When students visit his farm, Lindsay Anderson fields questions about animal health and welfare and renewable energy use.
Photo by
Jeanette Severs
Dairy farmer Lindsay Anderson has fielded questions about renewable energy and animal welfare through his involvement with the Cows Create Careers program.
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Lindsay, of Kings Vista Jerseys, Athlone, Victoria, has been involved in Cows Create Careers from the second year after its inception.
“The Cows Create Careers program opens students’ minds to possible careers within the industry, not just on farm but in the wider industry,” Lindsay said.
“It’s very satisfying to cross paths with a student in later years and be told that the career they are in now is because of having calves at the school.”
Lindsay has specifically chosen to provide Jersey calves to primary schools in urban areas.
“My calves go to schools on the Mornington Peninsula and in inner Melbourne,” Lindsay said.
“Trains drive past the fence on the other side of the pen the calves are in, which is something very different to the quiet hills of home.”
For 20 years, Lindsay Anderson, of Athlone, has been providing calves to schools for the Cows Create Careers program.
Photo by
Jeanette Severs
Schools are located in Mount Waverley, Brighton, Baxter, Langwarrin and Pakenham, among others.
He provides Jersey calves that are at least four weeks old.
“By that age, each of the calves has their own personalities, and once they’re past the four-week-old stage, the calves are more robust,” Lindsay said.
“The normal quota is two calves per school, for three weeks, but some schools have asked for six calves,” Lindsay said.
“Some schools have asked for bull calves rather than heifers. Then they’ve kept the calves and reared them for other reasons.
“I think at one time I was doing multiple schools and had about a dozen calves out.
“When the calves come back, their personalities are different to their mates that were left on the farm. They miss being mollycoddled.”
But the calves don’t just get dropped off at the school.
Every year, Lindsay visits the schools that want to be involved and looks at the conditions available for the calves, and talks to the teachers supporting the program.
“I contact the school to assess the agriculture teacher’s previous experience, which gives me information that determines the level of support I may have to supply,” Lindsay said.
“I assess the housing for the calves, and we agree on when they’ll have the calves.
“If the school doesn’t have a hay rack, I’ll bring one in.
“For about two weeks before delivery, I prepare the calves, so they are trained to halter leading, and are fed using milk powder.
“Halter leading makes the calves easier for the students to handle them, and enables them to take the calves outside the calf housing confines.
“When I deliver the calves, I instruct the teachers and students about feeding routines, what problems they should keep an eye out for, and every day I make myself available to answer questions – face-to-face, on the phone, or by email.
“I also prepare and provide an emergency pack, that will help them look after a sick calf until I can get to the school.
“Handling sick calves is for professionals, so we do everything we can to avoid calves getting sick.
“You’re basically on call to support each cohort, because you want them to have a good experience.
“On warm days I may go into the school during the day to check the calves are well, and if they need an additional feed.”
Lindsay also hosts students on-farm visits to his Jersey stud.
“With a Jersey stud, that opens up conversations about how I can trace family lines in the herd back many generations,” he said.
Lindsay Anderson sends four-week-old Jersey calves to schools for the Cows Create Careers program and is on call every day to support students and teachers.
Photo by
Jeanette Severs
He has one of the earliest robot milking dairies in Victoria, and since 2008, Lindsay has installed solar panels, windmills and batteries to access as much renewable energy as possible.
“Questions lead to other questions,” he said.
“I’ve been asked about differences between breeds – Jerseys, Holsteins, Friesians and other breeds.
“Why we have to mix the milk to the same consistency every day.
“Students are fascinated to see the cows walking in to the robot bays to be milked. I talk about how good it is that I don’t have to intervene with the cows, unless there’s an animal health problem.
“I’ve been asked about what we are doing for best practice animal welfare.
“Some questions are about global warming and environmental issues and what are we doing on the farm.
“We’re off grid, but still require a grid connections, so sometimes I am asked why I am not 100 per cent offgrid.”
Lindsay will also sit down every evening and respond to emails from the students involved in the Cows Create Careers program.
“Some of the students are very creative with their questions,” he said.
“It’s also great to see the high quality projects that student cohorts prepare as part of the program.
“Even after 20 years, I’m still learning from the kids.”
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