Working Towards the Future

A northern Victorian dairy is poised to host one of the most exciting Jersey cattle sales to hit the market this year.

Brookbora Jerseys – owned by the Bacon family – which milks 300-head on 283 irrigated hectares in Tennyson, is consistently in the top 1% herd for BPI [Balanced Performance Index] for Australian Jerseys. It has held Jersey Australia’s Platinum Production award for the last three decades – averaging (in 2022) 668kg milk solids in 305 days (with an average bodyweight of 430kg).

It has also won the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor Jersey banners at International Dairy Week (IDW) for the last five successive years and has several internationally recognised sires represented by global artificial breeding companies, including Brookbora Valentino Askn, Brookbora Bushfield, Brookbora Borung, in addition to co-breeding Pannoo Abe Vanahlem.

On May 28, the family will open its gates to the highly anticipated “Brookbora 60th Anniversary Edition Invitational” sale. The Bacon family will auction 45 of its best females, together with 15 of Brookbora’s select sires (the bulls will be sold online on the day). Together it represents 60 Brookbora animals for 60 years of Jersey breeding. Brookbora has also gathered 30 additional lots from its high-profile contemporaries to round out its offering, and to make the sale a Jersey celebration.

Loss, sacrifice, and moving forward

The sale comes a year after the Bacon family’s devastating loss of Robert [Bert] to cancer. Robert’s widow, Sandra, and son Daniel continue to farm Brookbora in partnership, and they said the timing of the sale felt right. “We are mindful that Robert encouraged us to continue to push forward, while not forgetting the past,” Sandra said. “He used to always urge us to “achieve something” every day, and his mantra has kind of stuck with us all and become our signature saying – #achievesomething.

“We find it challenging to put ourselves out there, but we are quietly proud of the progress Brookbora has achieved – under the stewardship of our dedicated family members – and, with so much hard work, history, many photos, and shows behind us…here we are.”

She said they had strived to breed highly commercial and functional cows from deep maternal lines that had the will to milk. The show cows had come organically, proving that the two weren’t mutually exclusive. The sale will include 13 young cows classified to EX, including four that are scored EX92, with another two heifers scored VG88-Max. Fifty-seven lots come from dams that are classified EX (up to EX96) which also include up to 15 generations of EX.

Selling their best

Auctioneer Brian Leslie OAM said no-one spared the horses when it came to choosing which individuals to sell – noting that it was a nod to the immense respect the industry carries for the Bacon family.
“Wow, what an unbelievable line up,” Brian said. “It is indeed one of the most ‘complete’ offerings of dairy cattle ever offered in one catalogue on the one day in this country.

“Brookbora have left no stone unturned to sell their absolute best. Then they have gone out and selected the cream of the crop from all invited vendors from right around Australia. The Jersey breed is indeed fortunate to have folk like the Bacons, who continue to contribute to the betterment of the breed, and to the dairy community.”

Inclusion is important

The family said it was a no-brainer for them to include other Jersey breeders in the sale. Its co-vendor prefixes are the “who’s who” of the Jersey fraternity from four states, including: Araluen Park (Shady Creek, VIC), Ashtaney (Moculta, SA), Attaview (Poowong North, VIC), Benlee (Macorna, VIC), Benlock (Rochester, VIC), Cairnbrae (Irrewillipe, VIC), Cherrylock (Tallygaroopna, VIC), Craigielea (Bamawn, VIC), Emu Banks (Terang, VIC), Foleama (Tatura, VIC), Gorbro (Cohuna, VIC), Impression (Newry, VIC), Kaarmona (Kaarimba, VIC), Langdale (Mardan, VIC), Lerida Park (Princeton, VIC), Llandovery (Girgarre East, VIC), Loxleigh (Tallygaroopna, VIC), Jackiah (Trafalgar, VIC), Jugiong (Girgarre, VIC), Merseybank (Latrobe, TAS), Miami (Cobrico, VIC), Mt Pleasant (Allansford, VIC), Mytee (Kongwak, VIC), Parrabel (Nowra, NSW), Philmar (Cobrico, VIC), Rockstar (Bega, NSW), Shirlinn (Tamworth, NSW), Tandara (Tandarra, VIC), Underground (Numurkah, VIC), Wallacedale (Poowong, VIC), Wanstead (Bookar, VIC), Warrion (Warrion, VIC), White Star (Noorat, VIC), and Windy Ways (Tongala, VIC).

“We wanted to make this a compelling event for our breed to celebrate Australian Jerseys and really showcase what our breed has to offer the business,” Daniel said. “People are what make our industry great – they are also an important part of our personal journey – and we wanted to include our friends in this celebration. This catalogue proves that if you put your mind to something, it can happen.”
One of the headlining lots comes in the first “pick of the pair offering” at Lot 1A and Lot 1B. Lot 1A is Brookbora Casino Sandy EX92. Brookbora has not sold a “Sandy” before. The A2/A2 five-year-old was Reserve Champion at the 2023 NSW State Jersey Show, she includes 17 out of 18 generations of EX behind her. She will calve in September to Bushfield-P. Buyers can either choose Sandy or 1B, an exciting max-scored VG88 junior two-year-old, Brookbora Bashful Sweet Elfa-P – the sister of young genomic sire Bushfield-P. She was 1st junior two-year-old and Honourable Mention Intermediate Champion at the 2024 Gippsland Jersey Fair, and second junior-two-year-old at IDW 2024.

Celebration

Daniel said the day is all about celebrating the Jersey breed, and the people who make it great.

“Our goal was to offer something for everyone from enthusiastic young breeders right through to our passionate, established breeders considering expanding their programme.”

Written by Dianna Malcolm, Mud Media