THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says it has uncovered the ineffectiveness of the state government’s local government rate-capping policy to protect farmers, with council budgets showing farmers continue to get the raw end of the rating stick.
VFF President, Emma Germano, said rate capping had failed to stop some regional councils, forcing rate increases ontofarms.
In South Gippsland, VFF figures show the average residential rate increase was 0.5 per cent, whereasthe average farmrate increasewas 10.14 per cent.
“Councils arefailing to use their differential rating power to equalise rate increases across different classes of land. The burden
of fundinglocal government is shifting more and moreonto the agricultural sector,” she said.
“These tax hikes show that Victoria’s rate capping system is broken. It is completely unfair to have rate increases exorbitantly high for one group of ratepayers, but have no increase or evenareductioninrates for others.”
VFF'sanalysisofall councilbudgets for 2024/25 shows 19 regional councils increasing farmrates above the rate cap of 2.75 per cent, whilst residential rate increases remain at or below the cap.
“Unfair rate increases take money away from farmers investing in their businesses, growingmorefood and fibre, and providing
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Rate cap is ineffective:VFF
local employmentopportunities.Ultimately thiseither drives up the costof foodor puts farmers out of business or both,” Ms Germano said.
VFF’s recent submission to the Victorian Parliament Inquiryinto Local Government funding and services recommended the government requirecouncils to apply the rate cap to each class of land.
“Theannual cap determinedbythe EssentialServiceCommission should be applied to residential, farming, commercial, industrial and any other differential land category,” she said.
“Increasing farmland values have no bearing onfarmers’ability topay exorbitant rate bills.
“The fundamental principle should be that as the value of farmland increases, the differential rate is adjusted to reduce the rate in the dollar so that the rate burden paid by the farmsector remains stable.
“This approach has beenapplied with great effect in the Ararat Rural City Council for the past seven years."
Ms Germano said this system ensures afairer distribution of the rateburden between land types.
"It would also put pressureoncouncils to look for greater efficiencies and cost savings rather than passing costs onto particular land types,” she said.
CarbonNet project meets new range
Philip HOPKINS
ABUSINESS case for Gippsland’s CarbonNet Project is set to be presented to the federal and state governments, the project’s chief, Jane Burton, told amajor energy conference in Perth.
Ms Burton, theDirectorofCarbonNet, said the project was currently undertaking market soundings with adiverse range of stakeholders. These included customers, developers,contractors,equity, and debt investors to informthe commercial modelling, strategyand entity type forthe project moving forward, she said.
CarbonNet's planned 100-kilometre pipeline fromLoy Yang to theGippsland Basin will enable multiple CO2 industrial captureprojects to shareCarbonNet’s infrastructure. Negotiations arecontinuing with landholders in South Gippsland potentially affected by the pipeline.
Ms Burton, who grew up in the Latrobe Valley, has worked in the commercial and public sectors for morethan 30 years. She waspreviously Head of Resources for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, was awarded the 2019 Most Exceptional Woman in Resources award, and is afellow of the Australian Institute of Energy.
Ms Burton told the Energy Producers Conference that CarbonNet began in 2009 when the Prime Minister was Kevin Rudd and the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period had begun in 2008. The Paris Agreement was still six years away.
Climate Change mitigationwas becoming an urgent issue, and the federalgovernment’s Carbon Captureand Storage (CCS)
Flagship program was created to support to avariety of CO2 capture, transportation and storage demonstrationprojects, she said.
The aim of the program was to promote the useofCCS technology,demonstrate Australia’s storage resources, support trials, build capacity, and create links with existing international projects.
Ms Burton said CarbonNet, partofthe original CCS Flagship program, had been fundedbythe federal government and state government since 2010.
“Thevalue of CarbonNet, an early CCS hub concept, was the excellent geology in the Gippsland Basin and the close proximity of storage sites to the Latrobe Valley’s coal fired power stations,” she said.
Areport in 2009identified theoffshore GippslandBasin as havingthe highest qualityand largestcapacity CO2 storage reservoirs out of 25 major geologicalbasins across Australia.
“This early thinking has sincepivoted towardsupporting new clean industries such as hydrogen,ammonia/fertiliser and biomass, and supporting the transition of abroad range of existing high emitters to low emissions technology, aided by drivers such as the safeguardmechanism,”Ms Burton explained.
The safeguardmechanism regulates the greenhouse emissions of Australia’s biggest 215 companies.
Ms Burton said the project over14 yearshad achieved manylegislative and regulatory firsts suchasbeingawarded the first Australian greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment permit and obtaining approvals for multiple offshoreinvestigations.
“This journey has helped to pave the way for current and futureAustralianCCS projects,” she said.
CarbonNet proposes to establish acommercial scale CCS hub that will enablenew and existing decarbonised industries to contribute to legislated governmenttargets, such as Victoria’s 2035 interim emissions reduction target and anet zeroemissions outcome by 2045.
Ms Burton said CarbonNet manages two offshoreGHG permits for sites in the Gippsland Basin -Pelican and Kookaburra.
“Thereispotential for CarbonNet to transport and storeuptosix million tonnes of CO2 per year at the initial Pelican site
once fully operational. It willlikely take up to three years to reach this level once CarbonNet is commissioned. Additional storage capacity will be available in future withexpansion ofthe network to the Kookaburra site,” she said.
“Delivery of CarbonNet is anticipated to create jobsand investment relating both to the project and enabled industries suchashydrogen,ammonia/fertiliser and bioenergy. The project will also focus on futurebenefitsfor communities and landowners, including Traditional Owners in Gippsland.”
CarbonNet's planned 100-kilometre pipeline fromLoy Yang to the Gippsland Basin willconsistof80km of buried onshore pipeline with about afurther 20km offshore, reaching multiple drill centres at the Pelican site.
Ms Burton said regulatory approvals paved the way for consultations with potentially affected landowners in September 2023.
“The final proposed pipeline route will beconfirmed throughstakeholder engagement, field surveys and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) outcomes,” she said.
FEED was completed in February of this year
“This significant project milestone has provideddata that informs the Pelican development concept, including preliminary cost estimate, material specifications and the construction timeline, as well as providing input into approvals documentation and procurement of long lead equipment,” she said.
“The project is currently progressing the primary regulatory approvals for the Pelican storage site to achieve the required injection licence. The environmental approvals process is anticipated to take several years. Acomprehensive community and stakeholder engagement process, inline with governmentguidelines, will accompany the approvals program.”
Ms Burton said CarbonNet, well known across the CCS industry and academia, was well understoodinGippsland and supported acrosslocal governments, industry groupssuch as Committee forGippsland and local industry.
“The regional traditional owners (GLaWAC -Gunaikurnai Landand Waters Aboriginal Corporation) areakey stakeholder,this
relationshipwill soon expandwiththe development of the project’s cultural heritage management plan,” she said.
Research showed that CarbonNet had 64 per cent community awareness in Gippsland. The engineering aspect of the projectinterested local Gippsland males (largely ex-energy workers) with this group registering 79 per cent CCS awareness.
“The female cohort focused on safety and expediting climate change mitigation to ensurea healthy futurefor their children/ grandchildren -registering 58 per cent CCS awareness,” she said.
TheCarbonNet Community Reference Group, established in2019 and chaired by Victoria’s Lead Scientist, Amanda Caples, meets quarterly to receive project updates and discuss emerging issues.
The project alsoproduceseducational programs and events for primary and secondary school students focusing on CCSas adecarbonisation tool, including an annual Science Week event, and sponsorship of the University of Melbourne CCS short course.
Ms Burton said adding to the complexity was Gippsland Basin being made Australia's first declared offshorewind zone in 2022. Up to12 offshorewind projects werelikely to be awarded feasibility licences in 2024.
“The renewable energy boom in the region also requires transmission infrastructure within the region. CarbonNet has connected with the Crown Estate in the UK to learn about their experiences while also proactively working with multiple adjacent and overlapping offshoreand onshoreprojects in Gippsland,” she said.
“The goal is to not only achieve coexistence, buttoidentify opportunities for collaboration, such as data sharing, shared investigations and community events, minimising impacts on stakeholders.”
CarbonNet’s latest update said in June, surveys on public land and private property wereconducted whereland access had been agreed. Ecology surveys werecompleted in April, andinJune,CarbonNet began geotechnical surveys between Loy Yang and Golden Beach.
Theaim is to “contribute to our technical knowledge of the current pipeline corridor and informthe final proposed route”, the update said.
Expansion almost complete
THE owners of the Victorian Livestock Exchange (VLE)say expansions to the Leongatha sale yards are close to being completedtoaccommodate additional numbers after the final sale at the Pakenham sale yards last month.
VLE announced late last year that the Pakenham facilitywouldclosein June 2024, attributing the decision to escalating land taxes at its location on Melbourne’s easternmetropolitan fringe.The Pakenham location was listed for sale at $30 million, with reports it has now sold for $25 million.
VLE Managing Director,Brian Paynter, saidnew holdingyards werebeing built at Leongatha for 2500 cattle which they hope to be finished this month.
“Part of the Victorian Livestock Exchange master plan for the Leongatha saleyards, theseholding yards will have soft flooring, and feeders on the outside rails,” he said. He added that the $300,000 investment will make it easier to transition from sale to transport and provide thecomplex with additional capacity.
“Theseyards will make sureVLE Leongatha can handle 6000 cattle at any one time -sometimes even afew hundred more-ideal timing for those farmers looking to transition their cattlemarketing from Pakenham to Leongatha.
“These new yards will have covered feeders alongthe outside railswhichare easily accessible for the livestockand enable easier and faster pen cleaning.”
Other changes he said slated for VLE Leongathaas part of itsmasterplan included:
An additional 9000 squaremetres of undercover holding yards;
Anew four-bay truck wash;
Truck driver amenities and tea rooms;
Atruck fuel depot; New livestock agent offices with a boardroom;
VLE Leongatha sold 160,000 cattle this financial year -up26per cent from 2022/23 -ranking it has Victoria’s highest throughput sale yard.
Mr Paynterpredicted VLE Leongatha could match the throughput of Australia’s largest selling centre,the Roma Sale yards in Queensland, if 80 per cent of the cattlesold at Pakenham move across to Leongatha.
In astatement released by VLE, Elders Leongatha Branch Manager, Rohan McRae, said he was confident Leongatha’s established market could handle extra cattle from Pakenham and said winter was the ideal time for the transition.
“Julyand August aregenerally quieter and that gives us time to get the saleyards settled, with theinfrastructureupgrades and work done to handle the extra numbers, beforethey really begin to arrive in spring and summer,” he said.
“Good, consistent lines of cattle brings buyersand I’m confident all the major buyers will continue to supportLeongatha.”
Mr Paynter also said adecision has been made to split sales at Leongatha between agents, following extensive discussions with agents, transporters and saleyards’ stakeholders.
Sand quarry given the green light
ANEW sand quarry at Lang Lang has been approved.
Estimated to hold morethan13 million tonnes of sand, the quarry at Lang Lang is expectedtocreate 30 jobs directly with the potential for many moreinrelated industries and throughout the community.
Lang Lang Sands is part of the Aurora ConstructionMaterials group, which producesrecycledmaterials. Sand from the new quarry will supplement these materials to produce higher grade concrete.
Infrastructureinvestment is driving demandfor raw quarrymaterials, including sand which is avital ingredient for concrete. Making moresand available reduces the likelihood of
supply shortages in the years to come. QuarryproductioninVictoriais growing year-on-year with a14per cent increase over three years, reaching an annual production recordof73.6 million tonnes of rock, sand and gravel.
For every one tonne of quarry material currently being produced, four new tonnes have now been approved for development tomeetfuturedemand and reduce prices.
The Ministerfor Energyand Resources, Lily D'Ambrosio, said new supplies brought online in appropriate areas ensures"we can provide the materials we need for agrowing Victoria,while ensuring community and environmental impacts arekept to aminimum".
Starting in August, Leongatha store sales will be split along the following lines: Nutrien/SEJElders/Alex Scott, Staff/Baw Baw Livestock/Phelan, and Henderson & Co and ESB.
The group of five agents was scheduled to start on the first storesale on August 1. Thefollowing week Nutrien/SEJ will sell on August 8. Sales will continue to rotate on afortnightly basis.
“Splittingthe storemarkets is the best way to ensureconsistent cattle numbers at the yards on aweekly basis. It will also help stock agents manage their workloads and the VLE with maintenance and staff rostering. VLE trusts this arrangement will be respected by all agents and everyone can get down to business,” Mr Paynter said.
Gippsland ago to for deer hunting
Stefan BRADLEY
THE number of deer harvested in Victoria rose by 11 per cent to about 137,090 last year,according to the Game Management Authority.
The authority's 2023 deer harvest report showed that the new total was 11 per centhigher than the estimated 123,400 deer harvested in 2022 and a59per cent increaseonthe long-termaverage (86,400).
The most popular hunting areas were around thetownsofMansfield, Licola, Omeo, Warragul and Dargo. The highest number of deer harvested werearound the townsof Mansfield, Licola, Dargo,Omeo and Benalla.
Sambar deerwerethe most harvested
species with an estimated harvest of 106,500 deer,of which 53 per cent were female. Fallow Deer werethe second most harvestedspecies, withan estimated harvestof27,500 deer, of which 59 per cent werefemale.
Barry Howlett, who is based in Warragul, is the SSAA (Sporting ShootersAssociation of Australia)Victoria communications managerand has alsohunteddeerfor morethan 30 years. He said that Licolahad
“really good track access” for deer hunters.
“You can get in somewherefor aday trip and go for ahunt. Licola also has got that higher altitude, open country and good deer numbers," he said.
“Dargo is quite similar.It’s far enough
away that you canhaveareally remote sort of wilderness experience, but it’s also quite accessible. Youcan get avehicle within a couple of kilometres whereyou’regoing to find deer,which is very handy.
“Thisisespecially important withsambar… which arereally large animals.”
Stratfordresident, Vietnam veteran and deer hunter,John Bryant, said sambar deer were the “premier”game animal in Australia.
“Wedon’t shoot every deer because now you’ve got digital phones, cameras and head cams, we take great delight in just filming the deer in its natural habitat,” he said.
Mr Bryant said he and his crew of hunters usually go to Dargo.
“Wemainly hunt (in) Dargo, we’ve been hunting (in) thatareafor probably more than 30 years,” he said.
“I think deer hunters areadifferent breed. We do it for the camaraderie. We hunt hard. We can read thesigns and can just tell exactly wherethe deer are.
“Welike the bush. Dargoisdefinitely hilly and we have the river.I’ll swim in the river after every hunt. Doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. Youdon’thave to shoot deer to have fun."
Mr Howlett said that the Gippsland areas highlighted as popular in thisreportWarragul,Dargo, Omeoand Licola -all had close to the ideal number of deer,and great access via road.
