Deal creates work-life balance

In July last year, Perrin Hicks and his wife Kelly re-established his family's dairy farm, Misty Downs, which had been out of operation for five years.

Mr Hicks's first real introduction to the dairy industry was 20 years ago when his parents bought the dairy at Mount Compass.

"I cut my teeth in the industry on this farm and I learnt how productive this farm can be," he said.

After gaining experience and building up confidence, he decided the time was right.

"I've always said it was about time to make my own mistakes," Mr Hicks said.

"I wanted to be in charge of the decisions and getting the rewards or suffering the consequences."

At the time Mr Hicks had been managing the dairy herd of Warren Jacobs at Whispering Pines, Mount Compass, SA.

"When I told him I wanted to run my own farm he was really supportive," he said.

Mr Jacobs offered a partnership, about which Mr Hicks said he was initially wary.

"At first I thought it meant I was going to have to work twice as hard," he said.

"After about six months deliberation we came up with a plan to operate the farms in conjunction with each other."

Mr Hicks said there were benefits in sharing responsibilities, as well as greater bargaining power when buying hay and fodder in bulk.

It also allowed them to share staff, including a maintenance person.

"Ultimately it meant instead of 14 milkings a week, I was down to seven," he said.

"I'd already warned my wife the first 12 months might be tough.

"This gives us the opportunity to go on holidays each year."

Within the first 12 months Mr Hicks said they had already realised most of the benefits.

"Part of the plan is to get me into the industry and later help Warren retire," he said.

He said having an established dairy farm to help support the partnership had helped financially.

While the duo have been conservative in their spending, there were still set-up costs.

These included upgrading the effluent system and yards, buying a larger secondhand vat and converting the existing six-a-side dairy to a 10-a-side operation.

The partnership is based on finances and management, with the two herds kept separate for biosecurity reasons.

Mr Hicks already owned 60 cows, which were milked on a neighbouring farm, while his father had invested in 100 cows, which are being bought-out by the partnership.

"That, with the lease of the farm, allowed us to be up and running on July 1," he said.

The Misty Downs herd has since expanded to more than 200 cows.

Mr Hicks said he had broken even during the first year of operation.

Rather than a large financial outlay in buying the dairy, he was able to lease from his parents Bruce and Melitta, as well as leasing two neighbouring properties.

"There is no way I would have been able to afford the farm," he said.

"But in the future I hope to be in a position to do so."

Figures for the first 12 months of Misty Downs show a production of 1.2 million litres and 84,000 kilograms of milk solids.

By the end of this financial year, he hopes to increase this to 1.6mL and 113,000kg of solids.

The two farms operate on a split-season, calving in February to April and July to September.

For the past 12 months they have also used East Total Reproduction to synchronise the herds with a more than 50 per cent conception rate on first mating.

With many years working together, the duo have many of the same drivers, including a preference for pasture.

“We try to get the most grass as efficiently as possible,” Mr Hicks said.

“We’re not about compromising cow health or production.”

Their agronomist Greg Mitchell often doubles up as mediator, but Mr Hicks said they had a simple solution.

“Warren ultimately makes the decisions at Whispering Pines and I make the decisions at Misty Downs,” he said.