Growing up, farming has always been strong calling for Nathan Berryman and you can tell how excited he is about what’s coming next.
As a fourth-generation dairy farmer, Nathan along with his family take care of 700 cows across 600 acres of lush farmland in Gippsland. Despite only having four years of farming experience under his belt, he’s passionate about keeping his family tradition alive.
Embracing the latest upgrades and developing new innovations, Nathan's excitement and confidence are driving him to take on leadership roles and continue their journey towards modernising his family farm.
"With all the new technology advancements, I'm excited to be working with my family to improve our farming practices."
The Newry Pipeline project has been nothing short of revolutionary for the Berryman family farm. The new six kilometres of pipeline and 126 automated risers have elevated their daily operations to a whole new level.
Previously, Nathan and his family would rise in the middle of the night to manually check and manage water levels. Now, they enjoy the peace of mind that comes with automation and real-time monitoring.
"Before, we used to spend a lot of time making sure our irrigation worked right. Now, with the new pipeline and automated risers, we don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to check the water. It’s changed the way we run our farm."
Nathan and his family invested in five moisture probes across their land, which carefully monitor soil moisture. This helps them water crops only when needed, saving water and using it more efficiently.
One of the most exciting innovations from the Berryman family is the swivel riser, a game-changer designed by Nathan's brother, Andrew Berryman. This clever design offers 360-degree rotation, allowing irrigation on both sides of their property with just one riser. By cutting down on the need for multiple risers plus extra pipeline, this innovation has saved them substantial costs.
“We’ve upgraded 250 acres of our land and will keep improving and modernising it. The swivel risers have saved us a lot on infrastructure and helped us cover more ground. We’ve also laser-graded our paddocks to improve watering and reduce runoff.”
Now they’re into their second irrigation season after finishing the Newry Pipeline Project, the Berryman family is already noticing big benefits.
“We’re irrigating more efficiently, before we were getting two to four megalitres per bay now we’re getting a consistent 10 megalitres”.
The improvement of a piped system means reliable water distribution, which is increasing the farm’s overall productivity and sustainability.
Looking ahead, Nathan is eager to build on these improvements.
"Now that the Newry Pipeline is finished, we can continue with more improvements. We’re planning to add more piping and keep expanding what we can do on the farm."
It's clear Nathan is incredibly proud of how modernisation has made a big difference for his family. He’s seen firsthand how moving from 100-year-old open channels to fully automated pipes have had.
"At first, it was a lot to get used to, but now it feels like second nature and the water ordering system is much easier on your phone."
The Newry Pipeline Project wrapped up the $200 million modernisation of the Macalister Irrigation District and has given farmers like the Berryman’s the opportunity to upgrade their on-farm practices and embrace new technology.
With these upgrades now complete, farming in Gippsland is set for a brighter future. These improvements are helping make water management more efficient, sustainable and will help farmers adapt to the climate variations well into the future.
The modernisation of the Macalister Irrigation District is jointly funded by Southern Rural Water, the Australian Government through the National Water Grid Fund and the Victorian Government.