Talkin' Dairying to be Different

In this Talkin' After Hours episode Jo & Kate chat to West Australian dairy farmers, Neville and Elaine Haddon. Together with their son Garry, Neville & Elaine run a major dairy operation in Busselton, milking around 1,300 cows and supplying more than 12 million litres of milk to Harvey Fresh every year. But despite operating at that scale, the Haddons are still asking questions. How do you grow better pasture with fewer inputs? How do you improve soil health while staying productive and profitable? And how do you build resilience into a farming system facing rising costs and increasingly dry seasons? Their farm in Warner Glen in the Lower Blackwood has become the place where they explore those questions — trialling multi-species pastures, experimenting with perennial systems, protecting creeklines and encouraging biodiversity, all while looking for lessons that could potentially reshape the way they farm back in Busselton. In our conversation, Neville and Elaine reflect on their remarkable journey — from Neville partnering with his brother to buy his first farm at just 16 years old, through decades of hard work in the dairy industry, to becoming passionate advocates for healthier soils and more resilient farming systems. Tune in to hear about the pressures facing dairy farmers today, the realities of running a large-scale operation, and why curiosity and a willingness to try things differently still drives them after all these years. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Haddons' Dairy Journey 01:51 Challenges and Motivations in Dairy Farming 05:58 Current Pressures in the Dairy Industry 08:03 Operational Insights from Busselton 10:44 Exploring Regenerative Agriculture Practices 12:27 Innovative Farming Techniques and Sustainability 17:08 The Importance of Soil Health 19:08 Future of Agriculture and Sustainable Practices 23:30 Innovative Weed Control Strategies 26:49 Environmental Stewardship in Farming 28:30 Enhancing Farm Biodiversity 29:59 Soil Health and Crop Establishment 32:15 Grazing Management and Pasture Diversity 36:05 Nutritional Management for Livestock 39:46 Future Vision for Blackwood Springs 42:50 Challenges and Support in Regenerative Agriculture 45:10 Encouragement for New Farmers