Maguires Hilltop Farm dairy in south west Victoria produces the milk behind show-stopping choc tops enjoyed by cinema goers across Australia. Farmer Brad Collins bought the family farm in 2018 and says the secret to his success is groundwater, grit and good soils.
Volcanic activity millions of years ago has left its mark on south west Victoria’s landscape above and below ground. Like many farms across the region, Brad’s sits on ancient geology that’s produced some of Australia’s richest soils and prehistoric aquifers that bring it to life.
Since taking over the farm Brad’s focused on improving his soil structure, understanding how local geology and topography impact his access to groundwater, investing in renewable energy and building infrastructure that allows him to save and store water to use in drier times.
Brad says he’s transitioned his paddocks from growing grass for cattle feed to maize, chicory, clover and rye grass to fortify and improve the nutrient profile of his soil. Doing so has also helped him save water.
“I chose to plant a mixture of slow growing maize varieties and chicory because they have deeper roots that help stabilise the soil, and chicory is a drought-tolerant plant,” he said.
“The rye grass and clover varieties I’ve chosen grow well in this area and help fix nitrogen in the soil as well as providing nutritious feed for my cows,” he said.
Renovating his pastures in this way has reduced his use of synthetic fertiliser and delivered water savings, something that’s now front of Brad’s mind because of changing climate patterns in the region.
“South west Victoria is renowned for good, consistent winter rains and we used to be able to set our farm plans to this reliable water. But that’s not guaranteed anymore,” he said.
“It’s the main reason why I invested a 200 megalitre turkey nest dam to capture and store more of my groundwater entitlement,” he said.
Brad has a year-round groundwater licence and elects to pump most of his water in winter to reduce stress on the aquifer in the warmer months.
“I completed the dam in June 2024 and it’s slowly starting to fill. Once full, it will give us better security and resource to draw on in future dry weather events,” he said.
Brad said obtaining the licences needed to build and operate his private dam was smooth sailing thanks to Southern Rural Water’s help.
“The team made is easy to understand the rules and what we could and couldn’t do so we could complete the paperwork quickly and build the dam in five weeks,” he said.
He’s also been making other smart investments including installing a solar powered K-Line sprinkler irrigation system that’s enabled him to reduce his carbon emissions and save $70,000 a year on diesel.
“Harnessing renewable energy and using resources sustainably is a no-brainer if we want to protect our land and maintain long-term productivity,” he said.
Brad’s a member of Farmers for Climate Action because he believes sustainable farming and regenerative land management is the key to a prosperous agricultural future and he wants to be part of the conversation.
“The past 18 months have been the driest on record. Like it or not, the climate is changing and as farmers who are closely connected to the land, we experience the impact first-hand and we’re having to adapt to it,” he said.
“As a member of this network and Dairy Farmers Victoria I’m proud of the work we do talking with government about initiatives and policies that help mitigate climate change, safeguard agriculture and benefit rural communities,” he said.
Brad runs around 330 Holstein cows on his 150-hectare farm and supplies Australian dairy company Bulla with his high-quality milk. He says they’re great to work with and operate with the same integrity, sense of community and fairness that he values.
“We recently changed who we supply and couldn’t be happier. They make great products including my personal favourite …the Murray St Bulla choc top,” he said.
“Honestly, knowing that I’m making people happy with great ice-cream or milk for good coffee gets me out of bed in the morning,” he said.
After tasting one of his famous choc tops we can safely say a trip to the movies just wouldn’t be the same if he didn’t love feeding Australia. Thanks Brad, we love your work.