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How to buy a dairy farm before you turn 30? | Interview with Jonathon Gleeson |
December 01, 2020
How to buy a dairy farm before you turn 30? | Interview with Jonathon Gleeson |
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In this episode, I speak to Jonathon Gleeson who is a dairy farmer in South West Victoria and has achieved purchasing a dairy farm by age 30 with no assistance, which is a remarkable achievement. 

Jonathon goes into detail about how he exactly did this and also the mindset that is required to do this. He gives some great advice around long-term goal-setting and having a vision. 

I have always had an idea for a book called "Money Management with a Dairy Farmer" as they live on the edge and are great money managers which you will hear about in this episode.  

We did do a video version of this podcast, however, the zoom connection played up so it is audio-only for this one. I hope to go down to his farm soon and film some video with Jonathon of this farm setup and also to capture some great advice on how you can achieve your dreams. 

If you enjoyed this content, please make sure you leave a rating/review/subscribe and tell your friends. 

You can follow his journey via his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Gleestar-Holsteins-439691456229636 

Also his Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gleestar_holsteins/ 

My new website is up at www.livedexperiencepodcast.com

If you could please leave a review online, it helps the show to be discovered! Connect with me via the below links 

 

Transcript
Joel Kleber:

Hi everyone, my name is Joel Kleber. I'm the host of the authentic combos podcast if you're wondering what it's about, it's about exactly that. As its title says it's about having authentic and genuine conversations with people from backgrounds such as business, sport, entrepreneurship, self development, and more importantly, people who work in the mental health space. It does have a mental health awareness focus because various topics which aren't really well known, however, I hope you do go to some previous episodes to learn more about the story about why I do this. So if you do enjoy the content, please make sure you subscribe, or you can hook up on social media by checking out the notes as well and checking me out on the authentic combos podcast. We'd love to hear from you any improvements in how to make it better. If you do me a favor, make sure you leave a rating and a review on wherever you leave your podcasts that will help me out as well. So I hope you enjoy this episode of the authentic combos podcast. Hi everyone, I'm with Jonathan Gleason who is a dairy farmer from selfless Victoria and at the age of 30. You're featured in the Herald sandwich I just googled before we will put the image up when my week and put it up there by the Barefoot investor. So if anyone doesn't know the Barefoot investor, probably the most popular I think the most popular book or downloaded book on Audible and Australia by Scott pipe. And he done a bit of a feature on you in the Herald Sun at the age of 30 was when you basically bought a fan base and some of the principles in you. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah, well, actually 29 so

Jonathon Gleeson:

as far as a goal of mine ever farm Well, it's almost 30 so you know, March the 29th. So we'll get into that anymore. This has been a quick introduction. Yeah, the way so the job the way your passion for dairy come from? Yeah, well, I grew up on a dairy farm. And I suppose it just so happened to be that, um, you know, my mom was one of 11 and dad's one of eight. And I sort of grew up on you know, big family farms in Kalani and then selling Krause I just so happened that I'm probably smack back in there. On the edge. McRoy is where I actually grew up so um, yes like it's like those dairy farmer birdsong and grew up in dairy farm so that that's where it all started Joe I bet the industry that you've been in there Oh your whole life and you said it changed much over the years or has it has it has it changed as an industry i mean it's it's a bloody tough industry so and I suppose the last probably you know 10 years has been quite challenging and I suppose the issue is is that you know, dentistry that price takers so you know, we produce a product milk and you know, it's not as if we can store it or whatever so we pretty much yeah, we're price takers and whatever it is on for that year is what we get so I mean, and the industry is declining so and just because I think the margins have been so tight and it's just it's relentless it's bloody hard work

Joel Kleber:

do it sorry to cut you off but I'll tell you one how it actually worked with the milk price because obviously lobby one understand that suppose you explained to me how it all works in regards to how you get paid or how that all happens. Yeah, so pretty much yeah how it works I suppose that it works in with the financial year so you know might be May or June whenever the fact you know there's probably you know seven or eight different milk process we can supply so you know, I'll come up with an opening price and then I suppose they can all pay sort of differently in a way so then you'll suppose you can go and you can get an income estimate often more and then I suppose you can pick the factor that you know probably going to suit you best for that year and you know, you go from there so you know there's some years where you get the meal price and depending on what the season and what some of your you know, your costs are going to be like Ryan or that you can sort of work out roughly I suppose what what you're hoping to make and some years it's tough luck you know, the problem is next few months I'm gonna bust myself for pretty much nothing so it's it's quite challenging and you got to you got to love it you're passionate to to do it. So yeah, writing something before I came, it was the Herald Sun but the lowest paid profession per hour or something was the dairy farmer or the farmers I think it was they work the most hours for the least amount of money. You took everything out into it. Yeah, that sounds weird.

Jonathon Gleeson:

But it's definitely a passion project. And I think that's the keys and everyone who does it loves it.

Joel Kleber:

Pretty much Yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Right. So how did you so how did you get to own a farm at the age of 29? Now you know, it's something that's obviously pretty unheard of so just won't go through the steps. I know it's gonna be a long story, but how did you go to actually own a farm in 2009? When you got people 29 years old, they probably looking at buying their first apartment or whatever it is, you know, you owned a farm at 29. So maybe you're talking about that and how did that come about? Yeah, so to go you know, right back to Australia to start I just, as a kid, mum always says, you know, go on to kingda or daycare, my favorite activity was chaos stamping. So I just always love cows and calves and you know, from a young age has always had helping dad. I suppose it must have been when I was he must leave it, you know, 11 or 12. And I always wanted my own car. So I was lucky enough. I had, you know, some very good dairy farmers that were the passionate man good with the breading, all that rosemary and pat right.

Unknown:

