FarmTalk February 2023

Advertising & Editorial Deadlines

March Edition:

February 24, 2023

April Edition:

March 24, 2023

May Edition: April 28, 2023

June Edition: May 26, 2023

July Edition: June 23, 2023

August Edition: July 28, 2023

September Edition:

August 25, 2023

October Edition:

September 22, 2023

November Edition:

October 20, 2023

December Edition:

November 17, 2023

February Edition:

January 26, 2024

The Supreme Champion Cow was three year-old Ayreshire, Paschendaele Klassy Tri Time, owned by Karl London and Imogen Steiner from Munden Farms, Nilma North, Gippsland and Ellen Zell and Steve Eagles, from Gooloogong, NSW.

A week to remember

International Dairy Week 2023 will always be remembered as the Ayrshire show, after three year-old Intermediate Champion Paschendaele Klassy Tri Time took the ring by storm and created history, winning Supreme Champion Cow and Intermediate Champion Interbreed.

IDW co-director Declan Patten said it was a proud moment for the Ayrshire breed and topped off an outstanding 2023 show, the first free of COVID-19 in three years.

Mr Patten said this year’s event was extremely well supported, with 950 entries across the different breeds.

“The quality of cattle was extraordinary and a credit to the exhibitors who put months and months of work into getting their animals ready,” he said.

Mr Patten and his business partner Brad Cullen only took over running the event last year and were very happy with the way 2023 panned out.

“This year we implemented a lot of new initiatives which were successful and well supported and included showmanship and fitting clinics for the youth, a food truck festival and the trade show was back on the oval with over 30 partners involved,” Mr Patten said.

He said it was great to have international judges back on the scene, along with international photographer Julie Ashton from Cowsmopolitan Dairy.

“We are increasing our online presence through social media and it is amazing to think within seconds people all over the world can view our images, videos and what we are doing here at IDW.

“This will only make IDW bigger and better in the future.”

And while the show is always about the cows, two industry stalwarts were recognised for their outstanding contributions — Mandy Pacciti from South Australia was awarded the Power of Women in Dairy award, while Mark Patullo received the Lex Bunn award.

The Sheri Martin Youth Showmanship class intermediate winner was Abbie Hanks. For a list of winners, visit the International Dairy Week Facebook page or website.

Carly Marriott CONTRIBUTOR

Leesa Muir GENERAL MANAGER & ADVERTISING

Jennifer Ho TRAINEE GRAPHIC DESIGN

Zoe McMaugh CONTENT MANAGER

Jacquie Marshall CADET JOURNALIST

Krista Schade RIVERINE GRAZIER JOURNALIST

Sam Wake ADVERTISING

Sophie Baldwin CONTRIBUTOR

Jersey girls

Thismeant both were in their element when the family competed at International Dairy Week in Tatura in January.

Mum Lauren Swadesir and grandmother Janette Falls share a love of cows with the youngsters, and participate as a family when attending the shows and in preparation for any events.

Lauren and Janette both work for Elders Finley, and Janette has successfully bred her winning line of olive heifers from a reserve champion jersey cow from IDW in 2014.

This year the family showed five jersey cows. Lauren entered three from her Top Shelf herd, while Janette entered two from her Pasadena herd.

The family came away with one win, two fourth placings and two sixth placings.

Janette’s winning heifer was an autumn yearling ‘Pasadena Gentry Olive’ who won in the senior yearling class.

Lauren said as a family “we are passionate (about dairy cows); it’s in our genes”.

“It’s a generational thing. It dates back to my grandfather who loved showing at the Royal Sydney Show.

“It’s nice to give the kids the opportunity that both mum and I have had; they love it.

“They are passionate, hands on and very capable around the cows and farm life.

“This is the second year of the show for the girls. You are not permitted to lead until you are eight, but last year the girls came second in the fancy dress class as that is open to any age.”

Lauren said the girls love pottering around the farm with their nan and help with the preparation that goes into showing.

