The Zweck family in front of their robotic milking system.
More than 140 dairy farmers and service providers attended an open day in South Australia to explore cutting-edge dairy farming technology.
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Dairy Australia South Australia, in collaboration with GEA Farm Technologies Australia, hosted the open day on February 5, at the Donava Holsteins robotic dairy.
The event, led by the Zweck family — including Gary, Ros and their son Justin —demonstrated the transformative power of automation in modern farming.
The Zweck family, who have been farming for more than 46 years, made the shift from conventional dairy operations to incorporate advanced technology, improving farm sustainability and productivity.
When the time came to replace the old herringbone dairy due to its age, the business was also looking for labour efficiencies.
After examining options in the market, the family decided that the GEA offering provided them with solutions to meet their needs.
Gary Zweck talks to visitors about his GEA automatic milking system.
Over a 12-month period, they integrated Automatic Calf Feeding, Robotic Feed Pushing and GEA Robotic Milking.
The family said these innovations had greatly enhanced both farm operations and cow welfare monitoring, as well as creating a more balanced lifestyle, enabling the family to spend more time with the new farming generation.
“We need more farmers to take on this technology within the industry, it needs to expand so that the support for industry increases,” Gary said.
“It’s a great industry to be in,” Justin said. “I couldn’t handle sitting in a city office.”
The event was divided into three groups, each focusing on one key technology: GEA’s automated calf feeders; the feed pusher ensuring 24/7 access to fresh feed for the cows; and the automatic milking system.
Some of the Zweck family's milking herd.
During the farm tour, GEA’s herd management specialist William Bredin also shared how the CowScout collar system enhances heat detection and health monitoring.
“CowScout helps identify the optimal insemination times and tracks non-cycling cows and those potentially still cycling,” William said.
“It also monitors cow health and alerts you to signs of illness, allowing early intervention.”
Throughout the day, local dealership Dairy Tech SA and GEA’s team provided extra insights into these technologies and their potential to revolutionise farming practices.
GEA’s Darren Pratt highlighted the importance of providing tailored solutions for Australian farmers.
“We understand the unique challenges Australian dairy farmers face and offer a range of solutions to enhance flexibility, efficiency and profitability while prioritising animal health,” Darren said.
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