Green Pastures farmer changes grass varieties on Cobden property

For Cobden region farmers Reggie and Tanya Davis, it’s a case of Green Pastures by name and by practice.

Lush pastures: Ebony Davis and father Reggie Davis, Cobden, with a new feed crop for their dairy cows of hummer fescue. Picture: Dannika Bonser

WHEN a group of dairy farmers in southwest Victoria pulled their resources together five years ago, they picked an apt brand — Green Pastures.

Cobden region farmers Reggie and Tanya Davis were part of the original group and while the colour of the pastures remains the same, the species has changed.

The Jancourt farm has moved away from perennial ryegrass to a variety of tall fescue which was better suited to high stocking rates.

“It’s not cheap replanting your pastures every year,” Mr Davis said.

“Ideally, we want to have pastures with a good density and good persistence that don’t need a truckload of fertiliser every month.”

Mr Davis began examining alternatives to ryegrass three years ago with Stephen Pasture Seeds sales manager Michael Grant.

The first ryegrass pastures removed were those being grown under irrigation on volcanic soils. Problems with pugging, cracks and crickets were running down the pasture base.

Mr Grant suggested trying hummer tall fescue — a deep-rooted, summer-active perennial grass as an alternative.

The fescue is mixed with white clover and is boosted with their home-made compost, as well as some sulphate of ammonia in the winter.

“One size doesn’t fit all, and the right pasture depends on your rainfall, soil type, grazing patterns and the way you want to manage the farm overall,” Mr Grant said.