Altmann family win The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year 2024
A dairy farming family who dramatically increased production within their dairy herd has been crowned Australia’s best farmers. See all the winners.
A South Australian family who has dramatically increased production within their dairy herd by implementing innovation and sustainability measures have been judged Australia’s best farmers.
The Altmann family, of Dakara Farms at Murray Bridge, took out the top gong in The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year awards at a gala ceremony in Melbourne on Friday night.
The Altmanns run a highly intensive, zero grazing dairy farm which milks cows three times a day. By farming in a controlled, undercover environment and using an innovative feeding method that emphasises a wide range of nutrients, the Altmanns have boosted average daily milk production from 33 litres a cow to up to 40 litres.
“The cows are healthier, happier, the condition on the cows is better than we were on a pasture-based system,” said Jake Altmann, 29.
“We are not wasting feed, they are not in the elements, have fans and sprinklers to cool them down in summer, and in winter they can curl up in the barn and be warm and have to walk through mud.”
The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year awards, in their 13th year, honour the best in beef, cropping, dairy, horticulture and sheep farming as well as innovation. The awards attracted finalists from every state in Australia and were presented by Victorian Senator Raff Ciccone and Olympian Giaan Rooney in front of 200 guests at the MCG.
South Australian multi-generational farmers the Musolino family, of T Muso & Co at Virginia, took top honours in the horticulture category. The company grows more than 15.7 million vegetable seedlings each year, producing 150,000 lettuces, 100,000 broccoli, 50,000 cauliflowers and 15,000 cabbages a week.
The top beef gong went to the Hammond family of Robbins Island Wagyu at Montagu in Tasmania, who run a world-renowned, cutting-edge operation producing beef that fetches as much as $250 a kilogram.
Duncan Young, who grows crops across five different farms in Western Australia’s famed wheatbelt and has a strong focus on soil health, took out the cropping category while the Kerin family from Yeoval in NSW, who run one of Australia’s biggest stud Merino operations, triumphed as sheep farmer of the year.
The Innovative Farmer of the Year was won by salad and vegetable growers the Said family, of Fresh Select, at Werribee South in Victoria, who have teamed up with the CSIRO to develop a new product that turns waste food into nutrient-rich vegetable powders for soups, smoothies and desserts.
The Weekly Times Coles 2024 Farmer of the Year winners
OVERALL FARMER OF THE YEAR
ALTMANN FAMILY, DAKARA FARMS, MURRAY BRIDGE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
BEEF FARMER OF THE YEAR
HAMMOND FAMILY, ROBBINS ISLAND WAGYU, MONTAGU, TASMANIA
BEEF FINALISTS
ALLEN FAMILY, BOOROOK, MORTLAKE, VICTORIA
McFARLANE FAMILY, WELLINGTON LODGE, TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
CROPPING FARMER OF THE YEAR
DUNCAN YOUNG, BEVERLEY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
CROPPING FINALISTS
BELLATO FAMILY, GREENLINE FARMING, COLEAMBALLY, NEW SOUTH WALES
SWIFT AND WATSON FAMILIES, KEBBY AND WATSON, PARKES, NEW SOUTH WALES
DAIRY FARMER OF THE YEAR
ALTMANN FAMILY, DAKARA FARMS, MURRAY BRIDGE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
DAIRY FINALISTS
KYDD FAMILY, FINLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES
WALKER FAMILY, MT SCHANK, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
HORTICULTURE FARMER OF THE YEAR
MUSOLINO FAMILY, T MUSO & CO, VIRGINIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
HORTICULTURE FINALISTS
FOWLES FAMILY, FOWLES WINE, AVENEL, VICTORIA
ZEKE ZALSMAN, ZALDEESH FARMS, OLDBURY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
INNOVATIVE FARMER OF THE YEAR
SAID FAMILY, FRESH SELECT, WERRIBEE SOUTH, VICTORIA
INNOVATIVE FINALISTS
BURNHAM FAMILY, BONNIE DOONE BEEF, MONTO, QUEENSLAND
FRANCIS FAMILY, ESPERANCE BAY ORCHARDS, HUON VALLEY, TASMANIA
SHEEP FARMER OF THE YEAR
KERIN FAMILY, KERIN AGRICULTURE, YEOVAL, NEW SOUTH WALES
SHEEP FINALISTS
LUHRS FAMILY, MOORALLA MERINOS, HAMILTON, VICTORIA
EDGAR FAMILY, NAREEN, VICTORIA
Herald and Weekly Times chairman Penny Fowler said the awards celebrated the passion, inspiration and innovation of those working in our agribusiness sector.
“In an effort to feed, clothe and sustain a growing world population, our farmers are constantly looking outside the box to grow their businesses and the wider industry, which is truly world-leading,” Ms Fowler said.
Coles chairman James Graham said this year’s finalists and winners “showcase the new generation of farmers who are leading the charge towards innovation and a more sustainable future”.
Each category winner received $5000, with the overall Farmer of the Year collecting a further $10,000.
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