Dairy News Australia West Vic Region - June 2024

WEST VIC REGION

Ten years ago, Billy Buckingham hated the sight of cows. Now he has returned to the dairy industry and is embracing everything it has to o er. Page 10.

Bega Cobram Cohuna Colac Corryong Dumbalk Eskdale Finley Foster Heywood Kiewa Koroit

VICTORIA

Chair’s message

Inspired by the best

BY BRENDAN REA

I’M WRITING this having just attended the Great South West Dairy Awards, an inspiring event that not only recognises excellence within the dairy industry, but also highlights its contributions to the wider community.

It was wonderful to hear the stories, acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of those in the region.

Congratulations to all those who were nominated, the finalists, the runners-up and, of course, the winners, who all exemplified best practice, hard work and passion for the dairy industry.

Congratulations in particular to Lisa Findlay, Kerry-Leigh Hume, Alistair Harris, Rachael McGrath, Eamon Maher, and Kim and Greg Wilson, who were all deserving winners in their respective categories.

This year, the event also celebrated the 30th anniversary of WestVic Dairy.

Reflecting on the evolution of the organisation over the decades, it’s evident that the commitment to supporting the levy-paying community of dairy farmers in south-west Victoria has remained steadfast.

The way this has happened has changed over the years — different funding sources, different operational models and responsibilities.

But that one common thread remains — the altruistic effort by many industry participants,

to help and support others in their pursuit of a successful farming business.

This is what makes a healthy wider industry and a strong community and I’m grateful for the foresight of those founding farmers who set-up WestVic Dairy and its predecessor, the South-West Dairy Industry Committee to direct and lead the industry in the south-west.

Having a regionally based organisation to support the dairy industry has been a great resource to dairy farmers in our region over the years.

Personally, I have attended numerous courses over the journey of my career and always gained new knowledge and perspectives that have enhanced my farming practice.

WestVic Dairy provides many core programs that offer fundamental to advanced knowledge and training like Feeding Pastures for Profit and Employment Essentials -Paying a Flat Rate

Most recently I have completed the Our Farm, Our Plan program and found it rewarding.

Encouraging participation in these programs is something I prioritise for my team, especially for new members.

I highly recommend workshops such as Milking and Mastitis Management and Nutrition Fundamentals. These programs have proven invaluable, fostering a proactive and engaged attitude among my staff.

It is great to observe them return asking more questions, more motivated and then often taking ownership of responsibilities for one area of the farm.

For those looking to enhance their team's skills and enthusiasm, I suggest exploring what WestVic Dairy has to offer.

I am so pleased to have been able to celebrate the award finalists, and WestVic Dairy’s significant milestone.

May our WestVic Dairy community continue to be valued, profitable and sustain its success for years to come.

– Brendan Rea is the WestVic Dairy chair.

Jacqui Suares presented the farm photo award on behalf of Lactalis to Andrew Whiting, whose family friend Lisa Findlay took the photo.

Sharefarmers hit the heights

BY RICK BAYNE

IRREWILLIPE SHAREFARMERS Greg and Kim Wilson are on top of the dairy world after taking out the premier title in the 2024 Great South West Dairy Awards.

The Wilsons received the Dairy Farm Business Management Award sponsored by Dairy Australia’s Our Farm, Our Plan at a gala dinner in Warrnambool on Thursday, May 16.

Judges praised the sharefarmers for their exemplary integration of drive, knowledge and capital to achieve solid business returns.

“The hands-on approach, which sees them close to the operations of the farm every day, is complemented by a big picture and long-term view of where they want to be,” the judging panel said.

“Also impressive is their awareness of things that present risks to their business and the strategies put in place to mitigate these.”

The runner-up Business Management Award went to Harold Benzon from Minhamite.

Awards were presented across six categories.

Rachael McGrath was named Young Dairy Leader, sponsored by the Gardiner Foundation, for her active contribution to the dairy sector and community.

Rachael farms in Orford, alongside her family – milking 400 stud Jerseys and Brown Swiss cows.

She has been involved in the Dairy Australia Dairy Ambassador Program, Western District Jersey Breeders Club and WestVic Dairy Young Dairy Leadership Team.

