I want to
expand my farm
Smart Finance for Farm Expansion
Every dairy farmer knows the situation. The land next door comes up for sale. Not only is it a once-in-a -lifetime opportunity, it’s the ideal opportunity to grow the farm business. You’ve done the numbers, talked to the bank, and secured funding for the purchase. But that’s just the first step.
More land requires more cows, and banks don’t have the same appetite to fund livestock.
And that’s where many farmers hit a wall. They’ve tied up all their capital in the new land and it leaves little money left to stock it. Waiting years to build up herd numbers means missing out on the full potential of your investment.
That’s where CowBank can help.
“I’ve secured a loan for land, but how do I finance the cows I need to make it pay?”
How CowBank Helps
Using dairy cow finance to take advantage of an expansion opportunity is one of the main reasons clients choose CowBank.
Whether it's financing the extra milking cows, or unlocking equity in your current herd to fund a deposit - CowBank can help to make it happen.
CowBank has also financed the required dairy cows when traditional ‘ag lenders’ only provided finance for land.
This enabled dairy farmer clients to expand their business and immediately take advantage of this additional land by using it to milk extra dairy cows.
Make your land investment generate income from day one.
Tax-deductible lease payments reduce overall costs.
No bank roadblocks – Often banks don’t fund livestock, but CowBank specialises in tailored finance for your herd.
Access to professional advice
Utilising your assets
“It is important to recognise when an investment - such as cows - has such a good payoff, that it is worth the additional financing cost to get the substantial immediate benefit that’s on offer.
Unfortunately sometimes farmers are under-utilising their farm assets and their capability, because they don’t consider using livestock finance.”
- Rob Banks, CowBank
Case Study
Buying land - Free up capital
“CowBank’s confidence in our operation got us over the line.”
The opportunity to buy the neighbours farm at auction, and double his dairy operation, was too good to refuse for Tim Dwyer.
The Gippsland dairy farmer had bank finance approved for the auction, but he knew competition would be fierce and he needed a little more wriggle room.
Frequently Asked Questions
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CowBank can move quickly compared to some traditional lenders. Some dairy farmers can receive approval within 1 week.
This varies depending on each individual situation. Once approved, the money can be available in 1-2 days.
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Exactly that - CowBank does not tie up your land, house or any other asset when you lease cows. The cows, themselves, are the security. You don’t even need to necessarily own land to lease cows through CowBank.
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Say you want to buy 300 cows, but don’t want to add them to your herd all at once. CowBank can approve your loan for the 300 cows and you can choose when to add them into your herd. For example, 100 could be added straight away and then another 100 in spring - when there’s more feed - for example and the remainder, when it suits your business.
At CowBank we are practical. We know you may not want all your cows calving at the same time, we also know that homegrown feed fluctuates - that’s why we offer finance for the real world.
The money can be approved as one total loan facility and it can be drawn as separate tranches.
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CowBank trusts that each dairy farmer knows what type of cows work best in their business. Many dairy farmers choose to source their own cows either through existing contacts or their trusted stock agent. For others, CowBank has an extensive network of buyers and agents who work with farmers right across the country to secure the stock they need.
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Unlike banks, which require land as security, CowBank secures finance against the cows themselves—keeping your land, home, and equipment unencumbered. Our approval process is faster, more flexible, and tailored to the needs of dairy farmers, rather than rigid bank lending criteria.