Pete Neaves & Kate Mirams
Neaves Mirams Agriculture, Newry/Boisdale, Victoria
Peter and Kate farm on the deep alluvial floodplain soils of the Macalister River in Gippsland. The farm is irrigated (flood and spray) with 600mm average annual rainfall and approx. 40 frosts per year.
Their home property at Newry, where they milk 320 cows, comprises 135 ha, of which 110ha is irrigated, and approximately 15 to 20 ha is waterways and lagoons fenced and planted to trees. Their Boisdale property is 58ha of which 50ha is irrigated, is used to grow young stock and produce fodder for the milking herd, 4 ha is set aside for trees. The farm has been in the family for 21 years.
Peter and Kate met on the front steps of the agriculture faculty building at the University of Melbourne in 1989. They were both fortunate to be awarded Dairy Research and Development Corporation scholarships to study a masters of agricultural science in farm management at Massey University, New Zealand in 1994. After completing their studies Peter returned to Smithton in Tasmania, and Kate moved to Maffra Victoria, both working in dairy extension.
With science backgrounds and careers in dairy extension, they have strong insight into the diversity of dairy farming systems across Tas and Vic, and the drivers of business profitability and resilience. Thirty years ago dairy farms were harvesting 12 tons of dry matter per hectare on irrigation with little or no nitrogen fertilizer. Today many farmers are using up to 200 kg N/ha for a similar pasture consumption.
Kate and Peter began farming together in 2003. In 2019 they took a critical look at their own farming system and began the journey of learning how to transition their farming system to create vibrant soil life and biodiversity, while remaining strongly profitable. This led them to an understanding that soil life underpins everything. Soil life is ultimately the foundation of human health. Farmers are the gateway to thriving soil health, which produces nutrient dense pastures, that enable cows to have healthy rumens and produce nutrient dense milk and meat. Nutrient dense food is essential for human health.
Peter and Kate were recently recognized in the 2024 West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s Lyrebird Awards for being role models for change, with trials of regenerative/sustainable agricultural practices and building a community of practice to keep nutrients on farm and out of waterways and the Gippsland Lakes.
They are relentless and passionate about soil health and biodiversity, all while working a profitable farming enterprise and mindful of the wellbeing of animals and people!
Their Regen Transition
The drive to transition is to be good ancestors for our children and for all future generations, to be able to say, we may not have got everything right, but we sure gave it a try!
One of the tipping points was seeing pasture consumption flatline. In the 1990s, farms were harvesting 12 tDM/ha on irrigation with little or no N fertiliser. Now farms are not reliably harvesting any more with as much as 400 kg N/ha. Things were adrift!
They could see that their soil health was declining. Although on some of the best soils in Australia, they were treating it like hydroponics. Soil health was declining with soils were becoming tight and compacted.
Pete and Kate have a passion for soils and the environment, positive stewardship of land. A passion to embrace the change required to produce really nutrient dense healthy food, in a farming system that is ecologically improving – through species diversity, water way health, herd health and community health.
Key influences have been: Dave Huggins, Jade Killoran, Soils for Life, local regeneratively minded farmers, Joel Williams, Nicole Masters, Grant Sims, Graeme Sait and Sal Mirams.
Farming Practices
They are utilising the following:
Multispecies perennial pastures
Adaptive grazing management- managing for 100% groundcover year round. Rotation length: 25 in spring/summer to manage quality, autumn 40, winter 50-80.
Minimising herbicides, buffering with fulvic acid
Reducing fallow by spraying and sowing immediately
Microbe friendly fertiliser approach, using seed coating and foliar compost and nutrient blends applied through the Tow and Fert (purchased in 2021)
Biological seed coating: worm juice (Nutrisoil/home produced), fungal spores and minerals
Using biological sequence for mineral application- S-Bo-Si-Ca-N-Mg-P-C-K
Foliar N (dissolved urea or ammonium sulphate)/fish hydrolysate/potassium sulphate/guano + traces plus proprietary ‘soil’ drench applied over actively growing plants
Using foliars to provide plants with abundant nutrition, rather than granular fert applied to the soil, encourages nitrogen fixing bacteria and phosphorus solubilising bacteria to remain active, with stimulants aiming to diversify biological populations.
Over the past 6 years, they have eliminated pesticides and fungicides, most cultivation, chloride-based fertilisers and bare ground.
Grazing Management
Establishment of new species post sowing:
Annual multispecies: Allowed to grow 90-120 days pre-grazing depending on sowing timing.
They use flowering on peas to time first grazing of annual mixes
The newly sown pasture mixes are allowed to generate a high biomass prior to the first grazing to allow the species to develop deep roots. Once established, a longer grazing rotation (five or ten days longer than traditional rounds) is used to allow plants to develop a deeper root system.
Grazing is managed to balance the highest possible biomass against fodder quality for adequate milk production. Boron and silicon are being explored for their potential to maintain fodder quality when levels are optimised.
