For fifth generation livestock producer Frank Archer, installing quality facilities to process their 1200 Angus cow seed-stock herd was an investment priority they’d experienced in the past.
Located in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley, the Archer family has successfully operated Landfall Angus since it was established in 1948.
“In a lot of ways, it was preaching to the converted for us when it came to installing a new set of cattleyards as we’d installed ProWay yards at the farm my brother manages 30 kilometres north of us.”
The Landfall herd is run under commercial conditions with a strong focus on genetics that perform well in varying seasonal Australian environments. Their management system ensures the cattle they produce are genuine and suited to commercial production herds.
Some 400 to 450 bulls are sold throughout Australia. Through genetic management and stringent selection criteria, the Landfall herd has a balance of performance and sustainability.
For the Archer family, having good infrastructure has always been a priority. After their first experience with ProWay in 2011, Frank and father Gerald decided to involve ProWay again to design and install a modern facility at the main property.
“There was an existing set of yards that had been here for about 30 years, and we thought about what to do for a long time,” Frank said.
ProWay’s design team worked closely with the Archer family to reach an agreed solution that suited their existing infrastructure, including aspects of the original facility they wanted to maintain. Once delivered, the old yards were taken down and the new facility erected over 12 days. The inclusion of a rotary force, sliding gates, curved sheeted V-race and a three-way manual draft in front of their crush means Frank and Landfall employees have greatly minimised risk when working cattle.
“Working in these yards, there’s a lot less stress on the operator and a lot less stress on the animals,” he said.
“Having a set of yards we can just walk straight in to knowing they’re ready to go is so important. We’re not worried about maintenance or repairs and we know we can rely on them.
“When we’ve got cattle going up the race, the ability to have the rotary force gate with an incremental latch that means if they push back, the gate isn’t going to push back on the operator.”
For the Archer family, the justification for a new set of cattleyards was an easy decision.
“The cattle business makes in excess of 80 per cent of our gross farm income,” Frank said. “We felt having a facility that is appropriate for us to be able to handle cattle efficiently, handle cattle safely and be safe for the operator is invaluable. You can’t really put a price on safety.”