Obviously I'm a dad my son got in contact with them and and rosemary actually yeah pretty much gave me their best Holstein calf that year so that was me third eighth birthday so I started that was my first you know here to Carolyn you know always helped daddy on the farm and then I suppose then so that calf then you know when they get to two year old that they can they can have a calf and and yes I sort of be a slowly you know it's very slow but you know built up some numbers and then I used to you know as I started to answer money bought by some chaos so I suppose by the time I was you know 26 I had about 20 hit and all like mom and dad were really good they always sort of never forced us to be on the farm or anything like that and they always encouraged us to you know go to uni or or you know do other things you know whether it's you know, didn't matter what it was but they just never forced us to earth and so I suppose I'm yeah did you 12 and D deployment and things like that and then I thought I probably need an education so I enrolled and got into ag science at Latrobe and I suppose it went down there I quickly figured out that I just wanted to be on the farm so um but it was it was probably you know you know very good for me to realize that I'm really passionate light so I suppose you know nothing worse I suppose and if I hadn't did it and then you know come 24 months you know should have done it so I'll scrap it but I did it and it probably be a part in a bit too much and all those things and then I then I sort of come home and you know Believe it or not it was sort of hard to um so I was known as sort of hard to get a job and I remember going into you know there wasn't much around and I remember going into an employment place lead I tried to get a job on a dairy farm and I wasn't able to get that I was lucky enough that a job come up in Condor which is not far from Hamilton and the lady gave me go her husband passed away just yeah it might have been a year or two before that and I was a real you know shock to the system up for and you know working hard and all that so I suppose if I think it was about six months and then got me the sort of hours were you doing sorry I was up there because you're the lady she had a couple young kids as well so she'd be up early milk or whatever I used to sort of do put me sort of worked in together like she will always be up for that sort of my alternate a bit so she likes to be up for say she could milk or whatever and then I might take over so to get the kids off on the bus route to school so and you know at the middle of nowhere and all that so I was really you know going from party and doing not much to to work out it was a real shock but it's what I needed so and then I was like I can almost in college you could do it was yeah so that yeah it must have been some sort of egg Of course there so I did that for you as well as working on farms and all that and then after that I've got a job on a farm at grassmere here was if the six months and I sewed around yeah which was really good and it's always good because you learn so much before that I was doing leaf milking when I was before school leaf milking on different farms so it was really good to get all that experience I'm a pay out if there's so many different ways you can go out there and and then anyway there was a you know well known deer farmer nerd and also to approach team and about I want to come work for him and it was nothing at the time so anyway but anyway you must be on the track and opportunity come up so I went up to nerd and worked up there for a couple of years which was really learned a lot they had multiple farms and and I suppose that that's how you learn which is so much going on all the time and then I actually had a brother was working at home on the farm with with mom and dad and he decided he wanted to go do something else so that I come home and so your boy then I think I was up to here slightly gloomy numbers up so as I said let the 20 by the time was 26 and then you know working with dad and anyway you know we had different ideas as far as I said oh when you got your own farm you can do whatever you like so but before that I was lucky that I had really good advice and you know talking to different ones you know me account and different people and I said how do I go about you know I want to own a farm on a head or I go about it and that was to you know, they pick this person's opinion with investing property. So I worked hard You know when I was like 20 I never had any cash and I thought that and anyway Daniel my brother was working home anyway so he he left school early to he's young he left school early so and he had money in anyway we had an uncle that's a builder anyway so he was building getting your house and also thought well Daniel still now one more one too so anyway that lucky enough those one there for for me as well. So you know I didn't have it man. Catch the Tom saw had would have been stupid to say needs to be you know 25 grand something like that because at the time it was very good has land package if you want first time watching it was 36 and a half 1000 so that was enough to say that 21 grand that was enough for a deposit so yeah so I had that taking along as well as and then you know I was trying to pay it down so yeah so that was sort of ticking along as well as I had some cars taken along and you know i just i was very tight with money so whatever money I could it was either going to account or it was going into paying down debt so then as I kept chipping away at it you know I want to pay down for example 60 grand over a couple of years anyway I then said to this person recommend probably so what do I do now? And he said buy another one so I was on the lookout you know on the internet and all that I was lucky enough there's this immunity and I watched for quite a while anyway it was middle of winter anyway so I was lucky enough that um yeah, I purchased that so I sort of had two going on because I was living in one I then you know borrowed the whole lot on the second one because there's obviously tax deductible so then I just kept chipping away at the other one and then I suppose KYC camps and you know what are we going to do going own way and I sort of wanted to lace a dairy farm because share farming is brilliant Don't get me wrong but I wanted to do things my way I think we share farming they can be brilliant but sometimes you know you hear some very good stories there's also some I suppose you know not so good stories as far as we share farming you know that quite often the owner of the land Can you know the pool and the person you know not let them do new things like that so I thought while he was to least keep saying the counts and what are we going to do to get there um anyway so I must have been when I was you know 25 anyway I thought now now's the time so um yes I started looking around you know nothing you know nothing come up at all and I'm sort of pretty not very good I suppose with hands on so I needed something that was you know, pretty much ready to go I couldn't have one that was written down or ran a lot because it is costly to get it up to scratch so I looked around and put ads in the paper and things like that you know nothing really came up so yes, I just kept shooting and then finally I had a mic yeah come across the farm that was getting leased out but the owners actually want to sell it but I knew the owner and I said look I just I just want an opportunity to have a go and he's like no no and he knew me you know for me you know I was passionate and all that and that gave me a go when at the time I had 20 chaos and then I read through what money I could and then that paid for I think it was another 20 or 30 cars and then I had borrowed 100 grand off the bank and that was sort of me what I do that money chaos What was that? So that was 2622 to 2014 I was 26 yeah so I started leasing the farm first to June 2014 and then yeah it was pretty desperate the stock so I didn't have you know just think of all the tools like you know I didn't have anything I didn't have a tractor so I'd have to borrow the old man's you know once a week or if I was desperate Daniel me brother would come out and you know they got those ram bottles up three or 400 kilos and we might had to there's a payment device and ketamine So Daniel and I would you know push the bile over and tip it in so yeah, so that was sort of 26 and then it's also 100 grand in debt for me chaos and then I have a draft as low as 25 grand on top of that so I suppose Yeah, I just wanted to get the careline padelford as quick as I could so after three years it was paid off and you're supposed to add the two houses to them and as always the idea of to sell the house is to to make it for the farm but I originally tried to sell one of the houses to find the cows but I was pretty lucky good advice from you know very wise farm experienced farming said you know giant don't sell assets that didn't make any money that garden value so yeah I'm so glad Yeah, he said that to me and I never sold it so then that's as far as I had the cows paid off and then before that I had a tractor as well that was financed hi purchase so I yes I bought your pantami I the cows and then he had some equity in the farm I went to the banks and said look this is what I got any chance and I went through the fella and he said what price Do you want put it put a value on it and went to the banks and and yeah, and I actually because of I had the equity in the cows and the property I actually borrowed the whole lot for the Farm Plus stamp duty. So um, so so so lucky enough for