Samantha Martin of Bengowrie Farm

Samantha Martin is backing her family’s fourth generation dairy farm with technology and innovation for a prosperous future. Samantha lives on the dairy farm in Myponga, SA which her family has owned since the 1930s. As management of the farm shifts from Samantha’s parents to the next generation, Samantha sees opportunity for innovation, technology and modern methods of farming.

The Woolworths Dairy Innovation Fund is helping Samantha modernise the farm with new digital herd monitoring technology, made possible by a grant for close to $90,000.

The project will allow each cow to be monitored individually, tracking how much they eat and their activity, to improve overall animal welfare and manage the herd over time to increase the lifespan of the cows.

These special collars will alert Samantha and the dairy team when cows are unwell, sooner than they would normally be able to detect issues so their vet and nutritionist can deliver more targeted treatment. The collars will also improve reproduction rates by allowing the team to better pinpoint peak fertility.

Samantha and her husband Ryan have two young children, Daphne and Beau. With the investments Samantha’s making in the dairy farm today, she’s focussed on building a sustainable and profitable future for the generations to come. Woolworths is thrilled to be contributing to the continued legacy of this great family business.