Farmers Fast Five: Gregor Ramsay

We ask a farmer five quick questions about agriculture and what farming means to them. Today we chat to Southland dairy farmer Gregor Ramsay.

1.What did your journey into farming look like?

I grew up in a very rural village in Scotland. My mum is a teacher, and my dad was part of his family’s engineering business. My older brother and I loved farming however and found jobs on local farms from a very young age. I worked during weekends and holidays on a beautiful little family dairy farm until I was 13 and then started working on a larger scale 500 cow dairy farm where they processed and sold their own milk in bottles across central Scotland. This experience in dairy farming really lit a fire underneath me to pursue a career in the industry. I gained my BSc (HONS) in Agriculture and Business Management before heading to New Zealand on my OE where I worked on dairy farms in Southland. After returning to Scotland, I became very “home sick” from New Zealand and decided that after a few years working as a milk supply manager for a dairy co-operative I needed to move back and pursue my life-long goal of owning my own herd of cows someday. The sharemilking model, underpinned by a very strong co-operative has helped create this huge opportunity for young people to enter the industry and thrive. It’s amazing!

2.Tell us a little bit about your farming operation

We are currently in our third season 50-50 sharemilking 320 cows near Riverton. This is our 7th season as sharemilkers. Our herd is an even split of Jerseys and Friesians. The farm is 108ha and is flat to rolling and has shelter belts planted throughout the property. We like to maximise our herds potential by feeding a high-quality blend through the shed and pre-mowing for much of the season to increase dry matter intakes. From this we achieve 600kgMS/cow.

3.What challenges have you faced in your farming business, and how have you tackled those challenges?

Our biggest challenge has been the fact we are halfway across the world and don’t have family around us for support. But in saying that, we have an amazing group of friends who are also on similar journeys and so we all support each other. Another challenge has been staying disciplined. There are always times along the journey where you feel a lot more comfortable than others and that’s usually the first sign to let you know that the time is right to make the next jump before you start deviating from your goal. Easier said than done!

4.What has been a major highlight for you in your farming journey?

So many! Watching our very first cows walking off the truck. Running around the South Island picking up items from TradeMe and clearing sales to set up our business. Buying our first ever brand-new tractor. Achieving 600kgMS/cow. This whole journey has been a highlight to be honest. A dream come true!

5.What advice would you have for the next generation of farmers?

Perhaps a strange one, but…….take a million pictures. Your journey will be long and winding and it’s vitally important that you never forget where it started and what you have achieved over the years. I love looking back at pictures we took years ago. It always brings happiness.