Western Downs Farmer March 2018

FARMER

Ruralweekly

MARCH 2018 EDITION NO.11

Region hoping to reap benefits of a successful mungbean season Australian mungbeans opening doors to international trade

PAGE 14

HEALTHY CROP: Warra farmer Brendan Taylor hopeful of a successful mungbean yield for 2018.

PHOTO: JOSEPH BARCLAY

2 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

Welcome THERE are a lot of challenges facing agriculture just now – erratic weather patterns, an ageing workforce, dwindling populations in our small towns and soaring input costs are just some of the headwinds ag needs to cope with and redress if it’s to thrive rather than just survive.

As an industry, agriculture needs to take control in order to draw people back to the land. Farmers are some of the most trusted people in Australian society but more and more there is a disconnect between “city folks” and those on the land – we need to help consumers better understand just what goes into growing their food and fibre.

As one presenter at TSBE’s Intensive Ag Conference in Dalby put it “It is not the consumer’s obligation to learn about our products, it’s up to us to educate them”.

It’s great to see young people working on bringing life back to their bush towns.

Like the committee who organised Taroom’s first B&S in more than two decades and the formation of the Youth of the Wandoan Show team. It’s also encouraging to see bigger operators like SunPork taking on people with a disability in an innovative world first initiative to give their animals the best care available and tap into a new market of potential employees.

Cheers, Jacinta

Contact us

EDITOR Jacinta Cummins Phone 07 4672 9900, Email editorial@chinchillanews.com.au ADVERTISING (Chinchilla News) Rachael Green, Phone 07 4672 9931, Email Rachael.green@chinchillanews.com.au ADVERTISING (Dalby Herald) Nicole McDougall, Phone 07 4672 5502, Email nicole.mcdougall@dalbyherald.com.au GENERAL MANAGER Erika Brayshaw, Phone 07 4672 9921, Email Erika.brayshaw@chinchillanews .com.au All material published in Western Downs Farmer is subject to copyright provisions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained within Western Downs Farmer is given in good faith and obtained from sources believed to be accurate. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. The Chinchilla News or Dalby Herald will not be liable for any opinion or advice contained herein.

REVIVAL OF B&S BALL: Tom Hayes, Taroom; Jacob Busby, Thursday Island; Jake Norton, Bauhinia Downs; Anthony Hafey, Alpha; Kurt Perrett, Duaringa and Tave Buck, Kuranda.

PHOTO: JACINTA CUMMINS

Beef Barons’ Buffel Tussle brings young people back to the bush TAROOM’S first B&S in 20 years raised more than $45,000 for LifeFlight, one of Australia’s biggest air medical retrieval operators, and drew nearly 500 people from as far afield as Brisbane, Cunnamulla, Townsville and Campbelltown in NSW. Organising committee member Jane Ziesemer said the committee had been blown away when the Beef Barons’ Buffel Tussle sold out weeks ahead of time, and when people turned out in their finest for the revival of an iconic Queensland B&S minus the food dye and opshop dresses.

“We are definitely working towards another one next year because it brought so much life into Taroom and it shows people that there really is a lot to the bush, it’s not just dust and

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We are definitely working towards another one next year because it brought so much life into Taroom...

— Jane Ziesemer

dirt,” she said.

“We had a lot of great feedback and it was really exciting to raise funds for LifeFlight which some of the attendees may need to use at some point in their life.”

Following some negative feedback from

dyed-in-the-wool B&S goers that the event wasn’t a true B&S, Ms Ziesemer said this was partly due to a change in legislation and insurance which meant that some of the “glory days’” activities including circle work and unlimited drinks were no longer allowed.

She said the committee had taken this into account and would advertise next year’s event as a black tie ball which the committee hoped would also open it up to a wider age group.

“We’d love to thank our parents, many of whom are ‘B&S veterans’ who manned the bar, did tickets and most other things as well as our sponsors and the 30 local families who allowed us to use their cattle brands to create the pallet backdrop for photos,” she said.

For social photos, turn to pages 20 and 21.

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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 3

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

Police find carelessness in gun-storage audits

Firearms found ‘stored on bed’ near Glenmorgan Jacinta Cummins

“We went to one bloke’s place between Yuleba and Glenmorgan and he had six firearms on the bed – that’s definitely not the way to store them.”

The owner was charged with failure to secure firearms and was to appear in Roma Magistrates Court.

The maximum penalty for failing to secure a firearm in Queensland is a fine of $12,600 or two years’ imprisonment.

Sgt Jackson said it took only a couple of minutes to

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Other people are just opportunistic – if they see a gun that’s easy to grab, they’ll take it.

— Sgt Scott Jackson

lock up a firearm and ensure it was safe.

“Slide the bolt back, take

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the round out and take it inside with you,” he said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I understand why some blokes think it’s a bit of a pain in the neck because we’re all busy, but for the extra two minutes it takes, it’s locked up.”

While unsecured firearms are easy targets for thieves, children were often the victims of firearms accidents.

A five-year-old boy was rushed to Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in a

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being shot in the head in Victoria on August 27.

Sgt Jackson warned the repercussions of accidents lasted much longer than a fine or time in jail.

“We all get distracted, another job comes in or the phone might ring or you might be in the tractor and it might be a day or two before you get back to the ute or the car that you left it in to put it away, so the main thing to remember is to just put a gun or a rifle away as soon as you’ve finished using it.”

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critical condition in January after his 11-year-old cousin accidentally shot him in the face with a rifle on a property near Stanthorpe.

Four children were accidentally shot during August and September, with two of them dying.

One was a three-year-old girl killed when she and her three brothers were playing with a sawn-off shotgun which discharged in her face.

Her father was charged with firearms offences.

A 17-year-old also died after

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

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CHARGES LAID: Police charged a man near Glenmorgan after finding these firearms ‘stored on the bed’.

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DESPITE an emotive advertising campaign showing the often tragic consequences of failing to secure firearms, police are frustrated some gun owners and landholders still are not getting the message.

Detective Sergeant Scott Jackson of the Major and Organised Crime Squad (Rural) at Roma said his team had been focusing on firearms audits since the start of the year because gun theft was increasing.

Police said offenders are targeting unsecured firearms, especially in unattended or unlocked vehicles.

“Because it’s on the rise we are really concentrating on audits and checking things are as they should be,” Sgt Jackson said.

These audits ensure firearms are being stored in appropriate facilities.

“People might go and do a bore run and leave a firearm in the car or the ute which is always an easy target because it’s usually unlocked,” Sgt Jackson said.

“We do have people driving the roads day and night, keeping an eye out for firearms whether they are locked up or not.

