By ROBERT WHITE

WHEN Allison Potter had her baby son, Logan, 13 months ago, she knew that she couldn’t continue her career as a Murray Goulburn field officer.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like her role as a field officer at MG’s Leongatha branch, but she wanted to spend time with her new baby.

But at the same time, she didn’t see herself restricted to the sole role of motherhood.

“I enjoyed my five years as a field officer but when I had Logan, I knew that I didn’t want to go back,” she said.

But the next question was: “What else can I do?”

The answer unfolded mid last year when Allison and her husband, Aaron, and her brother, Rod, went into a dairy farming partnership.

The sharefarming contract on Allison and Rod’s parent’s farm at Poowing North in South Gippsland expired in July and the option became available for the brother and sister (and brother-in-law) act to be set in motion.

Now,the sibling partnership leases the 500ha property of Graeme and Marjorie Goode and they milk 300 cows in an 18-unit swingover shed.

The partnership has brought together an interesting set of skills. Rod,27, and Allison, 29, and another sister, Christine, 30, were all brought up on the farm and did their share of helping out as they grew up.

Rod worked on the farm for some time after leaving school but left to work for contractors, driving heavy machinery.

He also spent some time in Scotland doing similar contracting work before returning home where he set up his own small fencing contracting business.

Allison studied at university and moved on to become an MG field officer while Aaron, whose grandparents were dairy farmers, continues to drive milk tanker for transport contractors, McColls.

He is also an emergency milker on the farm when the need for help arises.

Christine is also available if an emergency situation arises.

The decision to give dairying a go was not a difficult one as they all brought experience of one sort or another to the table.

The first task was to find some cows. The previous sharefarmers owned their own herd so the trio had to start from scratch.

But luck was on their side and they were able to buy a mixed herd of 300 cows from a farmer who had decided to retire.

“It wasn’t too bad to be able to buy a good herd of cows only 10 minutes down the road,” said Allison.

For Rod, taking on farm work was a relatively easy step.

“I had always liked the farm and I enjoy the hands-on role,” he said.

Allison keeps the book work in order and takes her share of the milking roster.

“I actually like milking the cows. It’s a part of the day I enjoy,” she said.

Aaron’s tanker driving provides a valuable off-farm income and he still enjoys the work.

“I don’t mind driving but perhaps one day in the future I might come home to the farm to work.”

He also helps out in the milking shed to give his wife and brother-in-law a break.

Allison’s experience as a field officer has also taught her a variety of lessons and she said being in the role enabled her to be more aware of the whole dairying picture.

Her biggest fear is the day when a former colleague comes to the farm to conduct an audit.

“I don’t know who will be more nervous … me or the field officer.”

While the farm itself covers a large area, the cows are milked off about 200ha with the balance being used for cropping and a small beef herd.

Allison said the 300 cows now being milked was possibly the high point for the farm with the limiting factor being the size of the dairy.

In the meantime, the family partnership is still getting on its feet. But the trio remain thankful to Graeme and Marjorie for the chance to make a start in dairying.

“We know a lot of young people who would give anything to have been given the opportunity that we have. We understand that situation and we appreciate it,” said Allison.