$19.5m price tag for central Victorian farm

A central Victorian farm, spanning 1340ha and owned by the same family for 35 years, has been listed for sale. See the details.

The Ford family’s 1340ha Baringhup aggregation has been listed for sale.

A pair of family-owned Victorian farms have been listed for sale where they are expected to command significant offers.

Located in central Victoria’s Baringhup district, about 37km southwest of Bendigo, the Ford family is selling its 1340ha three-farm aggregation after more than 35 years of ownership.

Scheduled to be offered via auction on Friday, September 1 at 11.30am at the Campbells Creek Community Centre, the three parcels, Lisoux, Denning Rise and Hillside, are for sale as a whole or as three separate places.

The property has been listed for sale where it could make about $19.5 million as a whole.

Vendor Mark Ford said the aggregation had run mainly Merino sheep, but it was a very versatile property, suitable for mixed farming.

“Options include livestock, wool growing, fattening and hay and cropping to mention a few,” said Mark, who also farms nearby.

“The scenery is beautiful, overlooking granite hills and beyond.”

About two hours west of the Ford family’s Baringhup farms, a 800ha mixed farming enterprise in western Victoria has also been listed for sale.

The Fitzgerald family is selling a 809ha farm near Pomonal in western Victoria.

Greenhills, located near Pomonal, was purchased by Paul and Loraine Fitzgerald in 2009, moving to the area as a tree change and career change. 

Ray White Rural selling agents Max Brown and Jason Hellyer are handling the sale and said: “As to its likely selling range, we note that recent farm sales in the local area have achieved rates ranging from $6000 to $8500 an acre, $14,825 to $21,000 a hectare”.

Not unfamiliar with agriculture after growing up on a farm, Paul had worked in the hospitality industry prior to their transition to Greenhills. 

“We definitely weren’t locals, but we always wanted a farm and so we moved to the area,” Paul said. 

Several years ago the Fitzgeralds added about 72ha to the holding allowing them in recent seasons to turn off 3000 sheep and lambs annually, which are sold and processed locally.

75 per cent of Greenhills is arable with about 50 Hereford heifers and steers carried alongside about 80ha that is cropped annually, generally for stock feed. 

Cropping choices include barley, oats, wheat, canola, beans or lupins.

Earlier this month, on the other side of the Murray River, one of Australia’s biggest dairy farming operators, Australian Fresh Milk Holdings has listed a 4000ha northern Victorian aggregation for sale where it is set to command $60 million-plus.