“Three people were arrested for stealing nine rifles from a locked gun safe at a St George property on January 26 and it turns out that they knew the previous property owners so they had a pretty good idea of the layout and where they might be stored.

“Other people are just opportunistic – if they see a gun that’s easy to grab, they’ll take it.

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4 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

Dan swaps city life for his dream job in Dalby

Tong Park piggery’s Autism and Agriculture program providing endless opportunities Jacinta Cummins

IN 2016, Daniel Slavin was living in Melbourne and applying for job after job without getting anywhere.

He’d never lived away from home.

Fast forward to March 2018 and he’s moved to Dalby where he lives on his own, has been working at Tong Park piggery in Warra for more than a year and is saving for his first trip overseas to Ireland next year.

“I never thought I’d be here living in the country in a million years,” he said.

“Originally I thought it would

be impossible, but with a lot of help and support from my family and the people at work I’ve been able to do it.

“I enjoy working with the animals the most.

“I just like the expressions on their faces and sometimes they can be playful, sometimes they can be curious.

“Basically they have these sort of personalities as such and you get to notice different things about them when you see them every day.”

Dan’s mum Anna Hughes said it was hard to see her son get turned down for jobs just because he was on the spectrum.

“Dan will think before he speaks, which is rare these days, so people think he’s slow but really he’s just processed the whole situation,” she said.

“A friend of ours sent Dan an email about the program and about three weeks later he said to me, ‘Ma, I think I’d like to do this’ and I looked at the cut-off date and it was that day.

“So we literally went from that to throwing in the

application to getting a phone call only an hour later to say to come up for the training workshop, and he hasn’t looked back.

“I’d never heard him so excited or ecstatic in my life as when he rang to say he had the job.”

SunPork’s Autism and Agriculture program is designed to allow people on the spectrum to skip the normal interview process and instead show how they connect with the animals and their ability to understand and follow instruction through a two-day workshop.

From there some applicants went on to complete a two-week trial, with successful candidates offered full-time or part-time employment.

Dan had gained his Animal Studies Certificate II during high school, which he said stood him in good stead for the hands-on hiring process.

Both he and his mum agree the application process really allowed him to show what he could rather than couldn’t do.

“It was a bit easier because that way I could show them how I work, how I can handle tasks and my general physical approach to my work,” Dan said.

Anna said she’d never seen him so happy.

“He was interviewed on The Project and as a mum I just burst into tears,” she said.

“I just couldn’t believe that this was my boy and when he came back for holidays we just noticed that his

PROFILE: Daniel Slavin says working with animals is the favourite part of his job at Tong Park.

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independence, his maturity and awareness has increased so much.

“At Christmas time he was home and after two weeks he said, ‘Mum, I want to go home and back to work’ and I just went, ‘Yes, this is the best thing we could have ever hoped for’.”

But it’s really Dan who sums up what this opportunity has meant to him.

“I’ve recently achieved my Certificate in Pork Production.

“I just love every moment of (working with the piglets). I can definitely see the passion that the people put into their work every day.

“The people are kind and helpful, I’ve made a lot of friends and I feel like Dalby is home to me nowadays.”

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 5

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

A-TEAM: The team that made Autism and Agriculture happen.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

A better place to work Warra piggery benefits from employees living with autism Jacinta Cummins ROB van Barneveld has devoted countless hours over the best part of two decades to bettering the lives of autistic people and their families.

After his daughter was misdiagnosed with autism at an early age, he developed a personal interest in the disability and chaired the Board of Autism Queensland for 10 years.

Through that role he led the bid to establish the Co-operative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) and he started thinking of ways to help autistic people find work.

Mr van Barneveld is also group chief executive and managing director of the Sunpork Group and thought the business’s piggeries might be able to incorporate some of the strengths that many autistic people have, which include high attention to detail and a very good ability to relate to animals.

The result was Sunpork teaming up with the Autism CRC and other bodies to establish the Autism and Agriculture program, which was rolled out at Tong Park Piggery in Warra and another Sunpork piggery in South Australia in late 2016 and early 2017.

Only people diagnosed with autism could apply and instead of the usual interview process applicants were able to get out in the piggery to show their strengths and skills in a way that would be

Zelda Nel is the Tong Park production manager who oversees all the production employees at the site and has been integral to Autism and Agriculture’s success.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED less confronting for them than a face-to-face interview.

There were eight positions originally available, with four at each of the two sites, but in the end seven people were employed at Tong Park and nine in South Australia.

While the program was being set up, it emerged that some autistic people might also be suited to work in the business’s meat processing plant, Swickers at Kingaroy, and some are now working there separate to those employed through the program.

Temple Grandin is an American professor of animal science and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behaviour and is also an avid autism advocate, having lived with it all her life.

Her advice for the Autism and Agriculture program to run smoothly was simple.

“Temple said we needed to be clear and make sure the candidates understood the chain of command and what we wanted them to do,” Mr van Barneveld said.

“She said to give them time to understand the instructions and to also listen to them.

“This message rings true for all our staff, whether they’ve got a disability or not, and as a result we’ve actually been able to improve a lot of things across the board.”

While there can be extra requirements associated with employing autistic people, Mr van Barneveld said all staff benefited from new initiatives that were implemented as part of this process.

“One of the things we had to determine was where is the line between work and home in terms of our responsibility but in fact you have that with all your staff,” he said.

“The reality is that if your HR systems are able to accommodate people on the spectrum then they are functioning well and they are able to cater for your overall workforce better.”

For many of the people employed, the program was the first time someone had looked beyond their disability and tried to utilise their strengths.

“In South Australia we have a candidate who has now been with us for nine months who has a masters in reproductive physiology but she couldn’t get a job for two

years,” Mr van Barneveld said.

“She has got great qualifications and, more importantly, she absolutely loves what she’s doing.

“It is an industry where it can be hard to get good workers and these people are very loyal and they are very diligent around time.”

This staff member is just one of the success stories from the program, with other people moving more than 1500km for the chance to get a job.

Mr van Barneveld stressed that the program was not a publicity stunt but was about achieving true diversity in the workplace and getting the job done at the same time.

“The light-bulb moment is that this isn’t about charity, you need to be able to employ and accommodate people with disabilities and make it work for the business in an ongoing way,” he said.

“This program is about looking to the strengths of autistic people in an animal-focused industry.”

Kirsty Richards is the project leader for the program and said it’s been one of the most fulfilling things she’s done in her life.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to give back to the community and I had visions of working at the local op shop when I was 70 years old but this program has allowed me to do this a lot earlier and it’s also my job so it’s really been pretty amazing,” she said.

More than a year down the track, only two of the candidates employed through the program have left and Mr van Barneveld’s vision is proving successful.

“The benefits far outweigh the disadvantages and it’s fair to say that some of these candidates are some of our better workers,” he said.

“Having autism isn’t a barrier to employment, it’s just

a different way of doing things.”

Tong Park manager Rob Martyn said the program has not only helped attract good staff but it also helped to dispel myths about autism.

“When we first went down this road, a lot of our staff knew very little about autism itself and when you don’t know a lot about something, there can be a lot of wrong ideas and thoughts on how something may present itself,” he said.

“Some people had visions of very disabled people.

“We had to do a bit of education about what autism was, what it looked like and what it didn’t look like but we quickly realised when we met the candidates and started interacting with them that sometimes it just comes down to dealing with the same situation in a different way.”

This included implementing a buddy system between existing staff and new people starting the program.

Mr van Barneveld believed the program had plenty of benefits and said while there were still things to be dealt with, that was just part and parcel of being an employer of anyone, whether they’ve got a disability or not.

“Have we got there yet? I couldn’t say we are there 100 per cent, like everything, it takes time,” he said.

“There have been times where it’s difficult but you work through it and you manage it.

“We are the first in the world to be doing this and the program is something which will be an ongoing part of our business, it’s not something you can say we are done with at the end 12 months.

“But at the end of the day, everyone works together and it’s become the norm for us.

These candidates are a part of the furniture here now.”

6 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

On the front foot with farming

Carrick Aland Accountants’ Daniel Bartkowski. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED continuity of reporting.

You can update your farm financial software at any time, not just at the end of the financial year. With the technology at our fingertips, you can upgrade and transfer at a time that suits you, even between seasons.

Watch this space: Strong, vibrant, innovative

and sustainable rural industries and communities are in Australia’s national interest. As the mining construction boom moderates and the economy transitions to the agricultural sector, our regions need to continue to embrace innovation and adapt and grow.

Have you ever heard – my rate is a better rate because it is lower? This sentiment pulses daily across the airwaves and weaves through the internet like a law unto itself – it is a truth you can be forgiven for believing.

Dalby based broker Johnathon Reeves from Cliff & Moss provides a personalised service and sets the record straight on all things finance as well as what brokers do.

“Firstly – the headline rate – a marvellous marketing manipulation.

Does the cheapest loan equate to the best for you?

Rarely. Paradoxically, the most expensive might not be the best either. The best loan is one that matches your unique situation,” he said.

“To show how cheaper isn’t necessarily better – say you are buying a car and want the cheapest one. You find an 18-year-old hatchback for $250. But, you want to go off-road (and make it back). So, you find a $1000 4WD where the rust is its best feature. But, it needs to carry children safely…You see where I am going with this.

“Working out what you need your finance to do for you is the single most

Jonathan Reeves from Cliff & Moss.

important job a broker does.

“The second is the leg work – analysing the products and policies of 30+ banks to find the right fit.

“Moreover, we can travel

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

to you... anywhere!”

Johnathon is happy to review your current finance, obligation free and covers all types of finance – personal, business and agri.

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WE CAUGHT up with Figured this quarter, who flagged the senate inquiry into banking and lending to primary production industries, including agriculture, fisheries and forestry.

One of the key recommendations was that the banks should not have any control over farm budgeting and forecasting.

The writing is on the wall but what does it mean?

At Carrick Aland we already have the infrastructure, ability and knowledge to fill the gap to work seamlessly with your banker to prepare any information that’s required for lending purposes in a timely manner.

As you know, we’ve been working with farming businesses in this way for some time. If you’re not yet using live and collaborative software for managing your farm’s finances, you could be making big misses and losing time.

How do you switch? Meet with us for a needs analysis.

We then implement a plan to move you across as quickly and efficiently as possible for minimum disruption.

You can even bring across your historical data for

Why the headline rate is just the tip of the iceberg

START 2018 ON THE FRONT FOOT

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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 7

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

Preventative medicine for farming finances

BMO Tyler.

FARMERS who use their accountant as a sounding board, and work in partnership with them, achieve better long-term outcomes according to Top 100 Accounting firm, BMO Business Centre, based in Dalby.

“It’s a bit like seeing the doctor. You can go once a year for a check-up, but often that’s when the damage is already done,” says BMO partner Kelvin Tyler.

“It’s the same with taxes, budgeting, debt reduction and building wealth. You can come in and ‘get your tax done’ once a year, and that’s fine. But it’s the farming businesses who actually talk with us before buying a property, or changing from steers to cows-and-calves, or selling a big piece of machinery, who are really looking after their financial health.

“Every piece of the puzzle can affect the long-term

goals. Think of it as preventative medicine for your farming finances.”

Working alongside clients and “listening first” have been at the heart of BMO’s approach since it started with about five employees in the early 1990s, and has remained the focus as it has grown to a team of 50 people today.

Over the years, the business has broadened its offering to more than just tax accounting.

“It’s no good tax planning if what you put in place doesn’t line up with your succession planning goals.

There’s no point developing growth strategies, if you don’t have insurance in place to protect your wealth,” Mr Tyler said.

“You have to consider the whole picture. That’s why BMO also offers financial planning and self-managed super divisions, a lending manager to assist clients in finding the right loans for

houses, vehicles and business and rural finance; a communications division to help with team building and family succession; and a human resources unit to help clients who are grappling with all the legislative requirements when employing people.

“We get ‘rural’. Most of us were born and bred here, many of us are still on the land, and we’ve had the privilege of working with some clients for several

Partner

Kelvin

generations, through the ups and downs of farming.”

BMO also runs The Farmer wants a Life seminar series visiting communities like Moonie, Taroom, Dirranbandi and Condamine, which Mr Tyler said was a way to share information and provide a morale boost.

“We can offer all the best financial services, but if we don’t support people in their general well-being then our work has little point,” he said.

We know the days can be long and a farmer’s work is never done.

We’re not just accountants.

We’re your business adviser and your sounding board.

Whether you’re star ng out on your rst ro erty building u the farm lanning to re re or transi oning to the ne t genera on.

We’re with you every step of the way. www.bmo.com.au l 178 Drayton Street Dalby l 07 4662 3722

8 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

It’s a design of the times for women in the bush Travel and practicality inspire clothing label Jacinta Cummins SALLYJEAN Sattler could sew by the time she was in Year 5 and designed her own formal dresses all through high school but it was only two years ago she decided to take the leap and use her love of fashion and design to start a business to dress women in the bush.

After travelling Australia, the third-generation Wandoan woman wanted to design a clothing range that was practical for country living but elegant enough to wear out in the city.

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I was excited when I put on the first dress because it was so practical but it was very feminine ...