In an increasingly moreurbanised society,
Mr Howlett said hunting was growing in popularity because“people need to experience something”.
“Hunting gives you away to truly interact withnature.These active outdoor activities become more and more important to people," he said.
“There’s alot morehunters out thereand alot morehunting, which is fantastic.”
The numberoflicenced recreationaldeer hunters in 2023 was 52,321, an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2022 (50,478).
Of the 52,321 licensed deer hunters, 60 per cent actively hunted in 2023. On average, active deer hunters harvested an estimated 4.3 deer over 10.5 days.
TheGMA Research Principal, Dr Jason Flesch, said the research was based on informationgathered from randomly selected licenced deer hunters who voluntarily participated in the phone surveys.
“Throughout 2023, approximately 2400 licenced deer hunters weresurveyed about their hunting activity including how many deerwereharvested, wherehunting occurred, hunting methods used, and the species of deer harvested," he said.
“This research helps build astronger understanding of deer harvest trends and hunting activity in Victoria.”
Thereport is produced annually by the GMA in collaboration with the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research.
For afull copy of the estimates of the 2023 deer harvest report, visit: gma.vic.gov.au
Image: Game Management Victoria
Uncovering farmingchallenges
OVER 50 per cent of Australian farmers (57 per cent) say the biggest challenge theyare facing is economic conditions (including inflation/prices), up eight per cent from ayear ago, and up alarge 22 per cent from 2022, aspecial Roy Morgan survey has found.
In aclear secondplaceisgovernment policy mentioned by 23 per cent of farmers, almost
doublingfromayearago (up 11 per cent from 2023) and up by 17 per cent from 2022. Over the past two years, government policy has increased from equal fifth to aclear second place in the list of challenges.
Staffing issues, including finding sufficient labour for their farms, arethe thirdmost prominent issue and mentioned by 18 per cent of farmers as the
biggest challenge they face, up five per cent from ayear ago.
Filling out the top five issues wereweather,mentioned by 16 per centoffarmers, business viability, also at 16 per cent, and somewhat surprisingly, climate change, mentioned by only seven per cent of farmers -down from ayear ago.
The results in the special Roy Morgan Farmer AgTech Survey
arebased on 1001 in-depth interviews with Australian farmers conducted during April and May this year
However,a majorityof Australian farmers (60per cent) expect their farming business will be ‘financiallybetter off’ next year compared to 40 per cent who expect to be ‘worse off. Australian farmers are far moreoptimistic about the futurecomparedto how they felt about ayear ago.
Over two-thirdsoffarmers (70 per cent) saytheir farming business is‘worse off financially’ thana year ago, compared to only 30 per cent who say they are‘better off’.
Of concern, amajority of 58 per cent of farmerssay the next 12 months is a‘bad time to invest in growing the business’. An even larger majority of 66 per cent of farmers with an annual revenue of less than $100,000 say it is a‘bad time to invest’.
In terms of the Australian economy, aclear majority of 69 per cent of farmersexpect the economy to experience ‘bad times’ over boththe next12 months andthe longer-term over the next five years.
Farmers from arange of farms participated in the survey -beef, cropping, sheep (meat), sheep (wool), horticulture, dairy and other farm types, small farms to those over 25,000 hectares, annualrevenuefromunder $100,000 to over $5 million.
Staking aview on local plantations
Philip HOPKINS
COMMUNITY attitudes towards commercial forest plantations in Gippslandare the subject of asurvey beingundertakenby Federation University.
The team of researchers from Federation University, Churchill consist of Professor Thomas Baumgartl, Prof Wendy Wright, Associate Prof Jess Reeves, Dr Gideon Otchere, McGill University (Canada), and Prof Gordon Hickey.
This is an independent research project undertaken by experienced researchers with local knowledge, which aims to help informindustry practice.
The project isfunded by the National Institutefor Forest Product Innovation (NIFPI) in partnership with HVP Plantations.
The survey looks at factors that influenceperceptions of plantation forestry, and perceived benefits and disadvantages of plantations.
Currentlythe plantation industry and state and federal governments areinvesting to increase the supply of Australian-grown plantation timber.The Gippsland Plantations Investment Program (GPIP) is an example of this.
Results from the survey will be widely availableand areintended to help land
managers and plantation companies better understand the viewsofcommunity stakeholders.
Under GPIP, in 2022 HVP Plantations entered into a$120 million agreement with the state government to increase the Victorian plantation forestry estate. This was part of the government’s policy to close the native forest industry and replaceit with plantations.
The $120 millionagreementincludes a government commitment to contribute to the acquisitionofprivatelands in Gippsland for thesole purposeofestablishing new softwood(Radiata pine) forestry plantations.
HVP Plantations will also contribute a similar amount to acquirethe lands, preparethe sites and plant and care for the trees, making atotal investment of$240 million. The program is expected to provide big economicbenefits to the regionand will increase domestic supply of softwood timber
The GPIP requires HVP to establish about 14,450 hectares of new Radiata pine softwood plantations over the next 10 years. The land, most in Gippsland,isexpected to be bought between 2022 and 2029. GPIP requires that the land be bought overa large geographicareaand not be
concentrated in just afew local government areas. There arerestrictionsonacquisitions in the Macalister Irrigation District. The land will consist of acombination of freehold land, which will be owned by HVP, leasehold land and farmforestry.
The emphasis will be on less productive farmland, as it does not make commercial sense to acquireagricultural land for timber production.
GPIP calculates that 14,450 hectares will result in 16 millionmoretrees planted over the 10-year period -aneight per cent increase to HVP’s total plantation estate in Victoria, and about a15per cent increase to Gippsland’s total.
All trees planted will be sourced from HVP’s Gelliondale Nursery in Gippsland. The researchers would like one member of each household over the age of 18 years to fill in the survey.The surveyshould only take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. For each completed survey, the research teamwilldonate$5toeitherGreening Australia or the Country FireAuthority (CFA) -people can choose -upto amaximum of $2500.
Surveysshould becompletedbythe middleof August. The link for people to complete the survey is: bit.ly/4by9Ctz Heartwood Feature -Page 22
Urge to combineprescribed burning strategies
Philip HOPKINS
ALEADINGforestry expert has strongly criticised opponents of prescribedburning in forests and has urged aradical new approach combining traditional Indigenous knowledge and bushfirescience to tackle bushfirepolicy.
Dr Tony Bartlett AFSM, an independent forestry consultant, told abushfireconference in Melbournethat aquantum shift in thinking and practice was needed to manage climate change impacts on native forests.
"The increased frequencyofhigh intensity landscape-scale wildfires is having an impact on forest resilience," he said in apresentation to theForestry Australia Forest Summit.
"For forest firemanagement,weneed adaptive and innovative actions drawing from both traditional knowledge and bushfirescience."
Dr Bartlett was one of athreeperson, expert panel that conducted a Commonwealth-State review to assessthe impactofthe 2019/20bushfires on the modernised Regional Forest Agreements. The othermembers of the panel werea Victorian TraditionalOwner,Katherine Mullett, and the Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Dr Gillian Sparkes AM.
Dr Bartlett criticised comments made by academic opponentsof prescribedburning - Dr Phil Zylstra and Professor David Lindenmayer -inthe Canberra Times on
May 17 this year and in The Conversation on March 23 this year These quotes were:
"Our research has shown that native forests can become more flammable -not less- as aresult of prescribed fires";
"Disturbances such as prescribed burning lead to pulses of flammable regrowth";
"Prescribed burning too often has short-termbenefitsbut long-term costs", and;
"Burning made WAforests on average seven times more flammable for 43 to 56 years".
Dr Bartlett emphasised that the findings from this "landmark" research wereinconsistent with those from the extensive body of Australian bushfireresearch.
"They do not match the lived experience in many forests burnt by severewildfires," he said.
"Prescribed fireisthe solution not the problem.Passivemanagement is failing our forest ecosystems."
Dr Bartlett said it was critical to debunk the academic myth that prescribed burning was only effective and appropriate close to high-value houses.
He indicated thereare six reasons to conduct prescribed burning in forests:
Protection of built assets and critical infrastructure;
Increasing the probability of success of direct firesuppression operations;
Enhancing the options and practicality of conducting indirect
suppression operations, when implemented in proximity to strategic firetrails;
Increasing the resilience of forest ecosystems to the impacts of repeated severewildfires;
Reducing wildfireseverity in areas next to fire-sensitive ecosystems or to create flora and fauna refugia within landscape-scale wildfires, and;
Protecting water quality, by limiting the prospect of vegetation close to reservoirs and streams being severely burnt.
Dr Bartlett said the resilience of dry forests was also being compromised by repeated intense wildfires, resulting in areas of forest that resemble burnt-out matchsticks.
"Do ecologists really believe these forests will survive under passive forest management regimes?" he said.
Now based inCanberra, Dr Bartlett worked for many years in East Gippsland, but the main forces driving forest ecology arethe same throughout Australia.
At Canberra's Cotter Catchment, in 2006, three years after 2003 bushfires, the water quality was severely compromised, resulting in construction of anew filtration plant.
In 2020, where prescribed burning had been conducted in the Cotter Catchment, Dr Bartlett said fireseverity was reduced.
"However,environmental concerns had precluded burning slopes adjacent to the dam, and these areas were very intensely burnt," he said.
Dr Bartlett said modernscience forest
management had much to learnfrom Aboriginal firepractices.
ABandjalang Aboriginalcommunity memberin northern NSW described the forest structure after the2020fires as “upside-down forest”, and said that “this forest is now so dense that an emu can no longer run through it”.
"Fire management is allwrong -now after abushfirethe forest managersare not allowed to burnfor around 10 years (under the NSW BushfireEnvironmental Assessment Code)," Dr Bartlett said.
However,the Bandjalang Aboriginal community hadexplained that "In the past, after abushfire, we used to do cool burning of these areas in thefollowing summer, burning the grasses which also killed some of theregenerating wattlesand eucalypts".
Dr Bartlettsaid in the ACT,all of the 7430 hectares of fire-sensitive Alpine Ash forest had been burnt in two wildfires since 2003. "About two-thirds of the alpine ash was burnt in both 2003 and 2020 -about one thirdwas burnt twice at high severity and is nowlostastherewas no seedonthe young trees to regenerate the burnt forest. Another third of these fire-sensitive forests burnt at lowintensity, including areas that werepart of backburns in 2003," he said.
"Prescribed burning adjacent to and (when appropriate) withinremnant AlpineAsh may enhance the resilience of this important forest ecosystem to futurewildfires."
Keep cowswarm in winter
WITH awinter blast forecast for eastern Victoria, reducing the impacts of cold weather on cattle is essentialtoboth animal production andwelfare,says the Department of Energy, Environment and ClimateAction.
During cold weather,the energy requirements of acow can increase by up to 20 per cent, with lighter cowsbeing moreaffected than those in adequate condition.
AgricultureVictoria Livestock Industry Development Officer,Nick Linden,said the impact of cold weather, particularly when combined with wet and windy conditions and low pasture availability, can severely affectcowsthatare already low in body condition.
"It is important to keepaneye on the forecastweatherconditionsand if possible, move cattle into sheltered paddocks or those with windbreaks. This will reduce the impacts of chillbykeeping animals out of the wind and give abetter returnon supplementary feeding," Mr Linden said.
"Poorer conditioncowshaveahigher maintenance requirement through winter as they have to work harder to stay warm. Separating the lighter condition cows will enable producers to better manage these in-need cows with a specific feed and supplementplan and reduce competitionfor feed.
"Lighter cows will suffer morefromcold stress than fatter cows -fat is an excellent source of insulation as well as being an important energy reserve. We really need to look out for the lighter cows."
Lighter cows can also result in weaker calves being borninthe spring, poor joining rates for autumn calvers or cow mortality.
Mr Linden said hungry cows can be cold cows and cattle will eat moreincold weather to generate body heat. Roughages like hay arebroken down by microbial action, and this process generates heat. In addition to roughage, it’s important to keep an eye on the protein and energy levels of the diet.
Pointing out those pests
LATROBE Catchment LandcareNetwork (LCLN) is shining the spotlight on weed and pestanimalcontrolacrossthe region after receiving funding from the Department of Agriculture's Partnerships against Pests Program.
In the leaduptoa multi-agency forum this September,the group called for residentsinthe Latrobe regionto sharetheir pest concerns via ashort five-minute survey.
“Wereally want everyone in our region to tell us what weeds and pest animals they’reseeing on their property and in their neighbourhood,” LCLNProject Manager,JoKurpershoek said.
“Wealso wanttoknow how much pest control is costing them on an annual basis in both hours and dollars, as well as what they think would help improve control in their area.”
control can be daunting, and it’s often beyond what one individualcan do alone.”
Weeds and pest animals pose amajor threat to Victoria’s native wildlife and natural areas which formsome of West Gippsland’s major tourism drawcards. Theyalso cost Victoria’s agricultural industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year
That is why LCLN is bringingland management agencies, and industry representatives, and environmental and local Landcaregroups together at the September forum, wherethey will discuss and decide on strategic actions to improve pest control across the region.
"Whil iroughageswillhelp rm,itisimportant to tein in the diet to feed
Ms Kurpershoeksaid survey responses so far indicated blackberry, ragwort, foxes, rabbitsand deer were topping the list, and that many landholders were spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars annually to curb pests on their property.
“No one agency or individualalone can successfully eradicate or control pests, which means we really areinthis together.That is why it is so important we hear from community. We want to table their knowledge, concernsand suggestions at the Forum in September to come up witha plan that actually works.” Ms Kurpershoek said.
en bacteria being well struggle to consume hages needed to generand stay productive. ging lightercondiws separately,using ed areas of the farm, ng the energy and prohe supplementsbeing monitoring fat scores hrough winter areall twaystominimise sofcold weather on y especially for animals in lighter condition as a result of the late autumn break experienced in many parts of the state."
“Thechallenge for everyone though, is that pests don’t just stop at property boundaries. If just one person is not doing their bit, the whole neighbourhood has an ongoing problem,” she said.
“WWe know that people want to do the right thing, but weed and pest animal
The community pest plant and animal survey is open until August 14 and can be accessed via LCLN’s Integrated Pest Plant and Animal Project webpage and Facebook page.
For surveyand project enquiries, c contact Ms Kurpershoek at: info@lcln com au
Cows eatmoreinwinter to keep warm. Digesting roughages like haygenerates heat. Photo: iStock
Photo: File
Y Youngster charges into the industry
AT just 19-years-old, Holly Anderson might be the youngest Australian cattle breeder to have a bull placed in the artificial insemination (AI) system
Empire Banks P has been picked up by Genetics Australia and is expected to have semen available from this spring
While Holly’s Empire Jerseys stud is relatively new, she hails from a family that has been producing top-quality Jerseys for decades
Holly’s parents Rob and Kerrie operate Kings Ville Jerseys in Drouin West which has sold 28 bulls into AI and was last year named one of Jersey Australia’s inaugural master breeders Kings Ville was started in 1987 by Rob with the support of his parents Bert and Winsome who established Kings View Jerseys in 1961
Holly was keen to go one step further and came up with the name Empire to reign over the Kingdom
I always joked with Dad whenever one of my cows had a girl that my empire was growing and that’s how Empire Jerseys was created,” Holly said
“My family has Kings in their stud names, I still wanted my stud to be connected with them but to be separate at the same time ”
Holly says there is some friendly rivalry within the family - and she beat her dad who was 24-years-old when he sold his first bull to AI - but she acknowledges their support
“I must be close to being the youngest to get a bull into AI,” Holly said
“I’m happy to get that goal ticked off, and hopefully I’ll get more in the future, but I’m very thankful to mum and dad because it wouldn t be possible if it wasn t for them
Holly’s journey to AI breeding success started when she was 12-years-old and got to take her pick of any heifer in the calf shed, an offer that was extended to her older sisters, Em and Meg “I chose Archer Belle, she had
Matt Belle, the dam of Empire Banks,”
Holly said
“I didn’t base it off what she looked like; I chose her because she had the highest BPI (Balanced Performance Index) in the calf shed It was a case of mind over heart ”
In 2021, Holly started Empire Jerseys, and in 2023 she started full-time work on the farm She now has full control over what bulls she uses
“Because I’m relatively new to the game, when it comes to my breeding objectives I aim for polled as well as creating more efficient and productive cows," she said
“When Matt Belle was born and I saw that she had ideal numbers being the highest BPI jersey heifer in Australia, it gave me the hope that one day she would put a bull into AI When I looked at the number of bulls mum and dad had sent into AI, getting my own bull in the system definitely became a goal of mine
“When Matt Belle had her first son, he was just a couple short on BPI which taught me the value of genomics the challenges that come with a changing criteria base and to focus on important reliant traits for the jersey breed I was fortunate enough for Matt Belle to have another son Banks
When his genomics arrived it was an exciting moment and I thought he had a good chance
“I’m a bit biased due to the strong
relationship I have created with Banks, but I do hope he goes on to do well ”
While Belles are the main family within Empire Jerseys, the budding stud also boasts Banks, Melmiss and Eran among others, including several Fernleafs she owns by herself as well as co-owns with her sisters
“I’d love to get a bull from the Fernleaf family into AI ” Holly added
“I’ve got a real soft spot for Jerseys due to being a fifth-generation dairy farmer
I see the Jersey cow playing a big part into the sustainable future due to their size and production and can see Australian Jersey genetics going very far around the world ”
Holly has embraced the industry and is vice-president of Gippsland Dairy Youth Group
“I enjoy organising events and helping to encourage the next generation,” she said
“It’s important to have a supported environment and build relationships with like-minded people ”
Genetics Australia Chief Executive, Anthony Shelly, said no-one on the Genetics Australia team could recall a younger breeder supplying a bull to the team
“It’s exciting news for the Jersey breed not only have enthused youth but to have Holly leading the way, Mr Shelly said “No doubt she has been mentored by some strong family influences yet Holly has still had the vision and passion to create her own herd
and breeding program We are proud to be associated with such an inspirational young achiever and look forward to many more Empire bulls joining the Genetics Australia team ”
Empire Banks P is a particularly wellbalanced bull with BPI $342, and an excellent production profile with strong kilos and components along with appealing health traits combined with linear scores that excel for strength and udders: Survival +110, Cell Count +134, Mastitis Resistance +105
Holly Anderson may well be the youngest Australian cattle breeder to have a bull placed in the artificial insemination system Photos: Kerrie Anderson
Holly Anderson with her father Rob, and grandmother Winsome
Reinforcing roads and agriculture
THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) saysthe Victorian agricultureindustry can propel the state’s economyand surpass $20 billiondollars of food and fibreexports by 2030 if the state government focusses on road maintenance, lowering costs and improving freight efficiency.
In asubmission to the Refresh of the Victorian Freight Strategy, VFF President, Emma Germano said having aplan to maintain and fix regional roads would be key to reinforcing agricultureasVictoria’s largest exporter by value and sustain the more than 154,000 people directly employed by the industry.
“Victoria has the worst roads in the country. The freight strategy must set a vision for us to have the best roads in Australia,” she said.
“The total neglect of regional roads has happened in part because the previous freight strategynever identifiedmaintenance as apriority. That is despite it having been akey ask of all freight and transport industry stakeholders.
“Tocontinue to supplygood quality, well-priced products for consumers, here and abroad, it’s absolutely vital we have a concrete vision that improves the efficient movement of food and fibre.”
Ms Germano added that acombination of infrastructure investment, maintenance and regulatory reformwillbe needed to realise the full potential of anew strategy.
“Victoria’s new freight strategy must include adedicatedpiece focusingon agricultural freight. Transporting produce through our supply chains represents one
of the most significant costs to Victorian farmers. Not only do we feel that squeeze on farms, it drives investment away from our state and our industry,” she said.
“Risingcostsacross the supplychain aremaking Victorian food and fibreless competitive. Terminal access charges forone of the stevedores at the Port of Melbourne have increasedby52.52per centinMelbourne,compared with38.8 per cent in Sydney,and 37.5 per centin Brisbane this year
“The costofnot planning for the future would be enormous. The demand for food and fibreis growing exponentially both domestically and overseas and now is to set the foundations for a modern and efficient freight systemthatdelivers for the decades ahead.”
Traralgon business makes the switch
ATRARALGON forest contractor has madethe change from nativehardwood to plantationsoftwoodunder the state government’sprogram thatclosedthe native forest industry.
Gippsland Logging and Earthmovinghas madethe transition into plantation timber haulage due to agrant from the government’s Timber Innovation Fund (VTIF).
The Traralgon-basedbusiness decided last year to transition to plantation timber haulage, but needed to modify and buy new equipment in order to do so. Gippsland Logging and Earthmoving applied for a $330,000 VTIF grant to redesign and repurpose aprime mover and purchase a crane unit that is suitable and compliantfor
haulage of plantation timber.The decision has resulted in the retention and training of six existing full-time employees.
Gippsland Logging and Earthmovinghas beenoperating since2004,and whilst most of its work is in timber haulage, the business also specialises in earthworks and roading.
Member for EasternVictoria, Harriet Shing said Gippsland Logging and Earthmoving’s work was areally great example of the funding and support that’s helping businesses across rural and regional Victoria to “transition to new opportunities that drive jobs and prosperity”.
Round 3the Victorian Timber Innovation Fund Grants Program has grants of up to
$1 million for eligible businesses to access. As part of Round 3, supportwillinclude agrant application assistance service for the first time.
Businesses can apply for vouchers of up to $7500 that will provide them with access to apanel of registered service providers. These providers will help businessesto prepareand submit strong submissions for the grants program.
VTIF supports businesses to transition away from the native timber industry and diversify their business operations.
For moreinformation visit: deeca.vic.gov. au/forestry
Acquire more control overpests
GROWERS and gardeners planning to plant fruittrees this winterare being urgedtoconsider dwarftrees as an easier option to protectagainst fruit fly.
AgricultureVictoria’s state-wide fruit fly coordinator,CathyMansfield said dwarf varieties are easiertoharvest, easier to cover with insect-proof netting andeasier to monitor for pests.
“It’s particularly important to control fruit fly and other pests and diseases if you live near commercial production areaslikethe YarraValley, Goulburn Murray Valley or Sunraysia,” she said.
“For home gardeners, covering fruit trees with netting is the best way to prevent fruit fly.
“Findingfruitfly on dwarftrees is made easier when you can access fruit below head heightand identify the small pin like mark that female Queensland fruit fly make as they lay eggs into the surface.”
Another advantage of dwarfvarieties is that aladder is not required for fruit picking, netting or pruning. In Victoria alone, thereare about 1200 emergency department presentationsdue to ladder falls at home each year
Dwarf trees provide other benefits for home gardeners such as greater coverage with insecticides andfungicides, and forrenters,the abilitytomove to the next property whenplanted in apot. Standardvarieties of fruit trees require careful pruning to manage vigour and direct energy to fruit.
Skilful pruning and thinning is required to ensuregardeners don’t end up with very tall trees and small fruit. For moreinformation, visitthe AgricultureVictoriawebsite: at agriculture.vic.gov.au/qff
Middle Pub strikes thrice at awards night
Katrina BRANDON
THE Korumburra Middle Hotel (Middle Pub)
recently won three awards at the Australian Hotels Association Victorian State Awards night for best outdoor area, top pub and the best parma in Victoria.
Owner of Middle Pub, Ben Fisher says the parma's “secret” is the produce.
“The head chef said that every element goes into the dish. He takes pride in everything he does, such as using fresh produce from the chicken schnitzel to the sauce, the ham, the cheese and the herbs, and the combination of the good service up front,” he said.
“I think that helps. Alwayshave asmiling face when people come in.”
From what used to be 20 per cent of their meal sales, parma’s have gone up to 60 per cent as of May 23. According to Mr Fisher,now people regularlyring up to book aparma meal
Going into the awards night, the Middle Pub wasnominated for nine finals,and some individual awards, along withtheirheadchef, Mark Smith who was nominated for the fourth year in arow.
Bringing up 15 of his own staff, and 15 more from San Remo, Mr Fisher told Gippsland Farmer that they stucktogether duringthe night, sharing friendly banter,and beforethey knew it, they werebeing called up to receive awards.
“Wewerequite shocked. Quite early, we won Best Parma of the Year,which got everyone up and excited. Thedrinksand food kept coming.Wewon Best Outdoor Experience,” Mr Fisher said.
“Then, to win Overall Hotel of the Year at the end was just the icing on the cake. We were all in shock, some of us had tears. It was one of the best nights. It was so much fun.”
Since 2019, Mr Fisher and his wife, Elyse, have been running the Middle Pub, celebrating theirfifth year of business last month. Starting beforethe pandemic, Mr Fisher said that the biggest challenge was not being able to open the doors so his staffcould work, but being
able to deliver food within 30 kilometres was abig help, which they still do today.
The Middle Pub is one of many local hot spots in the area, offering themed nights and often being the centreoffundraisers.
Mr Fisher hopes that winning these awards will bring moretraffic into the town, helping his business and the others surrounding him.
“Gippsland has to look after each other.If we can all shop in the local area and hop out.
Winning this award, if that makes morepeople come to Korumburra, whethertheycomehere, the TopPub (or Austral Hotel), the brewery or the local bakeries, it is agood thingfor the town and the whole Gippsland corridor.”
“Weare abusy little pub, and nothing is betterthan being busy.Beingbusy means we can employ morelocal staff, morepeople at the venue, and morepeople in town. If we can bring morepeopletothe community, they mightcome heretohaveachickenparma and grab anewspaper on the way out or whatever it is. Ijustthink it is good for the small country town.”
Korumburra to host Garlic Fest next year
THE South Gippsland Garlic Festival has forged apartnership with the Korumburra and District Agricultural Society to stage the 2025Garlic Festival.
The South Gippsland Garlic Festival Committee (SGGFC) chose Korumburra as the host townshipfor the highlyanticipated returnofthe Garlic Festival in 2025.
SGGFC President, Joel White, said the decision came after much deliberation and consideration, “Korumburra was chosen for its community spirit, vibrant business community and convenientlocationbeing just90 minutes from Melbourne," he said.
Another facto was the submission and
enthusiasmfromthe Korumburra A&P society.
"The facilities at the Korumburra show grounds will provide the foundations for agreat regional festival,” he said.
The festival, renowned for celebrating all things garlic and promoting local agriculture andthe SouthGippslandregion, brings together garlic enthusiasts, food lovers, and families to savour delicious food, live music, cooking demonstrations, the renownedGarlicUniversity and much more.
The SGGFC will host its AGM in early September whereitwill call for volunteers to formanextended committee to execute
the event. And in the lead-up to the event in March, there will be a call out for local volunteers to ensure the success of the event.
"Join us as we celebrate community, creativity, and all things garlic!" Mr White said.
The Korumburra A&P Society President, Danial Robbins, said: “Korumburra A&P Society fullysupportthe decision by SGGF to utilisethe Korumburra showgrounds as the new venue for the garlic festival aswesee it as agreat initiative and event bringing tourism and vibrancy to Korumburra.”
Middle Pub owner Ben Fisher,chefMarkSmith and staffmember Heidi Burgess enjoying the win of Best Parma, Best Outdoor Area and Best Regional Pub.
Photo: Katrina Brandon
South Gippsland Dairy Expo
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS
TheStrzeleckiLionsClubis pleased to announce that they will be hostingthe South Gippsland Dairy&Farming Expo in Korumburra on Wednesday4th and Thursday 5thSeptember 2024
This year,theywillcelebrate 25 years of providing the local dairying community with an event showcasing thelatest innovations, products, and servicesavailable to the dairy industry.
Be surenot to miss your chancetowin $5000 in the UdderTruthShow bag competition,which is proudly boughttoyou by South East OrganicFertiliser.
The rulesare simple,participantsmust be farmers and over 18 years of age.
Collect ashowbag at thegate, answer 17 of the 20 questions andrequest yourcardtobe stamped by the corresponding exhibitor
The firstcarddrawn with 17 correct answers, with theexhibitor stamps, will respectively win$3,000first prize, $1,000 secondprize or third prize $500
Thelucky winner’sannouncement willoccur at 2.30 pm on Thursday5th September 2024. Let’sworkout the odds; therewill be 200 showbags available during theevent’stwo days
So how manyfarmers will completethe card?
Your guessisasgoodasours; thereisanold saying that you must be in it to winit!
The funds raisedfromthe DairyExpohave helped the Strzelecki LionsClubdistribute over$600,000backinto the community andLions projects.
The planningfor theDairy Expo startsinJanuaryeach year,and thecommittee meets monthlyuntilthe last week beforethe event toensureall theplans areinplace.
South Gippsland Dairy Expo
What Else Is Happening?
MattHarms from OnFarmConsulting is hostinga sessiononWednesday 4th September at 11am.
Thisisyour life
Everyone hasastory to tell.
With the dairy industryasdiverse as it is, and dairy peoplebeingthe backbone of theindustry, it is no wonderthere are so many personal stories out in thedairy community
Thisyear’spanel members have heart-wrenchingand challengingstories to tell,whichhave shapedthem into the resilient people theyare today.
Join Colin Gray andAncret Shiptonand listen to what challenges havebeen thrown at them andhow theyhave adapted to their newlife.
Along withChloe Brown,podcaster and dairyfarmercome along and hear about the stories and challenges sheholds from thepeople that confide in her
Panel members are: ColinGray,a Dairy farmer from Nilma, Ancret Shipton, a DairyfarmerfromBega andformerNar Nar Goon FocusFarmer, ChloeBrown, aWestern VictorianDairyfarmer and podcaster
Airy FairyFun &Faces
There is somethingfor everyone at the 2024DairyExpo, so bring theyoung kids alongand shareanopportunity to
bring colour and fun to their faces. Proudly brought to youbyPoowong Dairy &Hardware.
The GumbootGift
On Thursday 5th Septemberat1 pm, the prestigious120-metre gumboot footracewilltake place.
It is amust-see anddoevent with both male and female sections with aprize pool of $4,000.
Twonew rules,the participants must be wearing authenticfarm-type gumboots (no fittedgumboots allowed).
And lastyear’sfirst prizewinners will be subject to an additional handicap.
Spread the word now.
The choice of days is up to you, butmakesureyou visitthe South GippslandDairy &FarmingExpo either on Wednesday 4th or Thursday 5th September 2024, Korumburra Showgrounds,Korumburra
Openinghoursare 10.00amto3 pm daily,and thecostis$15.00 per person; children under 16 years old arefree.
For exhibitorsorpatrons who have questions,contact DeanneKennedy on 0419 878055 or email dairyexpo@ jaydee.net.au.
Chapman
Chapman MachineryService is afamily owned and operated business servicing South Gippsland forover 30 yearswith quality brandssuch as Kubota, Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Valtraand Krone
Operations managerCameronChapman said on the backofa fundriveday we recentlyhad at the oldLeongatha drive-in site, they areverymuch looking forward to heading out to the DairyExpo at Korumburra
“Wehad ourtractormodels linedupso
South Gippsland Dairy Expo
ADVER TISING FEA TURE
Machinerylooking forwardtoExpo
machines, drivearound, and tryout the functionalities,autosteer features andso on
Thefeedbackwas great, and we will continuedoingthe drive days yearly with regular demos with customers throughout theyeardownatthe block.
The Dairy Expo is agoodopportunitytoget out andcatch up with customers, meet new peopleand featuresome keytractorsand machines,” Cameron said
paint and black rims to make an impression,the model features the Fendt Vario transmission, true cvtthatholds in the hills, theValtraisa goodalternative to the Fendt andMassey FergusonVario models.
We arelooking forwardtoshowing this tractor off, also with demos available.
Thelatest modelGeneration Fendttractors arewell worthjumping in the cabwith its newuser-friendlyinterface, both flexible/ customisablefor easyoperation withsuper quickaccess to features Theteamenjoyrunning throughthe
functions to see the customer’sreaction.”
He also highlightedthe ability of Kubota’s RTVs to withstand tough farm dutieswhich willbeondisplay at theDairyExpo.
“It’s quite aheavy-duty build as faras the suspension, and can take afair beating,” Cameron said.
“Wewill tryand geta good mix of machines down therefromKrone balers to Kubota compacttractors,tothe many feed out tractorsweoffer
Let’ssee what we can fitonthe site.”
All Australian made and designed livestock ear tag that will make a significant difference to your livestock identification and management Enduro Tags proven record of best retention and best visibility.. you can’tmiss them! Both NLIS and Management Tags.
Seeusatthe SouthGippsland Dairy Expo and talk to John Steinfort Contact EnduroTags0458 008900 Email: sales@endurotags.com.au
Seeour newwebsite and web shop at www.endurotags.com.au
most effective way to reach w
For more than 40 years Gippsland Farmer has r reported on arange of Agricultural industryissues i including Dairy, Beef,Horticulture, Sheep, Goats, P Poultry, Organic farming and Viticulture.
G Gippsland Farmer also features Gippsland sport, l latest machineryupdates, alivestock market report a and major Rural events including Farm World and E East Gippsland Field days.
G Gippsland Farmer is the most directly penetrating c cost effective medium for advertisers to reach their t target marketevery month.
For all advertising enquiries please contact Janeen Brown Mobile: 0419 542 792
E Email: bookings@lvexpress.com.au
Paula Hansen Mobile: 0490 364 565
E Email: phansen@lvexpress.com.au
Gippsland Farmer is produced and published by Latrobe Valley Express partnership and printed by Express Print based in Morwell Victoria. 15,200 copies each month
Print Date is the 1st Wednesday of eachmonth
South Gippsland Dairy Expo
The Lease YouCan Do
Get the equipment youneed when youneed it withflexible leases from Brandt
In agriculture andconstruction,working seasons areshortand hoursare long.
Youneedefficient, reliable machines to minimise costly downtime
Thatmeansstaying on top of maintenance costs and investing in thelatest technology.
While flat-out buyinga newmachine every fewyears isn’talways an option for farmers and contractors, leasingcan makethoseupgrades areality
And Brandt offersa variety of flexible lease options to help youbreak new groundinyouroperation
Leasing delivers many benefits, includinglower upfrontcosts, flexible payments, no asset depreciation,and muchmore.
It makesnew equipment more accessible to businesses with limited capital, preserves capital soyou caninvest in other areasofyourbusiness,and helps you managecash flowbetter
Youcan getbrand new John Deere equipmentatthe lowest rates in the business and:
•Pay less on themachineyou needwith flexible leasecontracts andrates
•Choosebetween returning your machine at maturity,buyingit, or refinancingit.
•Structureyourplan aroundyour business needs, like matching payments to cash flowand more.
•Add fuel and go—the machine, warranty,and maintenance areall included.
Astandout feature of Brandt leasesisthe opportunitytolease equipmentfor three years with flexibleterms.
If your operationdemands more hours in peakseasons andfewer in the off-season,Brandthas youcovered.
Thisflexibilityensuresthatyou don’t payfor more thanyou need,makingita cost-effective option.
As mentioned above,comprehensive warranty and fullmaintenance are included throughout thetermofthe lease.
This minimisesany potential downtime duetomechanical issues, keepingyour operationrunningsmoothly.
Thepeaceofmind that comeswith knowing your equipment is in topwork-
ingcondition is invaluable,especially duringcritical farmingorconstruction periods.
So,you canfocusonyour work without worrying about thepotentialhighcosts of repairsorreplacements.
At the endofthe lease period, the benefitscontinue.
Youhave the choicetoreturnthe leased equipment andswitchtoabrand-new model
Thiseliminates thefinancialburden and operational disruptionsthatcomewith aging equipment
With eachnew lease,you can startfresh with thelatest John Deere technology and innovations, ensuring that your operationsstayatthe cutting edge.
Leasing options from Brandt make life easyfor farmersand contractors who wantreliable, flexible, andcost-effective equipment.
The combination of customisable leasing terms, fullmaintenance andwarranty coverage, and the ability to upgrade to new equipmentevery threeyears makes Brandt aleader in thefield.
For those lookingtomaximise their operationalefficiency whileminimising costs and downtime, leasingfromBrandt is theideal choice.
For moreinformation on the Brandt leasing program,headinto yourlocal Brandt dealershiporvisittheirwebsite at more.brandt.ca/au.
Bio-Boost is agame changer
It haslongbeenrecognised that plantsand soilneed morethan NPKtoproduce
Sustainable Agricultural Solutions sawa need to come up withproducts that were not only beneficialtoplantsand soils but wereverycost effective.
The Bio-Boost range of fertilisers supply everyelementthat agrowing crop needs while also building up soil reservesfor futurecroprequirements.
Bio-Boost your waytothe bank
Bio-Boost Cal/Mag5:1 is amulti-purpose supplement specially formulated for low Calcium/Magnesium soils
It is aunique blend of Ca/Mg, Nand trace elements that provides unique benefits that manyother fertilizers cannot offer
Calcium/Mg forstable NCropNutrition
Due to the presenceofCalciuminthe Cal/ Mag5:1 composition, theusual loss of nitrogen that takes place due to ammonia volatilisation when urea is appliedis minimised
This is important in sandy soilbecause Nitrate nitrogen leachesfromthe soil very quickly whereasthe ammoniaform of nitrogen in thisproduct is much more stable.
Calcium/Mg foramendingsodium affected soils
Calcium has longbeenrecognised as an important soil amendment.
By using ahighlysoluble sourceofcalcium like Cal/Mag5:1 liquid calcium, thegrower is able to quickly remove harmfulsodium salts from therootzone, leaving behind valuable calcium, magnesium andnitrogen nutrientstoprovide proper nutrition for rapid recoveryand vegetative regrowth
Magnesium the essentialCatalyst
Magnesium is theelement that is absolutely essential forthe formation of chlorophyll and allchemicalprocessesinleaves
Without chlorophyll, plants areunable to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide.
Thereis no life without magnesium.
Lowmagnesiumsoils produceweakplants with small leaves,often theleafmargin
is withered or burnt to concentrate the magnesiumintothe centre of theleafsoit can photosynthesised moreefficiently
By applying Cal/Mag 5:1intosoiland also foliar sprayingthe leaf size willincrease. Thiswillincreaseproductivity
For instance doubling thewidth of pasture leaves will double thevolume without increasing height
Dual purpose
Suitable for soil andfoliage application
Features
•Ratio 5:1 is the efficient ratio forcalcium and magnesiumwhere both of these vitally essentialelementswork in harmony
Cal/Mag5:1 +N Liquid Advantages:
•Easytofreight, storeand apply with indefiniteshelf life
•Calcium and Magnesium areconcentrated seaminerals
•Highly concentratedapply from only5 litresper Ha
Bio-Boost NPKFoliar Spray
Bio-Boost NPK Foliage Spray is high energy for crops/pasturewithpremium levels of Phosphorous, Nitrogen,Potassium andtrace elements that areessentialfor goodpasture/crop energy and nutrition
Within secondsofapplication Bio-Boost NPKFoliage Spray startstoworksystemically helping to correctdeficiencies and improvingpasture health.
It reduces theneed for supplements and helpswithweight gainand productivity. Because ittravelssystemically down into theroots it compensatessoil‘lockup’ and deficienciesincrops andalsohelpswith fasterpasturerecovery.
Application: apply anytime to agrowing plant5ltrsoffertiliser to 100ltrs of water
Spray for maximum foliage surface coverage.
Worksbestinconjunction with Bio-Boost Cal/Mag.
Formoreinformationvisit www.gfssolutions.com.au
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The Gippsland Farmer newspaper has played apivotal role in the success of TTMI across Gippsland. As atrusted dealer of tractors and farm machinery, we have come to rely on the newspaper’s extensive reach, professional services, and exceptional customer careto effectively promote our products and connect with the Gippsland farming community.
The Gippsland Farmer hasbeeninstrumental in helping us showcase ourofferingsinto our key market demographic. With their comprehensive coverage of all things agricultural, the newspaperhas provided us with apowerful platform to reach farmers, growers, and industry professionals throughout the region. Their commitment to delivering high-qualitycontent and relevantnews has created areceptive and informed readership, giving our advertising efforts even more impact
Paula, our advertising consultant and remarkable member of The Gippsland Farmer team, has been an invaluable asset in our advertising journey.Paula’s exceptional professionalism, attention to detail, and regular reminders about advertising deadlineshave ensured all our promotional campaigns run seamlessly.Her dedication to providing a personalised experience and exceptional customer service has made everyinteraction with The Gippsland Farmer an absolute pleasure
Moreover,I am grateful for Paula’s consideration of TTMI for special advertising features and promotions. Shehas gone aboveand beyond to provide us with opportunities to highlight our business and offerings in unique and creative ways. Her keen understanding of ourindustry and unwaveringsupport have truly made a difference in the visibilityand success of our advertising efforts.
Iwould highly recommend The Gippsland Farmer newspaper to any business in the agricultural sector seeking effective advertising solutions. The newspaper’s wide readership, informative content,and exceptional customer caremakeitanideal platform to connect with the farming communitythroughout Gippsland.
We look forwardtoacontinued partnership p p with The Gippsland Farmer,confident in the knowledge that our advertising needsare in the best of hands.
Sprawls (4) 5 Detailed examination of the elements or structureof something (8) 6 Annoyed(10) 7 Caller (7)
By HUGH ARCHIBALD TECHNICAL &NUTRITION MANAGER –PROVICO RURAL
With calving almostuponus, pen preparation, cleanlinessand hygiene areatthe forefrontofour minds (as they shouldbe), but when wasthe lasttime yousat back and reviewedthe milkfeedingcomponent of your calf-rearing program?
For decades, many farms have been feeding4 or 5litres perday of whole milk or calfmilkreplacer(CMR).
Those same farms canalso sharetheir stories of disease or bacteria outbreaks within their calf sheds.
Expensive vaccination programs, no end of sleepless nights,and obsessionwith a particular virusorbacteria have followed this.
At theProviCo RuralCalf HealthForum event in Melbourne in Marchofthisyear, calfhealth expertDrSam Barringer referredtothis processasfocusing on the bullet,not on the gun or whopulled the trigger
While not wantingtodownplay the importance of identifying theparticular bug, Dr Barringersuggeststhe real focusshould be on what circumstances allowed that situationtooccur and why the bugovercamethe calf’s natural health defences.
Although cleanlinessand hygiene are crucial, inadequate nutrition is almost alwaysthe primary issue.
The importance of colostrum, especially the first colostrum, is widelyknown, and the sooner thisis delivered, the better Use abrixmeter,understand what you’ve got, andifyou don’thaveenough high-qualitycolostrum,use acolostrum supplement.
For further information,contactyourvet to discussthe best action plan
Now, let’sreturntothosecalvesfeeding only4 or 5litres daily.Ifa calf remained feedingonthe cow,itwould receive between 8-10 feedsper day, roughly 1 litreper feed.
Assuming125 grams of solids (fat, protein,and lactose) per 1litreofwhole milk, thecalf would consume almost 1kg of milk solidsper day
When you comparethat with the calf in the rearing program, which consumes4 litres/d,thatequates to 500grams of milk solidsthat thecalfisreceiving.
Also, considerthatyoung calves aren’t yeteating any startermuesliatthisage
We areunderfeedingcalvesfromthe get-go!
It’s thatunderfeeding that opens thedoor to disease
So, feeding more solids is akey component of the solution…Animals on abetter nutritionalplan typically have greaterhealth.
So, how much do calves need?
Sadly,there is no simpleanswer, as temperature and environmentwillalso play arole.
However,broadly speaking, somewhere between1.5 and 2per cent of body weightas milksolidsisa good guide.
So, right now,you’reprobably fearing an oncoming mathexplosion,and you’d be correct;however,it’spretty easy to follow
To start with, think of it alittle likethe cows.
We feedtheminkgs of DryMatter…It’s thesamewithcalves
We need to talkand think in termsof their DryMatter Intake,even thoughwe deliver it as aliquid
1litreofmilk=125 grams of DMI,so 4litres of milk perday =500 grams of DMI/d
We have allthe toolsatour disposal— milk, water,calf milkpowder,and the number of feeds per day.
Allwethenneedtodois manipulate each of these toolstooptimisethe nutritionweoffer ourcalves
Adding milk powders to whole milk increasesthe level of nutritionper litre,so we can feed fewer total litres butprovide moresolidstothe calf and sell moremilk
The tool we use to aidusinthismilk mathis theNRC Calculator.
