About Glenthompson Pastoral Company
The Glenthompson Pastoral Company Pty. Ltd. (GPC) was established in 2008 by E A and J L Mann, the third generation of family graziers in the Western District of Victoria, however GPC incorporates the portfolio and operations of the E A Mann Family farming enterprise extending back some 30 years to date.
Today GPC remains a family owned and operated, agricultural business. The company holdings currently consist of four primary properties located throughout the Western District.
These include the following;
- Brie Brie, including Bilpah Hills, near Glenthompson
- Larra near Derrinallum
- Doonaree near Camperdown
- Bakers Bridge Farm near Bannockburn
GPC maintains a proud heritage and strives to produce exceptional quality livestock and produce to service both international and domestic markets.
The pastoral company remains committed to sustainability and land-care, and importantly maintains an ethos of animal husbandry based upon the firmly trusted belief that all stock benefit from conservative stocking rates and an implemented system of low-stress, grass-fed and free-range livestock management. Decades of experience have proven the stock to be happier and subsequently the produce to be better as a result of such management, thereby enabling GPC to deliver the highest standard of produce to the market, which remains a key goal for the pastoral company moving forward into the future
Above all practices, the principal focus of GPC is sheep and cattle farming. This includes the development of a very good fine Merino line, from which a percentage of the ewes are selected for breeding first-cross, prime lambs in combination with Border Leicester rams, from the GPC commercial ram stud. GPC additionally produces cross-bred wool, as well as finished sheep to service the demands of both the domestic and wider global meat industries.
The farming of cattle within GPC is a relatively diverse practise, consisting of the focussed selective breeding of Holstein Friesian dairy cattle as well as Belted Galloway rare-breed cattle, alongside with rearing, fattening and finishing of Holstein Friesian-Jersey cross heifers, Angus steers and a plethora of agistment cattle. Approximately 2,000 agistment cattle are taken on per annum across the various properties. In addition, within the annual cattle program GPC has been actively involved in breeding dairy cattle for export to Chinese and other global diary markets.
As aforementioned, the core focus of GPC is sheep and cattle farming, nevertheless the pastoral enterprise is an increasingly diverse operation comprising of varied fields including the following farming specialisations;
- Sheep farming; including both prime lambs and wool
- Cattle farming; including beef cattle, dairy cattle and rare breed beef cattle
- Dairying
- Cropping; for predominant purposes of internal, organisational supply and pasture improvement
- Agistment
- Horticulture; including the propagation of varied Australian native species, in addition to the establishment of significant plantations of English and European oak species across all properties
The Glenthompson Pastoral Company office is based at Larra and is managed by wonderful full-time office staff, providing day-to-day administrative support to the entire GPC team and additionally fielding all external enquiries.
Through mindful management GPC endeavours to foster a positive working culture and is very fortunate to have a dedicated and passionate team at the helm of all operations. This positive working environment is paramount to ensuring the outstanding health and wellbeing of all livestock, and indeed to the success of day-to-day operations. In addition, occupational health and safety are fundamentally important principles to GPC’s workplace practices. In accordance with this focus the company consistently aims to improve upon and upgrade standards of practice, and operational machinery, on an ongoing basis.