Harris family: Generational focus on sustainability

Alistair Harris is the first to admit he’s simply following in the footsteps of his parents when it comes to on-farm sustainability.

Alistair Harris is the first to acknowledge he’s surrounded by a team of well-informed specialists and industry experts, guiding him on a pathway to efficiency gains and sustainable on-farm practice.

But the generational legacy laid out by his parents, Phillip and Kate, is the framework around which he and his wife, Caitlin, focus their energies.

The Harris family’s efforts in upgrading infrastructure, establishing native shelter belts, and using effluent water for irrigation and yard wash has seen them awarded the Natural Resource Management and Sustainability Award.

“Mum and Dad did the hard work. And getting advice and having a good team of staff is a huge thing,” Alistair said.

“My father has been very proactive, especially with trees and efficacies on farm. With the sustainability side of things, I’ve been quite lucky to continue on that pathway, that road of being proactive.”

Milking 750 Holstein cows this year, the 650kg milk solids per cow – or 6 million litres of milk annually – the Harris family produces supplies ACM.

State of the Dairy Industry – Alistair Harris

But the high-input, high-production dairy operation at Larpent in Victoria’s west still manages to operate in as efficient and sustainable manner as possible, thanks to an ongoing focus on investment upgrades and efficiency gains.

“We work on being sustainable for the next generation, and also sustainable now, and to leave our farm in a better place than the year before,” Alistair said.

Projects include planting native tree corridors along every fence line, and focusing on turning dry paddocks into productive ones, thanks to a procedure called ‘hump and hollow’, which channels water from flatter land.

Effluent management and irrigation for the growing of high-value fodder crops, such as brassica, is a focus for Alistair, turning a resource into something “that’s profitable”.

“Two years ago we built a new rotary dairy, for efficiencies and also to allow growth,” Alistair said.

Alistair and Caitlin Harris are following the generational legacy laid out by his parents, Phillip and Kate, on farm. Picture: Nicole Cleary.

“We reduced our electricity usage on that, and are saving approximately six hours per day milk. We also have a heat exchanger to convert water into warm water for the hot water service, which is a saving in energy use. There are lots of short-term goals.”