A new face has joined the WestVic Dairy board in the form of Bessiebelle farmer Will McDonald.
Mr McDonald milks 500 Holstein-Friesian cows on 454 hectares with wife Melissa and in-laws John and Naomi Pye.
The importance of extension services is a driving factor for Mr McDonald after capitalising on extension help in his early years.
“Extension services were incredibly valuable to me when I started,” Mr McDonald said.
“Using the available resources and attending various events helped me to increase my knowledge and develop the business to where it is today.”
Extension services act as the link between research developments and farmers, providing decision making tools, information and technical assistance.
WestVic Dairy chair Simone Renyard said she was looking forward to the year ahead.
“We are thrilled to have Will join us on the board,” Mrs Renyard said.
“He brings with him a huge passion, great enthusiasm and a drive to ensure our farmers get their extension needs met through the services we offer.”
Mr McDonald said he was “very confident” the dairy industry in south-west Victoria would thrive over the coming years.
“I want to assist WestVic Dairy to deliver relevant, valuable extension services to the region’s farmers to help achieve this,” he said.
At the same AGM where Mr McDonald was settled into his new chair, WestVic Dairy treasurer Rhonda Henry was reappointed for a second term and former associate director Brad Collins moved to a full director position.