Courage personified

GIPPSLAND Jersey’s2023‘Farming Conversations’ calendar includes the stories of 12 Gippsland farmers, who speak with Gippsland Jersey co-founder and director, Sallie Jones.

April’s story features achatwith Matt Willis, a dairy farmer from Carrajung South.

Sallie Jones: Tell me about your farm situation?

Matt Willis: I’m on the farm that Igrew up on.

SJ: Ihear that you seem to have had every possible bad thing happen to you. Tell me about your story.

ON January 1, 2004 Iduck dived intothe waterwhile we were camped at The Barrier in Lakes Entrance. Iwas 21-years-old at the time and Ibroke my neck. Iamnow an incomplete quadriplegic. Iwas in hospital and rehabilitation for around six months.

At the time of the accident Ionly had six months of an apprenticeship left.

In October 2004, Iwas able to be agroomsman at my sister Michelle’s wedding and to help out with our farm’s harvest season. Ihave always had atight bond with my brother in-law, Chook. He’s the one that saved my life; gave me CPR on the day of my accident.

In 2006 we builtarotary dairy, purpose built for my disability, to help me milk the cowsabit easier. Icouldn’t milk in the herringbone any longer.

Afterspending lots of money updating the shed, in 2007,wewere hit with adrought.

Then, in 2009,the Black Saturday bushfires came and we lost 150 acres of pasture and seven kilometres of fencing.

We had to sell off cows to pay our bills; we simply couldn’t keep them.

Then the big Murray Goulburn milk crash happened and the drought struck us hard.

Soon after that, my mum was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. She’s afighter, but life is tough for her. She has carers seven days aweek.

Just before last Christmasdad wasinanaccident with aKenworth truck coming back from Maffra. SJ: Youprobably could havegiven up so many times, Matt. What keeps you getting out of bed each day?

EVERY morning is agood day, right?

When Iwas 21and coming to grips with my lost abilities, Ilearned ahell of alot about grit.

Do you have any tips or advice for anyone going through tough times?

JUST to take every day as it comes.

WhenI’m having abad day Ijustgoand do something else. Shift my mind.

Is farm safety on your mindasyou go about your day-to-day work?

YEAH, it’s always in the back of my mind.

Igrewupinthe time when you just went and did it and you didn’t thinkabout it too much.Once you have had an injury it’s always in the back of your mind.

Our appetite for risk is very low. We don’t like employing people because of this very reason.

That’swhy asharefarmer arrangement is better suited to us. We live on ahill so you have to have your wits about you.

Are you feeling optimistic about the future?

AS long as we can keep getting agood milk price we can do this!

We’ve been pretty close afew times to closing it all down. We were just lucky enough to have our first lot of share farmers come along at the right time.

My sister has taken overall the bookkeeping and paperwork and I’ll continue contracting work and doingwhatI canaroundthe farm.

So do you still go back to The Barrier where the accident happened?

YEP, it’s likefalling offahorse; yougotta get back on it!

Lifeline can be phoned on 13 11 14.