South Gippsland dairy sharefarmers Travis and Malessa Risstrom forge their own path

CLIMBING the industry ladder and creating assets are often talked about among young dairy farmers.

CLIMBING the industry ladder and creating assets are often talked about among young dairy farmers.

Consultants offer pathways for career progression while the ­industry contemplates the age-old problem of getting more young people into dairy.

Travis and Malessa Risstrom are not only young — at just 35 and 36 — they are taking the next steps and have also forged their own path to sharefarming two properties in South Gippsland.

The couple, with daughters Milla, 7, Piper, 5, and Torah, 3, are share farmers on two properties about 10 minutes apart at Hedley and ­Alberton, near Yarram.

They milk about 500 cows.

While gaining experience in the dairy industry, the couple looked to ­invest outside farming as a way to build wealth to further their ­careers.

“We have tried to build up ­assets outside (the industry) while we were managing,” Malessa said.

“They were not huge steps, just little ones buying houses.

“It has been a long process and we would not have been able to do it without off-farm investment.

“We couldn’t have gone 50:50 without money put away.”

YOUNG GUNS

TRAVIS started work at 16 on a 650-cow dairy farm at Kyabram in northern Victoria, while Malessa is a teacher.

While working for John Brian at Undera, Travis completed an advanced diploma of ­agriculture

Seven years ago the couple took a managing job at Yanakie which Travis said was crucial in gaining experience given it wasn’t possible to just “jump into sharefarming”.

But the opportunity to sharefarm beckoned and 3½ years ago they took a position at Alberton.

“It was an opportunity to build more of an asset and a change of role to being self-employed,” ­Travis said.

They started on the Alberton farm with 30 replacements and on a third share.

“The Alberton farm had been managed really well over the years,” he said.

“It was too expensive to step in 50:50 and buy half the cows, they are good cows.”

SHARE MARKET

EIGHTEEN months ago a chance to step up came in the form of a 50:50 sharefarm agreement at Hedley.

The farms are owned by Michael, Jan and Bob Kershaw.

The first year at Hedley they achieved pasture consumption of about 6.5 tonnes of dry matter per hectare and this season they are targeting eight tonnes of dry matter per hectare after pasture renovation and sowing millet crops. With a milking area of 101ha, the Alber­ton property has 60ha of lateral irrigation and is mostly perennial ryegrass.

About 13 tonnes of dry matter per hectare is harvested from that farm each year.

Fodder self-sufficiency is key for the couple and they are usually able to cut ­enough to meet their require­ments from the 486ha spread across the two properties. There is an 81ha out block at Alberton and a 121ha lease block at Hedley.

“We are very conservative farmers, we eat what we grow and grow what we eat, we don’t buy in excess,” Travis said.

Hay and silage can be shared between the properties and fodder was left on the Hedley property when they took it over.

Travis said this was an ­example of the fairness ­involved in the sharefarm ­arrangement and Malessa said of the Kershaws “you couldn’t find better farm owners”.

ROCK SOLID

THE “big black and white” cows at the Alberton property each produce about 550kg of milk solids per year and fed about 6kg/day in the bail.

The Hedley farm milks crossbreds, Holsteins and Jerseys, which each produced 430kg of milk solids last year from 5.5kg of feed per day.

Travis said they hoped to get the Hedley cows to 470kg of milk solids and have been working to improve genetics and pastures.

Early last month, the couple were banking on a good season to restock fodder stacks.

Gippsland had a great season, but with a swap across to a new farm all stocks had been exhausted during winter.

Describing the first year on a new farm as a “juggling act”, they are hoping to save money this year now “teething” issues are out of the way.

Both farms operate a seasonal calving system and they have no plans to change.

“As a family, it works for us, there’s a time in the year when there’s an opportunity for us to spend some time together,” Malessa said.

“We don’t see Travis for six months of the year, the other six months we get our husband and dad back.”

HERD AND SCENE

FOR the past year the farms have operated with a herd manager at Alberton and a full-time labour unit ­between the farms plus a casual.

As Burra Foods suppliers, the Risstroms have started the season down about 34c/kg of milk solids on last year.

Managing a lower farmgate milk price has been made a bit easier by Travis and Malessa paying forward accounts from last year.

They also believe, in the second full year on the Hedley farm, they will be able to save money with labour costs. There won’t be any physical farm management changes due to the price downturn.

Looking ahead, the next step for the family could be leasing a property.

Ideally, Travis explained, they would own 300 cows.

Their overall goal is farm ownership.

“We believe if you back yourself it is possible to achieve on your own,” ­Malessa said.