Jason Melbourne, a native of Tramore, Co. Waterford, is a prime example of how structured partnerships can open doors to a full-time career in dairy farming.
Growing up alongside his uncle’s dairy farm, from where he purchased his first heifer calf at 11 years of age, Jason always knew he wanted to farm.
After completing his Leaving Certificate, Jason attended Gurteen College for two years before undertaking the Level 7 Professional Dairy Farm Management course in Moorepark.
With no family farm to inherit, he set his sights on a management role or partnership, adding: “I wasn’t going to get a farm, so I wanted to be involved with some kind of arrangement”.
Through his local Teagasc office, a connection was made with a dairy farmer seeking to enter a partnership arrangement. In 2021, he entered a two-way partnership, milking 140 cows. Two years later, another partnership was formed with a neighbouring farmer, allowing for the formation of a three-way partnership now milking 320 cows on a 109ha milking platform, and operating a profit-sharing arrangement.
As to the beauty of this partnership, each partner only works every third weekend; one day off per week is also facilitated during busy times of the year such as calving.
For any kind of arrangement or partnership to succeed, Jason added, it has to be a win-win for everyone. Without buy-in from all involved, the partnership structure won’t work. As to the benefits of partnership arrangements, Jason sees them as an area of great potential for the next generation of farmers to enter farming, especially important giving the age profile of Irish dairy farmers.
Jason also credits the Level 7 Professional Dairy Farm Management course as being a key driving factor in his career progression to date. It opened doors and allowed for the creation of contacts with some of the country’s best dairy farmers, along with exposing participants to the latest research and technologies from Moorepark through taught lectures from Teagasc researchers.
For more on Jason Melboure’s story, watch the video below: