The decision to move away from milking cows was not an easy one for Tim and Marnie Dobson. However, the change in direction has initiated a ‘brakes-off’ approach and allowed the family to embrace new opportunities.
Having been involved in the dairy industry for 50 years as tenant farmers, it took the couple over 12-months to sell the herd, but it was a decision they had to make to be able to move forward.
“I was very frustrated that there was no room for growth in the dairy sector. I was capable of running a bigger business but I couldn’t grow because I couldn’t raise the capital,” says Tim.
“We were stuck in a cycle of price taking, poor growth and boredom but now the only limit to growth is our imagination.”
Goat farming
The move into goat farming was initiated after a trip to Canada and was attractive due to the lack of restrictions on land, capital and quotas associated with the industry.
“We started by running the goats and cows together with the first goats reared by hand, processed by a local butcher and sold at the farm gate.
“The realisation that there was a demand for goat meat led us to believe this was a growth area we could build on, hence the decision to sell the cows in 2008.” Click here to read the full story behind Chestnut Meats >>>
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Having been involved in the dairy industry for 50 years as tenant farmers, it took the couple over 12-months to sell the herd, but it was a decision they had to make to be able to move forward.
“I was very frustrated that there was no room for growth in the dairy sector. I was capable of running a bigger business but I couldn’t grow because I couldn’t raise the capital,” says Tim.
“We were stuck in a cycle of price taking, poor growth and boredom but now the only limit to growth is our imagination.”
Goat farming
The move into goat farming was initiated after a trip to Canada and was attractive due to the lack of restrictions on land, capital and quotas associated with the industry.
“We started by running the goats and cows together with the first goats reared by hand, processed by a local butcher and sold at the farm gate.
“The realisation that there was a demand for goat meat led us to believe this was a growth area we could build on, hence the decision to sell the cows in 2008.” Click here to read the full story behind Chestnut Meats >>>
Read more case studies like this: