2022 Finalist: Kieran and Olivia Clough of Wilaily – Dairy

Eltham’s Kieran and Olivia Clough are a small team with big aspirations, with them one day hoping to be able to operate their dairy farm as a carbon neutral system.

The Cloughs are fully committed to future-proofing Wilaily for the next generation of farmers. They got involved in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards because they want feedback on how they’re running the farm and advice on how to improve further.

Building on extensive sharemilking experience, they started 50/50 share milking on the 100ha property about two years ago, and peak at milking 250 cows. In addition, they lease out some of the land and winter 110 cows for about two weeks each year.

In the short time they’ve been on the property, the Cloughs have put a lot of effort into improving many aspects of the operation. They’ve increased the farm’s efficiency and production, and have reduced the use of supplements. In their first season at Wilaily, they used 100% farm-grown feeds and surpassed a previous milk solid record by more than 19,000kg.

Repairs and maintenance have been made to almost every fence line, laneway and building, while they’ve also initiated improvements to the effluent system.

When it comes to sustainability, the couple is most proud of their success around soil nutrient monitoring, the management of their pasture and business planning. They’re also focused on minimising waste, managing pests and improving animal health.

Kieran and Olivia are developing a biosecurity plan that aims for the farm to become a closed system. Ultimately, their dream is to reduce and sequester greenhouse gas emissions so they can operate Wilaily as a carbon neutral system.

Kieran and Olivia are the winners of Norwood Agri-Business Management Award