Mick & Julie Fusinato - June // 2026 Mental Health Calendar

Third-generation on the same 200 acres his grandfather bought in 1939, Mick Fusinato never planned to be a dairy farmer — but 30-plus years later he wouldn’t swap it. He and Julie (a Shady Creek dairy girl) started tough: big debt, wet winter, dry summer, Bonlac collapse, and a little later, the heartbreaking loss of Julie’s sister to suicide. They gritted their teeth, dried the herd off every winter and escaped to beaches in Fiji, Thailand, anywhere warm, coming back fresh for calving on August 1.

They kept it simple — same system today as day one, milking 160 cows seasonally now with the help of share-farmer Nathan (a young gun they’re giving a real crack). Low cell count, industry gold awards, tidy profit, no complications. Mick’s rule: “You can’t control weather or price — just do what you can with what you’ve got. If you finish the year with a dollar after paying the bills, you’ve had a good year.”

Italian roots run deep: homemade wine, salami and dreams of making cheese one day.

Their small joys? Mick on the motorbike checking paddocks or a round of golf, Julie with gardening, chocolate and caring for grandkids.

Their message to every Gippsland farmer:

“Keep it simple. Control what you can, forget the rest. Give the next generation a go — and never miss a winter holiday!”

Mick & Julie Fusinato – proof that grit, a good marriage, a glass of homemade red and four weeks off can make a small farm golden.