Dick and Lynne Bridle have been a familiar sight at the East Gippsland Livestock Exchange in recent times, as they downsize their farming operations and sell their beloved herd.
“It’s a massive thing for us,” Lynne said, her voice tinged with emotion.
After 32 years in the dairy industry and almost 25 years dairying at Hillside, the couple has sold the majority of their Hillside farm to local vegetable farmers, Malcolm and Dean Cox.
Time of life and the value of their land were major factors in the decision to downsize.
“On country like this you either need to be wealthy, or milk cows or grow veggies,” Dick said.
“We’ve had enough of milking and we’re too old to do veggies, so we’ve sold it on to a family who can.”
Having already sold their dairy herd, the couple sent the rest of their first and second-cross dairy/Angus breeders and their July-September calves at foot, to the late September store sale.
Spread across 10 pens the cows and calves sold well with the youngest cows hotly contested, eventually making $3000 a unit, which set a precedent for the rest.
The couple was particular about what happened to their cows, and who bought them.
“Lynne reared them and selling them was distressing enough for her,” Dick said.
“We told our agent money was important, but we didn’t want them going to processors.”
There were two buyers active on the majority of the pens, with one from Yarram and the other from Ballarat.
“We were happy about who the cows and calves went to,” Dick said.
“They have river flat in Yarram and a lot of crop in front of them at Ballarat.”
Wyndham and Co livestock agent, Colin Jones, said the Bridles’ cattle presented extremely well, with all the calves at foot looking very fresh.
“All but two pens went to Ballarat, with the two going to Yarram,” Mr Jones said.
“Two pens made $3000 a unit, and the 95 units averaged $2680.”
As for the Bridles’ future, the decisions are still being discussed and considered.
The couple will keep 25 heifers, 300 megalitres of water and a 40-acre buffer between their house and the veggies.
At the moment, both their kids live away, travelling and ‘looking for their forever homes’.
“We’ll catch our breath and work through it, it’s a bit premature to be talking about retirement,” the couple said.
“Here at Hillside will do for now.”
