‘Brave’ isn’t often a word associated with farming but possibly it should be.
For a young couple at Tambo Crossing, it’s taken a fair amount of bravery to manage their way through the current drought.
But they say it couldn’t have been done without the support they have received from their family, community and government.
“One of the positive things is community awareness – even just someone making the effort to mention the drought in conversation,” Jen Smith said.
“There has also been a phenomenal number of older farmers who have encouraged us and mentored us.”
Brad and Jen Smith are in their early 30s and took over the management of the family property in 2012 after Brad’s father, David, suffered a stroke.
Brad is a third generation farmer and his parents, David and Heather, bought the Tambo Crossing place in 2000. They have remained a constant source of support and encouragement for the younger generation.
Government grants have been integral to their operation and Jen has invested a lot of office time filling in forms and following up applications.
The Regional Investment Corporation (RIC) concessional loan was a game-changer for the couple, which Jen found out about at last year’s East Gippsland Field Days.
“The interest rate is two per cent lower than commercial interest rates,” she said.
“For us that has meant just over $15,000 a year in interest, for five years, freed up for cash flow that we’re not just paying to the bank.
“It’s allowed us to try to adapt our farming practices to drought conditions.”
That adaptation has involved drastically destocking their Hereford breeding herd and increasing the trading of lambs.
The family used to run 300 to 350 Hereford breeders and a self-replacing flock of 500 Merino ewes.
They are now down to 50 breeders and have turned to trading cattle, with 1140 ewes scanned-in-lamb, as lamb prices make that enterprise worthwhile.
Persistence has also helped.
“I rang at 9.30am for 20 days straight to ask how my application was proceeding,” Jena dmits.
“The girl answering the phone has to log those calls… you don’t get anything if you don’t ask. It’s frustrating but you have to persist.”
They also credit support from their livestock agents who have worked with them on beef, sheep and wool sales and purchases, as well as community groups like schools and churches and not-for-profits groups like the CWA, Red Cross, Rural Aid and Blaze Aid.
“We want people to know we feel supported and we also want people to know how much that support means to us,” Jen said.
The Smiths have utilised the state government’s infrastructure grant of $5000 on stock containment and self-feeders; the Farm Household Allowance; the farm business assistance grant of $3500, which they put towards their rates; the $5000 pasture recovery grant, which went towards oversowing pasture crops; as well as the water infrastructure grant, which helped with pipes and troughs for stock water.
“No one likes paperwork and I have had some frustrating times putting together the applications,” Jen said.
“The process for the delivery of drought support could definitely do with some review and streamlining but it’s been worth jumping through the hoops for us.”
Brad said they would usually make 700 to 800 bales of hay but haven’t had the feed over the past two springs to do so, and spent more than $100,000 on hay and grain last winter, hence taking the risk to sow pasture, after identifying the need for better short term feed.
In total they have oversowed 150 hectares with oats, rye and turnips, which is up and away thanks to some timely rainfall.
He believes one of the most important items they’ve bought with government grants has been the scanner and scales when the sheep EID tag system was enforced.
They sold the first of their breeders in February, 2018.
“We have definitely had our share of hard days, tough decisions and failures in the last two years as we’ve faced drought for the first time in our farming life,” Jen said.
“Only rain fixes a drought and each initiative or piece of assistance that we access may not make a huge amount of difference but when it’s all added together it’s helping us remain a healthy family and viable business through some very tough seasonal conditions.”
Understanding their figures, particularly cost of production, has been essential to their learning.
“Not understanding tax and your cost of production costs you money,” Jen said.
“I’d encourage people not to self-assess and apply before the end of this financial year. One grant was $5000 for five sheets of application.”
The way Jen sees it, the government assistance is geared towards financial literacy, infrastructure, mental health support and technical advice – all things that will assist agricultural businesses “beyond just this drought”.
“Agriculture Victoria has done a really good job offering courses and trying to build people’s skills to manage drought conditions, including pasture and soil management, animal nutrition and financial literacy, especially with their one-on-one farm service.”
The couple has also taken time to be involved with the Landcare Topsoils program, Better Beef Group, Best Wool Best Lamb Group, the Young Farmers Business network and ACE Producers Group.
They also use a 220-acre property at Clifton Creek as a finishing operation, which they bought three years ago when their eldest, Tyson, started school in Bairnsdale, and ‘house-hop’ between Clifton Creek and Tambo Crossing.
“We try to be together as much as we possibly can as a family,” Jen said.
Brad says the ‘green drought’ is by no means over, with the area “well and truly in drought conditions” having received less than half the average rainfall for the past two years.
He was awaiting delivery of 400 lambs, which offered a quick turnover in their grain-assisted program.
“The concessional loan has helped us navigate the drought more positively,” Jen said.
“It gave us that cash flow to be able to respond and do something to manage rather than react and sell everything and wait for it to rain.”
PICTURED: Amy (4), Brad, Jen and Tyson (7) Smith in a crop of Saia oats and Red Gum rye, sown with the assistance of the state government’s pasture recovery grant.