It’s afreephone appavailable from most app stores and helps you rundifferent scenarios to see whichone givesthe bestoutcome.
Some Rules of Thumb
Rulesofthumb aredangerous because they can always be broken without consequence.
However,weshouldkeeptheminmind regardless,assooner or later, we get bitten.
Whole milk is about12.5per cent solids (125grams/litre)
Milkpowdersare 1gram of powder =1 gramofsolids
Keep your finalmilk solution below16 per centsolids(usewater to diluteif needed), ideally below 15 percent.
The maximumsuggested DMI for Holsteins is 1.1kg/d, Jerseys 0.9kg/d. Trytoget the milkmix protein above the fat.
Usingpowders with whole milk is called ‘Fortifying Milk,’apractice used globally Fortifying with the right powder can significantly improvecalfoutcomes.
Which Powder?
Nothingisasgoodaswhole milk; that’s why milk processors payus for it However,wemustconsiderthe other significant changewehave imposed on thecalf.
Offits mother,itwould get that high-fat milk in 8+ feeds over the whole day We aretrying to squeeze all of that nutritioninto2 feeds!
Those2 big feeds of high-fatwhole milk taketimefor theyoung calf to digest and,importantly, discourage it from eatinggrain-based starters. We want the calf to eat starter,asthisis whatdevelops therumen and encouragesevenfaster growth.
To combat this, whenfeeding whole milk, we useaparticularmilk powder combination known as aBalancer or Extendertolift theoverallcaloriesand protein intake but trytoholdthe fat at a level thecalf can handle.
Traditional CMRs arehighinfat, so they don’thelpthisfat-satietyeffect.
ProviCo RurallaunchedProviCo ENHANCEintothe market in 2023, providingdairyfarmers with this valuable tool.
ProviCo ENHANCEis25per cent protein but only 10 per cent fat, so it usesall the goodness of the whole milkfat but dilutes it backtoa moreeasily manag feeding system
he milk fat a level the calf can geina twice-a-day
ProviCo ENHANC thecalfwith thehig planitneedsbut a cent of thecostof CMR. In turn, this improve average d and, importantly, o thecostofgainin situations.
Evenbetter,impro milknutrition enco calvestoeat more (Gelsinger,2016).
allyour calves,and reduces the costof gain(butthat’sanother article)
Formoreinformation on ProviCoENHANCE,Colostrum Supplements, Milk Fortification,orCalfRearing in general, contact your ProviCo Calf Specialiston
Ehelps provide gher nutrition at25per apremium helps daily gain oftenlowers most oving ourages e solid feed
Calfrearingcan b time-consuming jo incurringalot of ex andheartache.
Next timeyou see don’t just lookfor t (thebug); stop an yourself about the the finger on thetr It could wellbeina DMI
The good newsis thesolution is ava improves the outco
ea ob, xpense asick calf, the bullet dask gunand rigger… adequate that ilable, omes for your Specialist on 1300 380 343orvisit www.provicorural.com.au
The forefront of durable eucalyptus
HOPKINS
Philip
DURABLEeucalypt timbers arehard, strong and naturally resistant to decay, so can be used withoutany chemical treatment-and Gippsland farmland has emerged as akey region to grow this valuable timber
The importance of this trend has been underlined by the state government’s destruction of the native forest industry, the traditional source of durable hardwoods.
Of Australia’s approximate900,000 hectares of eucalyptus plantations, less than five per cent have anatural durability ratings of Class 1and 2(above-ground).
Enter Heartwood Unlimited, founded in 1995 -a boutique management company based in Gippsland that researches, plants and harvests native durable hardwoods It manages about 2000 hectares (ha) of plantations - about 40 properties ranging in size from 10-20ha to 100ha -and is probably the largestgrower of such timbers in Victoria.
Heartwood is driving anew plantation model that encompasses genetics, silviculture, harvesting,nutrition,biodiversity and agroforestry.
“Animals areanimportant partofour operation,” Heartwood Owner and Manager, Jon Lambert said.
Heartwood has beenadriver in getting together agroup of fellow travellers around Australia -and even in New Zealand -who haveformed the DurableEucalyptus Growers Forum.
“The idea is to visit one of the members each year,” Jon said.
The group started with its first forum at Yarram in 2018, which wasfollowedby forums in northernNSW (two members), South-East Queensland and NZ last year after missing 18 months due to COVID-19. This year,the group was back full circle to South Gippsland, with arolein central Victoria through Wood 4Good. Next year willbehosted byarelativenewcomer, Ironwood, based in central NSW Jon said growing durable hardwoods -trees such as spotted gum, yellow stringybark, mahogany, grey box, sugar gum, and ironbarkwas the common binder for the group.
“Wedon’t wanttoopen the group for awhole lot of growers to come along as individuals. The values of the group are important;you have ‘skin in the game’ and arepreparedto offer something up,knowing others will do the same -intellectual property, R&D, collaboration,” he said. “It’s important to have agroup that meets those requirements;wehave protected that fairly well, but we do have guests invited to forums.All groupsare growing and selling in some capacity; even Wood 4Good sells firewood and poles from durable resources. ” Heartwoodaimsto be at the forefront of growing durable eucalypts, hence the emphasisongenetics, silviculture,
harvesting, nutrition, biodiversity and agroforestry -aninnovation that requires interaction with animals.
“Werecently changedour nameto Heartwood Unlimited to become more focussed on thesekey five areas,rather than just focus on forestry.These areall areas that requiredevelopment to get right. We areburrowingaway doing trials and tests, using different technologiestoremain at the forefront. That parallels what our partner Radial Timber Australia in Yarram is doing,” he said.
Apart from Radial, Heartwood’s main investors areindividualsgroupedin investment trustswith two-to-10 members.There is not asingle farmer.
“Farmers areinclined to do their own thing,orfinances areanissue -farmers don’t usually have large amounts of finance up front," Jon said.
Forestry is moresuited to people with high taxable incomes and self-managed super funds, otherwise it is too difficult to fund or to make it stack up.
“Weare finding that people have shifted, they don’t want to just get some trees, they want morethan that -conservation qualities, carbon, farming forestry and capital growth," Jon added.
Jon saidHeartwoodspent alot of time aiming to do harvesting and thinning better
"Harvesting in Australia and Victoria is geared to industrial-sized plantations. We're smaller,looking at ways to make it more cost-effective as abusiness," he said.
The emphasis on thinning plantations has also downstream impacts -a proliferation of grassand weeds, sometimes noxious weeds. Unlike pine plantations, which are thick and dark and rarely let in weedsand
grasses, Jon said Heartwood thinned early to get some saw logs.
“So, you get extra light and water on the ground, creating grass and weeds,” he said.
That led to problems such as spreading weeds to neighbours, creating potential fire hazards and competitionwiththe trees. Heartwood’s solution has been to run animals through their plantations, creating a business called Heartwood Herds in 2018.
“Animals have become part of what we do. We run anumber of our own herds -cattle and sheep, as well as recent trials with goats. Genuine agroforestry.Itcan be a juggle, grazing the animalsamongst the trees,” he said.
Some aspects werecounter-intuitive to farming alone. For example, forestry requiredsites at the end of December to have the grass well fed down, whereas farmers prefer the grass to last through summer
“Sheephave been the most successful. We started with Wiltshireand did some breeding… they have ahigh lambing rate, eat abroader range, morelike goats, are not quite as aggressive as others, so there is less need for intense fencing. Thereare trade-offs everywhere,” Jon said.
“Some Strzelecki blocks have major weed problems. We have been able to control the majorityofweedsand minimisethe chemicalsweput out and still get good breeding numbers on those blocks They protect their young from eaglesand foxes.”
Goats have not been as successful.
“They havebeen fantastic in what they eat. Ibelieve they areone of the only animals that neutralises the blackberry seeds, and don’t spreadthem through dung, like other animals do,” Jon said.
“But the problem with the goats, the breedswehave had,they’vegot terrible footrot on high rainfall blocks. The trim and bath management costs go through the roof, but they do agreat job, have knocked out alot of noxious weeds. They will climb up the trees as far as they can to get to the blackberries.However,theyhaveapoor kidding rate and requireexcellent fencing.”
Initial carbon projects have been less successful.
“I wouldn’t say Iamahuge fan of the Clean Energy Regulator It feels a lot like they have designed their carbon set-up so we can’tbenefit. There is not asingle species we grow in Gippsland that is even listed,” Jon said.
“In carbon schemes, we get dumped in with environmental plantings, native revegetation, which has alow carbon value per hectare. Most of our projects barely stack up. I’m told achange is comingbut haven’t seen it. It’s pretty frustrating; the scheme seems designed for large corporates.”
While Heartwood has been fortunate with fire, storms areanother matter
“Wehave had alot ofstorms in recent years. They arehardtohandle in terms of rainfall and wind. They have knocked out fences and roads. If they don’t knock over the trees, you’releft nervous for amonth or so while the soil is so saturated; wind can cause moredamage than it normallywould. That has been challenging,” Jon said.
Therehave been stock losses and operations havebeen delayed,whichhas also been costly for clients.
Asuccessful harvest and resulting product gladdens the soul.
Ablue gum plantation of 13ha planted by Heartwood in 2000 on a650 millimetresite was thinned multiple times and pruned to six metres, resulting in afinal stocking of about 100 stems perhectare.
It was clear-felledin2023-24, with 50 per cent saw log yield.
“The owner was very happy! He got agood price,” Jon said.
“It was aproud moment whenwesent over 1000 tonnes of logs to the Radial mill, which was so encouraging for the sawmill. The staff were thrilled to be back cutting logs.”
The wood was cut into 50, 75, 100 and 120mm boards, mainly baton boards, at Radial Timber,with arecovery rate of about 32 per cent.
“The product is now being used in vertical boards,"Jon said, and although therewere lyctus issuesto be resolved, the project went from seedling to timber product in 23 years -a major achievement that also highlighted the huge task confronting durable hardwood plantations.
“This is why just turning offthe tap of native forest wasgoingtobeabig challenge,” Jon said.
Sheep arebeing used to grazebetween the plantation trees, treating weeds and grasses.
Once blue gum is thinned, it is then pruned. Photos: Contributed
Doben Park Shorthorns
Doben Park Shorthornsisrun by The Benson FamilyatBuln Buln in West Gippslandacross 79ha
They have been breeding Shorthorn cattle since1977.
Doben Park Shorthorns currently run 110 registeredand commercial cows, 23 registered andcommercial unjoined yearling heifers and20registered and commercial weaner heifers.
The cows arejoinedtoroan Spry Bred Shorthornbulls.
TheseShorthorns were selected for their excellent fertility,calving ease, mothering, milking abilityand docility
Theseinherent qualities combine to produce more live andhealthy calves. Theyhave the ability to grow quickly
They finish on pastureand/orgrain producing high yielding premiumquality meatwith marbling and even fatdistribution.
Withtheirmarbling ability they arewell placed to satisfy demandfor superior meateating qualities, tenderness, flavour and juiciness
Shorthorns aresuitable for domestic and exportmarkets
Shorthornsare oneofthe onlybreeds that can be crossed with Angus or Angus
infusedfemales to increasegrowth through hybrid vigour,maintainingthe marbling both breeds arerenowned for.
Whenusing ared Shorthorn bulloveran Angus cow theoutcomeisanideal F1 for the North, South, East or West Gippsland areas
Thiscross will produce apredominantly black calf
Doben Park Shorthorns is runbyThe Benson Family at Buln Buln in West Gippsland.We’ve been breeding Shorthorn cattlefor over 40 years.
We havea selectionofBullsfor sale from 16months to 28months Red, White, Red and Whiteand Roan
Thequietnature of Shorthorns, theeaseofcalving andthe resistance to bloat and eyecancer combinetomakeShorthorns an easy care breed.
Thestrength of Shorthorns and their crosses is that while thesteers areturning outqualitycarcasestheir sisters areback homeformingthe basis of afunctional, efficientcow herd
Shorthorns continuetoprovide aprofitable opportunity forthe commercialcattleman, throughtheir ability to providegreater weightgain, laydown cover and provide a quality carcase from across bred female
This is seeingShorthorns to be highly profitable in the grassfed and feeder markets.
TheAustralian beefindustryismoving away from commoditybeefproduction to avalue basedbeefbrandsystem.
That meansthatthe beef youproduce has to deliver the rightquality to fit thebrand specifications to underpin yourpremiums. Beyondthe newindustrymeasurements thebeef youproduce also has to resonate with consumers
Shorthornbeefisbuilding itsreputation amongsthighend dining establishments as one of the most soughtafter beef products on themarkettoday
Don’triskyourability to deliver apremium beefproduct,adding Shorthorngenetics willensureyour program delivers both valueand trust to maximise your returns for the future.
The quiet natureof Shorthorns, theease of calving and the resistance to bloatand eyecancer combinetomake Shorthorns an easy care breed.
Doben Park Shorthorns havea selection of bulls for sale from 16monthsto28 monthsRed,White,Red and White and Roan
Formoreinformation contact Dougon 0407 343966 or Sandyon0409 074 291.
ADVER TISING FEA TURE
Early access to genetics
Afternumerous requestsfromclients, Innesdale Anguswilloffer 40 of their topJuly/August.
Bornbulls forprivatesale as yearlings in September 2024
The youngerSeptember bornbullswill be offeredinMarch 2025.
Clients have been asking foraccess to
the topyoung bulls forseveral years, as the growth of Angus cattle sees more clients wanting to use these younger bulls,giving themanextra season and then allowingthemtobegrown out
The bulls will be offeredwithall performance dataand DNAtested as well as inoculated under the Zoetis protocol,
tested free of PestiVirus, and double inoculated for Pesti andVibrio
They areby provensirelines with some siredbythe top yearling bulls that Innesdale Angus retained.
MM Quartz hassons,grandsons and his daughters now havesons available from thispopular line
Theycome from outstanding cowsas the group averaged 446 kgs at weaning
The stud expects the topswillbeclose to 600 kgsat14months whenoffered.
Clients wishingtoinspect theseyearling bulls should contact GeoffMcInnes on 0412958 168
P Proven A Angus genettics
Innesdale Angus will offer their top 40 July/August bulls as yearlings from September 10th 2024.
Due to numerous requests from clients the top July/August bulls will be offered as yearlings and the September born calves will go through to March 2025 at 18 months.
Giving clients access to these top young bulls should see clients getting an extra season from them.
These bulls will have full performancedata and arebyproven lines.
QUARTZ Q29 -was purchased from Millah Murrah this outstanding son of Kruse Time has impressed all that have seen him, he has been re-used at Millah Murrah after his sons topped their sale averages at $55K, his sons have natural thickness and his daughters areoutstanding, his son S36 will have his first sons available.
