With the state election in November, Mr Milgate said he was well aware of the importance of his position.
“It’s kind of like making my debut and coming on halfway through the third quarter in a grand final – it’s like ‘holy hell’,” he said.
Mr Milgate said land-use conflict – whether concerning renewable energy, mining or transmission projects – was a key issue ahead of the election, as was the state of rural roads and regional infrastructure.
“Investment in our regions and communities – whether it’s childcare, healthcare or just investment to actually allow us to do what we do best – is a priority,” he said.
“I mean, farmers really don’t like the government getting involved – we just want them to give us the frameworks and the tools and they can go away and let us do our job, and we do it pretty bloody well, but we just need them to actually give us the infrastructure to work with.
“Leave us alone to do our thing, and if you need us, come and engage with us, but it’s a two-way conversation.
“Rural Victoria is not just open land for development. It’s actually farming land. It’s growing food, and it’s been in families for generations.
“What someone out of Spring Street might see as an open, flat paddock is far from that in reality.”
Mr Milgate said he was stepping out of his comfort zone to put his hand up for the role.
“ I’ve had a lot of people who I really respect ring and say ‘you should have a go’, which I find very humbling. They’ve said ‘look, we think you would do a good job’,” he said.
While his family and a farm employee will shoulder more of the workload on the farm near Minyip as he spends more time with the VFF, Mr Milgate said his role as VFF grains director – which he will step down from when his presidency begins – already regularly took him away from farm life.
But he said he was far from assuming the presidency role for himself or any political aspirations – his interests lie in creating the best possible future for the agricultural industry.
“I’m not doing it for myself, I want to do the best for the industry. I want to do the best for my kids – they want to farm, and I want to make sure it’s at its best,” Mr Milgate said.
“My grandfather had a lot of involvement in the VFF and my father has had huge involvement in the community – they’ve made our community what it is today.”
Mr Milgate said the support he had received since the presidency announcement had been overwhelming and humbling.
“My phone bloody near melted from text messages when it was announced, and that’s from neighbors, friends, associates, people I went to school with, coming from sitting politicians, Ag Vic people, other people we’ve been dealing with – often who we’re sitting across the table from and arguing against – I’m getting it from them too, so that’s been really humbling,” Mr Milgate said.
He said he would not have stepped into the role if the VFF was not in such a good position, with a great team led by chief executive Charlie Thomas.
“ I’m not the boss – my job’s just to help bring people together. I’m not making captain’s calls and that is how we work through with everyone – get them involved and make sure everyone’s got a voice,” he said.
“I’ve got to then take that into Spring Street and talk to the bureaucrats … I’ve got to develop relationships with them, which I have with some already, but I think you’ve got to show a lot of empathy too and understand their position, but they also need to understand ours.
“ I want to bring every Victorian farmer along for the ride. We want them to want to be a part of the VFF, and that’s a bit of a challenge.”
Mr Milgate said the VFF currently had about 2800 members, which was an ongoing challenge for the organisation, as was engagement of its members.
He said having first-hand experience of a mineral sands mine threatening his and his neighbours’ farms had given him ‘skin in the game’ and a greater understanding of the issues and feelings of farming communities.
“It gives me a really close perspective, but also I don’t want to get lost in that and forget about everything else. That’s pretty important. It’s only one issue,” he said.
Mr Milgate said convincing the government to ‘actually listen, understand and empathise with us’ was the real challenge.
“We’ve just been left out of the conversation – everything’s happening to us, not with us,” he said.
“Take transmission, for argument’s sake. I’m not sure if we’ve gone way past the point of no return.
“What does it look like from here? I really don’t know because there’s a lot of people and a lot of groups that are really upset and they’ve put their stake in the ground and instead of trying to work out how to work together, the government seems to be wielding a bigger stick every time. Navigating that is going to be a real challenge.”
Mr Milgate will begin his tenure following the 2026 VFF conference in Ballarat on June 2, where all office bearers will be announced.
Mr Hosking said the time was right to pass the baton to the next generation of VFF leaders.
“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and the strong voice we’ve maintained for our members on the issues that matter most,” he said.
“I wish all incoming representatives every success in their roles and have no doubt the organisation will continue to go from strength to strength under their leadership.
“I would like to thank our members and farmers right throughout Victoria for their support over the past few years.
“They are what makes being a farmer the best job in the world and it’s been a pleasure representing them during my time as president.”
Member for Lowan and shadow Minister for Agriculture Emma Kealy acknowledged Mr Hosking, and outgoing vice-president Peter Star, for their outstanding leadership of the VFF, saying they had taken the helm during a challenging period for the organisation and its membership.
“Through their dedication and hard work, they have successfully rebuilt the VFF, restored membership numbers, and ensured farmers once again have a strong, respected voice on Spring Street and in Canberra,” she said.
Ms Kealy said she looked forward to working closely with Mr Milgate and Mr Young.
“Building on the strong foundations already established, I am confident we can deliver real outcomes for Victorian farmers and their communities,” she said.
“The VFF’s continued rebuilding is vital as the agricultural sector confronts the serious challenges that directly affect farmers and, in turn, Victorian consumers.
“A strong voice for farming families has never been more important.”
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