John McMaster, 24, and Anita Veldhuizen, 23, met at Latrobe University, where they both did a Bachelor of Agricultural Science.
They pursued different careers in agriculture and both enjoy working with down to earth rural people and helping them improve their farming practices. They also work together with John’s family on the mixed farm at Seven Roads, Lancefield.
John is bringing his insights as agronomist onto the family farm. This year, they will try 2 hectares of wheat, having only has oats and grazing crops before.
He has worked at Rodwells in Kilmore for six months and was with CRT in Seymour for two years before that.
Anita has a bit further to travel to her office – she has been a ruminant nutritionist at Vic Feeds in Colbinabbin since September 2014.
Anita also grew up on a farm – a Gippsland dairy farm. She enjoys getting back to Gippsland every second week and visiting other dairying regions.
“I grew up in dairy and wanted to work within that industry and I have awesome customers,” she said.
Anita said Vic Feeds was a family business which had offered her a lot of support. She generally starts her day in the office and then gets out onto existing and potential customers’ farms. She prescribes a customised ration to each farm.
“There are no two farms that are the same so each has a unique ration, we design the cows’ feed with pellets from our mill, usually to supplement pasture grazing,” Anita said.
John said there wasn’t an average day in his job as it was very seasonal – for example in the lead up to sowing he was doing a few hours in the shop, then visiting farms and back into the shop.
He also enjoys working on the family farm and wants to see its production grow.
They lost 32ha of the farm’s 186ha in the Lancefield fire last October.
“It was our biggest paddock of standing feed,” John said.
“Fortunately, Anita was able to secure some good quality hay and pellets.”
The operation now has 51 cows, some with calves at-foot, 130 ewes including 100 first-cross Border Leicester-Merinos and 30 Border Leicesters. They had a load of 100 second-cross lambs (sired for the first time in many years by Southdown rams) sold to Hartwicks in April.
Drawing on their respective agronomy and livestock nutrition knowledge, the couple are helping the family improve the soils and increase the stocking rate, for example 38ha of pasture renovation is underway.
“Although there hasn’t been as much rain so the grasses haven’t persisted, but if we get an autumn break, we’ll be fine,” Anita said.
“And we’re hopefully – looking at long-range forecasts and June and July will be wet that would set us up well,” John said.
Anita said in a decent season, the farm could carry triple the livestock.
Their and John’s parents Ken and Lyn’s plan to increase numbers was pushed back by the bush fire, which saw them sell yearling and weaner cattle and de-stock old cows and ewes.
These young agriculture workers see plenty of opportunities in the industry, although Anita said it did take a bit of perseverance to secure her first job after graduating.