Lely 2027 ADC Pre-conference Tour

23rd of February 2027

2027 Australian Dairy Conference Pre-conference Tour

174days

19hours

46minutes

22seconds

Thinking about automation?

Join the ADC Pre-Conference Tour

We've got an exciting open day on South Australian farms before the 2027 Australian Dairy Conference kicks off.

This pre-conference tour will take you to three outstanding Lely robotic dairy farms in South Australia, including the Hurrells' Rockwella Farm Holsteins, the Connors' Nangkita Dairy, and Martin and sons' dairy farm.

You'll get to walk through the farms, see the Lely Astronaut robots in action, and hear directly from the farmers about their journey - the decisions, the challenges, and what's changed since making the switch. No two farms are the same, and visiting all three farms will be a great opportunity to compare and contrast how different operations put robotics to work.

Join us on the bus, or make your own way out. Either way, you're in for a great day of learning, conversation, and seeing robotic dairying up close.

Questions about the tour?
Get in touch via lhnguyen@lely.com or call/text 0418 397 781.

Our schedule

What's the plan

7.00am -7.30am
Arrival
& Pick up

Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
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8.30am - 10.20am
Nangkita Dairy: The Connors

423 Nangkita Rd, Nangkita SA 5210
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10.45am - 12.30pm

Sam Martin & Rudy Franceschinel

316 Blockers Rd, Myponga SA 5202

Navigate here
1.00pm - 3.00pm
Rockwella Farm Holsteins: The Hurrels

2391 Range Rd, Willow Creek SA 5211
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5.00 pm
Return
& Drop off

Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

Our farmers

More about the farms

Four generations dairy farming on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Rockwella Farm Holsteins is now milking with robots after production capacity, milk quality, and the ongoing challenge of finding reliable workers became too hard to ignore. The family knew it was time for a change and decided to make the switch and built a new robotic barn on a former sheep property, which is now milking 300 select cows on six Lely Astronaut A5 robots.

Read their story

After years on a herringbone dairy, Sam Martin, a fourth-generation dairy farmer on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, and her borther in-law made the move to robots to bring more flexibility into farm life without compromising on production. The family has installed an Automatic Milk Filter alongside four Astronaut A5 robots, currently milking 250 cows at peak lactation on an ABC grazing system. With eyes on growing to 300 cows step by step, this is a farm built for the future.

Read their story

Jake Connor farms with his family at Nankita Dairies on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, running two grass-based robotic dairies. Between them, 14 Lely robots milk 800 cows across 400 hectares. Farming in a challenging low-rainfall climate, Jake's focus is on building a sustainable, profitable system centred on voluntary milking, strong animal welfare and perennial pastures. For Jake, robots are the foundation for the next generation.

Read their story

Download

Worth checking out

- Flyer
What the days look like: Your detail schedule & agenda
Some details to help you plan around your day. Come have a look, ask the hard questions, and have a chat with the crew.
Download
- Brochure
Automatic milking with Lely Astronaut
Explore the possibilities of automatic milking and our local services.
- Brochure
Grazing Brochure
Explore how grazing and robotic milking work together.