Errol and Julie Gerber of Gerber Farms Dairy are into retirement mode, having dispersed their Wivenhoe registered herd and leased their dairy farm at Clarendon, Queensland.
The productive farm, in the Lockyer Valley, stretches from irrigated Lockyer Creek flats to higher country.
Winter cereal and summer sorghum crops are grown on the creek flats for forage and harvest.
Gerber Farms Dairy traditionally supplied milk to Sunshine Coast processor, Maleny Dairies.
It is the second time Errol and Julie have retired from the dairy industry, but this is the last time.
“We retired in 2014,” Errol said.
“We were one of Queensland’s largest milk suppliers.
“We wanted a rest, so we leased our irrigation and cultivation properties and sold most of our herd.
“We retained some high quality pedigreed Holstein heifers which we grew out and agisted.”
They used these heifers as the basis for rebuilding their milking herd when they returned to the dairy industry in 2016.
Errol and Julie added some pedigreed Holstein heifers from South Australia, and bought registered Jersey heifers from Victoria and SA.
“We ended up with a herd of half Holstein and half Jersey cows,” Errol said.
“They calve down across 10 months of the year.
“Production figures are good. The herd averages 31 litres, with 4.3 per cent butter fat and 3.5 per cent protein.”
Errol and Julie made the decision to retire from dairy farming last year when a long-term employee moved on and they struggled to find skilled workers.
“In the last few years, we’ve had severe drought in 2018 and 2019, then the floods in March 2022,” Errol said.
They lost the sorghum crop growing on the creek flat in those floods, but the herd and the bulk of their infrastructure came through unscathed.
“We had a very stable workforce until 2022,” Errol said.
“They had to move on, and we found it extremely difficult to find the staff with skills we needed for our operation.
“We decided to cease dairying.”
The couple took stock of their situation and decided, after 40 years of dairy farming, it was time to retire.
“This time we’re retiring for good,” Errol said.
Initially Errol and Julie sought expressions of interest to sell their herd and their dairy and cropping properties.
They set a timeline, and when that concluded without sales, they initiated their second step, which was to find a lessee for their property and disperse their herd at auction.
Both things occurred simultaneously.
“We knew the lessee, who was looking for somewhere to expand their own operation,” Errol said.
“They’ve taken up a long-term lease agreement and they purchased a portion of the herd at the auction. They’re also buying our young stock.
“It was somewhat of a daunting thing to sell the cows. These sales take a lot of work to happen.
“Our daughter, Kirstin Turner, provided all the pedigree information to the agents.
“Julie and I were very happy with how Dairy Livestock Services handled the advertising and sale on the day.
“We’re very happy with the results we got.”
The 309-head Holstein and Jersey milking herd was auctioned in a full dispersal sale on-property on September 19.
Auctioneer was Brian Leslie, of Dairy Livestock Services.
Holsteins were bred from Wivenhoe, Cowarol, Glenalbas, Manna Farm and Glenmax genetics. Jerseys were bred from Cairnbrae and Yandavale genetics.
“There was a large selection of freshly calved cows in the dispersal sale,” Brian Leslie said.
“The cattle were in tremendous form. The production figures showed the advantage of using good AI bulls.”
The herd grossed $1,038,350, with an average of $3361.
The 134 Holstein cows averaged $3687. The 144 Jersey cows averaged $3158. The five Brown Swiss cows averaged $3260. A mob of 22 cross-bred dairy cows averaged $2770.
The top-priced Jersey was a heifer that sold at $9000.
“Buyers were from as far south as Foster in South Gippsland (Victoria), and north to the Atherton Tablelands (Queensland),” Brian said.
“The sale’s top price of $9000 was paid by Ardylbar Holsteins and Jerseys, Cambooya, Queensland, for Wivenhoe Casino I Claire.
“This exceptional milking two-year-old Jersey is a heifer out of two-time Great Southern On Farm Competition winner, Tasmanian-bred Merseybank Eltons Claire, EX93. She was by Casino.
“The same buyers purchased the top selling Holstein, Wivenhoe Belmont Mel, at $6000.
“She’s a tremendous three-year-old bred from Sandy Valley Belmont and Cowarol Rose families.
“The second-highest selling Jersey was Yandavale Chromer Darcy, bred down from International Dairy Week champion cow Yandavale Sambo Darcy, EX 93.
“She was purchased by P. and S. Graham of Coraki, NSW, for $6100.
“The Graham’s purchased several Holstein lots, including Wivenhoe High Octane Dawn, bred for the Cowarol and Carmar Dawns, and Wivenhoe Iceman Ponel. Both these Holsteins sold at $5250.”
Wivenhoe Iceman Rosemas sold at $5600 to Tigerdee Farming of Gympie, Queensland.
“Tigerdee Farming also bought Wivenhoe River Mel, a wonderful milking two-year-old, for $5000, and Wivenhoe Ardor Kay, also at $5000,” Brian said.
“A. Taber, of Laidley, Queensland, paid $5000 for Wivenhoe Sergeant Kay.
“D. and R. McGlead, of Foster in Victoria, selected 30 outstanding young Holstein cows to add to their herd, paying to a top of $5000 for Wivenhoe Pavarotti Amanda.”
Brian said there were some very strong buyers in the Jersey section.
“Our Way Farming P/L of Malanda, north Queensland, purchased Yandavale Choice Darcy at $5250,” he said.
“The same purchaser selected many outstanding milking two-year-old commercial Jersey heifers, including a Jetfighter daughter at $4500 and another three by the same sire at $4300 each.”
Four bulls rounded out the sale, averaging $3090.
For Errol and Julie, their future is secure.
The lessee took over the farm on October 1.
October 8 was Errol’s and Julie’s 40th wedding anniversary and they are celebrating with a road trip.
After which, they will return to the farm and move from their family home into another house on the property, set apart from the dairy farm.