The Business of Dairy
NSW DPI
The Business of Dairy podcast will look at aspects of management of dairy businesses from both within the farm gate and outside the farm gate, speaking to farmers and service providers with skills, information and knowledge of value to you and your business. We will bring to you monthly discussions on topics that will grow your knowledge and understanding of management areas that will drive strong farm business performance into the future. This series is brought to you by the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit with funding and support from the Hunter Local Land Services.
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Top 10 The Business of Dairy Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Business of Dairy episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Business of Dairy for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Business of Dairy episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Intensive Dairies - Drivers of Adoption and Profitability
The Business of Dairy
07/31/23 • 45 min
Interest in NSW and Australia in intensive dairy systems has grown significantly in the last decade due to many factors. These systems require significant capital investment, so it is important that if this is a system that interests you, you really do your homework.
Through DairyUP, a large research, development and extension program in NSW, NSW DPI with joint funding from Dairy Australia, has undertaken an economic and social science project looking at the profitability of intensive farms in NSW and why people are considering and adopting them.
This month Sheena discusses the project with Nikki Reichelt, a Research Fellow from the University of Melbourne’s Rural Innovation Research Group who undertook the farmer and consultant interviews to understand the ‘why’ of the interest and adoption in NSW and Karen Romano, National Feeding Systems Lead at Dairy Australia. Karen is responsible for a program that is providing farmers with excellent information and resources to help them in their decision making and implementation of system intensification and has a strong background in extension and farm systems.
Useful resources related to this podcast:
Adapting Dairy Farm Systems website (includes links to the National Guidelines for Dairy Feedpads and Contained Housing Systems and the Farm System Evaluator)
DairyUP website - further information on the Intensive Dairies project and others R,D & E programs funded by this initiative.
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit (further information and resources are available here)
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include;
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
Decision Making and Risk Management with a Family Board
The Business of Dairy
05/31/24 • 35 min
The use of a structured approach within a NSW dairying business to assist with decision making and risk management, is discussed this month with Kay Smith from Bulahdelah. The Smiths have been operating a family dairy business for over 40 years and 5 years ago, faced with a number of challenges, were weighing up their future options. One of these involved a significant change to the business requiring a lot of capital investment and risk. Kay introduces us to the business and steps us through their reason for creating their advisory group, how they set it up and how it assisted them in getting to where they are today. We would like to thank the NSW Farm Business Resilience Program for their support in the production of this episode. This program encourages best practice knowledge sharing to highlight the social and economic benefits with forward planning and investment.
Links to useful resources related to this podcast:
GRDC publication “Farm Decision Making”
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include:
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
The Art of Tax Planning
The Business of Dairy
03/31/22 • 28 min
Farm profits will be interesting this financial year with strong milk prices and milder seasons being in our favour but then on the other side of the scales we have pricing pressures on key inputs such as fertiliser and wet weather and severe flooding impacting many dairy businesses on the east coast of Australia. Whether you are looking at a profit or a loss for your dairy business, we are now in the final quarter of the financial year and if you don’t already, you should really be looking at tax planning with your accountant to manage your tax position as effectively as you can.
Our guests this month are two enthusiastic and experienced accountants from Boyce Chartered Accountants who discuss strategies to help dairy farmers with the art of tax planning. Kate Garrett and Dan Medway have a very good understanding of agricultural businesses and have dairy clients they work with throughout NSW.
Useful resources related to this podcast:
Dairy Australia – Farm Business Management training options
The Dairy Standard Chart of Accounts
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include:
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
Fall Armyworm Impacts and the Feed That Gets Better With Time
The Business of Dairy
02/28/22 • 34 min
The potential for reduced yields and fodder quality in corn and sorghum crops is something that now has to be proactively managed by farmers as a result of detection of fall armyworm in Australia. It is a plant pest that first appeared in QLD in February 2020 and also the NT and norther parts of WA. It has subsequently been found throughout the eastern seaboard as far as Tasmania. Being a new pest, we are still learning how to best manage it and this month we hear from Ross Warren, Senior Dairy Extension Officer with QDAF who has seen the impact across many farms in the subtropical region of NSW and QLD and how dairy farmers are managing it. Also joining us is Jason Bake, who runs a family dairy operation near Coffs Harbour in northern NSW. Corn silage is a large component of his herds diet and we hear how they have managed it on farm, as well as why Jason views corn as “the only crop that improves in value over time”!
