Bega Cheese – Connecting Communities

Drought Relief Program – Farmer Profile

Dairy farmer Ron Apps has lived in Bega for 49 years and together with his sons Chris, Kevin, Rodney and Jeff, runs two successful dairies producing 4.1 million litres of milk annually for Bega Cheese.

Ron started life on a suburban farm in Turramurra, Sydney but came to Bega because his family farm was built out and became urbanised, a common occurrence in those days.

According to Ron, Bega was an area that really caught his eye when he was looking at new farm locations.

“I chose to settle in Bega mainly for family reasons; with seven young children we wanted to be located near a high school and a hospital,” he recalls.

Now his seven children all have family of their own and Ron is the proud grandfather of twenty-five grandchildren!

“Ever since they were little kids chasing calves, the kids have been involved on the farm. My daughters have since moved off the farm but my sons have all been with me since they’ve left school. Jeff is involved in the building and machinery maintenance, Chris and Kevin both look after the herd and the artificial insemination of the herd, and Rod takes control of the fencing. We all take control of the irrigation and general farm work,” he explains.

Ron lists the 2005/06 farming season as the worst of the current drought.

“But you can’t expect utopia in farming. Good seasons aren’t there every year.

If you plan on an average season and a good one comes, you’re happy,” he says.

It was this optimism that pulled the Apps’ through the worst parts of the drought and Ron says he feels it is his duty to keep a healthy perspective on things for the sake of the rest of his family.

“Being at the top of the family tree, if I dropped the bundle what would everyone else do? I have to remain the optimist,” he says with a smile.

While the drought did affect the Apps’ farms, particularly with grain and hay prices doubling, Ron remains humble about his family’s relative good fortune.

“We’ve got a big operation and we’re fairly efficient farmers. We have avoided debt so we are one of the luckier families. We will get through the drought but with a reduced income,” he says, remaining positive.

Nevertheless, the Apps’ did employ methods to combat the drought, such as improving the efficiency of their irrigation, changing their grass species to deep rooted grass and increasing their land size so they had more grass to utilise with their 650-strong milking herd.

Ron acknowledges the local community in coming together to support the farmers.

“The best thing in our district has been Bega Cheese. I know all the people directing activities and they’re average dairy farmers like the rest of us,” he explains.

Ron adds, “Every supplier we’ve spoken to is really happy about this drought relief program. We know there are a lot of people worse off than us. If we don’t help them, who will?”