YOUR HOSTS
Green Cow Ventures is a social enterprise giving a hand up with dignity to Australian cattle farmers who are doing it tough. They are creating win-win solution for their farming partners and private money partners.
This interview will delve into the journey of this innovative and agile start-up company. It’s a story of how one entrepreneur pulled a team together and turned a good idea into an innovative venture that makes good business sense while also helping people.
Many Australian farmers have been struggling from the combination of long drought and financial pressures. Many have had to sell their herds to make ends meet and are unable to continue to make an income.
Green Cow Ventures believed that there must be a better approach that can help farmers with their cash flow and allow them to stay on their, often multi-generational, farms. They partner with the farmers in a joint venture where they provide the capital required, business management experience and the environmentally controlled feed system. This feed system operates 365 days of the year, independent of the weather. The farmer then provides their land and farming expertise.
Even if you are not specifically interested in the benefits of investing in Australian agriculture, there is a gold mine in the discussion on social enterprise and starting and growing a business.
Peter Hall grew up in a country town in Queensland, started his career as a hydraulic technician with the Australian Airforce while playing League at a competitive level in Toowoomba, Ipswich and Brisbane. After coaching and 20 years in club and district sports management, he progressed to Leagues club and Hotel management in Harvey Bay and then the Gold Coast where he was also heavily involved with the surf lifesaving movement. He then became involved in real estate and also became a commercial property agent. For the last few years, he has been working with the leading environmentally controlled fodder system company Fodder Solutions. Driven by a passion born through witnessing the harsh financial reality of his own parents farm and then his sisters farm and many other farmers over the years, Peter saw fodder solutions as a genuine answer for many farmers problems. This passion inspired then an idea that has now been adopted into Green Cow Venture’s business model.
Peter O’Donnell, the Managing Director, has a long history in starting and growing businesses, sales and finance. He has the scar tissue as proof that he has graduated from the school of hard knocks. He started his first business at 14 years old while still at school and holding a part time job. He has grown businesses from a handful of staff to an Australia wide as well as having multi-million dollar clients.
THE POINT DATE
TUESDAY
5:15 PM
AEST
TIME LEFT
