Looking to your future

THERE’S no better time than now to be asking the right questions about the future in the dairy industry.
GippsDairy’s Stepping Up Stepping Back program offers farmers the chance to consider the options available to them as they plan their transition into or out of the dairy industry.
To be held in Leongatha, the latest round of Stepping Up Stepping Back workshops will be led by highly respected farm consultant John Mulvany.
Nambrok’s Ray McConnell, who attended the Maffra session in March, said the workshop had changed the way he looked at the options available for stepping away from full-time dairy farming.
“The main thing we learnt is that the old school way is probably not the right way anymore,” he said.
“The 50/50 share farmer arrangements don’t stack up so well anymore. For the generation that’s coming on, it has to be more profitable.”
Ray said he would be around the farm for a while yet but wanted to start thinking about the transition process so he and wife Maxine could make the right choices when they did step back.
The McConnell’s were joined at the Stepping Up Stepping Back workshop by their employee and her husband, who needed to learn more about the different ways they could approach careers in the dairy industry.
“She’s basically a night milker at the moment and I’d like to grow that position into something bigger for her because she is really good with the cows and very passionate about it,” Ray said.
“They got some good, positive outcomes from it.”
Highlights of the one day workshop will include:
· An introduction of Dairy Australia’s Share Dairy Farming in Australia – Model Code of Practice which assists in evaluating if someone is suited to share dairy farming;
· Evaluating options – staying as an employee, share dairy farming, leasing, owner or equity partner;
· Helping individuals sort out what they want;
· Focusing on building relationships between business partners;
· Mentor and professional support available;
· Real life case studies;
· Starting the process of succession;
· A resource kit to take home.
GippsDairy’s workforce co-ordinator Leah Maslen said people like Ray and Maxine, who had attended previous workshops, had been able to make better choices about their futures in the dairy industry.
“Stepping Up Stepping Back is about looking at where you are at in the industry, where you want to get to and the best way to make that happen,” she said.
“The opportunity to discuss these important issues with someone like John Mulvany is not to be missed for anyone who has questions about how to change their position within the dairy industry.”
The Leongatha session will take place on 1 September at Federation Training.
Lunch is provided at both sessions, which will run from 9.45am to 3pm.
Please book with GippsDairy at executiveassistant@gippsdairy.com.au or phone 5624 3900.