purchase from 15 to December 2017. So I was well on surely up to new eyeballs and I was still single at the time. So I'll I thought I can take these risks. Because I was always told you can take these recently, they don't work if you always try to things in place. So for example, if things went pear shaped, I could sell a house or whatever, and I still not still be able to get through. So, so yes, I 2007 18. And, yeah, lucky enough, I purchased them all went through. So now I'm gonna break down, you said a lot of stuff they were trying to break down now. You said you got a good advice early on now? How did you was that someone you sought out? Or was it just someone for recommendations? So you went in deliberately got advice and said I wanted? Did you say to them that the style is my end goal? or How did you have that manage metadata, then you're pretty much you just talk to a lot of different people. You know, I was always told, you know, we got, you know, two ears and one mouth. So we should always, you know, listen to us as much as we talk. So I'd always ask them questions about how to go about things and all that. And, yes, I was lucky, I've got a humble, it's in bag manager, and he was just huge. So and he more or less. Yeah. And you just you just ask people, you sort of say, you know, if you're in my situation, what would you do? So people don't do that. And that's what I think so good. Good point. So you had the goal. So you went out? Like anything, go seek out a good mentor, or go seek out people, you've got to be proactive in that, you know, rather than googling stuff, I'll just go and seek those people who've been there and done it. So I think that's a good step. And at that idgc, did you start to decide, oh, I want to own a farm or by this time I had you. You just said how you go about it. And I gave you a roadmap or whatever, I suppose to take it back a step. I think the first thing was to get you know, the houses was always long term. But before that, I needed to get me her to chaos. That was the main thing. Get a herd of cows together. Yeah. And then that way, it gives you options. So that yeah, that's sort of the main thing there to get the herd of cows. Get on top of that, and then that gives you options then. So yeah, but also the houses, which is good advice, get those assets in some asset income, but you can use to get you extra leverage for other things. That's right. And I think that was huge for me with the banks. Because, you know, I wasn't fully I wasn't fully secured. So you can sort of say, well, this isn't your track record of pay down debt when I couldn't, you know, just just just back me in and I know, yeah, I won't let you down. I haven't yet been a lot of hard yakka as well, like, you've done a lot of hard jackalopes for games and things like that. So was it always in your, in your mind that you've got I that was your goal, and you're gonna stop enough to get it? Or had it? Did you have like a framework that you need to tick off steps in your head to get to this, this goal, this ultimate goal ahead of you had to do? Yeah, well, as I said, you know, with the way the milk factories pay, you know, you had the process started, so you roughly know what it's gonna be. So I suppose for me, it was just all about, ah, you just trying to pay down X amount of debt when you can, and just chip away, like, I remember, you know, even if 50 bucks a week, it just all adds up. So I think the biggest thing is just just keep chipping away. And you might think you're getting you're at the time, you know, come 12 months, you know, you paid an excellent debt, and you sort of get I think you've got to get excited about those boring things. As far as you know, paying down debt is boring, but you need to get excited think, Well, you know, what, next month, there's less interest coming in. So it's just, it's just yeah, you just got to see why I make a point. Yeah, positive reinforcement. Like when you try and make a new habit, you want to get some sort of reward, right? So that's what you did you say, well, I've been a lower interest rate to this target next month, or I'm paying off this. So those small goals, those micro goals, which you kept achieving along the way, really got you excited. That's absolutely, yeah. Yeah. And it's, it's all long term, like I was never going to be overnight. Like you just, I suppose I just had a vision. And I said, I really wanted to buy a farm while Tom was 30. And my thing is, set high goals, because you know, what, if you don't get there, you're still hopefully not, you know, not far off, and you're still in a very good position. And yes, a really great point what you said, you said, One great thing, which is vision. Most people in this are really successful or successful, it's basically always had a vision. They don't know how they're going to do it, but they have a vision, and then they start progressing along to it. So it's fantastic to hear that that was your goal by 13, you achieve that, by what a great point is sitting, even if you don't get there, you're going to be hopefully a lot closer to what you know, to that goal. Yeah, and I suppose I've always been a person that loves challenging and to something to strive towards, and, and, you know, and I sort of say, you know, you haven't lived to you run a marathon. So that's something I I did as well. And, and I think that's really good, because it's so hard. But there's, there's an end point there, because it's not really anything from your parents. This is something that was built into you from your parents, cuz a lot of people are just short term things, right? It's all fine. Oh, yeah. As a pianist again, during the holiday, you got to go to a holiday, they goes, you know, three grand or whatever. Like, was it something that was drilled into you from a young age or hedgy? I think probably how it really, you're not really sure, but I remember doing work experience in you 10 was supposed to do a week and I actually did on three weeks on Rosemary Pratt writing alkalinity and I remember she gave me a book then and it was by no wickets in money made simple and it had I think it was what 8% make it so you know out of a class of you know 100 kids like one will be rich seven will be wealthy unfortunately quite a few less people would have been passed away but I sort of thought well that's you know, that's a pretty low percentage so I suppose I'd always you know been interested I suppose in money and yeah, and I just thought well that you know, I'd like to be one of those 8% and the only way for me to do it is that as I said early data was if you don't know if you know you do what you like and I knew I suppose I had to do it yourself yeah mom and dad like yeah mom and dad would like they worked really hard they you know there's four of us on the age of 16 on a brilliant job and like they just they worked really hard and you know I remember growing up you know we we never we never reached that we never won't be there but you know the big storm come through and you know the roof if you like and the buckets all around the house and all that so you know catching the water so I think it's probably mom and dad always you know worked hard and then that again that that book from Rosemary pet reading that when I was you know 16 I think I was as far as you know, you look back when you think they're probably little triggers that you know, healthier, you know, on your way, but generally I think most people get their money habits from their parents that's what I've sort of figured out so let's say you know, it's good if you have some good role models in place or some good of mentors when you're young age it's a good way to set your habits and stuff like that because it's very hard as I said before yeah you you would have went to school and seen all these mates gone on holidays and doing all these things and had to sort of deal with that that sort of you know, people going out on the Saturday night while you're staying in or how to deal with that Yeah, it's a good point so I was lucky enough I did go on to overseas sort of daring trips when I was something I was 20 and 21 like you know for a month and then your signals for two weeks and after the one two weeks off like I remember getting a text yeah Marvin over in England in the following years Australian he's like you know what are you doing you've got everything in Australia and after that second trip so I really am lucky I do leave you know in probably the best spot in the world and you know recent that's I suppose been validated you know you got port theory is not far away that's the world's mostly will sit in on you got one of them which isn't far away that's Australia's most livable city so I'm so lucky that I suppose I grew up in a brilliant part of the world but I remember like I was living in town at one stage when I was working class mayor and you know I was on 60 bucks now so I've never been on you know that big and running and you know quite often I if I had enough and on a Saturday night but it's sort of a balance like you don't want to miss out on you know your good night's 21st and all that so I made sure it always sort of try and go nice but if I had nothing on I'd make sure it always milk Sunday morning because it's you might for example go in and said you might spend 100 bucks and then whereas other saving that 100 bucks and then you know 16 bucks an hour you know you might work four hours so that's 60 bucks so it's 160 bucks turnaround and you might think it's a lot but it all adds up so I suppose um yeah and but everyone my other thing is everyone's you know, on a different journey and wants to achieve