Manning retires after illustrious dairy and beef career

According to partner Gaynor Shallow, "he's got nothing more to prove in the agricultural sense", and is finally hanging up the boots... almost.

The couple from Woodside recently offered up some of their remaining young stock at the Strathalbyn market - where they have sold since 2011.

But Allan didn't start out in the beef industry, with dairy the first passion project in his 60-year farming career.

"Prior to Woodside, I had a lifetime of breeding both dairy and beef cattle," he said.

"My parents were electricians in Birdwood, but I didn't want to be an electrician, I wanted to be a farmer.

"But it's very hard to be a first generation farmer - I was lucky they could help me out when I was 18, together with the great assistance of my sister Lyn."

Allan started out with 28 dairy cows on 80 acres near Birdwood.

"We established the dairy at mum and dads, who were on 2.5ac," he said.

"I was living in a house in Birdwood itself and then we swapped and I had their house and both properties to run my 28 cows."

In the beginning, Allan said it was tough going as the property didn't have enough feed to increase his herd, and he didn't have enough money to buy more cows, so he changed tack.

"I didn't build my enterprise with money, I built it with tactics," he said.

"The banks don't lend you money when you only have 28 cows.

"My secret was to buy fodder one month, produce your milk, sell your milk, and pay for your fodder.

"Thankfully the milk price was always double the feed cost.

"I started doing this in a small way at first, and over a number of years I used that fodder to increase my herd size and my income."

To further cut costs and much to the disgust of his father, Mr Manning also bought an old truck to start carting his own feed and for other farmers in the area.

"I started collecting malt combings from the malthouses, (barley shoots and roots), which are really good for dairy cattle," he said.

"I would supply my farm and then other people's farms."

This transport business became a successful move, with the purchase of another truck only three years later.

"I was also lucky to have a logging contract at Mt Crawford Forest to get extra money," he said.

"I would milk my cows in the morning, then go logging, and then milk them again at night."

AP Manning Transport carted malt combings, small barley and chaff to dairies in the area. He said working with other farmers helped to increase his farming knowledge.

He also had a mentor in his neighbour, the late Graham Hicks, who said to him one day - "I know you're making good money out in the forest, but there is a lot to learn about farming".

He had found a farmhand job with the local Guthrie family, which he said would be "more suitable" so Allan took it.

Allan said the Guthries taught him a lot about sheep, including shearing, but it also inspired him as a 20-year-old to increase his own holdings.

"My herd size had tripled - I became the biggest herd north east of the freeway - with just over 200 cows and 9mL - a very high producing herd, registered Holstein herd," he said.

From the 70s onwards, Allan also started getting involved in the industry on a representative level.

He was part of the milk board cost survey, where 10pc of SA's farmers (about 25) were surveyed to help set the milk price.

He also got involved in the local dairyfarmers' association.

His previous experience in Rural Youth, including as third chair on the debating team, saw Allan eventually appointed as one of the association's youngest presidents only a few years later.

"I was also a board member of the National Dairy Research Council, which helped allocate government and industry money to relevant research projects.

"I really enjoyed that job, and got to see a lot of interesting projects get off the ground.

"In SA, they were leading the way in ET and conception technology so I had very early visions of what needed to be done in that department. So that was exciting.

"But once I became president at the SA Dairyfarmers' Association I had to step down from that role as it was considered a conflict of interest.

"It was a lot different at SADA, it was very political and I don't particularly like conflict.

"But it was the start of a long association with a number of community groups."

By the mid 90s, Allan again had expansion plans, with Tintinara in his sights.

"I liked Tinti because I really wanted to get into a deep sand area to grow lucerne, and get my nutrients into the soil," he said.

He sold Birdwood in 1998 to buy nearly 3000ac across two Tintinara properties, and eventually developed 1000ac of irrigation, suitable for dairy and lucerne seed production.

"Unfortunately my marriage didn't survive the expansion, which changed the plans slightly," he said.

Allan also had a strong interest in addressing soil acidity, so much so he was elected chairman of the National Soil Acidity Action Group.

"Each state had a system and the aim was to bring them all together, plus hold workshops to raise awareness about the benefits of using lime," he said.