“We all start preparing for a show a few months beforehand with extra feeding, watering, grooming and teaching to lead.

“The girls love it and as three generations of Jersey girls we love this time as a family who all share the same passion,” she concluded.

“We are passionate (about dairy cows); it’s in our genes.”

LAUREN SWADESIR

Finley youngsters Zara, 6, and Elle, 4, Swadesir are no strangers to life on the farm or to being around dairy cows.

Elle, 4 and Zara, 6, Swadesir.

Business is booming

Alpacas

Wehave the second largest Alpaca industry in the world behind the Peruvian industry.

Hobby farmers Lou and Kerry Vitullo breed, produce and sell Alpacas on their property in Koonoomoo.

Trading as Koonoomoo Alpacas, they started their journey in 2011 on a small property with a modest 13 sheep and three alpacas.

In 2018 they purchased a larger property just down the road, and can now house anywhere between 40 and 80 alpacas at a time.

The fascinating and lovable animals make perfect pets. They produce great wool and are also herd guardsperfect for protecting sheep, lambs and goats.

They have excellent eyesight over kilometre distance, where they can see dogs and foxes that approach flocks.

The Vitullos sell two breeds as pets - the Suri alpacas have straight dreadlock-like hair, and the Huacaya have a fluffy teddy bear look.

Due to the high demand, the Vitullos are “down on numbers”.

They have between 30 and 40 alpacas on the farm right now.

“Sales are great at the moment,“ Mr Vitullo said.

“We normally sell the males to guard the flocks, but due to short supply the females are also being used to keep watch.

are an established and beloved part of the Australian natural fibres, breeding and farming industries.

“There are more foxes around and farmers are wanting to protect their sheep and lambs, especially as the returns on the market are good.”

LOU VITULLO

“There are more foxes around and farmers are wanting to protect their sheep and lambs, especially as the returns on the market are good.”

Alpacas are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Their soft footpads create minimal soil damage, and their natural fibre further supports the green fibre industry.

They are a wonderful green fit for Australia’s farming climate, as they perform better in dry conditions than most livestock.

They require only small amounts of supplementary feeding.

A baby alpaca is called a cria.

After six months they are weaned off the mothers and put into a paddock, ready to go to their forever homes.

“We give them extra cuddles and attention as the transition can be a bit hard for the mums and bubs,” Mr Vitullo said.

The crias are born after a gestation of eleven months, or 355 days.

They usually weigh between 6kg and 10kg at birth.

They tend to be standing within the first hour of being born, and often frolic around their mother’s side in time.

“They are usually born during the daylight hours, often before lunch, as the mums like to have them up and running before the foxes arrive at night posing danger.

“We check the female alpacas every fortnight as they can sometimes absorb their pregnancy.

“We bring them into the yard with a male, and if the female spits on the male it indicates she is pregnant.

“If she sits down it signifies that she is not pregnant.

“When the babies are born we like to name them starting with the same letter that their mum’s name starts with; it makes it easier to keep track of them.

“We look up baby book names, because they need to be named to be registered.

“The females are all registered, and for the males to breed they need to be registered and certified. The working wethers don’t necessarily need to be registered.

The family also love to show their alpacas but said opportunities in that field have been limited since COVID-19.

“We have been showing the alpacas for 13 years and hope to get back into it in the next six months or so,” Mr Vitullo said.

“It is good publicity for our business and if we produce good fleece that is crimped and has a natural lustre; the better the fleece the better the sales can be.”

“The judges look for good confirmation, natural lustre in the fleece, the fibre is strong and resilient and it has consistency throughout.

“We sell our fleece to a fibre mill in Bacchus Marsh, where they process it and distribute it further.”

Alpaca shearing normally occurs in September so the fleece is off for the summer months.

It also means that as the cooler months come around, their coats have grown back for warmth.

The business is also making the most of a booming export market sending alpacas overseas.

“We have a gentleman in Shepparton who organises a combination of breeders who provide stock to fill a crate of approximately 22 alpacas.

