2014 NSW Farmer of the Year award runner up James Mifsud

James Mifsud operates “Trilla” farm located at Goulburn .The main business is intensive turkey farming and involves growing turkeys from day old poults to market age birds of around 18 weeks. The turkeys are raised in open sheds where they are free to roam. The sheds are naturally ventilated with computer controlled shutters and curtains to control temperature. The turkeys are grown under contract for Inghams Enterprises.

Apart from successfully growing turkeys for more than 16 years, James also runs a small herd of 60 Angus breeders turning off calves at around 350-400kg. The cattle are grass-fed on improved pastures fertilised with the manure produced from the turkey operation.

A series of dams and rubble drains mitigate any issues related to runoff entering the water catchment.

James is constantly researching the latest trends in turkey production around the globe and tries to attend as many industry talks as possible to remain up-to-date.

He is also a 2015 Nuffield scholarship recipient and will be undertaking 16 weeks of travel to the EU and North America where he'll be looking at poultry welfare systems and turkey production.

The turkeys on Trilla achieve excellent feed conversion rates along with growth rates comparable with, and at times exceeding, world's best practice.

The latest genetics are imported to help the farm stay competitive in the marketplace.

An example of production methods adopted recently is the introduction of hens and toms in the same shed, separated with a partition. This led to an increase in production of 20 % without the need for extra shedding.

The hens are grown to around 12 weeks of age, when they are then processed and the partitions are removed to enable the toms to have the rest of the shed.

Monitoring of the turkey production is done on a weekly basis involving comprehensive recording of weight gains, feed consumption and other variables that can have an effect in production. The farm also receives weekly reports from Inghams that benchmark efficiencies against other comparable growers, helping to maintain a healthy competitive edge between growers.

The farm also adheres to strict animal welfare guidelines and industry best practices

A biosecurity program is maintained including wheel washing of all vehicles that enter the farm area, and visitor sign in register. The number of personnel entering the sheds are kept to a minimum to avoid the introduction of any diseases.

Reinvesting profits in newer and more efficient technologies is a key part of the business plan. Existing fans are being replaced with more energy efficient fans, which means a reduction in power consumption. More energy efficient lighting is also being investigated. A 10kW solar power electricity generating system has been installed to help reduce reliance on mains power. Bore water for the farm is pumped during the night to take advantage of cheaper electricity prices.

The farm area is located well away from any neighbours, so as to avoid any conflict that may arise due to the nature of our farming system.

James believes he has a duty to be a good corporate citizen, and a good neighbour.

James has represented the Inghams turkey growers for over 13 years at company level and has been a member of NSW farmers for 14 years, and for the past six years as a Contract Poultry Committee member, were he was Vice-chair for two years and Chairman for the last three years. James is currently Vice-President of the Australian Chicken Growers Council and an active member of the Goulburn Mulwaree Rotary Club, were he holds the position of youth director.

With his wife, Frances, they have also held several fundraisers at their home to raise funds for sarcoidosis research. Frances suffers from this debilitating disease, and although she is currently in remission, the Mifsuds feel obligated to do whatever they can to raise much needed funds for research into this significantly under-funded disease.