"It wasn't a common practice back then, WA led the field, but these days farmers are a lot keener."

Allan said the job kept him busy for a time after he was forced to downsize from the Tintinara property.

"By the time I was 60, I had decided to semi-retire and move to Victor Harbor, where Gaynor was based," he said.

Gaynor was no stranger to farming herself, growing up in rural WA, and was involved in a number of sheep consultancy ventures, both in WA and SA with her late veterinarian husband Michael Shallow.

"We kept the Tinti farm, but the back and forth got a bit much so we bought Farnham Lodge at Woodside instead in 2011," she said.

The 40ac hills property had an olive grove, which the couple then dived into - pressing, pickling and bottling olives "for a while" before Allan again got itchy feet.

"That's when I started approaching our neighbours to see if they needed help managing their acreage," he said.

"We had been fattening calves and supplying to butchers here in the hills, but once we started acquiring more land, we got into buying Angus bulls and breeding."

Over the years they have focused on a mainly Newlyn Park-blood herd, with some Pathfinder in the beginning.

Allan said he chose Newlyn Park genetics after working with Ian Newman during his dairy association years.

"Our purchases have always been in full consultation with them, and now Ian's son Gavin has turned into an exceptional breeder," he said.

AP Manning & GM Shallow have topped the Strathalbyn cattle market on a number of occasions since the stud connection in 2014.

Allan and Gaynor built up their seven leased properties to 616ac by 2020.

"When we first moved here, I remember Allan looking over the fence and saying 'he looks like a good operator'," Gaynor said, and they quickly built up a friendship with neighbours Steve and Jodie Mlikota.

The Mlikotas had been on their 35ac Woodside property since 2006.

"I was initially fattening steers then selling, never really interested in breeding," Steve said.

"When Allan moved in, and had a dozen or so cows, one of our first interactions was Allan calling me to help pull a calf."

The new partnership evolved over the years, with a number of joint ventures in other properties including sharefarming a 130ac lease next door "to help get my foot in the water", Steve said.

"I had never considered running cattle as a 'job', it was more the lifestyle for me, and the therapy of being out in the paddock," he said.

"Now I just have more paddocks keeping me busy."

Allan and Gaynor purchased more land in 2017 at Mt Boothby, Tintinara, to grow lucerne.

"I was hoping Steve would become a partner in it, but he turned me down," Allan said.

"But he still took an interest and helped on-farm.

"That property came in handy following the 2019 Cudlee Creek summer bushfires, when we lost all our paddocks and fences at Woodside."

Steve worked full-time in the army, mainly at the Inverbrackie barracks, but Allan said he was always there to lend the brawn.

"I think from my previous experience being mentored encouraged me to become one myself and Steve was willing to learn," Allan said.

"His father was builder, so Steve is very good at knowing how to fix things, and he was always there to help."

Steve said following the fires, they both picked up more leases in the hills.

"And while some of them weren't shared, we have continued to work together to manage the blocks," he said.

"We have been farming collaboratively for quite some time now."

It was this collaborative friendship that inspired Allan to consider Steve to take on their 616ac leasing aggregation once his retirement was decided.

"I had a number of health issues following a back operation, and the trauma of the fires had taken a toll," Allan said.

"I'm also 78 years old - it's time for us to wind down."

They had already wound up the fodder transport business in 2015 and they sold their Mt Boothby property to buy a river shack at Younghusband.

Steve said the timing of the lease offer couldn't have been better, with his decision to finish up his 32-year army career.

"We did a 50:50 with the stock in November 2022," Steve said - the total breeding herd was 220 cows.

"Last November, it became a quarter. Currently it's 75:25, and we may do another instalment in 12 months.

"Allan still would like to retain a bit of an interest, as it has been his passion for so long."

Allan and Gaynor also plan to sell Farnham Lodge and return to the Victor Harbor community.

"Allan has with persistence, dedication and hard work, achieved a great deal over his working career and fulfilled his vision of becoming a successful first-generation farmer," Gaynor said.

"He now has nothing more to prove in the agricultural sense and will aim to transition to retirement gracefully.

"It's time to relax and smell the roses."