“They are then sent overseas by air.”

Northern exposure

Today, school leavers are still hungry for that gap year adventure in the outback. Friends, Millie Locke from Tocumwal and Bridget O’Dwyer from Shepparton, headed 2000km north to Charters Towers in Queensland on February 4 to become jillaroos.

“We’re both from farms and love horses and stock work so we can’t wait to be spending half our lives up there in a saddle,” Millie said.

Heading north to chase cows on horseback is not a new concept in Australia, but it is a thrilling one, especially when you’re 18, well and truly sick of your home town and busting to escape the trappings of civilisation.

“I finished Year 12 at Goulburn Valley Grammar School at the end of 2022 and am hoping to study vet science at Wagga Wagga in the future,” Millie said.

With neighbours, cousins and family friends all spruiking the perks of ‘going north,’ Millie and Bridget have backed their swags, big hats and work shirts and jumped in the family’s old Prado to make the journey ‘straight up the guts’ with Millie’s dad, Rob.

“I spoke to my boss, and he said we’ll be living in dongas with a shared living space and from what I can tell, we’ll be doing a lot of stock work on the station,” Millie said.

“It’s a fairly intensive Wagyu operation that does artificial insemination, which will give me great experience for my vet studies.”

Millie’s love of station life was kick-started back in 2014 when her family travelled Australia, staying on stations in the Gulf of Carpentaria and in the Northern Territory. Millie said she fell hard for the country, the people and the environment and could not wait to get back up in those wide open spaces.

Dixie Chicks put it best when they sang about a young girl’s need for wide open spaces way back in 1997.

Growing up with horses has prepared Millie for life on a cattle station.

Millie Locke on the family’s Tocumwal farm.

Bridget O’Dwyer and Millie Locke have headed north to Charters Towers.

Helen Dalton MP INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR MURRAY

It seems ironic to talk about water when our region has just gone through one of the worst flooding events in history, but as we all know, Australia is a land of climatic extremes.

Every day we are a day closer to the next drought.

Water is the cornerstone of the success of our region and irrigation underpins our communities, our business and our environment.

We need sensible and strong water policy in Australia and part of that includes water transparency.

I currently have a bill before parliament calling for a transparent water register so we know who owns our water – that includes foreign ownership

How can a Chinese foreign corporate owns 7000megs in the Gwydir valley?

NSW MPS now have to declare their water interests on the pecuniary interest form after I successfully changed some legislation late last year

I will continue to push for sensible water policy in NSW.

Helen Dalton

MP for Murray

Authorised by Helen Dalton MP, Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements.

Feral to farmed

Quietly spoken John Vagg is pioneering a bloodline of poll goats, using decades of observation and trials to produce animals that consistently out perform their horned counterparts.

John owns two properties; Orana Station, is 33 kilometres northwest of Ivanhoe and Huntingfield Station, 70 kilometres north-west of Wentworth.

Initially running Merino sheep, the 29,930 hectares allowed John to also harvest feral rangeland goats each year, and slowly his focus shifted.

On the back of the wool market collapse in 1990 John switched his business to a 100 per cent goat enterprise. The low cost, low input nature of goats presented an enterprise type that fitted well with John’s single operator business.

He upgraded his fences to contain the wiley animals, and began more than 35 years trialling infrastructure design and husbandry practices, focussing on the deliberate selection of desirable genetics.

What resulted was the development of a hardy, fertile and high-yielding goat.

John also noticed substantial improvements in the condition of his land, which he attributes to the different grazing habits of goats, compared to sheep.

In 2003 John made the decision to add Boer goat genetics to his herds, in an effort to increase animal size and although there were initial difficulties, John persevered.

He focused on joining first cross bucks with larger numbers of rangeland does rather than pure Boers. Through cross-breeding, he has been able to establish a level of Boer influence across his herd.

The other focus in John’s breeding herd is the development of a polled line of goats.

This began by selecting polled goats that naturally occurred in his harvested goats, and has grown to the point where polled does represent about 75 per cent of the breeding herd.

By running polled and horned bucks in the same paddock and then separating them to be trucked and processed, John has been able to compare the performance of these two genetic lines.

At 10 months old, John reckons polled bucks have dressed an average of 2.4 kilograms heavier than horned bucks.

John believes this is primarily due to the reduced energy spent fighting.

Many producers claim the polled trait is associated with a higher frequency of hermaphrodites, but John disputes this.

His observations have been that the condition exists in less than one per cent of polled goats, which is similar to the broader population.

He does monitor their occurrence closely and if frequency increases, John has a program in place to reintroduce horned bucks in order to increase genetic diversity.

Mosquito management for livestock

To help combat the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as Japanese Encephalitis infecting pigs and horses new resources on mosquito management are available. Resources includes a template to write your own mosquito management plan, as well as a simple factsheet and a more in-depth guide to give information around mosquito control including environmental management and chemical control.

Resources can be found on the farm biosecurity website (https://www.farmbiosecurity. com.au). Simply search for ‘mosquito’ and you will find links to both mosquito management for horses as well as mosquito management matters which will link through to information on controlling mosquitoes around piggeries.

The principles of integrated mosquito management will be the same for all livestock species. However, you should ensure that any chemicals used on stock are registered for use in that species and follow any withhold periods listed on the labels.

High mosquito numbers are not the only issue this year. Many producers are blaming mosquito attacks for deaths or illness in their sheep. It is certainly true that mosquitoes can spread Mycoplasma ovis which can result in anaemia and possibly death in sheep and goats. However, anaemia can also be caused by Barber’s pole worm, which is very prevalent this year.

If you are having issues in your sheep, it is important to investigate the cause to ensure the right treatment.

Some mosquito-borne diseases such as Murray Valley Encephalitis can also affect humans. For more information on mosquito borne illnesses in humans contact NSW health or your doctor.

If you are having issues with livestock illness, or to discuss mosquito-borne diseases or management get in touch by phone, email or popping into your local office.

Mosquito bites can do more than just irritate livestock – they could potentially be the pathway for diseases to spread.

Contributed by Linda Searle (pictured), district veterinarian with Murray Local Land Services.

Ag burn permits available again

Permits to burn are available again in the Mid Murray Rural Fire Service Zone.

TheMid Murray includes the local government areas of Edward River, Murray River and part of the Murrumbidgee Council, south of Coleambally.

Mid Murray Inspector Doug Adamson said while permits will allow for the lighting of a fire for agricultural purposes from February 1, applicants must still be careful to assess the risks.

“Even with a permit you need to check whether a Total Fire Ban is in force before lighting any fires,” he said.

“Residents should also continue with their hazard reduction activities.

“We have all seen the devastation that bush fires can bring to a community, so I strongly advise residents to contact their local brigades and use their expertise to assist in carrying out safe hazard reductions.”

Anybody wishing to light a fire on their property will require a permit from their local RFS Brigade or Fire Control Centre.

Anyone issued with a permit to burn must comply with standard permit conditions. These conditions include:

• Notifying your neighbours at least 24 hours prior to burning;

• Notifying the RFS via the NOTIFY portal on the RFS Website www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify 24 hours prior to burning;

• Notifying your local Brigade Captain on each day you burn;

• Installing fire breaks around the area to be burnt;

• Firefighting equipment in working order on site for the duration of the burn;

• A responsible person must be in attendance while the fire is alight;

• Permits are for grass and stubble only, no timber or trees are to be burnt.

The NSW RFS encourages all residents to have a Bush Fire Survival Plan, so all members of their household know what to do on days of increased fire danger, and if their home is threatened by fire.

Never leave a fire unattended and if a fire does escape, it is essential to call Triple Zero (000) immediately so that emergency services can respond accordingly and minimise the damage.

