The Middlebrooks who have been dairying in Gloucester for 109 years have nearly doubled the size of their dairy milking herd in a space of two weeks. They have done this by purchasing an additional 200 cows due to a neighbouring farm dispersal.
But this opportunity would not have been available last year due to the devastating dry conditions on their property Bowman Farm.
"Our season last year was horrific," Olivia Middlebrook said, who runs the property with her family including parents Trevor and Kelly along with brother Tom and partner Kyle Rush.
"For us in a normal 12 month period our bought-in feed bill is $600,000 but in the first eight months of last year we spent $1.3 million."
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At the time they had limited government support and relied on the generosity of their community.
"The community support was unbelievable, people even bought water for us anonymously," she said.
However, the Middlebrooks season turned around after nearly one metre of rain fell on their 1214 hectare property in January.
"We have now put away enough feed to get through until the end of the year and we are grazing twice daily, which is how we have been able to take on extra cows," she said.
Ms Middlebrook, who is fourth generation on the farm, said the farming operation was a family affair.
"I'm the herd manager doing everything from health to breeding and rearing the calves," she said.
"Dad runs the business, the boys do the pasture and machinery and mum's the queen that holds everything together. We all milk and rotate turns on the weekend."
Being a family operation also made it easier for the 'perfect work life balance", she said.
"I'm up at 4am to 8am milking then I spend time with my three-year-old Henry then back to milking in the afternoon," she said.,
Ms Middlebrook said she was passionate about getting more young people in the industry having undertaken dairy leadership programs.
"We just put on a young worker who came out to see what the dairy was all about and loved it so he stayed," she said.
Paying homage to dairy women
With a third of the dairy workforce women The Land wanted to highlight their efforts in the industry in this series Women in Dairy.
The women in this series talk about their journey in the dairy industry and how they have overcome obstacles in their farming operation.
They also speak about the lessons learned and what the future of their industry looks like.
This inspiring cohort prove that gender is no barrier to success in the dairy industry where they wear many hats and they demonstrate what resilience really is.
Related reading: Culture change embraces women in the dairy industry
As Belmore River dairy farmer Sue McGinn aptly puts it: "everyone of these women featured in this series are accomplished business women."
"We should celebrate women in the dairy industry because they bring a new dimension and balance," Mrs McGinn said.
Journalist based on the Mid North Coast for The Land.
Journalist based on the Mid North Coast for The Land.
