Grant Place came back to the family farm at the worst possible time in 2014 … but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
The farm at Pomborneit was struggling through one of the worst seasons in memory and had to buy an unprecedented amount of feed.
The following the year things got even tougher when the industry collapsed, and the Places were among those impacted by the clawback imposed by their processors, Fonterra.
“I thought it was the norm and it was always going to be tough; the last few years have been a breeze after that,” Grant said.
The baptism of fire was enough to harden Grant for anything the industry might throw up — but it also prompted some good decisions.
Grant and his wife Majella farm with his parents Terry and Jo, with Grant, 32, now responsible for the day-to-day management.
Since 2014, the farm has grown from 300-350 Friesian cows to 500-520 this year, added two neighbouring properties, started a beef herd, changed the calving period, and revamped the dairy.
The changes have been successful, and, topped with great seasons during the past two years, Grant now has a much more positive outlook.
The addition of neighbouring properties has increased the total farm to about 650ha, with everything now connected to the original home farm after selling their share of an out-paddock at Leslie Manor.
“It’s all connected now so we don’t have to truck animals, which is nice, but the driving force for buying extra land started in 2014 which was a pretty ordinary year,” Grant said. “We only did maybe 700 rolls of hay and silage for the whole farm and it cost us a fortune the following year buying in hay.”
The first purchase in 2015 was a run-down beef farm.
“The fences were shot, the pipes were running everywhere and there were some paddocks you could barely drive your ute across, but I ripped out every fence and started again,” Grant said.
“We picked up a heap of rocks and the next year we cut 1000 rolls off one paddock. We haven’t had to buy feed since then. We used red scoria from an old quarry on our farm as the base for all the tracks — that has saved us so much over the years.”
They added another 120ha to the east two years ago.
“With the way land prices have gone, they have been good investments,” Grant said.
The additional land has allowed more flexibility, including the introduction of a beef herd and rearing and selling 50 to 60 bulls each year.
The farm is on Johnstones Rd on the edge of the Stony Rises. Land east of Johnstones Rd has about 120 to 165 ha of rock-rolled country.
“The land was really tough,” Grant said. “You couldn’t ride a motorbike over it; but now we sow it every year to red wheat and annuals and it goes berserk in winter with the volcanic soil.
“It still grew a lot of grass before being rolled but it was hard to manage.”
The west side of Johnstones Rd is more darker soil clay and flats.
Only about half the land is used for the milking platform, with the remainder for young stock, dry cows and bulls and beef.
Terry is one of six dairy farming siblings on four separate farms within 10km, but Grant and his cousin Tim are the only two from the younger generations to continue dairying at this stage.
“I never thought I’d do it as a kid, but the idea of working for myself every day and not answering to a boss appealed to me,” Grant said.
There is one full-time staff member and another helping with feeding and cow management, and some relief milkers to help out.
The 44-unit rotary dairy has coped with the growth, though the yards had to be expanded in recent years.
“Milking can get a bit slow, but in summer they fly through,” Grant said.
“For nine months of the year, we’d be as quick as any farmer with a 50-unit rotary; it’s only a challenge at the peak times.”
The cows produced just under 30 litres peak this year, continuing the steady growth achieved during the past seven years.
Grant attributes the production growth to growing more grass and improving feed.
“The last two seasons have been really good,” he said.
In 2021 they made about 4000 rolls of silage, or more than 10,000 across the four farms with the families working together during the hay season.
Grant wants to build a feed pad and pit in the next few years to increase feed options during winter while protecting paddocks.
In recent years the farm converted from split calving that seemed to stretch over five to six months, to a strict 13-week period starting in April.
The change has been a success, with steady improvement in the in-calf rate before a slight decline in 2021.
“Four years ago, we put collars on and I got a bit harsher with culling cows,” Grant said.
“If they didn’t get in calf, I wore that for a few years but then was happy to cull late-calving cows and bring in more replacements for a few years. I think we have a better herd now.”
The biggest challenge in recent times has been COVID-19. Grant contracted the virus while attending the cricket and his wife and two daughters were subsequently infected, despite Grant isolating in his bedroom and ensuite.
However, the cows still had to be milked.
“I thought I could have battled through, but everyone was away so I had to call on Mum to do a few milkings. It does knock you around; I was sweating a fair bit for the first days back at work.”
Now back on deck, Grant is upbeat about the future.
“I’m here for the long term,” he said.
“I know production can’t keep going up every year, but that’s the goal — keep growing more grass and producing more milk.”