A MAJOR farm enterprise near Mount Schank has changed hands with Malcolm and Karen Kilsby selling the 520ha property for $6.2m.
Started by Mr Kilsby’s grandfather in 1948, the Glendene stud has been in the family for three generations and is home to around 1800 ewes and 65 cows.
Purchased by Thomas Foods International earlier this year, the Kilsby property includes cattle and sheep yards and a shearing and machinery storage shed in addition to a three-bedroom home.
The Mount Schank property will add to the agricultural firm’s expanding Limestone Coast portfolio.
Starting work life on the farm as a 14-year-old, Mr Kilsby said there had been a lot of new advancements in the industry, some he embraced and others he chose to continue doing the “old school” way.
“We have a lot of limestone and rocks around here so you know you would be out ploughing and you would hit something,” he said.
“You would then either have to roll it back in or pick it up by hand, but now you have rock-smashing machines that do all the work for you.
“A lot of the new technologies around sheep breeding is something we have not done a lot of.
“We have always picked sheep by looking at them and have a good intuition of what they are like.
“We do things visually and then use figures and data at the end of the process, so a bit different to other producers.”
During his 44-year career in the industry, Mr Kilsby said it was hard to single out highlights, adding some of his fondest memories came from being part of the Mount Gambier Agricultural and Horticultural Show Society.
From a young age, Mr Kilsby always knew he could judge sheep, which led him to become a qualified national show judge and the show society president.
“It started from my grandfather,” he said.
“He was always right into showing sheep, then my mum and dad are both life members of the show society, so it was just always in the family.
“I took a step back from being president, but I am still active within the show society as part of the features committee, so it is still something that is important in my life.”
Mr Kilsby said entering sheep at the Royal Adelaide Show always gave him a “sense of pride.”
“We have taken out most successful at the Adelaide Show for more than 10 years straight,” he said.
“It is a good feeling to know you are doing something right when it comes to your sheep.
“I think just having that knowledge you are doing the right things and you are able to build a successful business, as well as provide for your family is something to be proud of.”
Looking to the future, the Kilsbys will relocate closer to Mount Gambier in the coming months, but Mr Kilsby will continue working at his Moorak property to “keep busy.”
“I do not think I could fully retire from farming right now,” he said.
“You see too many people just stop all at once and then find themselves with nothing to do.
“I will not be doing a whole lot out at Moorak but just enough to keep busy and stay active.
“It has been a great lifestyle out at Mount Schank but we are looking forward to having some time to ourselves, maybe going on a few holidays and just enjoying more free time.”