Judges praised her leadership qualities and understanding of the importance of collaboration and communication in fostering positive change.

“Rachael’s accomplishments serve as a testament to her dedication and hard work in the dairy industry. Her willingness to promote dairy in a positive light is truly commendable and makes her very deserving of this award,” the judges said.

Runner-up Young Dairy Leader was Kirkstall farmer Chloe Brown.

Kerry-Leigh Hume received the Employee Award for her dedication and teamwork at the Aurora Dairies’ Glenfyne farm, where she is second in charge.

Kerry has worked there for two years and has taken opportunities to develop and learn and is completing a Certificate IV in Agriculture.

Judges were impressed by her strong work ethic, high standards and excellent organisation and team building skills.

“Kerry’s passion for the industry and ability to maintain an effective and connected team makes her a worthy recipient of the award,” the judges said.

Runner-up was Gregor Mews, who farms at Southern Cross.

The Harris family from Larpent received the Natural Resource Management and Sustainability Award, sponsored by the

Catchment and Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authorities.

On the farm, Alistair Harris has installed solar pumps, established native shelterbelts, and used effluent water for irrigation and yard wash.

“Alistair is a worthy winner as he demonstrates a strong commitment to natural resource management, motivated by building on a family legacy to pass on the farm to the next generation in a better condition,” the judges said.

The Aurora Dairies Poorinda team was runner-up.

Managing director of Maher Refrigeration and Electrical and Maher Pumps and Irrigation, Eamon Maher, won the Service Provider Award, sponsored by WestVic Dairy. The business specialises in dairy construction and upgrades.

Lisa Findlay won the Farm Photo Award sponsored by Lactalis Australia Pty Ltd for her piece Generations in the Dairy. Sarah Cole was runner-up with October

Corangamite

Rachael McGrath.

Kerry-Leigh Hume.

Alistair Harris and his father Phil Harris. Eamon Maher.

Lisa Findlay’s winning farm photo, Generations in the Dairy.

Neil Webster (Dairy Australia) with Greg and Kim Wilson, winners of the Dairy Farm Business Management Award in the 2024 Great South West Dairy Awards.

Photos: Robin Sharrock

From paddock to classroom

BILL CORNELISSEN never wanted to be anything but a farmer and now he has the chance to inspire young people to follow in his footsteps.

Bill grew up on a dairy farm and did his farm apprenticeship at South West TAFE in 1995-99. His life has turned full circle and he has returned to TAFE as an associate facilitator to encourage the next generation of farm workers. He’s also encouraging farmers to get behind the future of the industry by employing trainees and to giving access to students so they can get exposed to a range of different farm enterprises to grow their skills.

Bill’s family sharefarmed for 20 years while he was growing up and they’re still in the industry, along with several other relatives.

“Right from when I was a little kid, all I wanted was to be a farmer,” he said.

“I had been doing it for 20-plus years, working my way up from a farm hand to a sharefarmer, but circumstances changed, so now I’m doing something different but happy to still be involved in agriculture.”

The job came about when Bill was talking to SWTAFE agriculture teaching education manager Bec Toleman.

“I told Bec that things had changed and I was looking for another job and she said what about teaching?” Bill said.

“I’d never thought about it before but went away and called back a week later and asked if she was serious about it and what it involved.

“Now here I am.”

Bill is completing his training and assessment certificates and has started work as an associate facilitator, able to teach students but not yet grade their work.

He said some things had not changed since his time as an apprentice.

“When I was training, the advice was take your time and learn it properly and that’s still relevant today,” he said.

“It’s the same sort of messages to get across — push safety, make sure you know

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Stepping up for the family

BY RICK BAYNE

WHEN HIS family farm needed a manager, Isaac Nattrass stepped up to the plate.

A year down the track, things are looking good and Isaac is settling into the job, with 750 cows being milked daily, improvements being made and six staff members reporting to him.

Isaac also turned 20 during the past year and had no previous experience in running a dairy farm.

It has been a steep learning curve for the young man, but Isaac has embraced the challenge.

“It wasn’t my first time milking a cow, but it was a jump in the deep end,” he said.

“But I had a lot of support from close friends and we’ve got everything back on track.”

Isaac comes from a farming family. His grandfather was involved in logging and then farming and his father Don started as a shearer, but soon moved into professional fishing and later beef and sheep farming.

The family was originally from near Dartmoor in far-west Victoria, but Isaac grew up on the coast at Port MacDonnell in South Australia.

He had worked on the family sheep farm since leaving school at 16, but had limited dairying experience.

The family took a new direction three years ago by investing in the dairy farm at Drumborg. At the time, COVID-19 had hit Don’s crayfish exports, so he kept his licence but sold the boat and became a full-time farmer.

They now own three farms – one dedicated to dairy, one to sheep and one north of Drumborg that has sheep and also serves as a run-off block for the dairy.

All dry stock is sent off farm from weaning age and comes back three weeks before calving and all joining happens at the northern farm.

The existing manager stayed on for the first 12 months, but his replacement didn’t work out. In June last year, the new manager was let go.

“I said to Dad ‘do you reckon I can do it’ and he thought I could,” Isaac said.

Isaac was keen to take up the challenge.

The family had owned a dairy farm when he was very young, but it was operated by a sharefarmer.

“We hadn’t really milked ourselves back then. With the new farm, I did a lot of fencing, maintenance, sowing, but I had very little experience actually running a dairy farm.

“But I knew if I put my mind to it and talked to the right people, I’d be able to do it.”

Milking and staff management have been his greatest challenges.

“The day-to-day milking was the biggest learning curve at the start,” Isaac said.

“I’d looked after cows before and calved cows, and I knew about grazing and irrigation, but I didn’t know about milking cows and the day-to-day operations and things like mastitis prevention and management or treating sick cows.

“You don’t deal with things like that with beef and sheep.”

He consulted WestVic Dairy and was grateful for the help, particularly with advice about staff training and record keeping.

“General day-to-day stuff you pick up pretty quickly if you’re on the ball,” Isaac said.

“Running the dairy isn’t a hard task if you put your mind to it and I picked it up in a few weeks.”

The farm has a 50-bail rotary with automatic cup removers, retention bars, auto teat spray and auto draft, with the automation added after the Nattress family bought the property.

The farm covers 400 hectares, including 65 under irrigation, and is divided into about 100 paddocks.

The herd is 100 per cent Holstein.

“We bought some of the existing herd, but also bought in a lot of cows ourselves and we bring in 200 heifers a year.

“We correctively mate with Semex semen and genomic test every calf and select our breeders from there.

“That has been very helpful. The calves born next autumn will be the first Semex genomically-tested coming into the system.”

They have large cows and like to bring them as two-and-a-half- year-olds for a bit more competition in the herd.

“It’s a big herd with big cows and we find the heifers don’t get pushed around as much,” Isaac said.

“Luckily we have enough room on our runoff block to be able to do that and bring them in a bit bigger.”

The fertility rate is very high, and Isaac won’t cull a cow just because she missed getting in calf.

“You can’t expect a cow giving 35-40 litres at 100 days to get in calf every time. I’m not going to cull it because of that,” he said.

The farm could add more cows, but Isaac said that would require an expansion of the irrigation system, something that was on his bucket list.

“It’s hard to find groundwater here, but we think we’ve found some, so we have more irrigation in the pipeline,” he said.

He’s using all home-grown feed except for a base 7.5kg of grain and that is helping them to achieve targets.

“We have been working hard to get things right and there are definitely improvements,” he said.

“We’re getting the results we expected in production and reproduction, which is good.”

Isaac has joined the Young Dairy Network and went on a New Zealand study tour with support from DemoDAIRY Foundation.

“That was very beneficial, not so much in taking things straight home to implement, but to look at things in the future,” he said.

“Geo-fencing options, though not allowed at this stage in Victoria, would be good here.”

Isaac understands the importance of the farm manager’s role.

“It’s a role that can make or break your farm,” he said.

“I was worried about some things, but had reassurance from my father and other people around that I would be able to do it.

“I see my future here. The most beneficial thing is that my father is still around. If I have a problem with staff or staff have a problem with me, they can go to him.”

Leading from the front. Isaac Nattrass has stepped up into the farm manager role at just 20.

A high fertility rate is helping to boost numbers.

Isaac with some of the herd. The Nattrass family likes big cows and their Holsteins are producing big numbers.

