Last Dairy farm in Biggenden closes down

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Originally Posted by weeds

Have friends that are dairy farmer.....retailers want us to be converted to powder milk long term.

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Back in the day fresh milk was for those living near Dairy farms, or in cities with daily horse cart delivery. I remember our time out west on properties meant powdered milk was the norm., for some reason most of the properties didn't have a milk cow, I think it was considered an unnecessary expense, where powdered milk was long lasting , and cheap enough. Fresh milk is a modern luxury, and I can see the thinking behind promoting powdered milk . Would upset the latte set, but it makes sense.

What’s the latte set ? I drink my coffee black , a reflection of my personality!

Most farms I knew had one or two milkers - provided they were in a climate that was reasonable for dairy cow. Dairy cows, if grass fed, need quite a bit of good pasture year round, and feeding them hay or grain makes powdered milk look financially attractive. I remember that on my sister's farm forty years ago, my father commented that you could tell how ell the cow was milking by looking at the husband's and son's waistline!

This habit died gradually as roads got better and the monthly trip to town turned into a weekly one - also as farmer's wives found they needed to work off farm and/or started to want/able to afford to take holidays, having a cow that needed milking every day became less attractive.

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Originally Posted by bob10

Back in the day fresh milk was for those living near Dairy farms, or in cities with daily horse cart delivery. I remember our time out west on properties meant powdered milk was the norm., for some reason most of the properties didn't have a milk cow, I think it was considered an unnecessary expense, where powdered milk was long lasting , and cheap enough. Fresh milk is a modern luxury, and I can see the thinking behind promoting powdered milk . Would upset the latte set, but it makes sense.

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Bob, when I was a boy in Winton most properties had milk cows or goats. The bigger ones even employed a "cowboy" to look after the cows/goats and do odd jobs. Sometimes called a cowboy-gardener in job ads. Cowboys were often anything but a boy usually an older gent in need of less energetic employment and shelter. In those tougher times not many townspeople had refrigeration (or even electricity) so goats were popular. The shire council even had a couple of stud stinkers to improve the local flock.

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

Most farms I knew had one or two milkers - provided they were in a climate that was reasonable for dairy cow. Dairy cows, if grass fed, need quite a bit of good pasture year round, and feeding them hay or grain makes powdered milk look financially attractive. I remember that on my sister's farm forty years ago, my father commented that you could tell how ell the cow was milking by looking at the husband's and son's waistline!

This habit died gradually as roads got better and the monthly trip to town turned into a weekly one - also as farmer's wives found they needed to work off farm and/or started to want/able to afford to take holidays, having a cow that needed milking every day became less attractive.

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Found an old photo of my wifes grandma milking a cow in thomastown (vic), it was Germantown back then. Just shows you didnt have to live on a farm to have a jersey cow, alot of houses in the outskirts of town had them. A lot more room back the though

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Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Bob, when I was a boy in Winton most properties had milk cows or goats. The bigger ones even employed a "cowboy" to look after the cows/goats and do odd jobs. Sometimes called a cowboy-gardener in job ads. Cowboys were often anything but a boy usually an older gent in need of less energetic employment and shelter. In those tougher times not many townspeople had refrigeration (or even electricity) so goats were popular. The shire council even had a couple of stud stinkers to improve the local flock.

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When I was working in the Longreach -Barcaldine -Charters Towers area in the early sixties, a lot of townspeople kept goats for this reason, especially in small towns and villages. Stray goats generally managed to ensure that these small places never had the slightest tinge of green - very few town fences were reliably goatproof! I remember there being talk about building a goatproof fence around Aramac, but how they were planning to have roads through it, and whether it ever got built, I never heard.

The most desolate place I ever saw was Bogantungan. When I drove through there thirty years later, it was much better, possibly a better season, but I suspect the real reason was no goats.

I grew up on a dairy farm and used to milk cows before and after school. It was tough to make money even then. We also had bananas and grew cash crops to supplement the family income. The North Coast of NSW dairy business nosedived when a Sydney based government introduced a milk zone for supplying Sydney which excluded farms birth of about Taree. Now there are very few dairy farms left in the region.
On a positive note Maleny Dairies on the Sunshine Coast is going well pursuing specialist markets, but it's not easy.

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Originally Posted by weeds

Have friends that are dairy farmer.....retailers want us to be converted to powder milk long term.

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Well I won't be consuming powdered, as I can taste that stuff, even blended into milk like our parents used to try when we were kids. I normally buy one of the independent dairy or co-op type milks, as the farms I've come across while dirt road driving are proud to be associated with them and display their sign on their fence or gate.. I don't like the un-homoginised milk as it can leave droplets of fat on coffee, tea, even if the cream tastes great. I have been guilty of buying the 2 for $5 convenience shop/ servo milk but that is usually out of big retailer trading hours, and I prepared to support shops staying open late.

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

When I was working in the Longreach -Barcaldine -Charters Towers area in the early sixties, a lot of townspeople kept goats for this reason, especially in small towns and villages. Stray goats generally managed to ensure that these small places never had the slightest tinge of green - very few town fences were reliably goatproof! I remember there being talk about building a goatproof fence around Aramac, but how they were planning to have roads through it, and whether it ever got built, I never heard.

The most desolate place I ever saw was Bogantungan. When I drove through there thirty years later, it was much better, possibly a better season, but I suspect the real reason was no goats.

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A goat fence was built around Longreach with goat grids on the roads. Nobody thought to muster all the goats already inside until all of a sudden the penny dropped. There were as many goats in the town as outside. They did get mustered and sent to meatworks eventually.

JD, is any fence goat proof? Goats are bloody escape artists.

Funny that nobody has mentioned UHT milk.

the technology has improved since the 20th century and IMHO the product is just as good as “fresh” milk. We now use it exclusively.

you should know the fresh milk is stored AFAIR 6 days before it is despatched to retailers to check for contamination and package swelling.

I too used to go to a farm for school holidays. It used to be “fun?” Getting up at 4.30 to bring the cows in in winter. I remember the old generator which you had to wind up on the decompressor.
This was at Black Gully near Rathdowney, and we used to take the milk churns to Rathdowney sitting on the back of a single spinner Ute cab with our feet on the churns . Be arrested today.


regards Philip A