STORIES WE LOVE
A Tasmanian couple who went from share farming to owning the herd
By Sam Marwood
Story from Dairy News Australia, 12 June 2020
Every now and then I find a story that shows exactly what we're about at Cultivate Farms: real people finding a way to keep a farm working and bring someone new onto it. I share them here because seeing it done by others makes it real. Here's one I love.
From Dairy News Australia, 12 June 2020: "Sharefarming model helps farmer get foot in the door", by Sophie Baldwin. Read the full story at dairynewsaustralia.com.au.
Why I love it
I love this story because it shows a share farm growing step by step. A couple in Tasmania left the building trade for dairying. In 2014 they managed a Circular Head Farms property on a cents per kilo basis, to see whether it suited both sides. The next year they moved to a half and half share.
In 2016 they bought half the herd. The year after, they bought the whole herd.
They also bought a run off block, and the herd grew. Then they wanted a stake in the land, so with Circular Head Farms they set up a new farm. They now hold 20 per cent of its unit trust and share farm it half and half with the business. He hopes to buy out Circular Head Farms' share one day.
Why it matters for towns like ours
He says they didn't come into the industry with much, and they couldn't have got here without Circular Head Farms. He also says it's a shame the model isn't repeated across the country. Managers are paid well, he says, but have nothing to show for it, and when you share farm both sides have skin in the game.
One step you could take
If you own a farm and have someone good working for you, ask whether a share farm could suit you both. Start small, and let it grow as trust does. Read how share farming works, with an example, in our Ageing on Farm guide.
I share these stories because each one shows it can be done, by ordinary farming families, in places like yours. If you know a story like this, or you're living one, I'd love to hear it.