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Demonstrating their success

BY RICK BAYNE

WHEN PAUL Moloney bought the old DemoDAIRY farm near Terang in February 2018, he knew he was in for a challenge.

In 2015, the board of the former research and demonstration farm with high-profile highway frontage announced it wouldn’t operate as a milk production business from April 2016 and instead planned to lease the farm.

However, the lease plan didn’t work out, and in 2017 the board began the process of winding up the cooperative and removing cows after exhausting all options to remain open.

When Paul and his wife Christine bought the farm the next year for $4600 per acre through expression of interest, some people said he was mad.

There were times when he questioned if they were right.

“There were a lot of comments from outside people saying you’re mad and you always have a percentage of “shit, what have I done?”, Paul admits, but he has no regrets and is now happy with the progress that has been made and where the farm sits.

Paul remains based at his family farm closer to Terang and took on Liam Allan as a sharefarmer just a few months after making the investment.

They continue to work well as a team and are progressing towards a 50-50 split in the next couple of years.

Liam came in with 20 cows and now owns 180 of the 280-strong herd.

Liam also took some flak over his move, but held strong.

“A lot of people knew about the farm and knew that it had slipped back and when we started milk prices were low, there was no grass and no stored feed.

“There was a lot of negativity around dairy farming but after some good seasons and good prices, it’s different now,” Liam said.

“Our first milk cheques were about $4.80 that first spring, now we’re getting $9.50.

“Dairy farming has come a long way in six years,” Liam said.

The farm has also come a long way.

The first joint priority was “not to go broke”, Paul said.

Despite the naysayers, Paul believed in the investment and today says it is going well.

“We wanted to grow our business,” Paul said.

“I’d been driving past this place to my father’s out paddock for 40 years and always had an eye on it. I even fought fires here as a 17-year-old on Ash Wednesday.”

It connects over the Ayrford Rd with land Paul and his father bought in 1992 and that in turn connects with the original family farm just south of Terang, including the dry former lake bed.

Paul has plans for an underpass on the Ayrford Rd to further enhance the connections. The herds run separately, but there could be more sharing when the underpass is installed.

One of the major problems with the farm was the outdated 18-aside swingover dairy but with the departure of the cows, the paddocks had also lacked attention in the last year before the sale.

Paul spent $120,000 to make the old dairy functional, but it was a short-term fix and he always wanted to install a rotary dairy, similar to the home farm.

“We kept it going for four years until the new dairy started but then gutted it and filled it and left it as a shed for the cows to walk through,” he said.

Paul ordered the new 55-stall dairy in July 2021, but had trouble getting contractors on site and then when they started on the

foundations, they hit rock and were held up again before an excavator was called in.

“I’ve got a 50 rotary at home but I’m restricted in area and I think the 55 is a bit more efficient,” he said.

“I wanted to match them so if something happens, the cows can go between if need be.”

The new dairy has been in use since November 2022.

Fixing the paddocks and growing more home-made feed was another priority.

“There were a lot of paddocks totally buggered,” Liam said.

“We’ve renovated 60-70 per cent of the farm with new grasses and crops. We put a lot of perennial grasses back and summer crops like turnips, rape.

“We’ve come a long way. We did about 300 rolls of silage after the first year but we’ve had it up to nearly 1000 since then.”

The water pumping system needed replacing and they’re still finding problems in the pipes.

Solar power was installed in 2020, and there’s a generator if needed.

An existing storage shed was converted to a calf shed, a new shed built for storage, and there are plans for another hay shed.

Eight water tanks were added to catch rain and bore water, fences were replaced and paddocks reconfigured.

They also had three fires to contend with, two of them sparked from old pumps.

“It hasn’t been boring,” Paul said.

“There’s always something happening.”

The herd at the DemoDAIRY farm is about 80 per cent Holsteins with Jersey numbers being reduced as they strive for a more evensized herd based on medium-sized Holsteins with high solids, and some crossbreds.

“We bought cows from all directions when we started and now we’re trying to make it more even,” Liam said.

“When buying someone else’s cows they’re probably less fertile, but we’re pushing hard to

get our fertility as high as we can.”

They are pleased with their 33 per cent replacement rate.

