With the arrival of her third child, Trish Hammond’s career path took a new direction. The nurse and her dairy farmer husband Mark wanted to raise their kids in the country and have flexibility in their work-life balance. So, with no experience in agriculture, Trish took the leap into dairy farming full-time alongside Mark.
The pair knew a lot of capital would be required to establish their own dairy farm, so they looked at every option to make farm ownership a reality. In the end, they decided to give share farming a go to help secure their dream. The share farming agreement involved a profit split between themselves and another party, both with separate responsibilities as part of the deal.
Nine years later, they bought 319 acres of their own. The pair now run MPH Farming, a leading dairy operation at Labertouche in the Baw Baw Shire of Victoria, east of Melbourne.
Read Trish’s story of trading nursing for dairy farming
Watch Trish’s story
This case study is one of a series developed as part of the Community Perceptions and Worker Experiences Program. Check out the stories of other inspiring Australians who have entered the agricultural workforce.
Audrey Keck, whose dream of working outdoors with animals has become a reality
Georgia Beattie, CEO of Bulla Park, Australia’s largest organic mushroom farm
Pig farmers Tim and Mark Kingma, who have merged their skills to boost the family business
Alternatively, return to the Community Perceptions and Worker Experiences Program home page.
