Milne Feeds spent three days on the road in South Australia with Steve Whillas, Milne’s agent on the Eyre Peninsula from EPIC. Growers praised the safety and reliability of Milne pellets which got them through some tough years. Depots are in full swing supporting access across South Australia.

Steve Whillas (aka Whillo) has covered a lot of ground this month. Joined by Milne Feeds Group Veterinarian Dr Holly Ludeman and Grain Buyer David Syme, he spent three days touring more than ten farms and stations across the EP — from broadacre growers in the north to big sheep stations further south — covering well over 1,000km in a single trip.

The take-away over many cups of tea was consistent wherever they stopped: after 2024 — the toughest season anyone could remember — growers who kept feeding through it are now enjoying a strong season on both wool and livestock. “A lot of people did get out of sheep, and the people who stayed in are appreciative now,” Steve says.

Safety came up again and again, unprompted. Growers told the team they couldn’t believe how safe pellet feeding was compared to mixing their own rations, and how much weight gain and performance they got out of it. Steve has seen the same thing firsthand: he’s run his own small feedlot for decades, mixing barley, lupins and hay by hand.

“Using a pellet to simplify our process has just turned our livestock business around,” he says. “My whole family is time poor — everyone’s got other jobs.”

That time pressure is exactly why the timing of this update matters. Harvest is already underway across the mid and upper Eyre Peninsula, where feed quality will turn quickly, while the higher-rainfall country further south still has pasture in hand for now. Either way, growers are starting to plan ahead for finishing lambs rather than leaving it until after harvest.

It’s not just about products. Steve and the Milne team sat down with producers throughout the week to work through feed budgets, feed-on-offer and energy-gap calculations, and health and welfare plans. With depots across the Mid North, the Eyre Peninsula and now Adelaide, product typically reaches growers within 7–10 days.

“We’re all learning together,” Holly says. “I think I learnt as much as anyone this week, and it’s just fantastic to see another beautiful area of Australia that’s thankfully having a good season.”

If you’d like to talk through your feed plan for the months ahead, get in touch with Steve on 0458 852 268 or steve@epicbrokers.biz.

Hear more from Steve during his interview with Dr Holly.