For the past three years they have used sexed semen on the heifers with good success, last year achieving 65 per cent, this year about 58.

“Out of 180 heifers we only had seven empty this year which was very pleasing,” Paul said.

In the first year, calving was stretched over 16 to 18 weeks. but it has been tightened to less than 10 weeks.

“Weather permitting, we could go harder with numbers, but Demo is a fairly wet place and around 280 is the sweet spot,” Liam said.

Both farms have very similar production, though Paul’s home farm is slightly ahead with solids thanks to his base Jersey herd.

The farm was previously home to the National Centre for Dairy Education Australia and has retained an educational link with Paul leasing some of the buildings to Rural Industries Skill Training.

Paul and Liam in the new rotary dairy, which has made life easier for everyone.

Paul Moloney and sharefarmer Liam Allan have taken the farm a long way over the past six years.

Part of the original Moloney farm covers the now dry Terang lake bed. Paul says it’s like having a 100-acre feedpad.

Making all the right moves

BY RICK BAYNE

TEN YEARS ago, Billy Buckingham hated the sight of cows.

Today, at 27, he has returned to the dairy industry and is embracing everything it has to offer.

Billy has just co-hosted the Great South West Dairy Awards, is an active member of the Young Dairy Network, has attended Artificial Insemination courses, been to New Zealand on a study tour, is part of the local discussion group, took part in a seminar on the issues facing the dairy industry and attended a YDN conference in NSW.

The third-generation farmer at Jancourt East works alongside his father Mark and uncle Michael who milk 400 mixed cows in partnership.

Billy hasn’t always been on the farm, and in fact, had gone right off dairying, but that break of about seven years might have been the best thing for his career.

“When I was a teenager, I hated milking cows and helping out, but now I enjoy it,” he said.

“I came home about three years ago and it was a whole different concept. Before that I worked in telecommunications and did odd jobs here and there.

“I feel that was a key thing in my career. A lot of people who go straight from school to the farm might end up resenting it.

“There was never any pressure for me to come home. I made the decision when I was ready. I’d come home and help over harvest time, but that’s different to being here all the time.

“Taking a break was a good career move.”

The 27-year-old calls himself the 3IC.

“I’m basically a farm hand, but because it’s a family-run business, I get opportunities to have discussions about the future and where we want to get to.”

He is playing a role in breeding and will be part of discussions with a new dairy on the agenda to replace the current 24-year-old rotary.

“I’ve been included in the planning process to consider what I would want going forward,” Billy said.

“Not everyone gets that opportunity, but my uncle Michael is 61 and has been farming for 45 years and Dad is 57, and realistically, they won’t be milking forever.”

Billy’s grandfather purchased the original farm in the ’50s. Michael finished school and worked the farm.

“In those days it was hard for young people to get a job, so my grandfather went and got a job and my uncle mainly ran the farm,” Billy said.

In 2002, Billy’s parents bought the farm next door and went into partnership with his grandparents and uncle. His grandparents have since retired.

Twenty-four years ago, Billy’s parents bought the farm next to Michael and joined it into a big partnership.

The farm has “a bit of everything” when it comes to cows.

“We have Jerseys, Friesians and Aussie Reds. It has been that way for as long as I can remember and the mix has been good for cow health and fertility,” Billy said.

They are traditional winter calvers, starting June 1, using AI for four to six weeks and then a bull for the same time.

Since returning to the farm, Billy has started to help select the bulls. He has completed an AI course and for the last joining shared the selection duties with Michael.

“It was good because it’s something I’m interested in,” he said.

“I look for temperament, teat length, height, mastitis traits and the way they look. You’ve got to be happy with what you’re milking.

“We target fat and protein, but we like robust animals.”

“Some of the littler cross-bred cows hold better in the winter conditions and there’s less pugging compared to bigger cows.”

Of the three breeds, Billy admits he has a bit of a soft spot for the Aussie Reds.

“Some of their traits aren’t as advanced as the other breeds, but on the health side of things they’re really robust and sturdy,” he said.

The farm is a low input system, using homegrown silage and the only bought-in feed is crushed barley grain, occasionally with a bit of wheat. All the crushing is done on site with a disc mill.

