The Doolan Family

Written By Chanelle O'Sullivan

Doolan Pastoral Co, Ecklin South, Victoria

Whilst Sam and Pete are responsible for the day to day running of the farm, this is a family affair with parents Sam Senior and Carol plus wives Belinda and Bonnie also involved. Pete and Sam are third generation on the farm which has been in the family since 1951.

The trigger for shifting to regenerative farming was Murray Goulburn dropping the milk price 20% in 2016 plus the claw back, and then there was exposure to new educators.

This is an evolving pasture-based grazing system, a split calving family operation. There have been multiple strategic changes to the old system over the last 9 years.

The family have learnt from Heytesbury Landcare trials, the Whiting family, field days and online sources.

Farming Practices

  • Multispecies pastures

  • Effluent management

  • Energy audit and dairy efficiency upgrades several years ago created a system which has reduced energy emissions by 50%

  • Rotational grazing, 35 days max rest period with rye/clover pastures, 50 days rest on multi-species

External feed: grain is fed at the rate of 1.3 t/cow/lactation- 90% barley and 10% canola meal. Some hay as a stop gap.

1750 DM tonnes of silage made on farm in spring conserved for summer and winter feed gaps.


Fertility

Maintenance using synthetic ferts, but the move to multispecies has reduced the need for as much synthetic fertiliser, and moving to a ‘Green Lightning’ home produced nitrogen source. There has been a shift to applying more foliar N.

Compost is produced from the first pond and bedding materials

Soil testing is done every second year, zoning the farm into 4 separate areas.

Changes / Benefits

  • Increased profitability

  • Extra feed

  • Higher quality feed - more energy

  • More worms and mushrooms

  • Somatic cell count is down

  • A lift in organic soil carbon percentage

Environmental Stewardship

The swamp on the farm is fenced off and managed with Parks Victoria- there are plantings focusing on improving native plant and animal biodiversity

At least 7,000 trees have been planted in the last 9 years.

Looking Ahead

The plan is to move further down the regen path for future generations.

Keen to try:

  • Reducing synthetic N use 

  • Moving to full bio-fert system

  • More multi-species

  • Green Lightning N production – see below.

  • More SoilKee Renovator use (strip till sowing machine)

Biggest Challenge

Time management 

Keeping track of core business

What would you do differently if you started again?

Activities can link together and can lead to other decisions 

Advice to others considering the transition

Educate yourself and select/learn from other good operators for advice

Chanelle O'Sullivan
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John Legg