Service award honour a surprise for McCartie
May 8, 2024
Ringarooma farmer Cheryl McCartie is still coming to terms with being recognised by her peers for her contribution to the State’s dairy industry.
Ms McCartie milks 500 cows on the 297ha property she owns with her husband Theo van Brecht, which they have operated since 1998.
She was recently presented with the NRM North Dairy Environmental Award and the Elphinstone Stevens Dairy Service Award, which recognises those who have provided 20-plus years of outstanding service.
“It was massively humbling – it blew me away that they would consider me for it,” Ms McCartie said.
“I was on the Dairy Tas Board when we developed that award and there have been a few people recognised like Bob Bush and others who have mentored me.
“Everything I do, whether its industry, community, when my kids were at school, or with health and wellbeing – it’s about the grassroots. What are we doing that actually helps people practically?”
The environmental award bestowed on them at the Dairy Tas State Awards, adds to a sustainability award they received a few years ago.
“We have the Ringarooma River running through our property and all the biodiversity we have with the bush that surround us – we have always been on a path of trying to look after it because it delivers a really good business and life for us and our family,” she said.
Dairy Tas judges were impressed with their decade-long journey of continual improvement.
“We started planting trees, fencing off waterways and taking control of our waste and effluent to use it to its full potential.
“We are looking at pasture species now to introduce different species with regenerative farming in the back of our mind.
“We recently purchased a block of land that was in forestry and turned that back into grass.”
Ms McCartie said she hoped to continue protecting the farm’s biodiversity.
“We were involved in a project with the University of Tasmania with cameras to look at the impact of Devil Facial Tumour Disease and what species had moved in and 18 months after the initial work, low and behold there were devils back.
“Things like that motivate us to keep going because it is working.”
She would also like to see more government assistance for dealing with farm waste, in particular silage wrap.
“Nearly every other state has a well-supported recycling facility and it is done in New Zealand.
“At the moment our silage gets bundled up and goes to landfill which is my biggest bugbear.
“When there was a recycling operation working in George Town they were making fence palings and plastic containers for fish farms and all sorts of different things from the wrapping before it stopped.”
But for now, she is dealing with the challenging season caused by drought conditions, fodder shortages, increased commodity prices and higher interest rates as well as the reality that milk prices will drop for next season.
“Ringarooma is a bit of a gem in the state with the rainfall we get but this is the driest season we have had since we have been here,” she said.