Rachael McGrath

Closing the gap between technology and adoption on dairy farms

Victorian dairy farmer Rachael McGrath knows the latest innovations like virtual fencing, wearable cow collars and reproductive technology could make a world of difference to her family farm.

It’s a personal quest for her, but one that will have benefits for the whole dairy industry, not only the family’s 420 cow herd run at Orford. Here, she’s involved in every aspect of the business from milking to calf rearing, genetics, staff rosters and pasture management, and sees where new technology could fit in across the whole business.

The technology is there, and Rachael wants to use it, but says there’s a major roadblock in access and support which is limiting adoption and stalling the uptake. Things that currently take time, like isolating a cow in the paddock, could be done more efficiently with virtual fencing and wearable collars, and Rachael says the scope is endless.

Recognising the gap, Rachael has embarked on her research, "Understanding farmer adoption of technology and what drives successful implementation on dairy farms”. If adoption is better in other countries, then she wants to know why, and how it's achieved.

Travelling to Canada, the United States and the Netherlands will allow Rachael to fact find and to see how dairy farmers across the globe have been able to move technology out of the lab and into the field.