The Co-op’s Milk Quality Managers work nationwide, providing farmers with independent advice on reducing bulk somatic cell counts, improving efficiency in the milking shed, and increasing productivity. We talk to Dannevirke-based Milk Quality Manager Jess Galloway about the role.
I grew up on a sheep and beef farm just out of Wellington. My partner and I live on a sheep and beef farm in Dannevirke with my two boys. Life is pretty full on, as you can imagine, with six and eight-year-old boys, along with horse riding, sports, farming, and exercise – I’m also currently training for a charity boxing match with Fonterra as my sponsor (part of the Doing Good programme).
Despite being surrounded by sheep and beef cattle, the dairy industry has always interested me. After graduating from Massey University with a degree in agribusiness, I started working for QCONZ as a farm dairy assessor. It provided a lot of training, and I have really appreciated that investment throughout my career. It has helped me immensely as a Milk Quality Manager at Farm Source. Whether it’s plant hygiene issues or water quality, a lot of the advice I give today stems from my knowledge from QCONZ and training.
I joined Farm Source in 2020, initially as a Sustainable Dairying Advisor, which I enjoyed, but when a role opened up in the milk quality space, I jumped at it. I work with farms spanning Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, and Manawatu. It’s a vast area with farms spread out – it’s around three and a half hours’ drive to my furthest farms. There is a lot of diversity within the region, from big corporate farms with multiple staff to smaller owner-operated farms. I’ve loved seeing the role evolve more into a proactive space. Farmers now recognise that when we call, it’s to support them rather than simply compliance. I’ll work proactively with farm teams to help improve milk quality and production, reduce somatic cell counts, and support efforts to reduce emissions. The role also really loops in well with the other Farm Source teams.
I find that farmers are always looking to improve, even if the farm is in a good space. My top tips: Having a good teat spray system in place that is checked and calibrated is really useful. Ensuring everyone on the farm is vigilant and knows how to identify mastitis cases is crucial.
Keeping the cows clean where possible, particularly through high-risk periods like calving. The more farmers can do to set themselves up well early in the season, the more it has a positive impact later on. The colostrum period is vital.
Over the summer months, other factors like heat stress can become an issue that can affect milk production and cell counts. Ensuring cows have adequate shade and shelter, and clean water, is vital. Monitoring plant hygiene is also crucial. The heat of summer is when we see spikes in bacterial growth. Keeping on top of things before any issues arise is key.
Staff training is essential. Farms are busy, and some of these farmers are really under the pump with up to 2000 cows being milked daily on the bigger farms, but it’s still vital to be vigilant. Sometimes it’s better to have another set of eyes on the ground to spot things that can be improved that will save money and time in the long run. It’s as easy as giving Farm Source a call.
