Renowned Irish novelist and poet, George Moore, once said: ‘A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” For young dairy farmer, Tom Gannon, truer words could not be spoken. After stints in Sydney, New York and a plethora of other places pursuing a professional music career, he came back to the family farm in the Macalister Irrigation District to make a go of it. We talk with him about why it’s been a good move.
Tell us about your journey into dairy farming.
My ancestors came from Ireland and went to Walhalla to the find their fortune in gold. Then they moved away from the mines and bought property in Tinamba in early 1900s from Mewburn Park Estate division and sale. My great grandfather helped start the first milk factory in the region.
Dad worked in offshore oil and gas in Gippsland before we moved back to the farm to give it a go as a family. Things were tough on the farm around the time I left school, and I decided to follow my passion for music – it took me overseas and in a different direction.
What brought you back home?
Things started to shift in my late 20s and early 30s and coincided with when I met my partner. I’d been on the road for a while, and she challenged my perspective on the past and we started thinking about a shared future that involved returning to my roots.
Tell us about the farm today.
We farm across two properties on around 1,000 acres and milk 650 cows. Gippsland is a great region for dairy because it’s typically cooler than some other regions and we’ve got a reliable supply of water that’s delivered by a modern irrigation system. And importantly, we’re close to the coast and the mountains for outdoor adventures to enjoy with friends and family.
The district has changed over the years, what benefits have you realised?
We’ve moved from open channels, Dethridge wheels and delvers to modern pipes, automated outlets and precision watering and it’s been fantastic.
We were part of phase 1 of Southern Rural Water’s modernisation program, and it enabled us to invest in on-farm infrastructure and technology that has boosted water efficiency, productivity and let us automate time-consuming manual jobs.
Lake Glenmaggie is the main source of water for the Macalister Irrigation District, and it travels to farmers via a gravity-fed irrigation system. Modernisation allowed us to move from flood irrigation to spray irrigation because the head pressure generated by installing a new pipeline meant we can directly connect our pivots to the pipeline without using pumps. This saves us money on fuel and reduces our emissions.
We also invested in on-farm technology such as soil moisture probes to understand soil saturation levels and evaporation rates better so we can set watering – from my phone – to deliver exactly what the pasture needs.
These kinds of innovations help us grow more grass, and it's given me more time to focus on other areas of the business and invest in myself and my family.
What was the modernisation experience like?
We were in drought when the first phase of modernisation began, and it was a challenging time. Working with Southern Rural Water was ultimately positive because we all worked together and got the best outcome we could at the time.
There were ups and downs, but we all had skin in the game, and it meant we were all invested and motivated to get it right.
What other on-farm infrastructure or technology do you use to improve efficiency?
When you have heaps of cows you’ve got heaps of muck. It needs to go somewhere, so we’ve devised a system that allows us to put it back on the pastures.
We built two reuse ponds that collect all the dairy wash down and excess water from rain events or irrigation. Bacteria breakdown the waste and leave useful nutrients in the liquid that can be applied through our spray irrigation system to improve pasture rather than being wasted or lost as run off. It saves water and money on synthetic fertilisers.
Initially you struggled putting effluent through the pivot. How did you overcome this?
In the reuse pond, there's a pump that sucks up the liquid and runs it through our irrigation pivots.
We found it small particles of grass would block up the pivot filter that's after the pump. So, we decided to put a self-cleaning filter on the reuse pond pump that spins and has water jets on it that self-clean.
This innovation means I can use the nutrient-loaded water for longer periods of time and don’t have to scrape out muck or get a slurry tanker as often.
Are you optimistic about the future of dairy in Gippsland?
Dairying is great in the Macalister Irrigation District, and I think it will continue thanks to the region’s rich soils, cooler climate, reliable water and ongoing investment in a modern irrigation system.
While we’re seeing greater climate variability, I’m confident we can find further efficiencies in our farming systems and develop resilience strategies that allow us to manage these risks and remain successful.
Dairy farming is hard work but it’s very rewarding. I feel I have a great opportunity to grow our generational business alongside my family, team and the community in a way that’s fair and enriching for everyone involved.