LIBERTY-With proven son Liberty P64and nowFreedom S68 and S97 having their first sons, it brings aNew Zealand blood line that is popular for their ability to excel in pasturefattening operations.
RESOURCE Weused three of his sons and now many of our bulls arefrom daughters of this line. also agreat grandson and avery impressive bull has his first sons available this year.
ENHANCE -Anoutstanding sireline that has low birth and high growth and very good docility,his son R31 has many top sons in this group with several that reach 500kg at weaning.
Innesdale focuses on fast growing, thick and heavy young bulls that will add weight to their progeny,whilst having enoughfat cover to be marketed at any age, and to produce high quality heifers that areingrowing demand across Australia and for export markets worldwide.
These new bulls will give clients access to some of the top bloodlines from around the world and with over 50 branded beef products demanding “Angus Beef” we will continue to see our clients being rewarded for their effort to improve their herds genetics.
This crop of bulls areall unassisted at birth and after agood season weaned at 446kg average.
We expect the top bulls to be close to 600kg when offered.
All bulls areDNA tested by “Neogen” for parentage and to increase the accuracy of their genetic data, the bulls areinoculated in line with the “Zoetis” protocol, tested free of Pestivirus, then double inoculated against Pestivirus and Vibrio and given an annual booster of 7-1.
These young bulls will be for private sale from Tuesday 10th September 2024.
Last year bulls weresold across Gippsland into WesternVictoria and NSW.
Livestock producers arewelcome to inspect the bulls by appointment at any time by calling Geoffon 0412 958 168
Spring Bull Sale
ADVER TISING FEA TURE
Raedene introduces new blood
Annette, Noel andGeorgia from Raedean &GRRed Angus areexcited to introduce newbloodlines into theherdtokeep improvinggenetics and offeringclients avariety of genetics to choosetheirnew sires.
TheyteamedupwithGKRed Angus in Queensland and brought in RedMRLA Red Respect and now have thefirstdrop of calves on thegroundwith some exciting young bulls available forpurchase. These arethe only young bulls in SouthernAustralia from thisbull.
Then in Junetheypurchasedanew herdsireinRAThorfromthe RedAngus Invitational saleinTamworth, offering different bloodlines for themonce again, they look forwardtoseeing hisprogeny next year
Along with thepurchase of the above semen and newbulltheyare excited with thefemales and progenytheypurchased from BandeekaRed Angus in Western Australiaand the embryoheifers outof GK Platinum RubaP26 xRed U2 Reckon-
ing149Awillcalve downthisspring. Young bulls have once again been highlysoughtafterand they only have last autumnand Spring bulls available for purchase.
Theteamare currently preparingRed Angus and Red Angus crosssteers for carcass competitions in the springand lookforwardtoseeinghow they perform.
Thefocus is stilloneconomicaltraits, adocile temperament, good feet and udders arehigh on thepriority list.
Leawood
ThisyearLeawoodAngus is celebrating 80 years of breedingAngus cattle
Spanning four generations, Leawoodisa proudfamily operation whichsole income is from agriculture.
Aimingfor constant improvementwithout chasing fadsand trends has ledLeawood Angus to themoderate framed, high weight-gain cattleitproduces today
Concentrating on NewZealand genetics, Leawoodare producingwell-structured cattle that flourish offa grass grazing environment.
StudManager LukeStuckeysays“We lookforwardtowelcomingfellowcattle enthusiasts on Monday 16th September at 1.00pm for our Spring Sale”.
Thisyear’sSpring sale line up is as goodas any youwillfind, withthe focusonexceptional temperament, fertility and producing verywell-structured New Zealand style angus cattle.
Leawoodgenetics outlastmanyother competitors duetotheir very strictbreeding objectives.
These objectivesincludelongevity and high-qualitycarcass traits,early growth patterns witheaseofdoing
The new andexcitingsires for this Spring SalewillincludeLeawood Ryder R453 and Leawood Razor R347
Ryder is ahigh-volume bull that goesback to the ever so robustand consistent Rambo line that has bred so well
Ryder willadd extra stretchand carcass weight to your herd.
Razor is acracking TaimateLazarus son who breeds so true to his typethat every calf is stampedwithhis exceptional phenotypeand volume.
His progeny will have extra rib and rump fat.
Angus
Brookwood TitanJ32, hasbeen tickingall the boxesfor Leawood and Leawoodclients as an outstanding sireusedinmanyleading studs in NewZealand.
StudManager Luke Stuckey is very impressedwith Titans ease of calvingand believeshis earlygrowth is exceptional Which is exactly what Leawood and their clients require when aiming to have progeny finished earlier,resultinginahigher economical returnper hectare.
Leawood’sJoy and Graemegot to seethe 10-year-old Titan himself just beforeChristmas workinginsome of New Zealand’smostremotecattle country.
Theysaid it was goodtosee him displaying the longevity we all must strive forinour cattleherds
Alsoonoffer willbeLeawoodPirates P391 sons.
APirate sonsold in Leawood’s2024autumn salewent to anew clientinQueensland. Bought forhis high growthtraits, sheer capacity andpower without going away from thetraditional New Zealand style Leawoodlove.
New sire to the Leawood program is Merridale Plugger P109.
Plugger is bred from Vicky D55,who is arguablyMerridales best cow Plugger is agood heifer breeding option with plenty of growth.
Leawood’sonproperty SpringSale Dayis Monday 16th September at 1.00pm.
Following the sale of bulls will be aselection of highly sort after Leawood commercial females.
For more information or updates on the sale, keepaneye on Facebookorget in contact withLuke Stuckey on 0474 992 683.
Spring Bull Sales
Alpine herd continues to heighten Tarwin Poll
Over the courseof 26 years AlpineAngus has consistentlystrivedtoproduce fault-free, true-to-type animals that can addvalueto the commercialorstudherds they areused in.
The stud was established by Jim Delany, in 1998, and managed by Chris Oswin since 2010 and has focused on producinghonest, reliable cattle bred from the basics up.
Alpine principal Jim Delaney said the Alpine herdhas progressed in leaps and bounds under Chris Oswin’smanagement.
“This is due to Chris’sdedicatedfocus on pursuinggenetics to produce fault-free with fleshing ability, good temperament, and consistency combining EBV’s promising calvingeaseand explosive growth,” Mr Delaney said
Alpine Angus will hosttheir 9th annual Spring Bull Sale from 1pm on Wednesday, September 18 at the Alpine Sales Complex at Rosewhite, north-east Victoria.
At this year’ssale Alpine will offer 55 two-year-old and 18-month-oldbulls
“Theoutlook forseasonal and market conditions seemssomuch morepositive than last year with the threat if El Nino receding and the unexpectedwidespreadsummer rainfall,” Mr Delaney said.
Alpine Manager Chris Oswin said all lots catalogued for the sale aresound, wellbalanced bulls
“Pleasingly, these bulls represent arange of geneticsfromour herd incorporating different sirelinesand cow families,” Mr Oswin said
Within thedraft aresons of USA artificial insemination sires’ SterlingBond007 and SitzStellar 726D, together with Australian sires KarooMain Event M367and the homebred AlpineKnockout Q211.
“All these sires sharegreat structural soundness with aphonotype displaying muscle and volume,” Mr Oswin said.
He said that the line-up alsoincludes sonsof BanquetQuarterPounder Q252 and Alpine Richochet R005 who offer abigger frame and high growth
“There arealso sons of Murdeduke Quarterback Q011, Alpine Junior M205 andAlpine Real Deal R163 who will appealtoclients chasing higher IMF
Our focus on soundness is well reflected by the fact that Stellar, Main Event, Q211, Richochet and Real Deal all havefoot EBV’s in the top 15 per cent of the breed.”
Mr Oswin said in recent yearsthe Alpine article has gained widespread industry acceptance with AlpineMain Event Q192
Alpine RipWheeler R144, Alpine Real Deal R163,AlpineRonaldo R232, and Alpine 38 Special S021 all featuring in mainstream AI catalogues.
“Whilethis wasn’t the overarchingobjective, as our clients areour prime focus, it has been arewardingalbeit humbling outcome.”
Alpine will hostan openday on Sunday, September 15 from11am to 3pm at the Alpine Sale Complex, for interested parties to inspect the bullsselected for the sale.
On the sale day the bulls willbeyarded by 10am.
Those whoare unable to attend thesale in person can bid fromhomevia the AuctionsPlus online platform
Forenquiries call the selling agents from Nutrien Livestock, Peter Godbolt, 0457 591 929,Dan Ivone, 0427 480 548, Wade Ivone 0487233 208, Rodwells’ MickCurtis, 0428 953 222 or Scott Meehan, 0428952 536.
Tarwin PollHerefordshavebeen based at theMeeniyan property forover 70 years, taking its namefromthe Tarwin Riverthat frontsthe property.
DavidMeikle is thethirdgenerationofhis family to havemanagedthisherd.
“In those earlydays alot of emphasis was placed on pedigreesand showing Now we have tools such as performance recording andDNA testing to predict how ouranimals shouldperform.”
In response to this push for performance, the Tarwin herdisa founding member of theGippslandPerformance group, supporting its4th online sale on the 4th of September.
Eachofthe bullsselectedfor thissalehave performancefigureswhich place them in the top thirdofthe Herefordworld
Theywill make thesebulls available for viewing on the28th of August, the week beforethe sale
Otherwisethe Meikles offer there bulls for private sale.
Thisisa performance recorded herdwith the calves beingregularly weighed up to 600 days and the weights submitted tothe Breedplan program
Sale bulls arescanned foreye muscle area andfat cover
Replacement heifersand sale bulls are DNAtested to confirmparentage and polledness.
The stud’sobjectiveistoproduceattractive,sound, commercialpollHereford cattle, abletoperform offgrass
To achieve thisthey useamix of AI breeding and ajudicious selection of sires fornaturalmating
Sireschosen will generallyhave amodest birth weightcoupledwith above average growthweights and carcasstraits, traits suchaseye pigmentation andhooding are alsoconsidered intheir sire selection.
To further test the performance of their genetics,the Meikles regularlycompete in the LardnerParkGrass FinishedSteer trials
SPRING BULLSALE
Premium prices for Banquet genetics
Producersusing Banquet bulls areconsistentlyrewarded with premium prices.
Grass finishers, feed lotters and restockers alike target progeny of Banquet bulls for their improved performance,temperament and structure.
However,the most important premiumis the continualimprovement of their breeding herd by retaining heifers siredbyBanquet bulls.
The 40 bulls being offeredonFriday6th September will feature the first sons of Banquet RocketR160,who is theoutstandingson of WattletopMoonshineM42 that Banquet chose to use.
Rocket wassold to Queensland at their 2022AutumnSalefor $40,000. Rocketinherited hismagnificentsilky skin, soft coatand length of body from Moonshine.
Hisextra strengthofhead, boneand thickness comefromthe great Emblynette family.
His damBanquet Emblynette P177 hastwo other sons retained at Banquet, Statesman S154and Sahara S228. Their calves look outstanding.
Another son, SilveradoS235,sold for $40,000 to GlenMcKinlayatEmerald QLD. SonsofBanquet’ssuper starsire, Banquet Nuttella N462, willagain feature
His sons topped their2022Sales at $65,000, $62,000 and$60,000.
At both Banquet’s2023 andautumn2024
Sales sons peaked at $40,000
Daughters of NuttellaN462 arenow in
production and arematching the stud’s expectation for structure, docility anddoing ability
Banquet’safter sale service is wellknown in theindustry.
In theunlikely andunfortunateevent that a bullfailstoadequately performthe Branson family stand readytoassist in gettingyour cowsincalf
Thelevel of qualityassurance that a Banquetbullcarries makeany failure unlikely
Thesebullsare bred from aherdthathas been meticulously screenedwith structural soundness beinga top priorityfor over 30 years.
Prior to Sale these bulls aresubjectedto extensive vetchecking.
Thisincludes examination of sexualorgans and testingofbothsemen motilityand semen morphology.
Thevaccination program includes 7in1,for leptospirosis, pestiguard and vibriovax. Banquet offersgenerousdeliveryoptions.
TheBranson familywelcomesyour enquiry or visit at any time. Call Hamish on 0427 164 031
ADVER TISING FEA TURE
Moorunga Angus
Moorunga Angus will hold it’sthird on propertyBull SaleonFriday 23rd August
This sale draft will containthe firstbulls for sale in Australia,fromBrown Double Decker 004 and Banquet Raving R67.
Brown DoubleDecker was bred by Browns AngusRanch in North Dakota.
His semen wasimported in conjunction with SummitLivestock from Crookwell,NSW and he hasremainedexclusive to thetwo Angusherds
“DoubleDecker is abullwith extra size, length, muscle and growth.
His performance is hard to beatinall areas that drive profit!
His soundness, eye appeal, perfect feet andfriendly dispositionmake hima hard siretogopast” said Hayden Green of SummitLivestock
“He’ssired by Hoover No Doubt and his damisafullsistertothe incredible BlackcapMay 4136(damofsires suchasSAV Rainfall,President, Raindance, Renown, Resourceand more).
The DoubleDecker progeny at Moorunga have beeneasy calving, moderateand soft with great carcase attributes as well as early shedding.”
Banquet Ravingisa son of thesuper sire, Banquet Nutellathat Moorungapurchased from the Banquet Angussale in 2022 for $60,000
He is their currentwalking sireand willbe on display at the sale
He has a beautiful kind nature, great feet andexceptional depth and length.
“The majority of thebulls areout of our Anvil andTexas cows which arestill soundand breeding at up to 13 yearsold
Thedaughtersofthese two sireswillthe foundation of theMoorunga herdgoing forward”said Glenn Trout.
The bulls arepesti tested negative and vaccinated with 7in1, Pestigardand Vibrovax. They arealsogenomic tested, parent verified and will allbesemen tested prior to sale.
Onlinebiddingwillbeavailable viaAuctions Plus
Thebull viewing open day willbeon Friday 16th August, but private inspections are always welcome.
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Featuringbig,open high SG cast iron impellers,these pumps canpasssmall solidsinsuspension.
Heavy duty mechanical carbon/ceramic seals arefitted as standard with Buna N Nitrile elastomers.
Both pumps arebacked by Aussie Pumps’unique 5year pump end warranty
“Our5yearguarantee is the only onein the industry and tells consumers about our confidence in ourproduct” said VictorianAreaManager,DavySchrijvers
“Dealers that stock these big pumps areshowing customers that they have a choice to go bigger andsavemore,” he said.
WATER CARTS DELIVER
During droughts countrytownsrely on watercartdeliveries, andoperators areput under pressuretoincrease the number of loads delivered per day
Tank loading timessignificantlydictate operatorefficiency and thereisa move to uselarger pumpsfor fast fillapplications
When AustralianPumpstarted,30 years ago, oneoftheir firstproducts was aHonda powered 3” tanker pump designed forbasic water delivery applications
Since then, theworld haschangedand big 4” and6”pumps arebeingused with largerflows andmorefuel-efficient engines
Popular forfastfilling tankers is Aussie’s heavyduty6”pump, fitted with ahuge open cast iron style impeller
It will move liquidsupto2,900litres per minute, that’s 174,000 litresper hour!