For more information contact the Mid Murray Zone office on 5898 4100 or visit www.rfs.nsw.gov.au.

www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify

If you're planning to burn off to get ready for the bush fire season, let us know first. You can now notify us of your planned burn online.

Your Farm Sale Specialists

Weed management following flooding

With the recent flooding and widespread water inundation; weed spread and establishment will be a risk across the regions.

Damage to pastures and crops may further allow weeds to thrive through lack of competition from desirable plants, and access to paddocks will also hinder ability to identify weeds in a timely manner and apply control methods.

Weed populations will deplete soil moisture and can create a green bridge for crop pests and diseases, like cereal rusts, potentially causing an epidemic in the new season. If allowed to set seed, there becomes an ongoing seedbank population which will germinate under the right conditions and require ongoing management.

Weed spread may occur through:

• seed spread in waterways

• in organic material transferred in flood waters

• soil seed banks with the moisture for germination post flooding

• transfer of seeds in purchased fodder

• in mud and soil attached to vehicles

You can expect to see common weeds for your region, however, also be on the lookout for new weeds which may establish quickly. Ongoing monitoring will be required to determine:

• weed species ID

• establishment pattern or spread

• management plan for control and prevention of further infestations and seedbank build-up

Maintaining groundcover, increasing plant competition when possible and applying other management strategies such as chemical application, manual removal or fallow management may all assist with reducing weeds.

Seek professional advice relating to management strategies, herbicide options and spray rates as required. Always follow label instructions and ensure appropriate records are kept.

If you see weeds or plants you’re not familiar with, your local council Weeds Biosecurity Officers can be contacted for further information.

Contributed by Rebecca Stacey (pictured), senior local lands officer - mixed farming with Murray Local Land Services.

Wetlands breeding boom

Photos taken at Gayini wetlands near Maude by Hay resident James Harrison.

Despite challenging conditions, thousands of waterbirds are breeding throughout NSW wetlands.

Recent flooding and water for the environment delivered in previous years have led to vast numbers of waterbirds including large nesting colonies of Straw-necked Ibis and Royal Spoonbill breeding at wetlands throughout the Northern and Central Murray Darling Basin (MDB).

Although flooding events are required by several waterbird species to breed, the recent extreme floods that are impacting humans and animals alike, saw large areas of nesting colonies in the MDB go underwater.

Researchers from the UNSW Sydney Centre for Ecosystem Science (UNSW-CES), however, have confirmed that many chicks managed to survive at the Booligal and Gayini wetlands in Southern NSW and the Narran Lake and Gwydir wetlands in Northern NSW, with some already taking flight.

Professor Richard Kingsford, Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science said with waterbird populations declining significantly along eastern Australia over the past decades, successful breeding events like at Booligal and other wetlands in the Basin are essential if we are to see a slow in this decline, as is ongoing monitoring.

“Long-term data such as we collect as part of the annual Eastern Australia Waterbird Survey and the monitoring my team is doing on behalf of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is essential to identifying trends and changes in the health of both wetlands and rivers.

“The environment is impacted by many factors, so accurate and current information is critical in informing decisions about water management to best protect these important habitats,” said Prof. Kingsford.

UNSW-CES, Senior Research Fellow, Dr Kate Brandis and her team are currently working on behalf of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), undertaking detailed monitoring of the current Murray-Darling Basin waterbird breeding events including studying the size of the colonies, reproductive successes and failures, and water depth and quality.

“My team, along with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, will be monitoring Gayini, Booligal, and several other Murray Darling Basin wetlands, over the next six months.

“We’ll be looking at a range of factors including water depth fluctuations. Ensuring water levels do not rise too fast or drop too low is essential for seeing breeding events through to completion. If water levels rise too quickly, nests become flooded, and if water levels fall too quickly chicks are vulnerable to predators,” she said.

On recent visits, the research team have observed thousands of breeding pairs of Straw-necked Ibis and Royal Spoonbill.

The research findings provide the CEWH with essential information to make decisions about water flow management during breeding events to ensure the chicks have every chance of survival, as well as outside of breeding and flood events.

