Two Jancourt East childhood sweethearts have been producing high-quality milk for decades, and are 29-year long reigning winners of an annual milk quality award.
Dairy Australia's Milk Quality awards recognise Australian farmers for having their bulk milk cell count (BMCC) in the lowest five per cent.
Karen and Paul Finlayson, FireLake Friesians, Jancourt East, received the diamond award for having the lowest overall count, collected by their processor Bulla Dairy Foods.
They have received a plaque each year since 2002, on top of the eight years' prior when the award was first established.
"I'm just so proud of my husband because he's not only running the farm but he's looking after me as well and helping me out," Mrs Finlayson said.
"I do the books for the farm but he does everything else, he's just amazing," Mrs Finlayson said.
She said she hoped Mr Finlayson reached 30 years' winning the Milk Quality award.
"The first award we ever got - I don't keep very well and I nearly died - and my husband was milking and coming to the hospital, milking then coming back, so the first award he said it was a 'bloody fluke'," she said.
"Then we tried to get the next one, and it just went on and on."
Mrs Finlayson said each of his cows were named, and Mr Finlayson himself had been dubbed the "cow whisperer" because of his calm nature with the herd.
Mr Finlayson said he focused mostly on production and type with his Friesian stud, and managed the artificial insemination and breeding.
He calves from mid-April through to the end of July.
"The whole herd has really neat udders which helps in the wintertime because they're tucked up and not dragging on the ground," he said.
He said he was "no different" to any other farmer, despite the annual awards and low BMCC results.
His average from processor Bulla Dairy Foods was 38,000 for the year, and during 2022 he had a test that came back with 16,000.
"I'm one of the latest milkers in the district but that's just because I don't like getting out of bed," he said.
"I don't think I do anything differently to what any other farmer does.
"I'm calmer around the cows and the only one that milks so nothing slips by, if a cow has mastitis or things like that."
He said he left school to undertake a farming apprenticeship on his parents' farm as a teenager, about six kilometres from Jancourt East.
"I always wanted to get out onto my own farm," he said.
"I had half a herd put together form the years working at my parents and leased a farm near Camperdown for 12 months."
He said he found he had better attention to detail being the sole milker, and milking a smaller herd.
He downsized to a smaller herd after he stopped leasing a neighbouring block about 15 years ago, and went from milking 140-head of cattle to 80.
Mrs Finlayson said they recently moved to Bulla Dairy Foods four years ago, and found their family-oriented nature and support had been helpful to their dairy production.
She said they had been their top supplier for the lowest BMCC milk four years' running.
"It's like that saying, 'if you love what you do you never work a day in your life'," she said.
Rachel Simmonds
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
