The Milk Maid Marian
382 FOLLOWERS
A blog about the day to day life of an Australian dairy farmer.
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
The ACCC has delivered its interim report into the dairy sector and, wow, just wow. Any doubt that the regulator was listening must now have been removed. We farmers have been handed a ladder and it’s now up to us to use it. The recommendations are broad but most of them come back to one ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
Forget mad cows, this time last week, the milk maid was practically frothing at the mouth. The MLA had told me there were new rules but – not to worry – just go ahead and break them. Every time farmers sell cattle, we need to accompany them with National Vendor Declaration (NVD) forms. From October ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
Buckle up. That’s the message threaded right through a report on Australia’s dairy supply chain by Rabobank‘s Michael Harvey released today. While so many of us are aching for some stability, for things to just settle down a bit, the report crystallizes fears that change has only just begun. Michael’s report cites three causes for ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
I tweeted yesterday that I had voted “yes” for same sex marriage because who others love is none of my business. I am sure of that but I made the mistake of thinking the same sex marriage survey was all about LGTBI people. A call from another Gippsland dairy farmer set me straight. It’s about ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
How things have changed. The pastures are finally no longer moisture stressed and neither am I. In a wintry week that’s likely to see snow carpet our sky line, I’m grateful for hope. The idea of another desolate season on top of 2015 and the corrosive dairy crisis had me all jittery in July. August ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
My recent brush with 650kg of angry cow triggered a discussion on social media about the best way to protect yourself from an attack. Veterinarian Dr Zoe Vogels offered some interesting insights about the ways cows perceive the world and kindly agreed to explain more here on Milk Maid Marian. Thank you, Zoe, for this ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
I love a supermarket bargain as much as any mum trying to balance the family budget. But there’s one I won’t be buying and that’s a 1kg block of cheese for $6. Why? To explain, Zoe and I have made a quick video to explain the ugly truth behind $6 cheese. It we don’t value ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
I can see why the Senate delayed its report into the dairy industry: it has no meaningful solutions. But it does seem pretty sure that the two main responses to the crisis – a voluntary code of practice and milk price index – aren’t the answers either. The report makes 12 recommendations and four of ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
1570 came roaring out of the dozen cows and calves, head lowered, eyes bulging. I had nothing. No dog, no stick and nowhere to run. I’d been standing on the side of the road to shepherd the group across from the calving paddock to the dairy when she broke from the rear of the ambling ..read more
The Milk Maid Marian
3y ago
Sorry if that headline created a word picture you’d rather forget but it wasn’t mine. It’s the phrase used by a farmer describing almond “milk” that caught Twitter’s attention yesterday. “Crushed nut juice” hit the news as NSW dairy body, Dairy Connect, launched a campaign to have soy, rice, almond and other plant-based extracts relabeled ..read more