things that you know for me Yeah, I sort of had vision of what I wanted and I knew I had to your knuckle down and and you know, go about it, I suppose. Yeah, yeah. And why let's talk about budgeting because money is obviously tight for farmers. So I'll say talk about your budgeting or some budgeting things or hacks that you've been known for along the way. Yeah, well, I suppose when I was working mum and dad's Yeah, that was really good. Also, that got fed most of the time then I was living in one all the time. So pretty much in one of them. It was really good I just I just pretty much stayed there. I had a couple really good fellows leaving me so I had some rent coming in from there so I wasn't spending too much money in there. But then when I come to terrain, you know, money was very tight and I was lucky it was just nice. I didn't have any you know, kids around the world at the time. So yeah, I mean, you're probably not going to believe it. But you know, I try and spend three bucks a week on groceries, groceries on groceries 80 bucks a week. You always say nice in the Herald sound like fitting your mother feeds family on $20 on a night, whatever it is. So $30 a week just one person. Yeah, it was in like I did chili because I was getting milk. So I'd have you know, six, seven or eight weeks of break every morning. And then you know, lived off probably Chucky cheese sandwiches, toasted cheese sandwiches and then used to get those noodle packets that were adult so yeah, and and it wasn't good. Like a bit. I knew it wasn't forever I just had to do it at that time. And you know, I've got a sister's nurse and she's just gone. You know, Jonathan, you gonna have a hard time with 30. Like, it's just you can't be doing that. So it's very, very common story though. There's a lot of famous American entrepreneurs when they're in the college dies on Mark Cuban and LBC Elon Musk and they did the same thing. They lived off $1 noodles and shared a flat with seven blokes. But they all had that because I want to put their money into that goal. I guess it's a similar thing but it's a farm version yeah that's right I knew it wasn't forever just you just had I just had to survive yeah it's a great monster though cuz you as you said you're so driven that it's you know you do a personal sacrifice But you knew that was going to get to you and live with 30 bucks a week is in terms of food ridiculous that's what it is I mean art yeah and I bought a blind out here and then like I was lucky I went to some relatives on it on a Monday night so you know at least get find good value and then I suppose you know, I was still at the time I'm playing footy on a sad day. So and but quite often I'd even come home and you're golfer so but yeah, if you're not at the footy you know, I get a good meal so if you work hard you do need to eat well and as I said it wasn't it's not ideal but sometimes you just got to do we're going to do time now dairy farming is quite a stressful so has has a money because money is stressful topic and people love it I'd like to talk about money so we farmers imagine to be extremely stressful so how do you how do you deal with it? Yeah, it's a real challenge and I suppose the industry went through a very tough time probably four years ago when when Mara golden called them the milk price bear in May so you know and quite often the way the factories pay you know made you might have been higher so that was you know, very stressful and and you know, to be honest, there's only you know, backing into June 2009 and I was actually in quite a bit of trouble myself I was you know, milking 126 kids at home and I was 150 grand bond in bills you know, and I was lucky I'd I made sure I rang up everyone who I had money to and are all brilliant Yeah, I think that was that was the most important if you if you're struggling financially, whatever, you know, most people are pretty understanding. Yeah, yeah. And all I was asking for was time I wasn't asking for anything else so um, and because I just knew you know, you sort of think oh gee, am I a terrible farmer or what am I doing wrong and you know maybe some people so aside there's nothing wrong with the industry and even industry latest and if you can't make money you know five bucks you need to get out and everything I was lucky I had some really good people that were dairy farm themselves and like look you know, john it's tough but it's an industry thing and those people getting out there front center you know selling the cows but not much and it was really but I just knew if the milk price can good and there's a couple of tough seasons as well so I just knew those couple of things because grains mean biggest cost so if grain could come back a little bit and I had a good season I can grow a bit more grass milk price come up dump a machine turn around so yeah, so I just focused I suppose on and it's hard You can't cut too many costs because you need milk to tap the income coming in. So I suppose and what I at the time is actually 2016 just before a clawback things were taught and I actually got a job off farm as well just to try and you know make ends meet a bit better so you're buying a farm job or a part time job yeah part time so I was 20 hours a week so but then yeah, so I was doing that and then I'll also do other things as well. I've had a tractor so I'd go do some contracting or relief milking as well so I you know start milking the farm at you know 233 o'clock and milk that herd and then come over you know for 36 and then milk you so you know that this light nights and all that but sometimes when I was in situation like that I thought oh I'm gonna go down swinging if I go broke I'm going to go down with you know not have any regrets so it's and how I sort of because I'm passionate with the cows and all that and now they like me free time so and my thing is well you know what if I was behind on bills and all that but at least hopefully you heard improving as well so you just got to look for little positives out there they are sizing you got to think well it's character building hopefully going through this tough time you know you'll be a better farmer and things like that so it's yeah I and farming you know, it's full of ups and downs so you just got to find a way to get through those challenging times. Yeah, and just you just got to try and be positive wherever you came back but realistic as well. Has this year been with COVID and everything else for the farming industry for dairy farmer yeah it's we've been quite lucky our story said don't make milk price last financial year was quite good as up as up quite a lot so we sort of went from probably six bucks to iron up on you know, $7 the stuff that was huge that was worth a lot of money so lucky enough we've now caught up on bills and that was I suppose the reason why but it's obviously COVID started probably yeah whenever that was February March whatever and it you know, it was nervous because there's a lot of supplies that we need on the farm like different sprays and things like that so there's a bit of panic buying thinking because it's just the unknown those panic buying history as well. So obviously there's toilet paper, which is the normal person one, panic buying sprays and stuff, right? are different people that were yeah So and it's just just the unknown like cuz you you needed these things might not have been for you know five or six months or whatever it was whether it was you know are the different items you need on a farm so but yeah and then the milk price you know we supply Bullock with Australian dairy company and you know their milk price and everyone's milk price was back that 8.2% so they open up you know for us at $6.70 so we can't complain too much it's all been pretty good and you know we've worked we've had a magnificent Season Two which helps so as far as you know clearly guys always get the milks been kicked off yeah we've been pretty lucky we've sort of got through not too bad well let in the day get some you know Australia people got a got an eight so that's been really good for products that you'll milk it useful yep so obviously so blah so ice cream I suppose in the mind cool that was just lagging there hopefully picks up a bit with the the internet connection out there into our own Give me one yeah yeah that's all right let's what was it to be awake look like for you so people obviously I know love with that where their food comes from and things like that they might watch the thing on TV or anything but maybe I'll tell a bit about what's your typical wakelock Yeah So it varies depending on the time of the year so he were split carving hurt so we carve twice so we sort of carve on you know middle of March to the end of May and then anyone so anyone who's watching this he doesn't say say carving yeah so okay yeah has a car so pretty much how it works is you know when a car's gone to when you can come to dairies to use normally so but then obviously when a cow is in calf and all that we're generally dry them off and give them 60 days off yeah just have a bit of a rest How valuable is that cow How valuable is the cow? Yeah, well it depends on you know male or female and what's going on at the time so you know I've got all black and white klc so you know black and white Africa just born this year you know, I mean three or 400 bucks or even more whereas in the past it might have been half there whereas yeah if it was a beef one beef beef red hot at the moment so beef could be you know something similar but that that just varies from year to year so um yeah so I do do to lots of carbon as far as the main reason why I do that is because I'm