“We’re looking to tweak the formula in the near future, possibly introducing a canola oil spray to keep the dust down and to give another kick along for the cows,” Billy said.

The green paddocks attest to the farm’s high rainfall and the mix of high and low country makes it a picturesque property.

Billy joined the YDN Committee earlier this year and is keen to help organise events and get

more young people involved.

He was part of a YDN study tour to New Zealand, sponsored by DemoDAIRY Foundation, in early 2024.

“It was a whole new thing to me; a great experience,” he said.

“My biggest thing was seeing how other farms operate and what I could implement back on our farm. Every system is different; there’s no wrong or right way to do things.”

Billy said New Zealand farmers didn’t feed grain through their dairies, had grass-based systems, but often relied on feed pads, and were facing much stronger regulations monitoring

Billy Buckingham says his decision to take a seven-year break from farming was a good career move.

Billy Buckingham will be part of discussions in planning a new dairy.

their systems, including effluent.

“I feel like the regulations they are facing will be in Australia in the next 10 to 15 years,” Billy said.

“We should get proactive and have things in place so it won’t be a big shock to the system if we have to do it here.”

“Lining of effluent ponds, spread management, pumping systems, cleaning and maintenance. It really fascinated me.

The study tour saw once-a-day milking in action, but he said they would not go down that line at home.

But, like with the discussion group, Billy said going to see different systems and practices on other farms was always valuable.

Sights set on ownership

KIARNA MURFETT might only be 18, but she already has eyes on running her own farm.

Kiarna is working on a dairy farm at Panmure as she completes her agricultural studies with support from a DemoDAIRY Foundation school scholarship.

It’s all part of a long-term plan to take over her family farm at nearby Framlingham.

Kiarna secured a job with Danielle and Tom Wright at their Panmure dairy farm after completing her Certificate II in Agriculture with Danielle as her teacher.

“I finished Year 12 and was looking for work and I was offered a job on their farm, so it was perfect,” she said.

Already well versed in dairy farming from her family background, Kiarna is now enjoying the variety of work the industry offers, from milking cows to drilling and fixing fences to feeding calves.

She is now studying a Certificate III and will start a Certificate IV in July.

“I’ll stay here for a few years and hope to go back to work on the farm with dad and mum and take over the family farm when they’re ready to retire,” she said.

While that’s a few years down the track, Kiarna is enjoying her current experience.

“I like how you’re doing something different every day,” she said.

“You’re always outside and I have a passion for working with animals.”

The DemoDAIRY Foundation scholarship has been a big help as she transitions from school to work and further study.

Kiarna Murfett has received a DemoDAIRY Foundation school scholarship.

“Because I’m straight out of school, it has allowed me to afford the further study and helped with clothing and to buy a computer for my schooling,” she said.

“It’s helping me to reach my goals.”

Visit the DemoDAIRY Foundation websitehttps://www.demodairy.com.au or contact DDF secretary Ian Teese on 0427 358 987 or itag@bigpond.comfor more information on DDF or the Powell Legacy Fund.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE TRACTORS

Annameike Cozens isn’t sure if she wants to become a vet or drive a tractor — so she’s trying both.

Although only 18, Annameike has already invested in a new tractor and started a contracting business and is halfway through her veterinary nursing course with an eye on progressing to further study in veterinary science.

“I want to become a vet but I also want to drive tractors,” she said.

“I’d love to mix both. I’d like to split my time doing the things I enjoy.”

With the support of a DemoDAIRY Foundation school scholarship, Annameike is enjoying her vet nursing course through the Gordon Institute in Geelong.

Annameike Cozens with her new 185 Puma tractor.

“We’re not going to pick up everything, but if something makes an everyday job easier, we’ll do it.”

Today, Billy is enjoying his new career in farming.

“I love the versatility. I’m the only staff member apart from my father and uncle who run it, so you have to be a jack of all trades; so, a bit of everything.

“You’ve got to milk twice a day and feed the cows, but there are so many other jobs to be done.”

He’s also keen to learn new skills.

“Mum does the books. I’m working with her a bit so I can learn that side of the business as well. I don’t mind the bookwork.”

She is also working at the Warrnambool Vet Clinic and a dairy farm at Purnim on the weekends.