Calledthe Aussie QP602, thebig selfpriming pump will draught water through avertical liftof7.4 metres.
Thecompany says there’snosubstitute forbig,engineeredwater passagesto move water quickly
The pump’svolute and impellercavity allow forasuperbefficiency that enables thepumptoachieve very highflows.
The pump’sopen vane impeller willpass solids up to 30mm in suspension.
forupto11hours continuously without refuelling.
Aheavy dutytrailerisalso availablethat makesthe machinehighly mobile on sites
The trailer is complemented by an integrated lift bar that enablesthe machine to be cranedwhether it’s the skid or trailer mounted version.
One suchpump operated by Miller Contracting from Horsham, Victoria, saved thetownfromflooding!
Millers used the6”pump to divert the flood waters away from thetowninto a nearby channel.
These big 6” pumps areideal forLocal Government or Emergency Services Departments
“They’remobile,fasttoset up in an emergencyand areextremely efficientat moving water,”Schrijvers said.
LOCAL SUPPORT
Thepumpispowered by either aHonda GX39013HPpetrolengine or 10HP Yanmar electricstart aircooleddiesel engine.
FLOOD READY
With weather extremes becoming more common,communitiesare becoming increasingly awareofthe needtoplanfor flashfloods and sustained rain events.
Aussie Pumps hasexperience of supplying6”self-primingpumpsbig enough to “Move floodwatersand redirected them.
TheAussie MQ600TD 6” Trashpump candeliver flowsup to 6,000lpm.
Putthree of these in abankand immediatelyyou have thecapabilityofmoving‘1 million litres of water’ perhour. Thepumpsself-prime within amatter of minutes,expellingthe water from the pump body andcreating avacuum. That automatically primes thepump, drawing water up as high a7.9 metre vertical lift.
Thesetrash pumpsfeature abuilt in front mounted clean outportthat enablesthe pump internals to be cleared of blockages withoutthe need to disconnect pipework
The MQ600TD is built on aheavyduty skid.
Thebasealsocontains a152 litrefuel tank.
Thisdiesel tank allows the pumps to run
Victoria is blessedwith ‘Aussie Gold Distributors’ throughout theregion, like Peter Hill Power at Numurkah,who hold stock and sell AussiePumpproducts.
Theirteam can assist with selection and advice to ensure customers get the right pump firsttime.
To locate your nearest Gold Distributor usethe details on thefullpage.
“Get set forspring” ad
Alternatively checkout theAussiePump website(aussiepumps.com.au) or call them directlyon0288653500.
Aussie 6” Self-Primer can move up to 6,000 lpm
Flood water being cleared from aflood quarry
Aussie’s Drought Buster 4” transfer pump moving water between dams, maximising water storage
Aussie tanker pumps deliver both high headand high flowoptions
SUMMER CROP PLANNING
Options for summer crops, which will depend on the region, soil moistureand access to irrigation water,include maize, millet, sorghum, chicory, brassicas and legumes.
Annual or Italian ryegrasses areworth considering for quick spring feed.
Planning is important to get the best production from your summer crop investment and purchasing seed early ensures supply
Maize
Maize is asummer silage crop with the
potential to produce alarge amount of high-energy forage.
It has alower cool tolerance compared to sorghum and millet with higher yield potential and no prussic acid.
Maize silage is highly valued because it typically contains around 30 per cent starch.
Grain contained within the plant is the primarysource of starch and one of the main factors driving silage energy density,along with fibredigestibility
The key aims of maize silage production areyield and energy content.
Growing maize for silage is expensive and thereforerequires good
management to achieve high yields of high-quality product to be economically viable.
It requires specialist row-crop planting and harvesting equipment and is suitable only for chopped silage stored in apit or bunker
Millet andsorghum
Millet and sorghum aresummer forage options for farms due to their potential to rapidly accumulate drymatter in warmconditions.
They performbetter than most other annual summer crops when soil
Growing forage ready for summer
moistureislimited, making them agood option when water is scarce.
Millet and sorghum have ahigh tolerance to water stress and low risk of insect attack and as aresult produce morefeed than most broad leaf summer crop options.
However,yields can be affected by low temperatures in summer
The nutritional value of millet and sorghum tends to be less than other summer crops. Both arelower in crude protein (6–9 per cent) than other summer crop options and higher in fibreconcentration which will affect drymatter intake.
SUMMER CROP PLANNING
Soybeans
Soybeans areasummer legume grown as ahigh-protein and cost-effective silage option.
Soybeans have the highest yield (up to 14 tonnes of drymatter per hectare) and forage quality (morethan 22 per cent crude protein) potential of summer legume crops and can be grown under dryland conditions.
Brassicas
Brassicas aregrown on about 70 per cent of dryland farms in Victoria. Turnips areapopular brassica crop because they grow well in summer and areverynutritious.
Current turnip varieties areleafier and moreupright than older varieties with two-thirds of the bulb above the ground. Bulb turnips arealso used to help bridge asummer feed shortage.
Regrowth brassicas areforage crops of the brassica species that can regrow after most of the aerial partofthe plant has been grazed.
They include forage rape (Brassica napus), kale (Brassica oleracea), hybrids such as pasja (Brassica campestris x Brassica napus) and leafy turnips. Regrowth brassicas aregaining popularity among farmers, mainly as an alternative to bulb turnips during summer and morerecently as an autumn forage option.
Chicory
Chicoryisadeep-rooted summer-active, short-termperennial herb with potential to provide good grazing.
It has significant growth potential in late spring and summer,which can complement the seasonal production patternof perennial ryegrass.
It can provide reliable summer growth, even with low rainfall due to its deep taproot system and has high nutritive characteristics when grazed.
SUMMER CROP PLANNING
The application of Agricultural Lime to pastureand crop preparation is vital to improving soil health and vitality
Lime can do this in many ways to improve crop yields and production.
Lime plays avital role in correcting soil acidification by increasing the pH of the soil.
It reduces Aluminium and Manganese Toxicities, increases Calcium levels and decreases high levels of Sodium.
It has been well documented that soils across Gippsland tend to be highly acidic.
By improving soil pH, Calcium and reducing heavy metals in your soil, you Increase soil micro-organisms, improve soil structureand promote wormactivity
It also promotes an improvement in legume nitrogen fixation, improvement in Nutrient availability and efficiency of fertilisers and decreases soil compaction which improves soil structures, plant root depth and plant health.
So, what does all that mean for you the farmer?
Maximises your most economic cattle feed (Grass!) which reduces the need to buy expensive stock feed
Increases yield and production
Improves livestock health, assisting superior milk production and reducing
costs associated with ill-health e.g.
Improves effectiveness of fertilizer, ensuring maximum results are achieved with fertilizer applications and macronutrients arenot “locked up in the soil”.
And in turnimproves your profitability!
How to choose alime?
Calcimo recommend soft coral limes as they arefaster acting due to the increase in surface area and the product being easier for the soil to break down and utilise.
The termiscalled ENV (Effective Neutralizing Value).
The higher the ENV the quicker the results.
So why use Calcimo Lime?
The company only supplies 100 percent Organic Lime (No chemicals and Not an Industrial by-product!).
Their four products aremade from Soft Coral Lime making it quick acting and veryreactive (High ENV).
They offer multiple types of products, so will have aproduct for all your requirements.
Everyload comes with aWeigh Bridge Docket guaranteeing correct weight.
Products areavailable all year round with agents all over Gippsland and Australia.
Not all Limes are created equal
Calcimo Lime produces Premium Fine Soft Coral Lime that is fast acting and very reactive. (30minutes out of Sale)
We pride ourselves on the quality of our product and offer multiple products to cover your agricultural needs.
Everyload that leaves our quarrycomeswitha weighbridge docket so you know exactly what you have received.
No guessing here.
We have agents all acrossGippsland ready to help youwith all your liming requirements.
Taking honey to awhole new level
Philip HOPKINS
BEN Murphy had become apretty experienced beekeeper when he got the chance to not only buy ahoney business, but also to push that business in anew direction. He took on the challenge.
Thus, Tambo Valley Honey in Bruthen was born-a retail outlet not just for the honey that Ben collects, but ahaven that celebrates all things honey, from merchandise to the sweet aromas of honey-flavoured dishes emanating from the café’s kitchen. Quirky little facts about bees adornthe walls.
Ben, with no experience in the industry, had becomeabeekeeper in2012inhis early 20s. He’d spent the previous seven years as abutcher,having leftschool early, but he wanted achange. Then ajob became available as abeekeeper with veteran Ian Cane’s honey business in Bruthen.
“I wassickofbeing stuckindoorsall the time, it looked like an opportunity to see the countryside. Itook it on, with no background. I’d never been stung, didn’t know whether Iwas allergic to bees,” he said.
“It took three days for me to get my first ever bee sting anditdidn’t look like things weregoing to last real long. Igot stung on my right hand.Itswelled right up past my elbow,muchtothe concernofmywife Stacey, who made surethatweoutlined the swollen area every few hours so we could keep track of how bad it was getting. In hindsight, Ithink we just did this to trick ourselves into thinkingthat we weredoing the right thing! Luckily things got alittle better from that first ever sting.”
Ben worked full-time under Ian Cane. “Ian has awealth of knowledge, athirdgeneration beekeeper,respected for what he has done for the beekeeping industry.
The retail aspect to Tambo Valley Honey.
Iwas happy to learnmy craft under him,” he said.
Ben workedfor Ian forsix years before the opportunity arose to buy the business offhim, eventually doing so in 2018.
“It was abig step. Six years’ beekeeping experience was probably not enough, taking over 1200 hives at the time. Itook it on with Ian bymy side;he’sstill amentor,helps me alot,” Ben said.
“Ian ran agood operation, not alot needed to be changed or altered, it was awell-oiled machine. But Iwanted to put my own stamp on the business and take it in a different direction,” he said.
He was inspiredpartly by Beechworth Honey, which ran aretail outlet in the town. Also, his parents, bakers and pastry cooks, had startedabakery in Bruthen in 1996. But it was the boutique Sailors Grave Brewery in Orbost that planted the seed of the idea.
“Wewent to their property to have a look and put some bees on their property, between Malo and Cape Conran. We were chatting abouttheir breweryplans, we wanted to do ahoney shop -and they pointed us inthe rightdirection tohelp us build that. It may not have happened if we’d not gone there. We always had plans, but they werefast-tracked because of that day,” he said.
Paradoxically, it was alsothe terrible 2019/20bushfires andthe COVID-19 lockdowns that helped.
“One of the good thingsout of the pandemic was, it helped push local produce. We realised therewas an opportunity, it was abig risk to take, to push our business in adifferent direction.”
Ben said during the bushfires, they worked together withthree otherlocal businesses -Gippsland Jersey, Seasalt Sourdough Bakery in Swan Reach, and Forge Creek Free Range -inthe collaborative box phenomenon.
Generous people all over Australia and the world who were desperate to support, help
RURAL NEWS
and donate to people affected by bushfire could do something really personal and meaningful. The produce box was bought (paying each business for the cost of goods), then weredelivered all over East Gippsland to families in need, or who had properties destroyed.
“It was a‘win-win’ for everyone involved. From there, the business grew -ittook off from that moment. We werenot set up for mail order at the time; that developed after we got the shop all set up,” he said.
Benand Stacey werethe owner builders.
A‘hobby architect’, Ben did the designand layout for the shop, which was hand-built withexposedbeams in theceiling.The shelves weremade from old fencing, while the polished benchtops weremadefrom old slabs of Australian wormy chestnut.
Ben said the shop had come out of the collaborative approach.
“Wesaw the benefits of collaborating, moving the product, but it created alot of new friendships. Being able to liaise with others really benefited us, not just by selling through the shop, but we have asupport network around us now. That’s huge for us as ayoung couple with afamily,” he said.
“What better way to promote our region by using our product with as many other Gippsland businesses as we can.”
For example, Tambo Valley works alot with Nicholson River Soaps in Bairnsdale.
“They do our honey soaps and lip balms, moisturisers using our honey and wax. That pushes the brands further -bothour labels areonthe product. People can see two businessare involvedwith this,” he said.
Tambo Valley also does alot of gins and beers.The café -which featuresasmall beehive for company -tries to use honey in every singledish. There’s honey cake, sauce, sausages, cheesecake, tart, date and honey loaves -and the supreme honey ice cream with Gippsland Jersey cream.
The chef, Sam Mahlook, uses up to 16 different varieties of honey.
“They lend themselves to different dishes. Itry to usetheminwaysthatsuittheir flavour profile.
I’m from Lakes Entrance, so alot of my cooking is sea-food-based, that’s how I’ve grown up as achef, and the honey Ilove to use with seafood is Banksia honey,it’s a really coastal honey, asalty brinyflavour,” she said.
Work life can be adventurous.
“Cooking with honey in the kitchen, and the doorisopen,the beeswill comein becausethey can smell the honey,” Sam said.
Ben the beekeeper spendslittle time in the shop; he is out in the field.
“The key is knowing how to read ahive, judge ahive, know if something is wrong, and be on to it beforeproduction levels drop down,” he said.
“Reading the hive is probably number one, equal with reading the bush, knowing wheretogototake your bees beforethe flower cycle kicks into gear.”
TamboValley has 1000 hivesat the moment. The size varies.
“The ‘wow’ factor is up to 60,000 bees in ahive at peak production and at the peak time of the year,” Ben said.
“Wetravel predominantly in East Gippsland. We always start the season in the Mallee for the almond pollination for a month,” he said, including canola pollination -canola farms that honey production and pollination at the same time.
Honey collection depends on the season. “It’sall to do withweather patterns. Whenthat’sfinished,it’s normally warm enough to bring the bees home. Mono-floral eucalypts dominate for most of the rest of the season.”
Hives aresometimes placed not purely for honey production, but alsofor breeding. In honey production, once abox is full, “we take the surplus honey from the bees, they arealways left with honey”.
“They have to eat. Most of the time, 95 per cent of the time, they aresitting on 20 kilogramsofhoney -surplus honey for them.”
Ben said therewas still much to learn.
“Thereare seasons wherenothing much is happening; thereare theseasonsI’ve got to get better at. They’rethe seasons the really good beekeepers excel in, they can find the honey when no one else can,” he said.
“I spend alot of time spent on the road and walkingthe bush andlooking for stands of trees that areabout to flower.Itcan be time-consuming. Ian Cane -I don’t know anyone who is as good at it in our area. Thereisnoone as good as him.”
Bees areonly transported at night when they arecalm.