Along with a range of other factors, the collected data is used to ensure water for the environment is released or held back at the right times for the safety and benefit of people, towns, farms and animals alike.

The CEWH works closely with landholders, local communities, First Nations people and state governments, to deliver water when and where it is needed, while avoiding delivering water where it will exacerbate flooding.

Abattoir reopens

JBS Australia has reopened its abattoir in Cobram, after a five-year shutdown.

The company plans to open with 150 employees and hopes it can build that number to 350 as production is scaled up.

The plant will process lambs and goats for the domestic market and North America, Middle East, Asia and Europe.

The company said there had been a growing demand for lamb, goat and mutton proteins both in Australia and overseas.

Buyers are likely to be active in the Shepparton and Echuca sales centres.

The Cobram plant will operate five days a week, since February 6, with a capacity to process up to 4000 head of livestock per day in time.

“JBS Australia is proud to reopen its Cobram facility to support jobs and economic growth in the local community,” JBS Southern chief operating officer Sam McConnell said.

“Today’s changed market conditions and increasing demand for lamb products has allowed us to invest in this fit-for-purpose facility, which will partner with local businesses and livestock producers to deliver

Australian lamb, mutton and goat to domestic and international consumers.”

JBS is investing about $20 million in the latest processing and safety technologies to restart the Cobram plant.

The plant was last operational in 2017 and has been in care and maintenance mode since, consistent with the company’s objective to reopen it once market conditions supported its sustainable operation.

As part of the Great Southern and JBS Australia businesses, the Cobram facility will focus on delivering against a range of sustainability targets including CO2 reduction, water and energy conservation and people safety.

Due to the ongoing labour shortage JBS will be filling some roles via the Federal Government’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme.

As an endorsed government-sponsored employer, JBS will support these Pacific Island workers through community engagement programs and help with accommodation.

There are a number of roles that remain available at the plant and JBS is encouraging applications from the Cobram community.

JBS Australia chief executive officer Brent Eastwood said JBS Australia was pleased to have the opportunity to work alongside the Cobram community again.

“This reinforces our commitment to continually invest in Australia, our facilities, our people and local businesses,” he said.

“Our customers, both here and overseas, are demanding high quality Australian lamb and goat produce.

“Reopening the Cobram facility has been a key priority for our business to meet this demand and explore growth opportunities overseas for the benefit of the local Cobram economy, livestock producers and our people.”

The company expects most of the 4000 head throughput will comprise of lambs and will be drawing the stock from NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

JBS has recruited in the Cobram area and through the Federal Government’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme to staff the abattoir. They all came together for a family fun day prior to opening. Photo by Barb Love.

Building Soil Carbon Project Wraps up

As 2023 commences, our four-year ‘building soil carbon in the mid-Murray region’ project draws to a close.

Theproject was based on the proposition that the best way to build soil organic carbon in irrigated agricultural soils is to grow productive, annual legume pastures. Well managed legume pastures provide not only carbon, but also nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur; all of which are required to build soil carbon.

Irrigated pasture production in the Murray region traditionally relied on subclover as the legume component. A series of local demonstrations were established to determine if subclover was still the best pasture legume for this environment or if other cultivars, such as Persian, Balansa or Arrowleaf clover, would be more suited.

Key Findings

The four-year demonstrations, on both red and grey soils, have demonstrated that subclover is still a good fit for irrigated (and intermittently irrigated) annual pastures. Subclovers:

• persisted well across different seasons and irrigation intensities

• were highly productive

• had a broader herbicide tolerance

• competed well with broadleaf weeds

Some other legume species, however, have characteristics that make them suitable for specific purposes, such as Arrowleaf clover for spring production, particularly as hay variety. Or Balansa clover for persistence and its ability to spread across the paddock. SARDI Persian, though only sown at one location, also did well at the intensively managed site on red loam soil.

