Anthea Day and Trevor Saunders, of Araluen Park, are among a group of Gippsland dairy and beef farmers who are donating silage to Roger and Amanda Heath, who are deep in drought in south-west Victoria. Photo: Jeanette Severs
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Jeanette Severs
Gippsland dairy and beef farmers have joined together to donate and transport silage bales to south-west Victoria, to help one of their own.
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Reece and Toni Attenborough, Luke Wallace and Mel Wallace, and Anthea Day and Trevor Saunders, are fellow Jersey breeders and friends of Roger and Amanda Heath, of Wanstead Jerseys near Camperdown.
“Jersey breeders are a strong fraternity,” Anthea Day said.
“Our local Central Gippsland Jersey Breeders Club wanted to help Roger and Amanda.”
Farmers in south-west Victoria are dealing with the ramifications of a green drought, something that is familiar to Gippsland farmers.
“Trevor and I have excess silage from last year that we can feed our dry cows,” Anthea said.
“When we were asked to donate silage, we committed a truckload.”
Luke and Mel Wallace also sent a truckload of wrapped silage to the Heath family in early December.
“Reece’s dad, Ted Attenborough, has donated his time to drive a truck back and forth, and Chris Lancey and his family have donated a truck,” Luke said.
“Yesterday we loaded up 42 rolls that Mel and I have donated.
“Ted and my father-in-law, Ross Cox, drove off with the double load early this morning.”
The recently donated silage, landed on farm, at Roger and Amanda Heath’s property near Camperdown. Photo: Roger Heath.
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The silage arrived on Roger and Amanda’s farm on December 10, giving them some relief before Christmas.
They have been spending $13,000 a month on their feed bill. Empty dams and lack of moisture has retarded pasture growth and fodder production on their farm.
It is a similar scenario for farmers across the south-west region.
Lions Need for Feed has been delivering truckloads of donated fodder for several months.
Luke Wallace is coordinating other donations of silage for delivery to Roger and Amanda Heath across the summer months.
“A lot of dairy and beef farmers in Gippsland have donated 10 or 12 silage bales each,” he said.
“We’ll coordinate pick-up and organise regular deliveries, based on the availability of Chris’s truck and Ted to drive it.”
Luke and Mel coordinated a backload of cereal hay for their own use.
“We always buy in a bit of cereal hay, and backloading a load is always beneficial,” he said.
“Mel and I will pay the fuel cost and a bit towards the use of Chris’s truck because we’re getting the backload.
“Roger and I have been friends since we were kids, and he and Amanda would be the first to help someone else in the same circumstances.”
A truck load of 42 rolls were donated by Luke and Mel Wallace, to help Roger and Amanda Heath, in south-west Victoria. Photo: Luke Wallace.
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