“If I was to become a vet, it would be for large animals, which is what I love,” she said.

Annameike said the $5000 scholarship from DemoDAIRY Foundation had been a big help with the purchase of books and a laptop.

Annameike was raised on a small beef farm at Bushfield and the family also has small properties at Panmure and Terang.

Her father John is also a truck driver and helps on the beef properties on

weekends, while her grandfather John senior is also active in the business.

With support from her father and grandfather, Annameike recently bought a 185 Puma tractor along with a twin rotor and front mower.

“It’s pretty cool to have my own tractor at 18. It has all the bells and whistles,” she said.

“It is a big investment but Mum and Dad are around to help if needed. We bought it a bit too late in the season but I’ve done a bit of hay and slashing with it.

“My friends think I’m a bit crazy but people take risks and I’m confident it will pay off.”

The farm features a mix of Holstein, Jersey and Aussie Red cows, and Billy has a soft spot for the Reds.

The Buckingham farm has plenty of hills and attractive valley views. The addition of solar power has been a positive investment for the business.

The farm is a low input system, using home-grown silage.

Succession takes ‘hard work’

WESTVIC DAIRY recently facilitated a workshop in Cobden to support south-west Victorian families understand the succession planning process.

Facilitator Colin Wright, a principal and agri team leader with Phillipsons Accounting, said succession planning was a critical part of farm business management.

“Succession planning is very complicated, it’s all about securing and safeguarding a future for yourself, the business, and the next generation,” Colin said.

“It’s also highly emotional and it can be very challenging to know where to begin.

“What’s important to keep in mind is everyone’s journey is different, what works for one family may not work for another.

“And whatever you do, start early. Succession planning takes time. There are many people involved, and many rules and regulations to consider.”

Colin said the first place to start is to understand what you own.

“It’s important that you understand not only what you own, but how you own it. And not just the farm, but shares, superannuation, life insurance, things like that.

“Once you know what you’ve got, you can put values to it and can create a realistic succession plan.”

Once you decide what you where you want to go, it all comes down to communication.

“You must be able to articulate your thinking, so everyone knows how you’ve done it and why you’ve done it. If you say nothing, no-one

understands why, and this is where problems occur,” Colin said.

“You must also make sure you document everything very clearly.”

Colin also explained it’s critical to have experts involved from the start.

Get your legal adviser, banker and accountant to be a part of the succession meetings because there are so many elements to understand.

The day concluded with panel discussion with a dairy farming family, the Campbells.

Alan — along with his wife, Catherine — moved from New Zealand to western Victoria in early 2000 and converted a sheep and cropping farm to a dairy farm.

There has been a lot of work, and a lot of ups and downs, to get the business to the point it is now, and it was important to Alan to be organised for the future.

“We anticipated we would milk 600 cows there, and we are now milking between 1200 and 1500,” Alan said.

“My wife and I wanted to make sure we pass on our business and our farm in a well-documented way to look after our future and our children.”

Alan and Catherine have three children. Their son Adam is the farm manager and has been back on-farm for seven years. They also have two daughters — Sarah provides the farm with business support in addition to her project

management role in the telecommunications industry.

The Campbells are currently in the middle of succession planning using a facilitator.

Alan and Sarah shared how they are progressing — and reinforced that it’s both a highly complex and highly emotional subject.

“You do feel quite overwhelmed and daunted in the initial phases,” Sarah said.

“I did some research and found that Dairy Australia was offering a HR course. One of the things I took from the course is just how important succession planning was and to always include everyone in the discussion so that everything is open and transparent.

“Everyone has fears and it’s good to communicate those fears. We wrote our fears down and discussed them and this helped a lot.”

Alan agreed it was a huge task, and that having a facilitator and their accountant be a part of the discussions was enormously helpful.

“It’s a maze in terms of taking into account people emotions,” he said.

“It’s an evolutionary process that’s convoluted and takes a lot of time. We are still considering what business structure the farm should take and how it may evolve.

“We hope we are able to put the right structures in the right place to manage change to set things up for success.

“There are so many things to consider. Trying to get all the technical side of things and the emotional side of things together is hard work.

“But you’re dairy farmers, so you’re used to hard work!”

WestVic Dairy’s succession planning workshop.