— Tammy Stiller

Late at night she sat down to start drawing her designs and Gypsy and Jean was born.

“I was working shift work but I was missing my country roots so this was something to balance my life and give me that creative outlet,” Ms Sattler said.

“I’ve done a lot of different things throughout my working life from beauty therapy to fitness training to quality assurance but as I was getting older, I wasn’t getting that sense of achievement that I was chasing so Gypsy and Jean gave me something to work towards.”

STYLE GUIDE: Gypsy and Jean ambassador Tammy Stiller, of Guluguba, with designer SallyJean Sattler. PHOTO: JACINTA CUMMINS The brand’s clothes are inspired by the Australian landscape and the women who live there.

“My grandmother, Dell James, and my mother, Kate Sattler, really helped influence my style growing up and the designs are all named after my sister, Shannon, and my cousins,” Ms Sattler said.

“My other grandmother, Margaret Sattler, helped me

perfect my sewing skills.”

Most of the clothes are made out of natural fibres such as linen and cotton, with an emphasis on classic cuts to flatter a range of shapes.

They can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion, something Ms Sattler believes is essential for women living in the bush.

To showcase the versatility of the clothes, she’s recruited

women from all walks of life as her brand ambassadors.

There are four ambassadors, including a miner, a business analyst in the tech industry, Miles agribusiness banker Stephanie Logan and Guluguba grazier Tammy Stiller.

For Ms Stiller, applying to be an ambassador was not only about beautiful clothes but

supporting Ms Sattler in her dream of empowering women to look and feel their best.

“I was excited when I put on the first dress because it was so practical but it was very feminine and it was something I could wear all day from school drop-off to a nice afternoon tea,” she said.

“The clothes really offer that flexibility, which we need out here because we’re often

on the road travelling big distances so your clothes need to be able to get you through a different range of occasions.

“Sal’s family was one of the first I met when I moved here and it’s been so lovely to watch her grow from a little girl into a young woman who’s following her passions.

“That idea of following your arrow and being true to yourself really resonated with me because when I was going to high school on the Sunny Coast, I never expected to end up out here and be doing what I’m doing but life is a journey and if you follow your heart, you’ll end up where you’re meant to be and for me, that’s out here.”

Gypsy and Jean’s first collection of 14 pieces was launched last month ,with a second line set for release in September.

“I was overwhelmed with the support I received from a lot of people about starting the business, it didn’t really matter if they were buying clothes or not, it was so unexpected and lovely,” Ms Sattler said.

But as any small business owner knows, there are hurdles to be overcome early.

Due to a lack of competitive manufacturers, Ms Sattler designs the clothes here but travels to Bali to have them made.

“I’d love to eventually be able to have them as Australian made and owned but starting out it wasn’t really an option,” she said.

It’s this lack of choices that is driving Ms Sattler’s business because she wants to change that.

“My aim is to provide more opportunity in regional Australia so that’s where things like the ambassadors come in and stocking in smaller shops in country towns,” she said.

“If you have something in the back of your mind, stay true to yourself and keep working to make it happen.”

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Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

Drought Angels calendar Jacinta Cummins

DROUGHT Angels has been flooded with entries for its inaugural calendar competition, but there are only days left to submit your best shots and help raise money for the charity, which helps those battling drought.

Nicki Blackwell and Tash Johnston established Drought Angels in Chinchilla in 2014.

Originally, they were just two women who heard about some hungry cows and took some feed out in their ute to help and it just grew from there.

Drought Angels became a registered charity with both Nicki and Tash working full time while a team of volunteers help with admin, publicity and running the secondhand shop, the proceeds of which are used to help farmers.

Nicki is living proof that no good deed goes unrewarded – she found love out at Winton on one of the runs and moved out there.

Next year will be the first time that Drought Angels releases a fundraising calendar and the theme is broad.

With the subject just being rural, it takes in landscapes, dancing in the rain, shearing, mustering, kids and animals and anything else on the land.

Drought Angels director

WORTHY CONTENDER: One of the entries for the Drought Angels calendar competition – trucking the goats east of Charleville.

Jenny Gailey from Chinchilla said they put the call out on social media for photos late last month and had a massive response from followers.

“It’s been fantastic,” she said.

“People are sending in two and three photos from right across the country and some

of them are just exquisite.

“It’s not all doom and gloom and dead sheep in the dam, these photos really capture the beauty of the outback, but of course, some of them do reflect the harsh realities of making your livelihood on the land.”

Jenny said the calendar was

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inspired by someone who made a small calendar of his own to fundraise for Drought Angels last year and received good feedback.

“So it got us thinking and now we are doing a big glossy one which we will launch in April,” she said.

“It’s a very exciting project

for us as we are getting 5000 calendars made from the photos which come from our supporters.

“We are hoping to have sponsors come on board and be ready to start pre-sales in October.”

Submissions close March 31.

PHOTO: JACINTA CUMMINS The photos will be shortlisted to 25 and uploaded to Drought Angels’ social media pages where the public can vote for the 12 photos that will feature in the calendar.

For more information, go to the Drought Angels page on Facebook or Instagram.

10 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

Inventing the modern Merino Science and genetics underscore program ERROL Brumpton’s nearly lifelong quest to develop a Merino sheep to withstand Western Queensland’s extreme heat and humidity and be resistant to fleece rot began when he was testing wool in the laboratory at Longreach Pastoral College in the early 1970s.

“I was fortunate to study at LPC when the classing system for wool transitioned from the Bradford Count to the micron system (Objective Clip Preparation) so my instructors were able to give us the best of both systems,” he said.

“When I was testing wool, I noticed that low micron doesn’t necessarily mean softness despite many people thinking this is the case.

INDUSTRY LEADER: Science and genetics are at the forefront of Errol Brumpton's work.

“A woman doesn’t look at a dress and describe it as 18 micron, she picks it up and feels how soft it is and says ‘Oh look at how elegant that is’.”

“She couldn’t care if it was 18 micron or 100 micron, it’s about softness, drape and style.

“This led me to look at the biological pathways of sheep breeding to produce a softer, more lustrous white wool.”

Errol saw the industry risked getting left behind if it failed to adapt to new consumer demands.

“Today’s consumer is more conscious of eco-friendly and ethically produced natural fibres like wool,” he said.

“With the introduction and growth of social media, people are becoming more aware of production practices.

“There are also environmental concerns: with scouring, we can’t just dump the effluent as had been done for so long and if you use large amounts of chemicals to counteract undesirable breeding traits you need more staff to do this, but there aren’t the staff available to tend to these high maintenance animals.

“I had identified them (high maintenance animals) as unprofitable a long time ago.

“Animal welfare issues were starting to come to the fore in the 1980s, not least of this being the practise of mulesing.

