8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Gralyn Farms Knowing your numbers inside out ‘critical’ Sam Ebbett of Gralyn Farms has just spent his first year on the Federated Farmers executive team. Aimee Wilson Contract milker Sam Ebbett of Gralyn Farms has just spent his first year on the Federated Farmers executive team, and has learned a lot about the industry nationally. As the national sharefarmer chair, he said it has been good to mix with farm managers, herd owners and other contract milkers within the wider dairy industry. “It’s given me insight into what’s happening in other parts of the country, not just in Taranaki,” he said. He and his wife started contract milking 630 cows at Gralyn near Inglewood two years ago, which has enabled him to also spend time on the executive team, being an advocate for others in the dairy industry. Gralyn Farm is 300m above sea level and experienced extremely high rainfall - up to 3.5m annually, “which presents its own challenges,” he said. Education is high on the list for the Federated Farmers executive, and in November will be holding workshops around the country, in conjunction with Dairy NZ, targeting contract milkers and those looking at the next steps into sharefarming. “We’ll be talking to those that want to have a successful relationship - especially where sharefarming is new to them,” he said. Contract milking has been on an upward trajectory the past 10 years, but it was also important that the partnerships recognised boundaries and their importance, and for farm owners to know when to take a step back from the business, he said. Sam said knowing your numbers inside out was critical to succeeding in sharefarming and continuing to progress through the industry. He’s seen too many contract milkers, in particular, get into trouble because they haven’t done the financial groundwork beforehand. Sam believes for some farm owners, it may be financially viable to look at a variable order arrangements instead of contract milking, to provide more pathways for younger people. That way the farm owner retained ownership of the herd and the land, with the variable order sharemilker providing labour, equipment and paying for certain operating costs like power and consumables in the milking shed. “The ones that go contract milking to herd ownership within five seasons are a success story,” he said. Everybody wants to be their own boss with freedom and flexibility, but you still had to do all the work. “For some people it’s their first experience, and to share that with your family is really cool.” Sam has just signed on another two years contract milking with the owners of Gralyn, and also has plans one day for herd ownership - as well as continuing in his role for Federated Farmers, eventually seeing himself progress with his leadership. The Federated Farmers executive team was a good balance of both governance and operational, and enabled him to give back to the industry. “It’s a unique industry that we are in, that people who farm in it, can help shape it.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=