Useful resources related to this podcast:
Subtropical Dairy/QLD Department of Ag and Fisheries – Fall Army Worm Update Webinar
NSW DPI Fall Armyworm resource page
Dairy Australia Fall Armyworm resource page
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include:
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
The Game Business Journey
The Business of Dairy
08/31/22 • 49 min
Kevin and Brodie Game with their young family, dairy at Bemboka on the far south coast of NSW and have worked hard at achieving their goals over the last 12 years. From small beginnings they have grown into a large and profitable business, with the inevitable ups and downs along the way. They have also just reached the end of their first year as the NSW Focus Farm which has provided them with great support and guidance, so along with Kevin and Brodie, I am joined by Justin Walsh who is facilitating their Focus Farm project.
We often hear that it is too hard for young people to get into dairying and ultimately own their own farm, unless they are fortunate enough to already be part of a family-owned generational business.
Today we hear how a dream such as this can become a reality through good planning, management and being able to make the most of opportunities when they present themselves.
Useful resources related to this podcast:
Leasing dairy assets resource pack
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include;
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
Lowering Total Feed Costs with Good Spring Pasture Management
The Business of Dairy
07/31/21 • 27 min
Growing high quality feed and utilising it in the Spring period is a key opportunity to lower your total feed costs across the year. Agronomists, Josh Hack and Peter Beale talk about the importance of getting your ryegrass management right coming into the Spring period, the importance of nitrogen in growing this feed source and principles of good grazing management to capture your Spring surplus.
Nitrogen is a key profit driver for milk production in a pasture based dairy system and even though we are currently seeing urea prices increase dramatically, Josh works through an example to show that it can still be cost effective to apply with typical dry matter response rates at this time of year and the price of alternate feed sources.
Useful resources related to this podcast:
· Peter Beale’s article in the Hunter LLS Winter newsletter.
· Professor Richard Eckard’s, Dairy Australia YouTube clips
o Nitrogen grown pasture versus purchased feed
o Timing of Nitrogen Application
· Josh Hack’s Grazing Management YouTube Playlist
A link to the FertSmart Nitrogen Pocket Guide on the Dairy Australia website.
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include;
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Access a transcript of this episode here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
Intensive Dairying - Profitability and Risk Insights
The Business of Dairy
07/31/24 • 25 min
This month’s episode focuses on a project looking at intensive dairy systems in Inland NSW and Northern Victoria over the last 7 years. This has provided the industry with quality foundational information on the profitability, cost structures and risks of these systems. Claire Waterman from Agriculture Victoria and Sheena Carter (NSW DPI) led the project for their respective regions and were recently interviewed for a Rural Bank podcast called “Beyond the Farm Gate”. A big thank you to Rural Bank who have kindly allowed us to use the recording to share the project findings via this podcast.
Links to useful resources related to this podcast:
Project Report and Case Studies Intensive Farm Systems Economics | Dairy Australia
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include:
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
Lameness and Mastitis in the Wet – Mark Humphris and Ruth Kydd
The Business of Dairy
03/31/25 • 45 min
Over 170 dairy farms across SE QLD and the North Coast of NSW were impacted by severe flooding and wet conditions as a result of Tropical Cyclone Alfred in early March this year, 2025. This resulted in losses of power, pasture and crop and other feed losses, for some farms a period of time where milk was unable to be picked up and infrastructure damage on farm and off farm such as land slips impacting road access to farms.
Herd health is always a major issue in this situation and this month we focus particularly on the impact of mastitis, lameness and the conditions for people on the farm. While the floods have receded, the management of these conditions continues and I am very pleased to have veterinarian Dr Mark Humphris and Riverina dairy farmer, Ruth Kydd join me in discussion today.