“We knew from skin biology that there would be an answer to this practice even in a sub-tropical environment so we bred our Merino wrinkle free to avoid mulesing and to be hardy enough for the western Queensland environment.”

In the post Cold War era, there wasn’t the demand for the heavy wool (that great coats were made out of) which had been used for years; they and the woollen military uniform were destined for the history books.

“Since the invention of recycled cullulose (manmade fibres like rayon, nylon and Velcro) and the emergence of other fibres such as bamboo, wool needs to position itself at the high end of fashion to command a premium price to cover cost of production,” Errol said.

“This meant wool needed to be soft next to skin, light-

weight and able to accept pastel dyes as opposed to the dark greys and green of traditional wool products.

“The new wools have the properties of elasticity and plasticity for a finished garment to maintain its shape and drape.”

Errol and his wife Candy’s wool met these requirements and it was used to make Well Gully wool cloth which weighed just 150 grams per lineal metre.

This cloth was used to make the world’s lightest wool shirts in 1996.

Errol predicts that the growing global demand for food security and peak oil will see more arable land used for food and oilseed production, pushing animal protein production to more marginal land.

This means sheep will need to be able to survive in some of the toughest conditions they’ve ever faced.

The sheep that he and Candy developed at Well Gully Poll Merino Stud near Mitchell to meet these conditions are what he describes as an all-purpose merino.

They are plain bodied, quick maturing, environmentally fit and mules-free, with an 18 micron wool clip and perform in extreme summer heat, humidity and cold.

“Over the last 20 years, much emphasis has been placed on the selection of superior females in the breeding enterprise.

“The mitochondrial gene (fitness) is emphasised in the offspring from the dam (female) in all mammals,” Errol said.

“In some respects, the Merino was down bred with most selection emphasis placed on wool cut at the expense of other traits such as maternal and nurturing instincts.”

In an industry defined by tradition, bloodlines and set ideas about what wool does and doesn’t look or feel like, Errol’s willingness to learn, to adapt to changing market and environment conditions and to adopt new technology and science in order to produce a product that the modern consumer wants and is prepared to pay a premium for is summed up by his personal motto.

“Every day’s a school day in agriculture.”

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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 11

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

Brumpton uses science to lead Merino wool into future

Well Gully sheep known as ‘easiest to look after’ WHEN farmers John and Kate Lees were establishing their sheep flock 20 years ago, they were chasing four things – ease of management, fertility, early growth rates and good stylish wool.

“The Well Gully sheep just really ticked those boxes and we were lucky enough to get some of Errol’s excess females and we’ve joined his rams to them and they haven’t let us down once,” Mr Lees said.

The couple run their flock of 4000 ewes over 5000ha of grazing country and crop 3500ha on “Middleridge”, Tottenham, in central-western NSW. Their annual average rainfall is 425mm.

Fly strike is prevalent in the area so the mules-free Well Gully sheep fit in with their operations well.

“They keep the water out and can dry themselves, so we don’t need to treat for fly strike and not having to mules is one less week of work and one less thing to worry about,” Mr Lees said.

The pair sold three and four-year-old ewes that had

SILKY: Well Gully is focused on producing next of skin fibre, which is beautiful to touch. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED scanned dry through Forbes to make $170 on March 12.

“They’d just been shorn, we run at about 19 micron so we shear twice a year, so they also give us about $35 of wool every six months,” Mr Lees said.

“If you look at a pregnant ewe, then she’s giving you those returns plus a lamb.”

Mr Lees said the sheep had adapted well to different management practices to fit in with the rest of their operations.

“We do things a little differently, like joining in bigger mobs of 800 in December/January, which is out of season compared to most. But February is usually our wettest month, which kicks the lucerne off so the

ewes have got good feed while they’re pregnant and there’s enough to give the lambs a good start.

“Errol’s sheep lamb well – if you drive past when one is giving birth and come back again in 30 minutes, the ewe and the lamb are both up and walking, which is incredible.”

“People always say there’s so much work in sheep but if you’ve got the right sheep, then there’s not.

“I’ve got a man who looks after them and he’s managed sheep all over the place.

“It was only last year he said, ‘John, these are the easiest sheep to look after’ and it blew me away.

“That’s one of the best things you can hear in a farming business.”

BY his own admission, Errol Brumpton is a renegade.

Many industry bluebloods shunned him when he led the charge to develop a lowmicron wool for producers in semi-arid and subtropical Queensland following biological pathways rather than set bloodlines or established studs in the 1970s to 1990s.

But the work paid off, with Well Gully Poll Merino Stud now selling about 650 rams annually plus artificial insemination packages to every state in Australia.

Errol was also awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to the sheep industry in 2011.

John Enderby was a stalwart of the wool broking industry back in those early days and established Wool Auctions of Australia.

John’s first memory of Errol was of “him coming along with this beautiful fine wool which he had produced in Queensland which was just lovely”.

“What Errol created was a superfine wool for tropical areas at about an 18, 19 micron (when most growers were producing 22-23 micron wool) and it often made double the price of the broader micron wool,” he said.

“He really kept many growers going by helping them to produce a finer wool at a time when that was all the market would stand.

“The fact that these growers are still here is a testament to Errol’s knowledge and dedication.

“His sheep were definitely ahead of their time. He is passionate about sheep and he was very dedicated to selecting the right females.”

Chantel McAlister is a wool masterclasser and Meandarra-based

photographer who is well known for her Truth About Wool Tour, which shares the stories and pictures of the Australian wool industry with people across Australia.

She cut her teeth in Well Gully’s woolshed and agrees with John’s assessment.

“The first thing that struck me about Errol is his passion,” she said.

“A lot of growers concentrate on one thing but Errol is looking for an overall parcel. He is constantly pushing his flock and himself forward, he’ll chase those genetics to meet market demands.

“Errol’s wool is like nothing I’d ever seen or touched before going to Well Gully, it is so silky and not unlike cashmere.

Chantel credits Errol with inspiring a new generation of people to be in the wool industry and said Errol was free in sharing his knowledge.

“It’s not like the shearer just comes and gets the wool off and goes home, we all work together as a team to get what he’s looking for.

“A lot of cockies are in and out of the shed over shearing, but Errol is in there the whole time and he’s got his hands in nearly every fleece.”

“When I went to Well Gully, I was still fairly green and they really built me up and gave me so much confidence.

“I don’t think I really took my classing career very seriously when I first went out to Well Gully but they made me feel like what I was doing was extraordinary and encouraged me to pursue it as a career.

“He and Candy are changing wool.

“He’s not just a nobody in the industry but they are both so humble.