They have predominantly perennial multispecies pastures containing cocksfoot, perennial ryegrass, herbs, clovers, lucerne with volunteer prairie grass and paspalum increasing summer feed. The plan is to have 100% diverse pastures – a mosaic of annual and perennial mixes.
Establishing and managing multi-species pasture is a dynamic process; something will always grow well if matched to the paddock and conditions and this helps maintain quality/palatability as well as microbe-plant interactions.
Cost of production of home-grown fodder is lower than district average at $88/t DM, compared to the regional average which is now $132/t DM.
External feed inputs are used on moderate amounts: 60-70% of feed is home grown.
Fertilisers and Soil Amendments
The original aim was to reduce synthetics and replace with biological ferts to minimise impact on biology and improve nutrient efficiency
N use has dropped from 184 kg N/ha to 20 kg N/ha over the 6 year period.
And there is now a focus on increasing sulphur, boron, Si levels, and increase calcium to 60% exchangeable cations which has involved:
For 2 seasons, applying 1t lime and 0.5t gypsum mixed with a 600kg compost/nutrient blend as a carbon source, and adding in traces (Bo, Mn, Cu, Si) plus potassium sulphate and guano.
Biologicals and foliars using a broader suite of nutrients and specifically addressing sulphur, boron, Si, Ca.
Soil testing (both total and available) gives a more comprehensive picture of the true status/availability of nutrients. Low total nutrient status gives them an indication of what will need to be brought in, while low available and adequate or high total nutrients indicates they will need to provide plants with immediate needs, but if they can get biology cranking, this will be able to access minerals in the total pool and bring it into the plant available pool. Therefore nutrient inputs can be selected and targeted. Increasing plant diversity, targeting nutrient applications and using foliars has maintained or increased production/profit while allowing a shift from high analysis fertilisers.
They have been using biological brews and foliars which are very targeted and efficient. AMS Firbon is a humate blend used once/year for 2 years in autumn, used as a carbon carrier for nutrients.
Effluent
The farm has a pond system where effluent is mixed with irrigation water and applied to 20ha in a 50:50 solution. Brewing facultative anaerobes - BAM (NTS) - added to 100L is sprayed over the surface of the pond after it is emptied.
Animal Health and Welfare
The split paddock conventional bays are now the only conventionally fertilised pastures. The cow temperament changes when they graze the conventional bays and come into the dairy: they are noticeably more agitated and unsettled and the increase in manure is significant.
Environmental Stewardship
They have adopted an extensive programme of fencing off and planting trees and shrubs on waterways. This minimises nutrient rich water entering the creek by collecting irrigation runoff water and recycling for irrigation.
A blanket ban on insecticides, a significant reduction in synthetic inputs and the adoption of multispecies pastures has reduced chemical and nutrient load and substantially improved biodiversity. The deep rooted multispecies pastures also act as a capture and filtration system, further minimising any losses to waterways
Savory institute: Ecological Outcome Verification certificate has been obtained for the last 3 years.
They have been planting for riparian, diversity, shade, shelter and most recently, have completed the Master Tree Growers course and begun some planting for forestry harvesting.
By switching to a low synthetic input approach, using deeper rooted multispecies pastures and using irrigation reuse systems on-farm, loss of nutrients is significantly reduced. Insecticides have been removed from the system. A focus on pasture and shelterbelt diversity has improved biodiversity.
Changes / Benefits
Cost, quantity, quality and palatability of pasture grown under the regenerative system is similar to the conventional system, however, deeper root penetration and higher water infiltration rates can be achieved with the regenerative system.
There have been definite improvements to the soil: better structure, better infiltration rates, better penetrometer readings, deeper roots. This is leading to increased water holding capacity and carbon stores which in turn are leading to better water use efficiency and drought resilience.
Much reduced expenditure on nitrogen fertiliser.
Improved biodiversity
EBIT per kg/MS has doubled. This is due to the Influence of milk price, season and regen combined.
Looking Ahead
100% diverse pasture
Further identification of the microbial community and their potential
Expanding the area of effluent irrigated pasture to 50ha
Newly purchased young stock block will be transitioned from a very conventional management approach to a more holistic approach, similar to the home farm.
Keen to try:
Integrating minerals and microbes into the effluent pond
Brewing microbes, and adding minerals to the brew, providing a biological mineral to the plant
Providing cows with free choice minerals
Biggest Challenge
Finding the sweet spot between optimising plant/soil health, and quality pasture production
The isolation of regen dairy
What’s one thing you’ve learned that surprised you?
Realising the extraordinary volume of free nitrogen that the soil and plant life gifts to a regeneratively managed business.
The farm now feels vibrant and everyone feels positive and excited and curious- enjoying the journey of learning and growing a vibrant landscape
Soil moisture probe data showing the massive difference between moisture use of the multispecies and conventional pastures
What would you do differently if you started again?
Start sooner, go harder, and be braver!
Advice to others considering the transition
Surround yourself with like minded people-
Read/watch/listen to leaders in the regen space- both farmers and advisors
Visit other farms who are having success
Be open minded
Identify key practices and focus on them- don’t overload yourself with too many changes at once.
