Geoff and Yvette Brown from Royals Green Jerseys at Lockington have always followed a plan when it came to purchasing their 55-hectare dairy farm and that now includes exiting the industry.
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They only ever planned to milk cows for 10 years and with that deadline fast approaching in 2026, they are starting to seriously think about the next stage of their lives
The couple firmly believes the dairy industry is full of opportunity and has been a wonderful one to be involved in.
It has certainly enabled them to grow their wealth, but at the same time they have had to be careful with their spending and have always followed a strict financial plan.
“My parents were always pretty careful and taught me from a young age to get rid of debt as soon as possible,” Geoff said.
Geoff originally comes from a dairying background in New Zealand but had been away from the industry for 15 years, while Yvette openly admits she had no idea what she was heading into when they first began looking at farms on-line.
With a strict budget, the couple knew they couldn’t afford to buy in Gippsland and with Geoff having previously farmed at Numurkah, he was aware of the Lockington area.
“When we bought this farm I was so naïve. I remember thinking this place had such a pretty driveway and yet we came to a falling down house and farm with 100 cows, no money and people thought we were just insane,” Yvette laughed.
“We deliberately chose to farm without any fancy bells and whistles and anything we have purchased has been workable but mostly second hand, I love a good farm clearing sale,” Geoff said.
Yvette said she can’t believe how excited she was when they were finally able to afford to buy some new calf feeders and hay rings.
“Everything looked so shiny and new,” she said.
The split calving herd is largely grazed on pasture with a third of the farm sown to permanent pasture and the rest is shaftal and rye.
The couple also lease an additional 36ha across a couple of different blocks which are used for young stock and silage.
Geoff does all the milking and general farm work, while Yvette helps in the dairy taking the cups off and hosing out. She also helps with the calf rearing and the financial side of the business.
“We have contractors come in to help with silage and cartage and anything we can’t do ourselves which includes a relief milker from time to time.” Yvette said.
The cows are milked in a functional 12-a-side dairy.
Currently they are milking 165 (normally around 135), largely due to a good milk price and cheaper temporary water prices. They bought the farm without any water and are at the mercy of the temporary water market.
“You can grow good quality pasture here in northern Victoria and irrigation is the best thing ever — if you can afford it,” Geoff said.
He said the high temporary water prices in 2018-19 were a nightmare and impacted on productivity and the bottom line.
When it came to running his own herd Geoff said he was always going to milk Jerseys.
“I got my first Jersey when I was 15. I have always liked them because of their smaller stature and their components — our herd runs at a five per cent fat test all year round,” Geoff said.
Geoff has put a lot of emphasis into breeding high component cows, originally sourcing semen from New Zealand. He is now transitioning to Australian bulls.
The couple bought their farm just after the 2015 Murray Goulburn milk price drop and even though they missed out on that particular headache, they have certainly had their share of tough times including droughts, floods and high water prices.
They have been able to navigate their way through these tough times by farming conservatively and only buying things when and if they can afford it.
“The first three years every single cent was spent paying bills to feed the cows — we replaced our old feed out wagon with another second hand one that was in a better condition and we have only ever had second hand tractors,” Yvette said.
“When we first started I would have never thought we would end up paid $10kg milk solids and I do worry what will happen when the price does drop because like everything, our cost of production has gone up as well,” Geoff said.
He said this year was one of the best years for per cow production and he couldn’t believe how well the cows were milking.
“I have been able to feed the cows really well and it shows in the vat,” he said.
With their self-imposed deadline fast approaching, Yvette said she had really enjoyed her time as a dairy farmer.
“Dairying has certainly taught me resilience that’s for sure. I come from a teaching background and this is certainly a lot different,” she said.
“There have been days when I thought what am I doing, especially when its 40 degrees and I still have to herd test, but ultimately there are so many good things,” she said.