“There is a softness to Errol that not everyone sees; I’ve seen him hug a sheep and thank it for its wool.

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12 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

GPS trackers help in fight

Technology helps farmers collect data for best results Jacinta Cummins FERAL pigs damage livestock, crops and fencing.

Landholders have been baiting, trapping and aerial shooting the pests but because of the pigs’ prolific breeding, it is an ongoing problem.

Some have resorted to putting up fences to keep the pigs out in the same way exclusion fencing is used out west to keep dogs out, but with a price tag of $10,000 a kilometre it’s an expensive solution.

Queensland MurrayDarling’s Regional Coordinator for Feral Animals, Darren Marshall, said the problem was black and white: pigs were the farmer’s enemy.

After battling pigs and other pest animals for 14 years and feeling like he was not having enough of an impact, Mr Marshall adopted a revolutionary approach to fighting them.

He started catching them and fitting them with GPS tracking collars then releasing them to collect data to help landholders come up with better ways to fight them.

“It definitely goes against

my grain and the grain of most landholders to let a pig go, but we simply need more information to help come up with better solutions to deal with them,” he said.

The collars register where the pig is located every 30 minutes, with the data transmitted back to a computer every six hours, allowing researchers to get a real-time pattern of pig movements and behaviours.

“It really is a battle out there – feral pigs are the enemy and the information we are getting will help us work out the best way to fight them.

“Most landholders can see that the data we’re collecting is of more benefit than the damage that these pigs would do if we just shot them straight away.

“If they end up shooting them or a pig shooter does, then I’m happy with that because it’s giving us more real time information than we’ve ever had, I’d just like them to return the collars to me so I can put them on other pigs!”

The project, which is funded by QMDC, has been run at seven sites across

QMDC Pig Project: QMDC Pest Animal Contractor Brenden Latimer and QMDC's Darren Marshall with a 188kg boar trapped and collared.

PHOTO: QMDC southern Queensland and the top of NSW since March last year as part of Mr Marshall’s PhD in Innovation he is studying through the University of New England.

The Queensland sites include Miles, Guluguba and

the Arcadia Valley.

More than 60 pigs have been collared so far with properties near St George and Stanthorpe earmarked as potential sites for tracking.

Mr Marshall is following a

University of Pennsylvania State leadership model to use the data to motivate people to work together to control the impact of feral pigs on agriculture and the environment.

Although much of the data

was yet to be analysed, he said it had engaged landholders and agencies such as national parks in an often lively debate.

“It’s not just one person getting up in front of the community and their opinion, you can present data however you like, but you can’t change it,” he said.

“Some people think a bounty system works while others think it just encourages shooters to be selective when hunting, but the beauty of data is that it doesn’t lie.

“This information is dispelling a lot of long-held myths about pig behaviour.”

The data has proven that if pigs had food, water and shelter they were often not travelling the distances previously thought.

“There’s a problem on nearly everyone’s property.

“They don’t all live in the national park or on the mining companies’ property, it’s a shared problem and we need to work together to keep on top of it.

“The reality is that if you’re not knocking out at least 70 per cent of the local feral pig populations, then you’re not

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Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

against region’s feral pigs

❝

Feral pigs are the enemy and the information we are getting will help us work out the best way to fight them

having an impact.

“These animals are the most prolific breeding large mammal on Earth, so control takes co-ordination between hunters, baiting, trapping and aerial shooting to ensure the population isn’t out of control.

“Only rabbits breed more than feral pigs.”

Another finding has also been some of the strains of leptospirosis and brucellosis across the sites with Mr Marshall saying it was a reminder to people to follow guidelines on how to avoid contracting the potentially fatal diseases.

Pigs transmit both diseases which can be contracted by cattle and people.

“I don’t want to scare people unnecessarily but the preliminary work in the southern part of the project has shown a very high prevalence of leptospirosis and some limited brucellosis incidents,” Mr Marshall said.

“Every site you go to there’s someone who’s either had lepto or knows someone who’s had it.

“People need to take the

appropriate steps when they’re dealing with feral pigs, whether it’s trapping, shooting or slaughtering them.”

Queensland Health data shows most brucellosis cases in Australia occur in Queensland with between 10 and 50 cases reported annually since 1991.

According to Darling Downs Hospital and Health Public Director Penny Hutchinson, there are usually two to three cases of leptospirosis and brucellosis in the Darling Downs annually.

There was one case of brucellosis at Guluguba at the end of last year.

Feral pigs are the main source of infection for brucellosis and pig hunters are advised to wear protective clothing when butchering pigs.

It is also recommended to keep pig hunting dogs away from pet dogs, young children and women of child-bearing age to reduce their risk of contracting the disease.

QMDC Pig Project: Four pigs with their ears tags for tracking.

PHOTO: QMDC

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14 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

PROPERTY

Australian mungbean production at a premium Joseph Barclay

with harvest just around Brendan Taylor's mungbean crop PHOTO: JOSEPH BARCLAY the corner. time to plant mungbeans being roughly four weeks before three inches of rain.”

Despite the positive outlook, Mr Taylor acknowledges that there are no guarantees in this industry.

“With harvesting of the crop just around the corner, any further rain could prove disastrous to the overall health of the mungbeans moving forward,” he said.

“You can do everything right as a farmer, from the planting right through to the harvesting process, however so much is dependent on the weather.

“You can have a crop that appears as though it is going to be very profitable, however that can change in an instant all because of inclement weather at an inopportune time.”

Mr Taylor’s enormous

conferences and board meetings to raise and discuss pertinent issues that can hopefully be implemented at government level.”

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MUNGBEAN SEASON: Farmer Brendan Taylor hopeful of a profitable mungbean harvest.

PHOTO: JOSEPH BARCLAY

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“I recently attended a meeting and the talk amongst traders, consultants and exporters is there is looking to be an increased demand internationally for quality mungbeans,” he said.

“Fortunately for us Australia has a reputation for producing a high standard of green and black mungbeans, so it looks as though there could be a premium for our mungbeans in the near future.”

Providing weather permits, Mr Taylor could be one of many farmers in the region to procure a strong harvest and establish the Western Downs on the map when it comes to national and international mungbean prosperity.

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ANY FARMER will be able to tell you the trials and tribulations they experience on a seasonal basis, and Warra farmer Brendan Taylor is no exception.

With a spate of rain in the region last month, things are looking up for those in the mungbean trade, and Mr Taylor is hoping to reap the benefits of a 50-hectare mungbean crop he recently planted.

“The beans were planted in that Christmas, early New Year period, and because they’re so quick in growing length, they were dependent on good in-crop rain to make the crop significant,” he said.

“We had good rain right at the start of February, with more rain following in February which is perfect from a mungbean point of view.