the farming gets quite wet so I try and carve to and grass as cheap as fake so I try and it gets wet in the winter so I take a put a few cows of Judah over September putting them off an adjustment so you know back to milking about 100 and then when they come over September hopefully then that's when the spring flush comes and you know plenty grace in the cows to eat it off. And I'll find you two to two meetings a day yeah two milkins a day so I suppose at the moment you know middle of November You know, we've just done Sol each I suppose which is you know, surplus grass, you know, wrap it up in some solids wrapping and that'll be then fit over summer so at the moment it's not too bad. So yeah, rough roughly like because it does Emami iron and tubing and what I've got going on it does vary what tomamu So yeah, but normally you might be 530 and and then you might finish milking you know at nine o'clock whatever it takes and it's not so much now but then when I work off farm as well like you know you might be going at it and you work all day get home you know 334 o'clock and then milk that night so but yeah, um things really correlate so I'm not doing so much that now but um yeah so try and be in it depends on what's going on you know at 630 how long your days normally during let's say he's carving the most so you know carving the most strenuous time and yeah yes carving is because obviously yeah absolutely yeah yep so I suppose because you've got isn't a job in there that you know, you've got to feed so cows before that carb springs you got to feed them a type of pallet and then obviously when a cow calves you get them in and and then you got to feed the cars. Yeah, so there's a lot more it is a bit harder I suppose because you're doing that. You know for me March April is okay because there's still a bit of daylight and the days not too bad once you get sort of may and then when I was carving in in you know August September that it you know, it's hot, it's wet and yeah, the days are shorter, so you know, you're getting up and coming in the dock. Where's he at this time? He is really good. So now what's the plan for the farm like is this something that obviously you got Your vision man so you got your vision at 29 you've achieved your goal pretty early like what's the next goal for you? Yeah I suppose I will go back a step you know I enjoyed it like this was all for me but I sort of thought you know I wanted you know obviously wanted to get married one day so I was lucky enough I come across a lovely lady and and that's crucial for a dairy farm and I'm guessing any any business is that you need a very good understanding supportive wife or the at the time girlfriend and you know I just she she Courtney sort of she said a couple of things and as far as you know what what I want in life and things like that and I sort of said the same I said look I'm a dairy farm I might be moving probably from terrain so so I suppose here I wanted someone to enjoy with so um so I suppose Yeah, and I was lucky enough that year to recently get married but yeah when I was 20 I was all about them just I suppose surviving at the time and it just get through because it's a long term game so that's what it was all about just surviving and pay down a bit of debt because I was sorry all the good and with that long long term game he says a marathon before which is great so a lot of people don't have that long term mindset at all. They just don't have it is there any tips or advice you can give to someone to maybe have a long term mask I'll say most people these days are now short term you know, if you're bored you just flick on the phone and go to social media if you just click on Netflix whatever it is, everyone can just solve thing short term for themselves but whereas you know you've had this long term mindset and it's all about doing so is there something like let's say long distance running or what's something you can do to become more of let's say long term person Yeah, well I think my whole thing is you know, you're better to try and fail try and file and then not try at all and not doing somethings better than nothing so I think the hardest thing sometimes is is starting so and I mean it's easy for me because I always knew what I wanted but I know it's challenging for people out there that they're not really sure you know, what they want to do or what their passion is but if that's the case you know just I don't know talk to different people aren't just ask plenty of questions you're very lucky I think absolutely yeah. And and you know, I was lucky I grew up in a family and yeah you know, it's so challenging you know those times I'm gonna say to my mom I said gee, I wish we never farm like it was it's bloody hard and you know I went away and you know, I suppose try to believe and that's that was sort of helped me passion and that as well but yeah, I feel very lucky and look to be honest as well another suppose passion is as well and which I fell into it was I enjoy property as well because I always think it's important that you do have that farming or whatever whatever whatever it is in life you need that bit of an outlet so I suppose for me I've you know I've been playing cricket for quite a while now so I think it's important to have some sort of outlet so you know so I enjoy property as well so I think it's yeah yeah well if you just doing something it's in good bad good simple advice for people now is it possible for you is it so as you said with the industry is very very tough how the next farm is going to get into it like how's it gonna work? There's a generational thing where you just got to be lucky enough to be born into one that gets passed down to you like is there people who like yourself can do it on themselves or how's it he's gonna go over the next 10 years oh it's yeah I've been very lucky I suppose I bought when I do three years ago not much land was selling and you know whereas you know recently I suppose with you in this area land lands going up quite a bit so you know if I was trying to get in now I don't know if I would but you're right it's mainly generational ones around but one thing is if there's if there's young people out there that want to you know their own farm whatever it is like just just think outside the square you know talk just talk to different people ask plenty of questions because you know, who knows they might be you know an old guy up there that's you know, done really well you know, wants to sell but doesn't you know, doesn't want to expose sell it to be corporate something like that so I think there's opportunities I suppose these these people are looking to get out you know, they can the old ones won't be able to help young ones in whether it's you know, some sort of share farming or whether they leased a farm out and then if the farms on separate titles to sell a total time Yeah, there's things like that but it no doubt it's gonna be super challenging because you know, the big get bigger and the rich get richer. So it is challenging to because there's not the small passes. So what's happening at the moment, a big big corporations or big groups, is it privately held or things coming in by because it hasn't, hasn't worked. Yeah Well to be honest um you know in this area typically dairy lands always worth more than what I call grazing that's normally a big and shaping that of it because the drought I suppose was last year the before you know northern Victoria different parts that are in drought so I'm guessing that thing would have been rather than spent on these fake we'll just go and buy some land down south with his feet and the paints on it interest rather than buying feed so the dynamics have changed a little bit now whereas there's beef and sheep farmers coming in buying dairy farmers you know with all this infrastructure could be you know rotor dairy you know, with million dollars and whatever it is and beef and sheep farms are sort of coming in and snapping them up so the dynamics have changed a little bit that way that now you know dairy land or people shit it's dealing with a similar amount so yeah it's it's yeah the dynamics have changed yet and I think what what's probably helped land go up to is because of the uncertainty in the world and interest rates being so low that's interesting hearing that so beef and sheep farmers are diversifying or or spreading taking their money into into dairy cattle what's that sorry Oh, that's interesting so beef and dairy sheep farms are now diversifying and changing almost in changing industry into dairy oh yeah they're coming down by on dairy farms for example and and just running it as beef and sheep so that they might sell past the dairy or just just shut it all down and that's an issue with the dairy industry just throws you these funds are getting shut down and he's having no beef or sheep cattle Yeah, you're gonna get kicked out and stuffing up a little bit into Ryan so hopefully it comes back in a bit. What I was going to say though is with you see quite involved in this farmer power thing this movement right? So we're gonna talk about the issues that farmers face for people who wouldn't know just that because I'm a just a general person I want to know about it. So there's obviously a lot of issues with the industry and I think there was a bigger big kerfuffle was it last year or the year before with the a Triple C or something like that the inquiry or yeah yep so I suppose Yeah, how firepower came about was you know we have any bodies that I started there's a group of harvesting fields I don't know what it is that's how farm pail started I had a meeting you know and got a