JASON Schilg’s grandfather trapped rabbits to pay for his first farm at Jindera.
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Fifty-six years later the family has shut the property gate at Rosedale for the last time, bringing to an end a poignant chapter of their lives.
For Jason, last week’s auction of the 298-hectare property was a day of mixed emotions.
Rosedale had been his father Leon’s pride and joy and where he had grown some of the best crops of his career.
Tragically, Leon was not to enjoy the final fruits of his labour after losing his life in a farm accident in 2012.
He died in his son’s arms after falling into a grain auger on a property they farmed together at Rand.
Walking into the auction room at The Albury Club last Friday, Jason fought back tears as Rosedale went under the hammer in three lots.
Together with his mum Sandra, sister Nicole and their family and friends, Jason watched as the “premier lifestyle property” on the outskirts of Jindera was snapped up by eager bidders, exceeding all sale expectations.
Although, according to Jason, Rosedale went for exactly what Leon always said it was worth.
Lot 1, comprising 120.5 hectares, went for $980,000; Lot 2, comprising 120.5 hectares and the original homestead went for almost $1.08 million; and the final lot of 56.86 hectares sold for $400,000, all to local interests.
But for the Schilgs, the memories of Rosedale are priceless.
Leon had left school at 16 to join his father Keith on the family property.
And it was there Jason learned to drive his first header at 15, with Leon and Keith bellowing instructions, including orders to slow down.
Their words of warning were ignored by the headstrong lad.
“Dad and my grandfather kept telling me to slow down or I would block up the header,” Jason recalled.
“I was young and full of confidence ... of course I blocked up the header.
“They left me there for five hours to unblock it by hand and I had no skin left on my fingers.”
It was at the Jindera property, with dad Leon by his side, that Jason was to learn the fundamentals of growing good crops.
And it was there the foundations were laid for the partnership between father and son that saw expansive grain-growing operations established at Jindera, Walla and Rand.
But it was with Rosedale that Leon’s heart lay, according to Jason.
“He loved the outlook of the property, its reliable rainfall and fertile ground,” he said.
“It was a very hard decision to sell.”
As one chapter closes, another has opened for Jason, his wife Shelley and their children Campbell, Breanna and Larissa who recently purchased neighbouring properties at their Walla home, Hill & Dale, to amalgamate the farm enterprise into one 900-hectare parcel.
It was a move Leon would have approved, according to Jason.
“When Dad bought Hill & Dale in 1987 it was not the whole property and so we have now purchased it all back,” he said.
“I reckon he would have been happy about that.”
Paull & Scollard principal Stephen Paull agrees Leon would be proud of his son’s vision for the future.
Mr Paull, who has acted for the Schilg family all his working life, said Leon would have been sad to farewell the family farm but thrilled with the sale result.
“It was a good quality parcel of land in a premier location,” Mr Paull said.
“People knew there was a genuine reason for sale and given the lack of available land in close proximity to Albury it was keenly sought after.
“The family has been deservedly well-rewarded and it’s good to see Jason continue to maximise growth in his farming operations.”
For Jason, who has 1600 hectares under crop, including lease and share farming, the season looks good “so far”.
He will miss Leon’s wise counsel as the next harvest looms but at the same time he is ready to start a new era.
“Dad always said never give up,” Jason said.
“That encouraged me to start a new chapter and I’m pretty excited about the future.”
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