“We came into it thinking about the labour-saving aspect and benefits for the stock, but the unexpected advantage has been the improved safety and increased productivity,” he said.
Before adopting the technology, Fairweather spent much of summer installing and shifting temporary fencing across the property.
“I would start mid-January and was clocking up thousands of steps a day tramping over the hills,” he said.
“With that came a fair bit of falling, slipping down hills and then having to work on while nursing a sore knee or ankle.”
The long hours also took their toll.
“I would get to the end of the day, and it would feel like I had not achieved anything because there were still so many jobs to do.”
He said the collars were now saving five to seven hours of work a day by reducing the need to move fencing and stock.
The technology has also improved grazing management, helping grass recover faster and increasing stocking rates.
“We have managed to implement a feature to improve safety on-farm, all while having a positive impact on farm performance and growth.”
Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson said the Glenalvon experience reflected the findings of the organisation’s white paper, Safer By Design: The Role of Technology in Farm Safety.
Launched at Fieldays, the paper explores how technology can remove agricultural risks before work even begins.
Tim Fairweather and Willie Lyons have been using Gallagher’s eShepherd virtual fencing collars for their herd.
Nelson said Glenalvon underlined how, for widespread adoption, technology should be viewed as a tool for overall farm improvement, rather than a compliance burden.
“Farmers are more likely to invest in new systems when they also improve productivity, reduce workload, or make the farm run better.
“Safety matters, but it is usually one of several reasons for making a change.”
Life on Glenalvon
Fairweather grew up on a sheep and beef station before taking on Glenalvon with Lyons in 2020, after a severe drought.
That year, Lyons regained the lease of the property, which has been in his family for more than 100 years.
Since then, the pair have redeveloped the stock water system, invested in water infrastructure, and redesigned the paddock layout.
The farm was a finalist in the 2022 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
“When we took it on, there was a lot of breeding stock and not much of a trade component, but now we have more of a trading operation with flexibility built in,” Fairweather said.
The farm had expanded from 480ha to 1090ha and recently took on its first full-time employee.