to move into farm ownership

youngsters at local high schools. “In the future it would be great to do Open Gate days with students from local schools.”

But for the next year or so, Aleisha and James will be heads down and working hard to get their farms established.

James has been a contract milker and is currently involved in two equity partnerships. He has also built up his own equity from his business. Together they bought a 70-hectare farm in Springdale, close to family.

Aleisha will take 200 of her favourite Kiwi cross cows (she’s aiming for a jet black herd) and will have a French intern student help her for three months during calving.

Aleisha has also secured a sharemilking job for the couple on 115-hectares two farms down and James will milk 280 cows with Michelle as herd manager. He favours Jersey cows for this herd and Aleisha says he can do his own thing down that end of the road!

“ e three of us will basically work across the two farms, helping each other where required.

“With interest rates and farm working expenses on the rise we are on top of our budgets and every spend needs to be justi ed.”

Future plans

Going forwards, Aleisha and James want to get the two new farms up and running to a high standard.

ey want to start a family and really want to give their future children the amazing rural upbringing that they both had.

Aleisha would also like to improve the rural/urban divide and attract more people into the dairy farming industry and support them to stay there.

“I also host Japanese students and love promoting New Zealand in this way.” e visitors enjoy meat and milk from the farm, veggies and fruit from the garden and cooking their meals from scratch. ey can observe milking and some will get hands on with the process.

Aleisha also creates weekend relief milking opportunities for