NSW Rural Assistance Authority – Natural Disaster Transport Subsidy
NSW Rural Assistance Authority – Natural Disaster Relief Loan
QLD Freight subsidies for disaster affected Primary Producers - Freight Subsidies for Disaster Affected Primary Producers QLD | business.gov.au
QLD Rural & Industry Development Authority – Disaster Assistance Loan - Disaster Assistance Loans | Queensland Rural and Industry
QLD Rural & Industry development Authority – Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital Loan) - Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loan |
Fact sheets – Dairy Australia:
“Managing Lameness in Wet Conditions” and “Mastitis Control in Wet Conditions”
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – further information and resources are available here - Dairy | Department of Primary Industries
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include:
NSW DPI Dairy Newsletter - Connect with us | Department of Primary Industries
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
Revisiting profitable pasture management and silage production
The Business of Dairy
10/31/24 • 26 min
Feed costs are the highest operational costs in a dairy business, so it is vital that we manage these well in order to enhance our farm’s profitability. We are currently well into a somewhat mild spring here, in most regions of New South Wales, so thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit some earlier podcast episodes on key aspects of profitable pasture management and silage making.
The extracts come from a couple of very popular episodes and even though they are a couple of years old, the messages and key principles discussed are as relevant as ever.
The first episode was Episode 3 – Lowering total feed costs with good spring pasture management with NSW agronomists Josh Hack and Peter Beale. Aspects such as the importance and economics of nitrogen use and the principles of good grazing management to help capture true pasture surpluses are discussed. Please note that urea prices discussed in this episode were from a couple of years ago when urea prices were abnormally high.
The second episode comes from Episode 24 – The economics of silage making with agronomist Neil Griffiths. It follows on logically from the previous episode. Neil highlights the importance of timing when making silage in relation to producing high quality and profitable silage. This includes capturing silage with high energy content and minimising wastage.
Links to the original episodes have been included in the show notes for this episode which include links to some very useful resources.
Podcast links:
Podcast Episode 3 - Lowering total feed costs with good spring pasture management
Podcast Episode 24 - The economics of silage making
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include:
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.
Supporting Your Dairy Business
The Business of Dairy
09/30/23 • 30 min
Dairies are complex businesses requiring a very broad range of skills to manage. In today’s environment, good business management skills are more important than ever. This is recognised by industry organisations whose role is to support farmers such as the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Dairy Australia as well as farm consultants who provide individual farm support in various technical areas.
Jane Bower, who is an Extension Officer and Engagement Lead with Dairy NSW joins me to discuss some key support programs for available for dairy farmers. We cover off on the Dairy Business Support Services program, staffing or workforce programs to help you find staff and retain them, Our Farm Our Plan for getting a plan together that will get everyone on the same page and all driving the business in the direction needed to achieve your identified goals, and much more!
Links to useful resources related to this podcast:
Contact Jane Bower or the Dairy NSW Team (Jane 0427 929 694)
Wellbeing and Safety | NSW DroughtHub
Business Support Services Project
Dairy Standard Chart of Accounts
Our Farm Our Plan (Starting 2nd or 10th October, National Online programs)
Dairy Farm Business Analysis National Online October 2023 | Dairy Australia
Farm Business Fundamentals National Online November 2023 | Dairy Australia
Farming with My Team - Online 2023 | Dairy Australia
Farm Business Snapshot | Dairy Australia
Dairy Australia Farm Business Program information.
This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit – please visit for further information and resources.
It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services
Please share this podcast with your fellow farmers and colleagues and feel free to contact us with suggestions or comments via this email address [email protected]
Further NSW DPI Dairy channels to follow and subscribe to include:
DPI Intensive Livestock Twitter feed
Transcript here
Produced by Video Lift
The information discussed in
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Business of Dairy have?
The Business of Dairy currently has 48 episodes available.
What topics does The Business of Dairy cover?
The podcast is about Management, Dairy, Podcasts, Education, Farming and Business.
What is the most popular episode on The Business of Dairy?
The episode title 'Profitability Insights From 10 Years of Dairy Farm Monitor in NSW' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Business of Dairy?
The average episode length on The Business of Dairy is 31 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Business of Dairy released?
Episodes of The Business of Dairy are typically released every 30 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of The Business of Dairy?
The first episode of The Business of Dairy was released on May 26, 2021.
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