lot of people in there because this is when you know on dairy farms couldn't pay their bills on that so that's sort of how it started and there they are suppose just to you know, they got they're not getting funding for anyone so they got as far as they can you know say exactly what they think and and how it is so and you know, as a passionate young farmer I want to say future gearing so I just help them out when I can and you know so I suppose in parallel that like it's yeah it's like a lot of these how the funding and all that works to me it's that nothing's really happening so yeah, so they've just asked for you know you know, I suppose inquiries and all that into the dairy industry to find out you know, we've got different representative bodies that I don't believe doing the right thing you know, because the industries it's shrinking and dairy and you know, reason was shrinking it's because the margins haven't the money hasn't been in it the margins haven't been one of the excuses that are provided they just they are supposed to do what they can do um yeah, I think it's to me The trouble is when I had these in this industry later you know I said to me you need to make money you know five bucks and you sort of think well they must be happy with us dairy farmers being slaves that's that's just the way I look and I don't know Yeah, I don't know why it to me and I'm like and he was a dairy farmer as well you sort of think well, why why would you want more like you know, you can't be happy with you know 5% returns or whatever it is considering you know how hard you work and how much you got invested like so yeah, I don't know whether it's you know, just you know this fella he's quite an arrogant felon or and and the trouble is you know, I don't know what the rest of my life but um yeah, I think it's and you know, I've always tried to think I'm realistic and you know, and just say how it is and but yeah, now there's it's been very frustrating and especially as I said with the industry declining, and all these dairy farms gone and beef and sheep what the writing's on the wall that things are gonna change. Yeah, I think it's quite a thing to point out that you have a lot of parliamentarians or people in positions where they're always gone we've got to support the farmer support the farmers that these industry bodies out there apparently do that they're doing the complete opposite, isn't it? Well, that seems to be the case. And sort of how like, you know, I'm busy doing my own thing and I suppose it's just that you know, whenever they need to handle something, if I can, I'll help them any sort of thing. Well, I can't really complain about the state of the industry if I'm not doing enough and so I think what can change them like what actually can happen is it can these people in these positions of power, actually Do something oh yeah I think yeah I think that's the whole issue we just there's things that we need getting done but they just the people in the past they just aren't listening or yeah well yeah it all has to change because you know the the industry shrinking and the dairy industry has been okay in the last probably you know 18 months because the milk prices come up and we've had good seasons which has really helped but you know we know farming you know it's going to be tough seasons have come and you know new price we hope doesn't come back but if it does and you know costs keep going up so I think in a day it all comes back to you know what what we're getting paid for our milk and how that price gets set yeah it is my don't talk about how that project I will think it's Yeah, well I think it's just having a right representatives and listening to us and getting things in place so yeah as I said earlier this you know we got you might be six or whatever it is there's suppliers we can do factors we can supply and so yeah and I sort of I suppose come up with an opening price and then you you shopped around and you give them the figures and you get an income estimate that will work best for your farm that's an interesting point I want to touch on that real quickly so just played around watching or listening sorry Jana your audio is fine it's just the video It keeps coming through so people if you wanna listen the podcast you can get the mp3 version but the audio is great it's just that the pictures chopping in and out like in slow motion but you just said then there's only six or seven people that can buy your milk so this is this is is this like collusion that goes on in the background between these six or seven people or how does that between them are they supposed to set the price independently or how does it work? Is that is that the controversy yeah well it's yeah I suppose they're always quite often they're they're very similar so and that's part of the reason why the petrol stations that's the reason well we sorry, Joe was gonna say sorry it has to do with the lie that coming through but so is it so you got six or seven people you can only sell suit and is there a bit of a collusion that goes on between them or alleged collusion that goes on and they go Yep, we're gonna do this and it's supposed to be done independent or has it gets it I'm guessing it's supposed to be done independently but quite often that they're very similar and that's I suppose for us your bullet works for us at the moment because what they're the price they come out first and the way they pay they pay a flat rate 12 months to you so it doesn't matter you know what you're producing you know the spring or the autumn you get paid the same amount per kilo of milk solids so um but yeah there's there's factories and you know, your big applies especially you know, saputo you know they're just huge dairy process around the world and yeah there's different ones and you know this year quite a few of them had the had the same I mean pricing there was one or two that were lower but you know the next day they come up because you know if you if the theory pract factories want the milk they're gonna have to get they got to pay for that but but as you said before, it's supposed to be independently set but one person comes in and sets the price and then everyone goes after that or how does it they'd want to sort of Is it a sort of change in size now that you know historically you know, as I said it goes financial year so come the first of July you're on the new meal price and quite often you'd only want now a week or 10 days out what you're actually going to get but now that his thing changed with that so that now might be the first of June I think they've got to come out so that I know we'll have to be up on in what they were unlike that that's a minimum price so yes they can have so yeah and bull up they've been a leader they've been coming out quite often you know quite early on and and set the pace and I suppose with blood as I said they're an Australian factory and most of that product is stays domestic so as far as age different factories got their own product mixes and where it goes and all that but yeah, they all paint very similar and what does that mean for bullet for example a bull has got a good reputation What does it mean more people didn't take the milk the bull or they'll get better better quality or what does that exactly mean for them or what's the benefit to them? Yeah, I suppose will they they've been very well they've been maybe two or three years they've been buying directly from the farmer so before that the mind went off brokers so now you're supposed to they're trying to be as transparent as I can with us farms which is really good like it's just so simple they open it as early as I can you give us time to plan and that for the year ahead. I was gonna say a year plan 12 months it's pretty but that's our job that's 12 months in advance don't you once that price comes out Yeah, so for example, this year the sixth or seventh milk price come out from the frost for the start of July so yeah, we're gonna get paid you know, roughly the middle of whatever produce in July and we're gonna kill themselves when they get paid that amount. You know middle of August okay that for that that prices vacuolar milk so you know the white bullet pay for the so and so what's where do you reckon the industry is heading in the next like as you said is people's size is it a dying industry? Is it something you don't think it is or just needs a bit of bidding let's say the milk price for example is at the main thing which can be fixed or what do you think in the next couple of years or 10 years yeah, yeah it's really interesting but I'm still you know, I'm obviously biased but confident that you know, it's a it's a it's a food it's a protein and improved with COVID and all that it's it's needed you know around the world and here in Australia so yeah, I'm cautiously optimistic that you know it's going to be alright but it at the end of day it's it's a business in and you just don't know but you'd like to think there's going to be a demand for you know product into the future as it were just touching the ceiling so you think it is achievable for someone as young or for someone to get in let's say want to do it in the industry but they would have to the way you did it is you had a solid or you had an acid base first and then you went you know you didn't go in blind right so maybe take some time to get those assets up or some income producing assets then you can then go and produce and go down the path Yeah, yeah and I think there's you know, there's so many different ways you can go about abroad just the young ones these days you know we've got to be creative Yeah, and like I always thought