James Greenacre is a dairy farmer based near the town of Cressy, located about half an hour southwest of Launceston in the central north of Tasmania. His farm is situated in an irrigation area and operates with 100% irrigation. James manages about 1,300 cows on his farm and has recently taken on a second farm where 550 cows are milked. Though his operation today is impressive, James' path into farming wasn’t a typical one, and his story reflects the challenges and opportunities that come with entering the farming industry.
James didn’t grow up on a farm, but from a young age, he felt a strong pull toward farming. “I’m not from a farming background,” he says, “but I think I spent a bit of time herding the dogs around the kitchen and the teddy bears around the kitchen as a young kid. I guess I’d always wanted to be a farmer, but not coming from a farming background, I couldn’t quite see a pathway into it.” Without a direct route into farming, James took a different path, heading off to school and later to university where he studied commerce and law. He worked for two years as a business analyst for an agricultural company, thinking perhaps that was his way into the agricultural world. However, farming continued to tug at him. He even considered becoming a country GP with farming as a side pursuit, leading him to study medicine for 18 months. “I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t really me,” he admits. “Once I got into the hospitals on placements, I realised that the gap year I was taking studying medicine was getting awfully serious, and I wanted to go and do something else.”
By his mid to late 20s, James had gathered the courage to pursue the career he’d always dreamed of. “I probably grew a set to go and do what I’d actually always wanted to do,” he says with a laugh. “That was probably eight and a half years ago, and essentially went from cutting up cadavers on a Thursday to milking cows on the Tuesday. It was a quick transition, but I haven’t looked back.”
His move into farming came at a time when entering the industry was becoming more difficult. He acknowledges the challenges faced by aspiring farmers today, particularly with rising land prices and the increasing difficulty of securing farm gate returns that justify those prices. “It’s really challenging,” James says. “It’s just so hard, and it’s also really hard for us. We’re actually in an equity partnership on our farm here, and we’re very fortunate. We’re not from Tasmania, we’re from New South Wales. We came to Tasmania on our honeymoon, and the deal was that every farm visit we had was a night in a hotel rather than camping. So we did a few farm visits, and kind of serendipitously met our current business partners on that trip. From that, we’ve been very fortunate to be able to get into a business and then leverage our way into some land.”
James is clear, though, that while getting into farming is hard enough from a financial perspective, finding the right partners is also critical and challenging. “It’s just so difficult finding not just actually coming up with the dollars and cents, but probably finding the partners along the way that are properly aligned to what you’re wanting to do, and that aren’t trying to take advantage of you. It’s incredibly difficult.”
When asked about the differences between dairy farming in Australia and New Zealand, James reflects on the different regulatory environments. “Whenever we have Kiwis come and visit us, we actually use a New Zealand consultant, and whenever he comes and visits us he’s surprised about how little regulations we have comparatively. But in saying that, it’s just a matter of time until we become more tightly regulated.” James believes that farmers need to be forward-thinking in their preparation for inevitable regulatory changes. He also admires the way New Zealand farmers have adapted to the country’s strict environmental regulations. “New Zealand farmers are just so good at adapting to conditions,” he says. “I think it’s probably just a really good example of getting on with it and moving through it, but we’re very fortunate. We just don’t have the regulations yet that you have in New Zealand.”
A notable aspect of James’ farming business is his use of Knowby, a digital tool that allows farmers to create step-by-step guides for various tasks. Knowby simplifies training and instruction by allowing users to include descriptions, photos, and videos, which can be accessed via QR codes. James was an early adopter of Knowby, thanks to his vet, who is one of the tool’s founders. “Before Knowby, we were having to write up procedures on how to connect the vat or how to turn the milking machine on,” he explains. “Whereas with the phone, you’re able to build a Knowby in about six minutes, and you’ve set the dairy up too. It’s very quick to build them, and it allows you to clearly outline exactly what it is you need to do.”
Knowby has been a game changer for James’ farm, particularly in terms of training staff. “As farmers, we all have these curveballs—turning certain things on or off, or valves here or there. Trying to describe a lot of that stuff on the phone is very difficult,” he says. The simplicity and clarity provided by Knowby have helped James and his team manage tasks more effectively, especially when new or inexperienced staff are involved. He recalls a time when a backpacker, with no prior experience in farm work, successfully followed a Knowby guide to operate a pivot and diesel pump. “He’d never turned a pivot on, never turned a diesel pump on, and he’d never had any exposure to anything like this. He came back 10 minutes later and said, ‘Yep, the water’s going out, the pivot’s moving, and the light’s flashing.’ I just wouldn’t have been able to explain that on the phone.”
The positive impact of the platform extends beyond just practical tasks. James has seen how it empowers his staff, giving them the confidence to handle problems on their own. He mentions how, after a power outage one morning, his team was able to get the generator running without him, something that would have required his immediate attention in the past. “That’s great for me because I get a bit more sleep,” he jokes, “but it’s also really good for the staff because when I turn up at the dairy and see everything’s running, I can say, ‘Great work, guys.’ It provides them with both implicit and explicit feedback.”
Safety is another key area where Knowby has made a difference on James’ farm. The tool allows staff to acknowledge they’ve received and understood training, ensuring compliance with safety procedures. “Accidents often happen when people aren’t fully equipped to handle a certain piece of equipment or situation,” James notes. “From a compliance perspective, Knowby ticks that box, and it helps impart knowledge in a really simple and easy way.” He believes that by disseminating information effectively, platforms like Knowby contribute to creating a safer work environment and improving overall well-being for his team.
Looking ahead, James is optimistic about the future of his farm. He’s currently in the final stages of calving and preparing for irrigation, using centre pivot and K-line systems. Spring growth can be unpredictable, but so far, things are going well. While he’s open to expanding his business further, he’s mindful of the importance of having the right people in place to support that growth. “We try to run a highly systemised farm,” he says. “I once went to a farm and they said, ‘You’ve got to set up your farm so that it can be run by monkeys.’ At that point, I realised that I was probably the monkey.”
Although growth opportunities in his area are limited, with only a handful of dairies nearby, James is confident that by keeping his systems simple and focusing on building a strong team, his farm is well-positioned for the future.
Have a listen to the podcast to hear the full story.
Angus Kebbell is the Producer at Tailwind Media. You can contact him here.
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