Although we as Interfarms have already guided quite a lot of farmers abroad, every relocation remains something special. This also applies to the emigration of the Pol family to Victoria, Australia. In April 2021, Albert and Carin left the dairy farm in Groningen with their children to settle down in Jancourt East, a beautiful area west of Melbourne city. Albert, Carin and the children Nico (19) and Jacquelien (16) have been in Australia for more than 2 months at the time of the interview. Son Harm-Jan (22) stayed in the Netherlands to complete his studies at the Aeres Hogeschool in Dronten. He is expected to come to Australia next winter. Friend Leonie (22) will follow later after completing her International Business studies at Aeres Hogeschool in Dronten.
Outside of Europe
When asked since when the Pol family thought about moving abroad, it turns out that it has been around for a long time. “When we first got married, we sometimes travelled around to see if we wanted to start a company in another country. It didn't happen then," says Carin. “Abroad sometimes haunted my mind. We wanted more space and tranquillity. At one point the children indicated that they would like to continue farming, but not in the Netherlands. We were immediately convinced that it had to be outside Europe. Within Europe, you are too dependent on other countries and the growing European legislation and regulations. Canada also fell, despite the fact that our family lives there; the cold winters do not appeal to us. After eldest son Harm-Jan returned enthusiastically from his internship in Australia in 2017, emigration was actively on our mind from that moment on."
Orientation trip
At the end of 2018, the whole family traveled around Australia for more than 3 weeks. They have visited companies in the east and west, and they also visited Tasmania: “we gained a lot of ideas and experiences during this trip. After this trip, the children unanimously agreed that their future is in Australia!”
Visa application
Hester Freriksen of subsidiary Visa4you took care of the visa application for the Pol family. The process started in the spring of 2019. A process that normally takes a year to complete. The first step was the application for the State of Victoria. This application was approved in June, and they were able to proceed with their visa application. Corona threw a spanner in the works and as a result the visa application was delayed. At the beginning of 2021, the opportunity arose to apply for a 'travel exemption'. This means that an exception is made for people to travel into Australia. Farming is regarded as a vital profession, for which this travel exemption was applicable. From that moment on, things got going and they had the visa in February 2021!
Bought on paper
Emigration is a special process. The most special thing for Albert and Carin was perhaps to buy a company without ever having seen it. “Following our orientation trip in 2018 (when it was very dry there) we had a clear wish list: a family dairy farm in the state of Victoria. In this state, there is a natural rainfall of 900 to 1000 mm and you do not need a water permit – compared to New South Wales for example. Together with our emigration counselor, Ewoud de Leeuw from Interfarms Australia, we kept a close eye on the real estate market. Our plan was to go to Australia in the summer of 2020 to visit companies, but that was impossible because of covid. The state of Victoria has a seller's market; in other words, there is relatively little supply and high demand. When a (dairy) cattle farm comes up for sale, it is quickly sold. We also experienced that. So when a suitable company came onto the market in December, we took the plunge. Ewoud maintained all contacts with the broker and conducted the negotiations for us. It was very nice to be able to fall back on his many years of knowledge of the Australian market. The definitive answer soon came: The deal was done! It felt very strange for us to make such a large investment without having seen it. That is not farm-specific", says Albert.
Dairy farm with 250 dairy cows
The Pol family's dairy farm is located in a tourist area; they live on the Great Ocean Road route. The immediate neighbors live about half a kilometer away. Real countryside with cattle, sheep farmers and timber companies. On their dairy farm, 250 cows are milked and they have 191 hectares of land. The company has a capacity of 400 cows, but this space is not used (at the moment). In the coming period, they mainly want to use it to carry out maintenance, to keep production going and to optimize it. “The cows are out here all year round. The tree walls provide shelter for livestock on hot and wetter days. There is only one milking parlor on the farm. The house we will soon be living in has a lot of comfort. The facilities are very different than in the Netherlands. We have no gas connection and the rainwater is collected to be used for drinking water."
Early in Australia
July 1, 2021 was the transfer of the company; that's when the new financial year will also start in Australia. Because they were already in Australia in April, they were able to pay a lot of attention to the start-up and acquaintance with the region during this first period. “We hadn't thought of being at the company location more than two months before the transfer. But the plane tickets became so expensive that in February 2021 we decided to book the tickets for April. This saved us almost €20,000! And in retrospect, we were able to make good use of this first period. We could recommend it to anyone, for that matter. In our case there was a second home in the yard and we could already move in there. We have already been able to arrange a lot during this time, such as applying for the license to produce milk, the choice of a dairy (we can choose from several here), a Chamber of Commerce number, VAT number, the vet, etc. We also use this time to get acquainted with the livestock and perform maintenance. We can then fully concentrate on the cows after the transfer.” The only thing left to do is wait for the four containers with machines and household goods. They brought a tractor, a telescopic handler, a fertilizer spreader and mowers from the Netherlands. This shipment takes a lot of time and requires a lot of paperwork, so they have engaged a specialist for this.
Mighty beautiful!
When asked how Jacquelien and Nico are doing, Jacquelien answers; "It's mighty beautiful in Australia! In the beginning I was amazed at how hilly it is here." She has been going to the Secondary School for a few weeks now, where she goes by school bus. If you compare it with the Netherlands, it is a combination of primary and secondary school. The Secondary School consists of grades 7 to 12, of which Jacquelien is in the 10th year. Also different than in the Netherlands, wearing a uniform. “It took some getting used to at first, but it was also easy. You don't have to think about what to wear. Thanks to school, I'm already getting pretty integrated and I already have a few friends.'
Son Nico has to wait a little longer before he can start his studies. Nico: 'The academic year here starts in February. So I can't go to the university where I will probably study Agricultural Business Administration until 2022. In the meantime, I want to get my driver's license and do an English course. I also think it would be great to work on my pilot's license. There are good opportunities for this in Australia. I especially enjoy the space and freedom we have here. In the beginning it was all quite exciting, but I have no regrets for a single moment!"
Carin and Albert also notice the differences with the Netherlands: The agricultural sector is highly valued. We have not been able to discover any limitations yet. There is no manure accounting or other environmental regulations. Records must only be kept for the use of medicines. In the Netherlands we had a business management system in which everything was recorded. They don't know that here. There are 14 different systems for registering company affairs. Anyway, there is less administrative work to arrange and that saves a lot of time. Australians are easier and relaxed, as a Dutch person you have to respect that.
All in the same direction
Hendrik Jan Achterhof of Interfarms | Achterhof Makelaardij was the selling broker for their dairy farm with 90 dairy cows and 31 hectares of land in Oldehove in Groningen. "Short lines and clear communication characterizes Achterhof’s approach. We got along well and that also applies to our collaboration with Hester and Ewoud", says Albert. When emigrating, it is difficult to determine the moment of sale, but also the moment at which you inform your environment and direct neighbors about the emigration plans. After all, it remains uncertain for a long time about whether or not to obtain the visa. “It was very nice for us to have experienced specialists next to you. The sales process went very quickly. The company was put on sale in October 2020 and it was already sold in December." Looking back on the entire emigration process, Albert thinks of a comment from Hendrik Jan Achterhof; he then indicated that he thought it was very special that the family was behind it 100% during the entire visa, emigration and sales process. During such radical processes. You sometimes see doubts arise within the family. "This is certainly not the case with us; everyone had and has their noses in the same direction!"