you know, not a bad way would they use you know, go work in the mines or something all that for a bit and you know work hard and get some good cash behind your and come back and yeah, it's because I suppose the trouble is you know, if you're working on a you know wage of a dairy farm you're not going to be on as much as what you are in the minds so but I just think you just got to think outside the square and and be creative. It's as if you want to do something I suppose you do what you can make things happen but the trouble with Darien is it's such a long slog really long slog but if you can have some you know, another income or another business or some other thing happening it might help you get there quicker. Yeah, so yeah, you had a callus Have you ever have that term side hustle but you had a lot of hot side hustles as you were saying before with the relief milking and doing the the part time job and things like that just to make that goal happen but I think the key is getting from you You knew was going to be a long slog from the start and you're willing to you're prepared to go on that journey at the start and you realize it was a long term play when I don't know you knew it was gonna happen tomorrow right and you had all these steps in place and you knew it could be a 10 year thing and then you finally achieve it it's very satisfying where I don't think a lot of people want to do that now these days No, no, no, I don't think you know to be honest to like that was always the goal but you know you do do yourself especially you know, when there's usually not you know, you know, you're struggling to get by anything I'm just better off getting a wage but but then at the same time to you know, give up then it would have been very easy to give up in your situation. Are you getting up at 4am? Yeah, yeah, remember, you know, those uh, you know, um, I suppose a saying that like, just just remember why you started something and I suppose that that was for me, like, you know, as hard and that as possible. Why does that because you know, I want to totally one day, have my own farm, but I always sort of thought you know, worst case scenario I go back to milking cow So, and I was young and I was single, so I didn't have a lot to lose. So yeah, it's it's super, you just got to have that sort of suppose that grit as well. And now like, I look back now, and it's hard isn't that what it is? It just makes you know, at the moment, SERPs are what you've got to go through, I suppose challenging times and adversity to help you be successful, the great point I think, yeah, you gotta you gotta understand if you want to achieve anything good, you've got to pay your dues, you got to pay any of you as you said before, it is a great point if you don't achieve it, you're least going to be a lot closer you know, and just at least start something to go now that can be applicable for anything so it's, it's great advice and I know you do a lot of marathon running and stuff like that. So you've almost trained your mind in other pursuits as well to be a long term or to do those long term sort of activities. Do you think the marathon running or the long distance running helps you in regards to that whilst you're trying to achieve it? I'll definitely think so. Well, you know, Australia has these you know, box you want to tick off in your life and run a marathon was always something want to do and I was lucky. Yeah, I trained for a bit and all that because I you know, this was I suppose before, I was you know, working off on that as well. So, um, and that was sort of, you know, from November I want to try and for a couple months, so do you want to tell me, I suppose someone always wanted to do but then doing it. I remember I said, I wanted to do three and a half hours. That was my goal. So I had a watch and all that, that sort of said, You know what, patient going out to achieve all that. So I try and offer nanotech and I can do it. So anyway, so I went out. Yeah, just cruising the first DUI case and It's actually an act wangaratta and the trouble is up there it was just like once you got on the mountain there's just no really no one around you so when we got to 32k and there's no way around it I just literally hit a wall and you just thought I just think I just don't know how I'm gonna do this but then you sort of saw things just stick with on just just cheaper why and then like and I think that's the biggest thing just don't stop you just just keep going even if you just walk in and then you remember just you know any slight incline I so that was a good lesson I suppose is that I had a goal in place I didn't achieve 354 it was just just don't give up like that that's bad if you gotta take should be alone it just doesn't matter. Yeah, I think I think it's a great point Jonathan was like the internet kick connection in terrain a little bit I think so. All right, the audio is fine it's just the video but it was really what you said is fantastic. I think a lot of people need to understand that is that everything is a very long term play but the great thing you seem to be able to do is you can take there's a lot of little wins along the way and you can enjoy those little wins so you know as you're going in hit a wall understand why you're doing it originally in the first place and reset yourself and keep going and understand there's going to be a lot of tough times and there's gonna be a lot of grit to get to anything good I think nothing good comes easy and that's a very very old and simple saying but I think that's very very true and in your example you've obviously proved it many times with regards to what you've achieved so far. So maybe what I want to talk about now is a couple of basic money tips or money hacks for people from a dairy farmers point of because I've always had these I've always think you can write a book saying money management tips which are dairy farms I think you guys probably many manage cash flow and cash the best that of any most most professions so now we're gonna talk about some basic tech tips or hacks or people yeah well to be honest, I'm not the best farmer I'm the best and I'm getting rid of it all like cows and I I make the rest as far as happening and get the right people around me to help me but I think that the biggest thing and this is probably wrong but I don't do it I get my income and style and you and I think well that's roughly what I'm gonna do and then I just pretty much whatever you're gonna spend you've got to warrant spending and I suppose so yeah, I just you just want what what every dollar yeah and but you've always got to have on the future lucky don't want to be too tight that you know for example in dairy family you don't put fertilizer out or you don't put the seat at the right time and I think timings everything as well just getting things done at the crucial because I'm only a small Deere operation I don't have the scale and probably the pool to to get you know discounsel extra from you know call or stop or anything like that but um yeah i think you know shop around because you know you'd be surprised you know for example you know you get some some drench or whatever like that you know you call cough you know couple of different people and you know you you might save 20 bucks in a minute so I think it's yeah just just get prices and and then it's important to get the right people around here as well that you trust because you know, you can be relying on advice people telling you to do this and do and do that. So I think having you know, a very good account I'm lucky I've got a brilliant accountant I've had you know, I've had 10 years ago so accountants you know critical have a good nutritionist you know, a good agronomist a good stock agent that's the way I look at it, you know, you're you're coaching a fleeting and you know, you've got to have good, you know, assistant coaches and people in their roles to, to help you. Yeah, make it all work. There's just there's just no, I suppose. There's no, yeah, there's no I suppose soon. Answer or trick or whatever. It's just, yeah, I think you just got to get used to just just, it's like a game of sport like you enjoy, you know, to flash like, I'm not a machinery person. So I don't have much machinery you want to you want the machinery to work well, but you want as minimal as possible because it depreciates so I think it's just making sure you're, you spend your money yeah, as wisely as you can. Yeah, I think it's a good point and obviously $30 a week for food if you can do it, but I think what you said is put a good people around you I think anyone doesn't matter what profession you are, if you're working your pay YG normal job when not much money it's just if you can get a good team around you a good accountant, those solid people help advise you and ask for advice. I think it's really good universal advice to anyone who's listening or watching at home. So I'll just say, john, on top of that, you've always got to want to improve and be better like you just, you know, can't be complacent. There's always better ways to Do things or even if you might have gone really well and then you might think well I just got to maintain what I'm doing for a bit like don't try and get too fancy if you know something's working No need to change it too much but you might think well for doing this you know I spend a little extra money get this different scene or whatever to grow more grass it's just just yeah do do the basics. Well just don't over complicate things. Absolutely. Now I've done a plug a few things. What's your farm? I know you got some stuff online and people who want to plug your farm