“The timing of the rain was the key, with the best

involvement in Australia’s agricultural industry includes his roles as director on the grains board at Agforce Queensland and director on the board of the Grains Research Foundation.

This experience has not only given him a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the land, but also from a business and politic standpoint.

“I am passionate about agriculture and my participation on these boards are all about industry representation,” he said.

“We have regular

WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 15

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP) AGREEMENT: The TPP is a 12-country trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Japan, the United States, Vietnam, Mexico and Canada.

TPP outcome highlights for Maranoa include: ❚ Beef: New reductions in Japan’s tariffs on beef, (Australian exports worth AUD2 billion in 2016-17). ❚ Cereals and grains: Tariff reductions, and new access for our cereals and grains exporters into Japan. ❚ Sheep products: Elimination of all tariffs on sheepmeat, cotton and wool. ❚ Industry: Elimination of all tariffs on industrial products (manufactured goods). ❚ Services: Guaranteed levels of access for services.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Federal Member for Maranoa and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

PHOTO: WILL HUNTER

TPP creates opportunities and increases jobs in Maranoa PRODUCE from Maranoa is world-renowned for being clean and green so it makes sense to harness the value of our quality product and market it on the world stage – through significant international trade deals, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement – to grow regional economies, Maranoa MP David Littleproud said.

“On March 8, Australia and the other 10 nations signed the TPP. This agreement is one of the most comprehensive trade deals concluded and will eliminate more than 98 per cent of tariffs in a trade zone worth $13.7 trillion,” Mr Littleproud said.

“In Maranoa, this agreement means our agricultural and horticultural

industries are set to be the biggest winners from tariff reductions on more than $4.3 billion of Australia’s agricultural export products, with preferential access or tariff reductions on a further $2.1 billion of our agricultural exports including beef, dairy, cereals and wine.

“This Coalition Government took a leadership role to

deliver the TPP-11 because it will drive demand for our clean and green produce because the more Maranoa products and services sold to the world, the more local jobs will be created.”

The TPP-11 creates Australia’s first trade agreements with Canada and Mexico, giving Maranoa exporters preferential access

to two of the world’s top 20 economies.

In 2016-17, nearly one quarter of Australia’s total exports – worth almost $88 billion – went to TPP-11 countries.

“This year has already kicked off major tariff reductions into China and January 15 marked two years since the Australia-Japan

Economic Partnership Agreement came into force, which is delivering competitive advantages for our local businesses as Japan is our second-largest export market,” Mr Littleproud said.

“The Asia-Pacific region is home to a growing middleclass who demands clean and green products – qualities synonymous with my electorate – as other nations have battled food-quality scandals that have scarred their product reputation with consumers.

“One in five jobs in Australia is linked to trade so this is not only good news for our nation but also a positive step forward to bolstering opportunities and jobs here in Maranoa.”

For more TPP information, check out: dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements /tpp/outcomes-documents/ Pages/outcomes-at-a-glance. aspx

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chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

COUPLE MARKS 60th ANNIVERSARY

HAPPY TIMES: Frieda and Don Hoffman at the Wandoan Show in 2009.

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

Wandoan Show sparks wedded bliss

Don and Frieda Hoffman with three of their children at the Wandoan Show in the 1960s.

Hoffmans celebrate six decades of marriage and memories Jacinta Cummins MOST people who grow up in the country have a favourite memory of the local show: for some it’s the colour and scent of just-made fairy floss, for schoolkids it’s the rides while others love the livestock displays and wool fleece competitions.

But for the then 14-year-old Frieda Stiller, her most precious memory is the way in which she received a ladies show ticket for the Wandoan Show in April, 1954.

The show had been going for only three years when Frieda’s sister Ruth came home from school at Downfall Creek near Guluguba with an envelope from Don Hoffmann.

Don, who was 18, had convinced his younger sister Doris to give the letter to Ruth for Frieda.

Frieda’s reaction was probably not what he had hoped for.

“What does he want?” she said when she saw the envelope.

When she opened it there was a ticket for her to attend the Wandoan Show with Don. That was their first “date” and it must’ve gone better than even Don could have possibly expected because

they announced their engagement at his 21st birthday party three years later.

They were married at St John’s Lutheran Church at Downfall Creek on February 8, 1958 and just as with the local show, it was all hands on deck to make the wedding happen.

❝

Frieda’s sister Dora made the wedding dress and the bridesmaids’ dresses Frieda’s sister Dora made the wedding dress and the bridesmaids’ dresses while Don’s aunt made and decorated the three-tiered wedding cake and Don asked Frieda’s brother Ken to be a groomsman, mainly so he was sure Frieda would make it to the church.

Don and his entourage all got ready at their houses and wore their own suits.

Don and Frieda’s wedding breakfast was only the second one to be held in the Downfall

Creek Hall with about 50 guests sitting on planks because there were no chairs.

In true country form, the wedding gifts were all practical and included crockery, a Vacola bottling set and cash, which they used to buy a twin set of stainless steel washing tubs which Frieda still uses today.

They snuck off to Dalby in Pop Hoffmann’s Holden car with a trail of tins rattling behind before stopping to leave them behind.

But they didn’t have any accommodation booked and so had to settle for a room next to the fire escape at the Russell Hotel.

After two nights, it was back to the real world because they had to get back to Don’s farm “Hillside”, Guluguba, where Don had a house moved for him and Frieda to start their new life together.

This was a little less glamorous than the wedding as they had to truck pigs to keep the money coming in.

Their family grew as it welcomed six children and they raised them at “Hillside” where their son Michael and daughter-in-law Kym now farm and run cattle and lambs.

Their children and many of their grandchildren and great

grandchildren gathered at “Hillside” in late January to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

Don told the family and friends gathered that although “there were and still are ups and downs, happy and sad, tough and rewarding times, time flies when love is involved and we have the paperwork to prove it”.

He reflected on both the good and the bad times he and Frieda had weathered together, including the loss of their beloved baby boy Philip, and said more precious than silver or gold was the love and friendship of good friends and family.

He also dropped a hint that the perfect diamond anniversary gift would give them a bit more energy so they could keep up with their seven enthusiastic great grandchildren better.

Don and Frieda attribute the longevity of their union to their love of God and each other as well as being involved in the wider community through church and organisations such as the show society and local ambulance committees.

They have had a long association with shows since that fateful first outing to the Wandoan Show in 1954 and

Don and Frieda Hoffman at the Wandoan Show Ball in 1956. many of their offspring are closely involved with their local shows.

Don became patron of the Wandoan Show in 2001.

In 2016 two of their granddaughters, Nikki Hoffmann and Tammy Pukallus, competed in the Miss South West Showgirl competition.

