Macalister Demonstration Farm

Dairy Research Farm demonstrating best management practice

 

Macalister Demonstration Farm

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Farmer support needed for the MDF
    • Become a Shareholder
    • Become a friend of the MDF
    • Events Archive
    • Co-op Rules and Policies
    • History of the Farm
    • MDF Staff
    • MDF Board
  • Management
    • Farm System
    • Farm Layout
    • Grazing
    • Fertiliser
    • Dairy Herd
    • Cow Fertility
    • The Future or Goals & Challenges
  • Performance
    • Fortnightly Updates
    • Farm Finances
    • Farm Performance Graphs
  • Projects
    • Protection of Ancient Red Gums
    • Sub-surface Drip Irrigation
    • Gibberellic Acid & Nitrogen Fertilizer
    • Carbon Ready Dairy Demonstration Project
    • MID Dairy Farm Productivity Tracker Project
    • Effluent Nutrient Management & Profitability
    • Precision Ag Variable Rate Fertilizer Application Trial 2019
  • Events
  • Publications
    • Fortnightly Updates
    • Financal Updates
    • Live Soil Moisture Levels
    • Newsletter
    • Annual Reports
    • Information Sheets
    • Project Reports
  • News
  • Videos
  • Contact

The MDF IoT Project: Introduction

December 29, 2020 by MDF

The MDF is using an IoT co-contribution grant to upgrade part of its flood irrigation by laser grading and then installing irrigation automation through Padman stops. The MDF will also determine whether the addition of amendments such as lime, compost, gypsum and multispecies cover crops helps … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Videos

MDF Fortnightly Update 533

December 29, 2020 by MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 533

Analyzing the drivers of profitability. The MDF is milking 290 cows, a little below target, and the lowest number for many years. Milk solids per cow (now 1.93 kg) is falling, is below the December target, and below last year. However, pasture consumption (58 kg DM per hectare per day) is above … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fortnightly Updates

MDF Fortnightly Update 532

December 29, 2020 by MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 532

The importance of grass in the diet.  Let us compare the MDF with another dairy farm. At the moment, our litre production is lower than target, but milk solids per cow is on target, because the fat and protein test are up. Litres are less relevant, when talking about milk production, especially … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fortnightly Updates

MDF Fortnightly Update 531

December 29, 2020 by MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 531

Monitoring inputs to optimise outputs   Calving is now completed at the MDF, milking 295 cows, with 4.2 cows per hectare. There were 291 cows at the same time last year. The grazing allocation is set at 1/30th of the farm and the actual grazing rest-time is 30 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fortnightly Updates

MDF Fortnightly Update 530 

December 29, 2020 by MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 530 

  The Perennial Ryegrass is now seed-heading strongly. Clumps that were grazed to 12 cm at the previous grazing have a lot of well-developed seed-heads, whereas the patches that were grazed to 4 cm have far less.  Presumably the shorter grazing removed a lot of rising, but not obvious, heads … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fortnightly Updates

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 28
  • Next Page »

Latest Publications

The MDF IoT Project: Introduction

December 29, 2020 By MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 533

December 29, 2020 By MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 532

December 29, 2020 By MDF

Become a Friend

Friends of the MDF

About the MDF

The Macalister Demonstration Farm, formerly the Macalister Research Farm, is a farmer-owned co-operative established on April 13th 1960. A collaboration between dairy farmers of the MID and the Department of Agriculture at Maffra resulted in the … Read More

Links

  • Demo Dairy
  • Gipps Dairy
  • Dairy Australia

Search this site

Copyright © 2021 Macalister Research Farm Co-operative Ltd · ABN: 89 984 202 071