Milk man

The Cream Shed's Frank Wood looks over the calves as they feed on milk from three of his Jersey cows at Waroona. PHOTO: DANELLA BEVIS

Frank Wood gave up commercial milking three years ago after 20 years running a small dairy farm at Waroona. But he could not give up his cows completely.

Now Frank milks four Jerseys to show city people what milk production is all about.

"Scores of people from the city come to camp at Lake Navarino, just down the road," he said. "Most kids don't know what a cow is or where milk comes from, especially Asian visitors, but often Australian children have no idea whatsoever."

Lake Navarino, originally Waroona dam, collects water for irrigation only, so recreational activities like water skiing, trout fishing and marron catching are allowed.

Frank loves performing and meeting people. He is an accomplished singer and took part in several productions in Perth until he became too old to play the romantic lead.

Then he sat down to write an opera, Rosetta, which was first performed at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre 10 years ago.

His only formal training was music lessons at school and two years of voice tuition.

At 4pm every day from autumn to spring Frank milks his cows, explains the procedure to an audience, separates the milk into cream and skim and feeds calves - all for $5 a family.

"I love milking," he said. "I get 1500 people a year, sometimes 100 over a long weekend.

"One caravan group comes regularly and some people come two or three times - first to see for themselves then they come back with their children and grandchildren."

Frank also takes school groups camping at the Forest Recreation Centre.

"I split classes into a maximum of 25," he said. "Otherwise it's too impersonal.

"I've named all my cows over the years. There is scarcely any woman's name that's not been used."

He teases the women in his audience by comparing them to their bovine namesakes.

His Jerseys calve in mid-February. They are dry over summer so Frank can take the summer off and work just nine months of the year.

"My cows are used to kids. I treat them like family," he said.

Even one that had not had a calf for a year trotted happily into the parlour without hesitation when he opened the gate.

His milking stall and dairy is purpose-built, with room for an audience.

He has a portable milking machine and lets some of the children attempt to hand-milk the cows.

"One or two cotton on, but most are afraid they might squeeze the teats too hard," Frank said.

To separate the milk, Frank uses a 70-year-old hand-cranked Lister unit.

"Mother kept a house cow and I got the job of separating the cream as a 10-year-old," he said. "I found it and cranked it up 50 years later."

He said Jersey cream had the consistency of butter.

Frank gives tubs of cream to his audiences and the skim and the rest of the milk go to the calves, which he buys at auction in batches of 20. He weans them onto hay at three months, then buys another batch.

He buys Friesian steers, but occasionally Angus or Murray Greys if they are cheap enough at the sales.

When he first started milking, Frank ran Friesians but decided to upgrade to Jerseys.

"Dairy companies started to pay for milk solid components, not water. My last milk cheque was the third highest price per litre in WA. I made 39c a litre against an average of 22c.

"The milk quota system worked well for 25 years before deregulation. I had a fresh milk quota and knew what I was going to be paid.

"With deregulation farmers got screwed. It was get more cows or get out."

Frank persisted in milking for three years under deregulation and then decided to give it away.

"There used to be more than 500 dairy farmers in WA. Now there are less than 200," he said.

"There were 29 dairy farmers in Waroona, now there are only three. It's had an enormous effect on the town."

Frank has 100 hectares of pasture down in the valley where he runs an Angus bull with dry cows and weaned calves.

He uses Jersey semen for breeding replacements.

On top of the hill is a 42ha block for the milking operation. The block used to belong to Frank's father who ran a milling business and bought the land for its timber.

Frank was a national serviceman and cleared the block himself when he returned from Vietnam in 1971. As he cleared he sold off the timber.

"There were lots of government incentives to clear land in the 1960s and 70s," he said. "Now I feel a bit guilty about it."

So he has entered a covenant to protect 38ha under the Department of Conservation's Land for Wildlife program.

"Compare the thick forest on my own land with next door, which is burnt every 5-7 years and harvested for firewood," he said.

At one time he also milked goats but found he was too tied to the farm.

"I backed off from making cheese," he said. "I plan to continue doing what I am doing for the next 30 years."

Now that is long-term planning.

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