WestVic Dairy - Young Dairy Network

22/10/2026

This is an opportunity worth putting your hand up for. Get your application in!

Applications are now open for Gardiner Foundation’s 2027 New Zealand Study Tour!

Explore New Zealand’s South Island on a fully funded, eight-day tour designed to build your leadership skills, broaden your dairy industry knowledge and connect with other emerging dairy leaders.

If you’re aged 20 to 40 with at least two years’ dairy industry experience, we’d love to hear from you. Applications are welcome from across Australia.

📅 Tour: mid-March 2027

⏰ Applications close: 5 pm AEDT, Monday 9 November 2026

👉 Find out more and apply: https://gardinerfoundation.com.au/people-in-dairy/new-zealand-study-tour/

Supported by Australian Dairy Conference Lions Club of Strzelecki and Australian Dairy Products Federation (ADPF).

13/10/2026

Don't miss opportunities for young dairy farmers in Western Victoria.

Sign up to receive a monthly roundup of events, scholarships, grants, study tours and other opportunities straight to your inbox.

Join the WestVic Dairy – Young Dairy Network mailing list: https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/young-dairy-network-subscription

12/10/2026

07/10/2026

It was great night of learning, discussion and pizza at our recent Silage and Slices workshop.

From silage quality and storage to spring forage options and feed planning, farmers picked up practical ideas they can take straight back to the farm.

Thanks to Laura Tweddle from Aggies without Borders, Leighton Hart from PioneerSeeds for joining us and sharing their practical tips. A special thanks to Pioneer Seeds for shouting dinner.

01/10/2026

What can you achieve in less than a year?

Join us at Angus Fraser and Anna Dickson's farm to hear about their share farming operation and the changes they've made since starting last December.

We'll discuss recent infrastructure investments, including a gravel feedpad and a new drafting race, as well as lessons learned and plans for the future. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and everyone is welcome.

Register: https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/events-calendar/2026/09/14/port-campbell-ddg---october-meeting

01/10/2026

Long days on the tractor call for a good podcast. We asked a few members of the dairy community what they're listening to this harvest season.

Max recommends:
● Dollars in the dirt https://open.spotify.com/show/3POS2BuNlg5XkVS9rPk2A6
● More than Milk https://www.morethanmilkpodcast.com/
● Humans of Agriculture https://humansofagriculture.com/
● Profitable farmer https://www.farmownersacademy.com/profitable-farmer-podcast
● Kick if Forward Podcast | Kick It Forward Club
● Uplevel Dairy https://www.upleveldairy.com/

09/09/2026

A big congratulations to Rachael McGrath, dairy farmer and former WestVic Dairy YDN Leadership Team member, on being named a 2027 Nuffield Scholar! 👏

We wish her all the best for the experience ahead and look forward to following her journey.

The technology already exists. Getting it onto farms is the harder part.

Meet Rachael McGrath from Orford, Victoria, one of our 2027 Nuffield Scholars announced tonight in Darwin.

Rachael is across every part of her family's 420 cow dairy, from milking and calf rearing to genetics, rosters and pasture management, so she can see exactly where virtual fencing, wearable collars and reproductive technology would fit.
The roadblock, she says, is access and support, and it is stalling uptake right across the industry.

Her research, "Understanding farmer adoption of technology and what drives successful implementation on dairy farms", will take her to Canada, the United States and the Netherlands to find out how other dairy industries move technology out of the lab and into the paddock.

Supported by Gardiner Foundation.

08/09/2026

Get ready for silage season! Come along to this YDN catch-up for a short, practical session on silage, feed quality and spring management before the busy period kicks into gear.

Register to make the most of spring: https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/events-calendar/2026/09/07/westvic-dairy-young-dairy-network---silage-and-slices

27/08/2026

Yesterday, YDN members got a behind-the-scenes look at Bega's Koroit facility, following the journey of milk from the farm gate through to the finished products on our shelves. The group explored the site's four dryers, butter production operations and more.

A highlight of the tour was the lactoferrin plant, which extracts a naturally occurring milk protein used in infant formula and health products. The group also saw how the factory treats and recycles water for agricultural use

A big thank you to Bega Koroit for hosting the tour. It was a great opportunity to learn more about dairy processing and what happens to milk beyond the farm gate.

05/08/2026

Come along to the next YDN Field Day to the Bega Factory in Koroit. Places are limited so register to secure your spot: https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/events-calendar/2026/07/10/ydn-field-day----bega-factory-tour