"L'LUBATOL" is part of the Heytesbury Settlement scheme started in the mid 1950's. Julian and Dianne Benson are the present owners having purchased the property in 1981.

Much has changed in the intervening years, with subdivision of paddocks, water reticulation systems, improved soil fertility and pasture species. Also progressively upgrading of infrastructure such as, tracks, rotary dairy, an undercover calving pad, paddock drainage, an underpass for cattle and addition of extra land. The property comprising 147 hectares of which nearly ten percent has been planted to trees, water ways have been fenced off and every second fence line has plantations of native trees for shelter of stock and attraction of wild life. Effluent from the dairy is used to fertilise the home side of the property and is irrigated onto pastures from late October till April-May.

The rotary dairy (pictured below) was built in 1996, is where twice daily milk is extracted from the cows and individual feeding takes place to meet the needs of seasonal conditions. A typical milking cow is fed approximately 5 kg of grain per day via the silo's.

The farm carries 250 Friesian cows and rears 50 to 60 calves each year in sheltered clean and warm shedding. Our new venture "Apostle Whey Cheese", will use only a small proportion of our total milk yield with the remainder being sent to Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory.
In addition to grain fed in the dairy, cows consume fresh pasture, and hay and silage are fed to supplement when pasture growth is slower.

A typical milking cow produces 30 litres of milk per day and 7,000 litres per year, and produce 260kg Butter fat and 220kg Protein per year.
New born calves are progressively weaned off milk as they are introduced to pellets and straw/hay.