The shop aims to have at least 10 honey varietiesavailableinstore at all times Depending on the season, it can have up to 14-16 varieties.
“That’s as much as our packing shed can handle. We have agood mailing business; we put alot of thought into it. The staff areexceptional, most arefromBruthen,” he said.
“Wehave 15 staff, 12 from Bruthen, which has 800 people -that’s apretty good effort. They areall invested; they have asmalltown passion and want to see abusiness do well.”
Tambo Valley Honey’s storeinBruthen shares quirky bee facts on the walls
Photos: Philip Hopkins
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GIPPSLAND SPORT
Snell standinginthe Hall of Fame
Blake METCALF-HOLT MIRBOONORT’H’SBelinda Snell was inductedintothe AustralianBasketball Hall of Fame last month.
The inductionfollowed an outstanding and decorated professional career both in her homeland and overseas.
Snell spent 20 years between the WNBL, WNBA, variousEuropeanleagues and was afrequent member of the Australian women’s national team (commonly known as theOpals) at the Olympic Games and other international tournaments.
The inductees wereenshrined at afunction in inner Melbourne beforelater being celebrated at John Cain Arena pregame beforethe Opals pre-Olympic match against China.
“I’m very honoured to be in the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame with such elite, tremendous athletes from the basketball world,” Snell told the Express.
To accompany her individual acknowledgment, the Opals 2006 FIBA World Cup championship side became the first team to be inductedinto the Australian Basketball Hallof Fame,which alongside Snellfeatured such icons as Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor, Kristi Harrower and future AFLW champion, Erin Phillips. The 2006 World Cup is Australian basketball’s highest ever achievement.
Most 2006 members wereon the court that night toembraceand be lauded by the fanatical Melbourne crowd.
“Catchingupwitha majorityof my teammates from 2006 from the World Championships, it’s so long ago now, but it was great to catch up with all of them and go about all the fun stories with them and winning the gold (medal),” Snell said.
Snell recalled afork in the road moment during their famous run, in the Opals semifinalmatch against Brazil in which she engaged heatedly with long-time teammate and friend, Lauren Jackson.
“In front of at least 15,000people and we were down going into the second half and Ithink in the thirdquarter Iremember Lauren telling me ‘shoot the damn ball!’
or something along those lines, you know, heat of the moment and Imanagedtoknock down afew important shots in that semifinal and get the team into the gold medal game and go on to win,” she said.
“(It) was obviously very exciting and it’s still such an honour to win the first senior gold medal.”
Snell attended the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) from the agesof17to19, winning aWNBL championship in 1999 withher fellow class membersJackson, Taylor and Suzy Batkovic(who was afellow honouree on the night).
Snell then moved to the Sydney Panthers (later known as Sydney Uni Flames) and cemented herself as one of the best players in the country, named in the WNBL All-Star Five team in 2001, 2004 and 2005. It was the only place Snell felt it necessary to finish her career
“(I)played over 10 seasons with the Flames, Sydney Icall it my second home, Iobviously spent alot of time up there, I’ve got some great friendsout of the Sydney shireareadown south who Istay in contact
Grandfather-grandson duo graciously claim national bocce title
FUNARI
THEItalianAustralianSportingClub, Morwell, Victeam once again fielded ahighly competitive team in both the women’s and men’sdivisions at the nationals.
The women’s team of Maria Maselli, Anna Prezioso, Kayla Dukes and Christina Finocchiaro, led by team manager Sally Fava, had their chances but did qualify past the second round, except for Kayla who made it to the semi-finals in the Bowl Throw (combined) event.
The standout performance came from the duo of Franco Fava and his grandson Tommy Campbell during the senior championships.
Franco, aBocce Australia and Latrobe City Hall of Famer,displayed exceptional precision alongside Tommy.
The pair triumphed over the Redland, Queensland team with aclose scoreof 5-4 in the repechage round. They then secureda 9-7 victory against ACT/ Cooma, earning aspot in the final.
The final match was atightly contested battle against aformidableWAteam consistingofMilan Martutinovic and Coretin Julien.
The scores seesawed throughout the game, but the expert bowling and throwing by Franco and Tommy ultimately led them to victory with the final score7-5.
with regularly and Ilove watchingthe Flames play as well,” she said.
On January 22 2005, Snell broke the WNBLsinglegamescoring record by posting 54 points in ablowoutwin against the Perth Lynx in which she also tacked on nine rebounds, nine steals and seven assists. Therecordstill stands to this day
After aqualityperformance for the Opals in the 2004 Athens Olympics, Snellwould be picked up by the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and after three years would win the 2007 WNBA championship with them.
“Very fond memories over there, the facilities, just playing in huge stadiums week-in, week-out… (I) feel very lucky to have been able to get over to America and play in the best league in the world,” she said.
At thetime, theWNBAand other women’s basketball leagues occupied amuch smaller season as opposed to thelikes of the NBA or the NBL, Snell managed her yearsinbetween the States and Europe.
Snell playedfor teams in France, Russia,Spain and Poland while also returning to the WNBA for multiple seasons at the San Antonio Silver Stars and finally with the Seattle Storm. She would win atotal five European trophiesincluding EuroLeague title in 2011 with the Spanish Avenida.
announced as Gippsland United’s Youth League Women’s coach for 2025 as the local representative basketball club pushes to eventually returnasenior women’s team to the Big Vcourt.
“I’m looking forwardtoworking with the young girls around Gippsland in the upcoming months, the season’s not until next year but I’ll be getting around to some stadiums in the coming months and checking out thelocal talentand hopefully we can put together astrongteam on the court for next season and look to build up the women’s program later on down the track potentially,” she said.
Snell has had coaching experience in her final years in the WNBL with the Sydney Uni Flames and as head coach of the NBL1 Ballarat Blues as late as 2022.
Snell played in three Olympics (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008and London2012) medalling in all (two silvers and abronze).
She is perhaps best remembered for a ridiculous clutch moment at the London games.
With Australia looking like they wereheadedfor certaindefeat, she famously hit amiraculous threepointer from beyond halfway in the preliminary match against France to force the game into overtime. The ball was literally in mid-air as the final siren blew.
Snell is looking forwardtothis year’s Olympic Games and checking out what all three Australian basketballsides do -t Opals, Boomersand Gangurrus (3-on-3 basketball).
She’llalsobekeeping an eye outf Jackson, who returns to the Olympic play for the first time since 2012 in London.
“I’m really looking forwardtoseei Lauren out thereatthe upcomingPar Olympics and see how well she’ll do ther and also our up-and-comingTraralgo girl, Gippsland girl Jade Melbourne, very excited for her,looking forwardtoh representing Australia,” Snell said.
Regionally, Snell was recently
Snell grew up in Mirboo North, played for the Latrobe lley representative side (a previous incarnation of Gippsland United) before makingher way in professional ranks.
In winning,they clinched the Australian Doubles title and went on to make history as the first grandfather and grandson duo to win an Australian bocce title, and possibly the first in the world to have won anational title.
Vernon’s steely resolve
INSPIRATIONAL Leongathapremiership coach, Beau Vernon is set to make his Paralympics debut.
Vernon is one of five debutants selected for the Australian wheelchair rugby team -‘the Steelers’.
Vernon was astar footballer for the Parrots beforeahorrific injury in 2012 left him a quadriplegic.
That setback didn’tstop himstaying involvedin the gamehowever,and he went on to coach Leongatha to the 2017 Gippsland League premiership, as well as Phillip Islandin theWest Gippsland competition.
In the years sincehis incident, hehas been ahighly sought aftermotivational speaker,and has continued on the pathway to elite sport.
The Steelers arelooking to defend their gold medal at theupcoming Tokyo Paralympics.
The Paralympics begin later this month.
Traralgon swimmers Emily Beecroft and Ruby Stormare among Latrobe Valley locals taking part.
Mirboo North basketball export Belinda Snell receives her induction into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame. Photos: Contributed
Frank
Leongatha premiership coach, Beau Vernon is set to make his Paralympics debut with the Australian wheelchair rugby team.
Photo: Contributed
Franco Fava and his grandson, Tommy Campbell, combined to win the national bocce doubles title. Photo: Contributed
Belinda Snell during her playing days
GIPPSLAND SPORT
Popular podcaster suits up
TomHAYES
FORMER AFL player with Carlton and GWS and popular podcaster,Dylan Buckley lined up for Toora as part of the Carlton Draft last month.
TooratookBuckleywith Pick4in the Carlton Draft, as he came to town to take on Yinnar in the Mid Gippsland FootballNetball League.
Buckley played 41 games for the Blues and Giants after being picked up by Carlton in the 2011 National Draft as afather/son product. He is the son of three-time Carlton premiership player,Jim Buckley.
Buckleyhad actually never played country football since he was ajunior,and wasyet to pull on the boots again after beingdelisted from the Giants at the end of the 2019 season.
“I’ve neveractually playedcommunity football before, since juniors,” Buckley told Gippsland Farmer
“For me, Ifelt like it was something Ireally wanted to do, and even though I’ve finished up and haven’t played since AFL level, it’s always sort of been on my mind to play a game of country football.”
Heading into the weekend, Buckley was keen to get down to Toora,after weeks of communicating with theclubinthe lead-up.
Despitehis eagerness, he understood that it wasn’t going to be awalk in the park.
“I actually find sometimes that it was harder to playcountry footy than AFL, because you have to get your own ball,” he said.
Heading into the game, Buckley was buzzing about the country aspect.
“I always liketoreferto myself asa country boy… it’s actually going to be the first time Ican get back and call myself a country boy again,” he said.
“I hope to immerse myself in the communityand raisesome moneyfor Toora and bring alot of people through the gate.”
Keeping aclose eye on the weather Buckley was told of the conditions to look forwardto, so he was fully prepared for it to be awet slog on Toora’s track.
He told the Express that he was going to be able to add a“positive attitude”, “plenty of voice and communication and just a smile”.
“I’ll be celebrating everything.”
Coming up against Yinnar,Buckley was also told he would be playing against a pretty formidable outfit.Nonetheless,he was hoping Toora could give it ared-hot crack, which they did, only going down by 23 points in alow scoring affair,4.9 (33) to 1.4 (10).
Buckley broughtRichmond champion, BrettDeledio and former Fremantle and Gold Coast player,Michael Barlow along for asportsman night, wherethe trio performed alive podcast.
On an Instagram post after the match, Buckley wrote: “Physically the hardest two hours Ireckon I’ve had. I’m notsureifit was the 25mlofrain and hail, 45km winds or not touching afooty for four years, but nonetheless incredible experience”.
“(I)willforeverbe alover of Gippsland footy…after seeingtheseblokesgo to work in theseconditions, and even more the community to rock up, volunteer and support as they arethe heartbeat.
“That’s what local footy is all about and glad Ican now officially say Ibleed Toora blood.”
ALSOrecently,Hawthorn and Geelong champion, Isaac Smith played his Carlton Draft match for Bunyip in the West Gippsland FNL.
Smithwas joined by premiershipruckman,Shane Mumford(playing for his boyhood club), and Michael Ross (two AFL games for Essendon in 2011, cousin of Sydney’s TomPapley).
Bunyipalso wasn’table to find victory, going down to Garfield by 19 points.
Smith kicked two goals on the day, and Mumfordwas left soreand sorry after chipping his front tooth.
Oval upgrade finally on the way
THE infamous Drouin Recreation Reserve is set to finally receive along-awaited upgrade.
Commonlyreferred to as ‘the mudpit’,the home of Drouin Football Club has been an unwelcome sight for visiting teams in the Gippsland League for well over adecade.
The surface will be completely revamped, with thestate government contributing$1 million to the project, on top of $3.19 million committed from Baw Baw ShireCouncilin this year’s budget.
Member for EasternVictoria Harriet Shing announced last month that EasternVictoria will shareinmorethan $20 million to make local facilities better
“Across the region we arecontinuing our recordinvestment in sporting facilities to increase participation, training, competition and build connections for people of all ages and abilities -this is all about bringing the best of communities together,” she said. Morwell
Contributed
Seaspray superstars recognised
SALE’S Zali Gallagher was named the May Junior Gippstar awardwinner
Zali, 17, is asurflife saver with Seaspray SurfLife Saving Club, and has performed well in Beach Sprint and Flags events. Among her achievements is agold medal in the under 19 Beach Sprint at the Victorian Lifesaving Championships, and asilver in the U19 beach relay.
Fellow Seaspray surflife saver,Jess Jackson was the May Open Gippstar winner Jessica recently competedin theSurf LifesavingChampionships,whereshe finished equal-ninth, one offthe final eight eight in Open Beach Flags.
She also finished fourth in the Life Saving Victoria State Carnival held at Lorne and won afirst place pennantinthe OpenBeach Flag.
Jessica is part of the Lifesaving Victoria High Performance Squad, and is adedicated captain for Seaspray Beach.
She alsocoaches and trains nippers and youth (also assisting at local nipper carnivals/beach events) while training with Seaspray Beach Squad and Gippsland Track Club.
Latrobe Valley clubs do the region proud
TWO Latrobe Valleyclubs have done the region proud, taking out several coveted honours at the 2024 Community Clubs Victoria awards.
The Morwell Bowling Club won two awards -Best Community Club Bistro/ Restaurant and Best Community Club Redevelopment -inaquality field of competition.
Moe Racing Club took out the Regional Community ClubAward, and the club’s ownJo Wouters was awarded Club Person of the Year Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron congratulated the clubsand individuals on their awards.
“These awards aretestament to the commitment of our local clubs to providing outstanding facilities and services to members and visitors,” Cameron said.
“The Morwell Bowling Club’s refurbishment has earned high praise from industry professionals who wereblown away by the quality of the venue after the Victorian Open earlier this year
“I can also attest to the quality of foodonoffer at the club,so it’s no surprise it also won Best Community Club Bistro/Restaurant.
“The MoeRacingClub has been a standout in its field for along time, and the awardofRegional Community Club of the Year is certainly just reward.
“Congratulationsalso to Jo Wouters who was awarded Club Person of the Year in avery strong field.
“Communityclubs arethe lifeblood of regionalcommunities and aresooften full of quiet achievers, so it’s magnificent to see them celebrated for their commitment to ensuring locals have a place to participate, build connections and develop pride of place.
“Wecan’t underestimate the contribution community clubs make in our regions, and Iwould like to congratulate all the winnersand entrants at this year’s Community Clubs Victoria awards for making the Valley agreat place to live.”
players after arecent game at Drouin Recreation Reserve.
Photo:
Moe Racing Club Chief Executive, Cassandra Rendell and Chair,Michael Vanderfeen at theCommunity Clubs Victoria awards night Photo: Contributed
Former Carlton player and popular podcaster Dylan Buckleywas covered in mud during his Carlton Draft game for Toora.
Photo: Dylan Buckley/Instagram
Saving Club’s Jess Jackson haswon further accolades. Photos: Contributed
