It was just after her parents bought a dairy farm and moved to Tasmania that Leanne Dobson’s love affair with dairy cows began.
She was 10 years old.
By the time she was 12, Leanne had started taking photos of cows and registering animals through the appendix system. These cows were to become the early foundation of the juggernaut of Fairvale Holsteins.
“What can I say, I just love cows and I always have from the very first moment I saw one,” Leanne said.
Leanne was named the winner of the Bette Hall Power Of Women in Dairy Award for Excellence at International Dairy Week in January, something she is extremely honoured to have received.
Torrumbarry dairy farmer Jade Sieben is part of the POW committee and she said Leanne was a great role model for the next generation and an astoundingly successful breeder of cattle.
“The Fairvale legacy will take some time to be surpassed, if ever,” Jade said.
“Leanne has bred and reared six champion Holstein cows and Fairvale genetics have dominated on-farm challenges in Tasmania for years.
“Leanne also bred the first ever EX97-5E classified cow Fairvale Morty Lady — nobody could ever doubt Leanne’s love of cows and the industry.”
Leanne was astounded she was even nominated.
“It is very humbling to stand amongst the other greats who have received this award, ” she said.
“The dairy industry is full of women doing great things and I am not really sure I was one of them.”
Leanne and Ross currently run a 400ha dairy farm near Launceston in Tasmania.
They milk just over 500 split-calving cows on a milking platform of around 120ha under centre pivot irrigation.
They produce 1500 bales of silage annually including sorghum silage. About 800 bales of oat and pasture hay is also grown on-farm and they purchase an additional 800 bales of oat/wheat hay to ensure supply.
Leanne is in charge of the animal side of things and does all of the husbandry work, including milking, breeding decisions and AI, while Ross grows the grass and looks after the farm.
“The herd average is 10,000 litres per cow,” Leanne said.
“We are fairly diligent and quality is important to us, so we spend quite a large amount of time each day in the dairy.
“Our dairy is our biggest downfall; we built a 30 swing-over with cup removers back in 1994 but with a high production herd over 500, it certainly takes a long time to milk.”
Leanne is pretty humble about her industry achievements and it did take a bit of prodding to learn she is no slouch when it comes to breeding quality cows.
Fairvale Jed Bonnie was International Dairy Week champion in 2005 and 2007, Fairvale Leader Josie 5 in 2006, Fairvale Morty Lady 51 in 2011 and 2014, and Fairvale Goldchip Melody 770 in 2019.
“We have been fortunate the people who purchased these cows have been extremely good at developing them and bringing out their best,” Leanne said.
In another feather to Leanne’s cap, Jed Bonnie embryos were the first in Australia to be exported overseas and her descendants can now be found in milking herds and some of the biggest dairy shows right across North America.
Leanne assesses every cow in the herd and corrective mates each and every one.
She likes her cows to have capacity starting at the muzzle and follows through the whole animal, although she also likes refinement as well.
“The winters get a bit chilly here in Tasmania so our cows have to have strength and good feet and legs to walk the kilometres they do, and of course a great udder.”
Breeding quality cows has never been a chore to Leanne, and she was about 20 years old when she first started showing cattle.
“It was after I went to Dookie and completed an AI course that Dad gave me free rein with the herd,” she said.
“I started showing cows and calves which led to meeting Ross and where we are today.”
Leanne said the Tasmanian dairy industry, along with the rest of Australia, was currently booming.
“Things are very stable at the moment with dairy in demand but the industry will reverse again when supply outstrips demand.”
Leanne said there was a point in time a few years ago where they did consider selling up and exiting the industry, however, their son Liam is very interested in taking over the running of the farm in the future.
“I just love breeding cattle and I couldn’t think of doing anything else and I think I still have a few good years left yet.”