name and things like that. Yeah, so I'm lucky I'm passionate about the Holstein breed so all my cows are registered and that's under the Glaister holds things I prefix I've got a got an Instagram and facial pages to put on there for anyone anyone who's interested yeah nice so when you say whole staff may just talk about for the lion what does that mean obviously they did that their friesians or their or their dairy cows but what's what is holster house Yeah, yeah. House Yes, Holstein Friesian I suppose there might have been a breed that was two different breeds that combined years ago so that they're black and white so and yeah, that mine are all registered so I got paid webinar that forum and I suppose they like my you know, footy team like it every day I've got to make sure that they're fed well they're in good condition to to to to you know feed into into milk so and I get excited like you know, so you got cows and you're thinking well head on and improve the scale and and you know, we're lucky in Australia we can get you know, you know ball same from all around the world so you might think this guy is really here I want to improve this idea you look for a ball to improve that trait. So yeah, I think that's you know, quite exciting. Absolutely. Well absolutely that's your passion that's what you got to be excited about. You're living your dream and you're doing what you need to do. Well let's see so what's your plan for the next 10 years for yourself for your farm you've had that you've already had like a massive lean so early in your age like what how do you say you gotta keep improving so what's your path for improvement? What do you want to do? Yeah, I suppose Yeah, I was Yeah, I've been lucky enough to to be married now to court and got hers she'll be below shipping over 12 weeks so and courts been really the journey so I think courts been really good off probably she's courts and pretty good balancing anything in life a different perspective. You know, I got married last year and went on a family trip overseas and went on a honeymoon and probably getting a little bit more now so I think for me it's just having that balance right before then it wasn't because I had to work hard and put things in place to to get somewhere so I suppose you know for me I want to be you know the best husband and dad I can be so it's having that balance right so I suppose it's changed you know the goalposts have changed a little bit but you know, for me when you're paying down debt, you're giving yourself options so and actually you aren't sure what you know that the future holds but for me while interest rates are low, I'm hoping to get down debt down on it and opportunities will come up because you know, I've been lucky that I've been invest in different things or farm and I had no idea I was gonna invest in that is that but it just opportunities come up at the time so I think it's yeah for me just to consolidate pay down some debt and you know if opportunities come up whatever they may be, I might be in a position to to go there but I think it's just yeah that's the main thing now I suppose just suppose stealing a good platform yeah for a family how to create a good environment and and get to a stage where you know I can keep the playing sport I can go and watch them or whatever they're doing Yeah, I can I can Yeah, as I said the best husband that I can be I think you've done a fantastic thing like it's such an early age you've created your business right so farms a business you've created a business where it's hard to create that business or that asset which can provide and then you've then you've had a family with that big nightmare solid business in place there's one thing a lot of people do it the other way around, they might do pay YG for a long time they have a family I need to make more money than go and do a business which is really stressful risky thing to do already once you have a family so it's great to see that you've got that business framework you've done it through hard graft to get that really solid base and you knew that's what you want to do. And then you can build on top of that with the family and other things like that which I think is fantastic. Absolutely yeah yeah and I think you got to you got to consolidate sometimes you can't just kick bar and burn burn like Malden is got a good opportune now yet interest rates low and yes you know, that if you pay down for example 100 grand, whatever hell it is. You know, that returns probably not great but to me it's getting your debt down and it gives you options. Absolutely juniors come up. So they thank you very much john for your time. The video The so for anyone who's watching or listening the video itself 30 minutes It was good. And then after that for some reason, 30 minutes, the video, sort of you chopping it out. The audio is fine so thanks for that john. Oh so what's your handle food for Lisa holds things is that Glaister hostnames placed into place to house things and people look it up Instagram What else you got a workout anything else demimonde? Was it just the waist the whole thing stuff and the farm and the part time gig as well? yeah pretty much yeah just just displaced Holsteins yeah that's if anyone wants to say any farm stuff or whatever else putting out there what's going on here no worries thanks for your actually time john I hopefully a lot of people can take a lot out of this who's listening to the end is hopeful and probably bite might even come down to one with an actual live camera I reckon in the dairy that'd be pretty cool just as well we'll get that recorded on film maybe come that come a couple of months down so you find and do some filming maybe to see what I can do a club in person as well as this sort of fix up this zoom the zoom video but they compliment it but um I think it's quite easy I think it's very impressive I think reason why I want to talk to you about this is because I think it's great how someone you can just have you've had a long everyone says visions the most successful business people I know they always say the same thing. It sounds aloof. I've just had a vision or they had this thing they want to shape where they'll be might be owning a cleaning Empire or, you know, Jim's mowing or you want to own a farm right? So you have this vision and it's just an unrelenting thing just to get towards that you know, and there's lots of setbacks and a lot of grinding to get to it but everyone always who has that vision a strong vision always seem to get to it so it's fantastic to hear someone do at such an early age you know, thanks Joe. And there's no guarantees in life like I could still go broke yet so to me we got it. Oh my god, I know that but you know, it's there's no guarantees in business. So I think that's why you always be humble and striving to be better, but it's saying that you would regret not doing and that's the point right? So yeah, and that's something I've always thought no regrets, you know, and also on top I think it's very important you enjoy the journey. I know some successful people that have been you know, farming whatever, and they sort of get in their luck accordingly it's mine don't know what to do with it. So I think it's important that I actually think right now it's challenging, there's plenty going on, you got to enjoy the journey because you know, we all ended up with the same size grave at the end of the day. So I think Yeah, just just be humble and and you know, great power is one Come on us. Hopefully some people can get something out of because I love you know, hearing other people's stories and how they go about things as far as that's, yeah, it's just something as far as I've been. Yeah, Lucky luck in your life so far, so hopefully, people can get something out of it. So definitely, I'll come down to camera and we'll set up in the Darien door and they get the better the better video just to sort of compliment it with some shots. That's what we'll do, I reckon, but anyone who's listening or watching thanks for hanging around to the end and thanks for your time. Appreciate it. They've got a fixed internet connection out and terrain. The goblin deer dam being out there or this might be as good as what you're going to get it we Yeah, so tracing that around so waster I just anyone just just differentiate words to ride the ride I suppose. The easy way to put up your probability we're eating K is probably, you know, just just suppose northeast of poor fair. All those poor not half an hour from waterfalls. Yeah. Great. Thank you, Tom Johnson. Really appreciate it. Now, thanks, john. Cool work on your podcast. Thanks, man. Thanks, man. Thanks for listening to another episode of the authentic combos podcast. If you do me a favor, make sure you leave a rating or review on wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you would put the show notes you can find the list of various social media I'd love to hear from you. Good, bad, indifferent. Otherwise, who I should interview next, any tips for improvement, anything at all? Please connect with me really love to know your stories as well. If you do have them, drop them in the comments or send me a message. But Thanks again guys. And we'll see you again next week.

Jonathon GleesonProfile Photo

Jonathon Gleeson

Dairy Farm Owner

Jonathon Gleeson who is a dairy farmer in South West Victoria and has achieved purchasing a dairy farm by age 30 with no assistance, which is a remarkable achievement.

Jonathon goes into detail about how he exactly did this and also the mindset that is required to do this. He gives some great advice around long-term goal-setting and having a vision.