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• Migrant's Stories
  • Alastair and Leslie Macdonald
  • Chris and Suzanne Cowley
  • Marcel and Emma Leifhebber
  • Michael and Cheryl Hughes
  • Ashley Ker
  • Drew and Kate Carter
  • Matthew and Pippa Gunningham
  • Ralph and Louise Heathcote
  • Herman and Suskia van luloff Umbgrove
  • Jon and Caroline van Adrichem
• Doing Business

Chris and Suzanne Cowley

After hearing about the farms that were being developed by corporate agriculture and the opportunities that this offered, Chris Cowley moved to Tasmania from New Zealand.

His first job was building dairies and, during that time he had a good look over the area and sought employment on one of the corporate farms.

"I found that in Tasmania land price was still affordable and the opportunity still existed to work your way through the system," Chris says.

"At the same time, an advertisement in New Zealand for a sharefarming position would attract 80 to 100 applicants. So I felt that the opportunities to further my career were far greater in Tasmania."

After Chris's wife Suzanne joined him, the couple spent three years as employees on the corporate farm. They became contract milkers, supplying some capital and receiving roughly 16 per cent of the milk cheque on a milk solids basis.

"We then borrowed money to buy 100 cows," Suzanne says. "Having already bought 50 calves, this enabled us to move into a 50:50 sharemilking arrangement on a local, privately owned farm. This worked well for us."

During their time on the farm, they were able to rear, on average, some 140 calves per year, increasing both their cow numbers and net worth significantly. They then used these cows to replace the lease cows they had required to complete the 50:50 agreement.

"With the help of an equity partner, in 2004 we happily bought our own 340 acre farm at South Forest," he says. "The partner gets a return on their investment, but we manage the day-to-day decisions on the farm."

While they now own a successful dairy business, it was not always easy.

"Getting finance for sharemilking can be a big problem, as banks will not lend on the market value of cattle," Chris says. "They do not take young stock into consideration and, overall, are much tougher than the banks in New Zealand."

Despite some difficulties, the Cowleys see Tasmania as the land of opportunity, with plenty of options ahead of them.

But it is not just in farming that they see benefits.

"There is a great group of community-minded people here in Tasmania," Suzanne says. "It is a great place to bring up a family, with crime next to nil and excellent schooling."

Chris and Suzanne have some advice for farmers looking to make the move to dairying in Tasmania: "We have really found it very valuable to get involved in the discussion groups and workshops held regularly by the state government and local organisations." Chris says. "Seek help when you need it, and listen and learn from your field staff and locals."

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