SOME farmers farm for the sake of it, others because they love it. Paul Higgins falls into the latter category.

He works as a rig mechanic offshore but enjoys getting back to his farm at Stockdale, near Stratford, in central Gippsland, Victoria, on alternate shift weeks.

And while his 47ha farm might be viewed as a hobby by some, it is worked as an intensive enterprise with a cropping program and rotational grazing.

Paul's wife, Lyn, is also heavily involved with the property.

"I enjoy what I do out there (on the rigs) but when I get back here this is what I really like to do," he said.

Small and absentee farmers often cop flack for mismanagement, among other things, but many operators such as Paul and Lyn have a keen approach and a passion to learn.

The couple has owned the farm for 16 years and run 21 breeding cows and calves plus trade steers, when feed supplies permit.

A three-hectare vineyard also keeps them busy and remains a work in progress.

Paul was brought up on the land on his parents' dairy farm at nearby Briagolong and has always had a strong farming interest.

He has mostly learnt the ropes by trial but also from attending information days such as BeefCheque.

The breeding herd is mostly Poll Hereford but a Shorthorn bull has been introduced for extra muscling and hybrid vigour.

Roan heifers will be kept for herd replacements.

"I went for the Shorthorn cross because I like the roans and have bought roan steers in the past at Bairnsdale that were beautiful calves," Paul said.

Bulls have been bought from River Perry Poll Herefords at Perry Bridge, near Stratford, and the Shorthorns from Malcolm Cock, at Buchan.

The calves are normally sent off the property as milk vealers and sold at Sale fat market but tough drought conditions over the past few years have seen stock sent off as store weaners at 12 months.

The drought has also affected pasture quality and soil fertility levels with undesirable grasses and weeds coming through.

"It has been difficult with the high fertiliser prices, we've had to be more selective," Paul said.

The Higgins have managed to be self-sufficient in hay for the past few years thanks largely to a lucerne crop that has been oversown with ryegrass.

Lucerne trees have been used for grazing in the past, while stock have also been supplemented with pellets.

A cropping program has helped improve pastures in recent years with ryegrass and clover the main mix.

A ryegrass, cocksfoot and clover blend was sown in May, while another mix of rape, plantain and herbs was sown last year and managed three grazings over summer.

"We sowed it in April-May last year and started grazing it off in October, then we had two more grazings over summer," Paul said.

"We oversowed it in April with ryegrass and grazed it in August, so you can get a power of feed from it when there is enough moisture."

This year they also plan on trialing brassica crops.

"We have also had turnips and oversown those with ryegrass which carried us through for nearly 12 months," Paul said.

"I couldn't believe the amount of feed we got out of it."

Cows are joined in July-August for eight weeks and calve in April-May to help fit in with Paul's work commitments, but also because the calves produce well on summer feed.

The calving program is kept tight to ease the load on Paul and Lyn, who live in Maffra and travel each day to check the stock.

Planting crops has given the Higgins feed at key times as well as the chance to break up the drought-induced weed growth.

Paul admits the crops have high input costs.

"We are fortunate in that we are not relying on the farm to make a living," he said.