FOCUS Farms don’t often step into the world of share-farming, so the first open day at Steve Ronalds and Brenton Ziero’s farming operation should provide plenty of food for thought.
Steve and Brenton’s Jindivick farm business is one of three Focus Farms that will be open to the public in the next few weeks, with the Fish Creek and Won Wron Focus Farms to follow shortly after.
Focus Farms is a project funded by GippsDairy and Dairy Australia using dairy service levy funds which provides an experienced farm consultant as a facilitator as well as a support group made up of fellow farmers and local service providers.
The Jindivick farm milks 420 Jerseys on 285 acres, with another 165 acres leased and turnout blocks comprising 400 acres.
While the farm has been in the Ronalds family for four generations and 130 years, Steve insists this Focus Farm is not about the owners.
“To be honest, for me, this is all about Brenton,” he said.
“We are a bit more established, so for us it is a bit more tweaking. I wanted Brenton to drive it, essentially. It was all about whatever his goals are and us trying to achieve them.”
For Brenton, those goals include working out a better labour structure, producing bigger heifers and utilising more pasture.
“One of the big things is more time for myself, which is what this is about,” he said.
The share-farming arrangement is based on a 63/37 per cent split, with Brenton providing machinery, 80 cows and almost all of the labour.
It’s an arrangement that they both believe has worked well.
“There haven’t been any black eyes yet,” Brenton joked. “It’s certainly one of the better share-farming arrangements that I’ve come across.”
For Steve, finding the right balance between the interests of both parties is critical for a successful share-farming arrangement.
“On a year like this when milk price is so low, it is better for us than it is for Brenton, but once the milk price goes higher, it flips around and is better for him. That’s where you need to aim for the average,” he said.
GippsDairy regional extension officer Karen Romano said there had already been a lot of interest in this Focus Farm.
“All our Focus Farms are unique, but share farming arrangements always grab the attention of a lot of people,” she said.
“With land prices so high, people are examining different ways to enter the industry and those at the other end of their careers are looking at share farming as an option for scaling down their involvement.”
“Steve and Brenton are two interesting guys who operate a well-run farm business, so I’d encourage anyone interested to come along to the open day on Friday.”
The Focus Farm open day will be held at 335 Main Jindivick Road from 11am to 2pm on Friday, 25 November. Lunch will be provided so RSVP to GippsDairy on 5624 3900 or info@gippsdairy.com.au