Nikki of “Hillside” won Miss South West Showgirl and represented the region at the Ekka while Tammy was the runner-up for the South West Region.

Their daughter Beryl Bennett is chief steward of the produce section at the Tara Show where Don won first place for the giant pumpkin weigh-in with his winning pumpkin topping the scales at 45 kilograms and Frieda’s 37-kilogram pumpkin taking second prize last year.

Another granddaughter, Samara Hoffmann, is also heading up the first Youth of Wandoan Show team which is co-ordinating publicity for the Wandoan Show and managing the entertainment for the Friday and Saturday nights, including the lawnmower races.

Their daughter-in-law Kym is also in on the action having recently come on board as treasurer of the Wandoan Show.

As show patron, Don is encouraging everyone to get along to it next month.

While you may not meet the love of your life there, you just might back a winner in the lawnmower races or find your cattle topping their class if you put the preparation in beforehand.

The Wandoan Show is on April 20 and 21.

WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 17

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

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chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 19

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

Andrea Brodie and Danielle Ward from PBA Feeds, Toowoomba, catch up with Tyson Hoise, of ANZ Agribusiness, Dalby.

Helen Ward, NAB Agribusiness, Dalby, and Jenelle Choyce, Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.

Janine Milne and Tania Fraser from Dalby State High School’s ag program.

PHOTOS: JACINTA CUMMINS

TSBE Intensive Ag Conference Trust is built over time, says Ian McConnel, WWF.

Tracy Cooper and Maria Nolan of Seechange Consulting, Brisbane, catch up with Cr Kaye Maguire.

Deputy Mayor Andrew Smith, State Member for Ipswich Jim Madden and Mayor Paul McVeigh.

Jason Lipp of NAB Agribusiness, Toowoomba, and Mark Young, Young’s Farm, Kingaroy.

Mitchell Sharrock, Colliers International, Toowoomba, chats with Rob Fraser of Fraser Values, Chinchilla, at the conference.

Jodie Taylor, WDRC, Dalby, Cr Carolyn Tillman, Dalby, and Craig Leschke, Retracom Toowoomba, Toowoomba.

PERFORMANCE & RELIABILITY (New and Used)

Western Downs Regional Council’s Amanda Pugh and Todd Summerville.

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20 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

DRESSED TO IMPRESS: Anna Talbot, Surat, Beth Thompson, Injune, Ruth Milton, Injune and Mikaela Greenslade, Roma. PHOTOS: JACINTA CUMMINS

Amy Howe of Theodore and Lara Nobbs of Bauhinia Downs.

Aisling Mulcahy, Brisbane, and Damian Hatfield, Taroom.

Tom Hayes, Taroom; Jacob Busby, Thursday Island; Jake Norton, Bauhinia Downs; Anthony Hafey, Alpha; Kurt Perrett, Duaringa and Tave Buck, Kuranda.

B&S blokes Steve Mason, Theodore; Jake Sawyer, Isis; Richard Avery, Toogoolawah; Rhylee Bayles, Mount Larcom; Travis Collins, Rockhampton; Reece Hancock, Rockhampton.

Imogen Kalan, Gold Coast; Natasha Garner, Manchester, United Kingdom; Nat Kelly, Taroom and Alicia Hawkins, Taroom.

Caity Kelly, Taroom; Shelby Merrit, Rockhampton and Jo Geddes, Rockhampton

Jack Gordes and Tom Smith, Rolleston.

WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 21

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

Kaitlyn Hodges, Laidley; Louise Wilson, Mitchell; Caitlyn Bucknell, Tambo; Kristen Bucknell, Hobart and Amy Wilson, Mitchell.

Taroom’s Beef Barons’ Ball a massive hit

FIVE hundred revellers made their way to Taroom for the Beef Barons’ Buffel Tussle earlier this month. It was Taroom’s first B&S in decades and tickets sold out with proceeds going to support LifeFlight, one of Australia’s biggest air medical retrieval operators. The committee was eager to revive one of

Queensland’s “glory days’ traditions” in the form of a B&S but were keen to deliver a high-end event with the black tie and ball gown dress a far cry from the tafetta dresses that graced the B&S scene in the 1980s and 90s.

Graziers also made their mark on the event with their pallets for the photo backdrop.

LOOKING GOOD: Michael Buchannan, Hervey Bay; Kirsty Hay, Taroom; Kelsey Woods, Monto; Zoe White, Monto and Lachlan Smeed, Monto.

PHOTOS: JACINTA CUMMINS

Melissa Speed, Karla Hicks, Alexandria Galea, Sarah Wells and Katie Kirby all travelled from Emerald for the ball.

Nick Van Bakel, Dalby, and Jane Ziesemer, Taroom.

John Bell, Ashley Steel and Alexander Hinds of Miles getting ready for the night ahead.

Linsie Dawes and Ashleigh Rodiere of Kilcoy.

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22 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER

chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, March 29, 2018

DALBY CATTLE SALES

Recent rain sends record numbers to saleyards Sam Flanagan

THE Dalby Saleyards were packed to the rafters on Wednesday, with a five-year record being shattered as cattle from all over southwest Queensland and NSW went to auction.

A total of 8014 cattle were yarded, the largest number the facility has put through in a sale since February 2013.

Cattle came from as far as Woodburn and Burren Junction south of the border, with livestock agents kept busy well into the afternoon processing the pens.

GDL livestock agent Jordan Wenham said recent rain events were the main reason for the influx of numbers.

“The big sale this week was due to a couple of weeks of wet weather out west, so trucks weren’t able to move the stock out,” Mr Wenham said.

“So we had a couple of smaller yardings leading up to this week.”

Once the land out west had dried out, Mr Wenham said he and his colleagues knew they were in for a busy day as producers looked to get rid of their fat stock.

“We had a fair bit booked in early, so we knew Monday it was going to be a big sale,” he said.

“Most of the yards were full of fat cattle, so there were a lot of processors there. There

wasn’t many restocker cattle but plenty of restockers to buy them up.”

Despite the five-year record high and one of the largest sales in the last decade, Mr Wenham said the prices remained steady.

“It was still reasonably competitive, most breeds dropped back about 10 cents a kilo,” he said.

“The heavier feeder steers remained at a firm price.”

With many flood-affected breeders having cleared their paddocks, Mr Wenham is predicting yarding to return to usual sizes.

“We’re expecting the numbers to drop back a bit now over the coming weeks,” he said.

BIG DAY: More than 8000 head of cattle were sold at the Dalby Saleyards. PHOTO: SAM FLANAGAN

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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 23

Thursday, March 29, 2018 dalbyherald.com.au

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