Client Stories » Nick Miller

Relaxed and confident in a tough farming season!

A lack of physical and mental stress in a tough season has been a revelation for Growfarm® client Nick Miller of Mandeville. “This 2014-15 year has provided some challenges climate-wise,” says Nick, “but I have found I have more pasture cover to feed stock even better, I have more condition on stock and I am making more profit! I have learned how I can do this in any year with the help of the Growfarm® System.”

After being with Growfarm® for 2 years, Nick has turned his 2200ha farm into a very resilient and profitable enterprise. “I am amazed at how well things have worked really”, says Nick, “especially with this year having a poorer climate than last year. My profits are up and I am a lot more relaxed. Mind you when you understand how farm profit actually works, it is pretty logical. That is exactly how I like it and I am learning a lot from Growfarm®!”

Before becoming part of the Growfarm® team, Nick (who is in partnership with his parents) was doing just fine in his business. “Things were OK but we couldn’t see how we could move the business forward to help us achieve what we wanted to achieve,” remembers Nick. “We were tapped out and couldn’t really lift things in the old way of thinking without investing huge amounts of capital and time. Now that I know how to do it with less energy than I thought, the future looks pretty bright for our business.”

“We had a lot of animals that were being fed below what they should have been fed and I couldn’t seem to get out of the cycle of having to sell a lot of store lambs at the end of the season.” Nick has discovered how to use stocking rate to reach key pasture cover targets through the year, allowing full feeding of the right animals at the right times.

Simplifying his system has been instrumental in creating his new results. “The old thinking that higher stocking rates and intensification causes profit just doesn’t really wash anymore,” says Nick. “Growfarm® has taught me how to control my stocking rates to be suitable for full feeding during profit periods. I am set up ahead proactively for my key times and things just seem to work! I am finding I have more time to plan and spend with family. My staff enjoy the workload too. They are responding to the workload and better communication practices we have put in place.”

Nick and his family now view the future with a lot of excitement. “I am looking forward to creating the results that will get our business into a strong position and allow us to take the next few steps. My parents are enjoying not having to be tied to the farm and I can see what my next steps are. I now know how to get there and this has done wonders for my confidence in the future.”

“Regardless of what happens in the industry, we are well placed to move forward and that means a lot to me.”