone and Penguin in the highly regarded dairy area of the North West Tasmania surrounded by adjoining dairy communities including Riana just 10 minutes away, South Riana, Natone, and Gawler. Gunns Plains is a natural green amphitheatre with its own unique microclimate providing consistent, reliable rainfall ideal for Dairy Farming, and is dissected by the Leven River which borders the property. For many years Gunns Plains was renowned for the lush environment that produced much of the Hop crops used for producing the high quality beers of the state’s major northern Brewery. It is on these same fertile soils that the dairy is now established and benefits from the many years of tending.

The pastures, a blend of Rye and Clovers have been entirely renovated over a five year rotation, and 5-7 hectares of turnips are grown annually as a fodder crop and part of ongoing renovation rotations of approximately 105 hectares of effective milking pastures. Dairy production is based between 1 to 1.6 tonne per cow of dry matter and equates production levels of approximately 1,350 litres per hectare.
The cows are rotated in conjunction of forage harvesting on a daily basis for the dairy goat herd which are housed year round for management purposes and efficiency of feeding. The farm is divided into paddock cells between 2.1 and 2.6 hectares. From a feed value and return point of view during rotations the cows produce income of approximately $1,600 per cell, while the goats return on the same fodder area is approximately $3,000 on current milk payment returns.

Milking approximately 120 spring calved, predominantly Holstein cows, and 90 autumn cows providing year round milking. The farm has produced up to 140,000 kilograms of milk solids in 2012/13, with 96,000 kilograms of milk solids in 2013/14, with an additional 100,000 litres of Dairy Goats milk being produced with the implementation and expansion of the dairy goat operation. Supply of both milks is to Lion Nathan.

Wheso Farm is comprised of a seven titles, with an original four bedroom homestead with a new artisan, 240 square metre, timber and straw bale construction addition nearing completion. The setting of the home makes the most of this lush rural setting. Winter temperatures are controlled with an inbuilt wood heater, and wiring for reverse cycle air conditioning factored into the residential addition. The home is not just a standard house, it is ideal for a large family or even two family units. The property also has a three bedroom cottage and worker facility with office at the dairy facilities.

The dairy cow platform is a18 unit swing over herringbone with 12,000 litre milk silo, 15 tonnes of silo capacity and automated feed system. The dairy and yards are all undercover has an approximate yard holding capacity of 320 cows. Three 3 phase power services the dairy, effluent and irrigation systems.

The dairy goat platform is a 20 unit swing over herringbone with a new vat due for installation, and automated feed system. Currently the goats milk is collected three times weekly for shipment to Victoria for processing, with the installation of the new vat goat milk collection will be once or twice weekly.

Irrigation is provided by new underground irrigation mains to all 44 paddocks, and watered applied utilising 5 soft hose travellers, and 12 hectares by hard set sprinklers. Three pumps, two 100 HP pumps and one 60 HP pump are sited on the Leven River for the 740 meg direct offtake and the 20 meg dam situated near the main residence supply irrigation to the sprinklers.

Fertiliser has been in regular applications according to advice from soil analysis and farm requirements to maximise pasture growth potential. The property topography is predominantly level to lightly undulating river flats, with a portion of lightly undulating slopes, invaluable during the wetter months when run off and drainage is all important.

The property is divided into 44 permanent paddocks each with stock water points, the pastures further divided by strip grazing to control rotation according to season. This property has extensive shed and storage capacity and utilises all the shed infrastructure of approximately 4,000 square metres from the original hop farm, for dairy, animal husbandry and fodder storage. Barn provides storage capacity for a further 250 to 300 rounds of hay or silage which are usually outsourced as supplementary feed. The numerous farm outbuildings feature for machinery, fodder storage, and animal husbandry.

Approximately 35 to 40 minutes from Devonport, and approximately an hour and a half from Launceston, the two main gateways, air and shipping accesses in and out of the state. Access to schools, shops and essential services are approximately twenty minutes to half an hour away.

The farm is for sale for bare purchase as advertised, or a Walk In, Walk Out option inclusive of dairy-herds, machinery and implements P & E for $3,500,000. A further breakdown on the W.I.W.O. pricing is available upon request.

Property Code: 742