MENTORS and industry bodies have helped David Christopher seize opportunities in the exciting and ever-developing dairy industry.
He is extending that helping hand through being part of the Murray Dairy Young Dairy Network (YDN) steering committee.
Mr Christoper has worked at Lagoona Farm in Ardmona for five years, and in the past few years as farm manager, has helped to alter the breeding program and transition it into an expansion phase.
About a month ago, the business bought about 130 hectare farm a kilometre away from the 150ha existing home block.
The operation has 470 cows in the shed, and Mr Christopher said the farm was milking more cows than normal to expand the herd to utilise the second farm.
Both farms have rotary dairies (a 40-stand one with automated cup removers on the home block and an older 50-stand dairy on the new farm) and the plan is to split the herd to have spring calvers on the home block and autumn calvers on the new farm, to make management easier.
The herd is made of three-way crosses of a combination of Holsteins, Jerseys, Aussie Reds and Montbeliarde cattle.
"In the last year, we have made the breeding program more systematic and have focused on improving the phenotype and genotype," Mr Christopher said.
"Crossing three of the four available breeds gives hybrid vigour and a bigger genetic pool, which we can draw on to improve certain attributes.
"As we supply Tatura Milk, we aim to produce more milk solids rather than litres, so the right nutrition is important," he said.
Last year, the farm supplied 230,000 kilograms of milk solids, he said.
The enterprise uses a partial mix ration, so the focus is on pasture. Mr Christopher runs a mixer wagon with material to complement the pasture.
At the moment he is feeding out vetch, maize and grain.
The pastures are a mix of perennial and Italian ryegrasses, which are irrigated with a flood system.
Mr Christopher did a Bachelor of Agriculture at the University of Melbourne's Dookie campus and specialised in viticulture.
He did milking while he was studying at college and when he was entering the workforce, about six years ago, the wine industry "was falling apart".
Mr Christopher credits mentors including during his university days and his employers for giving him opportunities in dairy and showing him that it is a vibrant industry with a strong future.
"Agriculture is an industry that is not going away; we need to eat.
"And dairy in particular has a strong outlook. It's a great industry for young people and young families, as with it's long days, I can see my son (Jake, 4) before he goes off to kinder and have lunch with the family."
He is on the organising committee for a series of YDN 'Calving your career' farm walks in coming months across the Murray Dairy region.
For more information on the farm walks, visit www.murraydairy.com.au/calving-your-career