At each site, soil carbon was measured. We found that mostly, where productive pastures grew the soil carbon increased over the four years. There were a couple of unexplained exceptions, but the general trend was positive.

For more information about the results scan the QR code above, watch the summary video or contact Kimberley Beer at Local Land Services on 0439 531 306.

Where to next?

We’re currently developing phase two of the project and we’re looking for input on a pasture, grazing or soil amelioration demonstration you’d like see in Murray region.

Is there something you’d like to see established or evaluated?

We’d love to hear your feedback! Share your thoughts at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8NGXN6C, give me a call or follow the link in the video notes for a twominute survey.

We’d like to thank the landholders in the current project who’ve hosted demonstration sites and taken time to contribute to our wrap up video.

This project is supported by Murray Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Governments National Landcare Program.

Contributed by Kimberley Beer (pictured above), local lands officer - mixed farming with Murray Local Land Services.

Pasture demonstration site, Logie Brae, May 2021.

Pasture demonstration site, Logie Brae, September 2021.

Slashing Noorong site to simulate grazing in absence of sheep, June 2022.

Soil cores at Logie Brae.

We’re here to help YOU today, tomorrow and in the future

MANDATORY COMPLIANCE CUT-OFF DATE - 1st JUNE 2023

Crighton’s stock a wide range of pattern approved meters suitable to all applications including axial flow, submersible and mixed flow.

Crighton’s have over 10 compliant staff members who are certified meter installers and validators to help you every step of the way.

Top selling reads for summer

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Hudson Fysh was a decorated World War 1 Hero who not only founded Australia’s national airline, Qantas, but steered it for almost half a century from it’s humble beginnings with two ricketty biplanes to the age of the jumbo jets. More than anyone, Fysh shaped the way that Australians saw the world. A sickly boy traumatised by his parents’ broken marriage, Fysh was a poor student, but the courage and determination he developed playing sports propelled him through his toughest challenges and became the foundation of this great Australian life. One of Australia’s celebrated Light Horsemen at Gallipoli, Fysh went on to fly death-defying missions for Lawrence of Arabia with the Australian Flying Corps, and battle Germans in deadly dogfights in the skies over Palestine.

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BULLDOZED

Scott

Morrison’s fall and Anthony Albanese’s rise

NIKI SAVVA

Between 2013 and 2022, Tony Abbott begat Malcolm Turnbull, who begat Scott Morrison. For nine long years, Australia was governed by a succession of Coalition governments rocked by instability and bloodletting, and consumed with prosecuting climate and culture wars while neglecting policy. By the end, among his detractors - and there were plenty - Morrison was seen as the worst prime minister since Billy McMahon. Worse even than Tony Abbott, who lasted a scant two years in the job, whose main legacy was that he destroyed Julia Gillard, then himself, and then Turnbull.

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RUNT

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SILVEY

Annie Shearer lives in the country town of Upson Downs with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond. After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when a greedy local landowner puts her family’s home at risk, Annie directs Runt’s extraordinary talents towards a different pursuit - winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London. However, there is a curious catch: Runt will only obey Annie’s commands if nobody else is watching. With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds and the fastest dogs in the world to save her farm. Runt is a heart-warming and hilarious tale of kindness, friendship, hurdles, hoops, tunnels, see-saws, being yourself and bringing out the best in others.

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Ag education

All public school students in NSW would be taught where their food comes from under a program put forward by NSW Farmers.

With food and groceries being top of the agenda for families heading into the state election, NSW Farmers has proposed a suite of school-based measures to encourage children to learn how to grow their own food, find out where food comes from, and potentially take up a career in agriculture.

NSW Farmers Rural Affairs Committee chair Deb Charlton said it was concerning that children didn’t understand the basics with food, but there were some simple solutions.

“According to a 2020 study by the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia, a third of young people aged 12 to 19 didn’t know yoghurt is an animal product and just under two thirds didn’t know cotton is derived from a plant,” Mrs Charlton said.

“Over the past couple of years New South Wales Farmers has delivered a successful Kids to Farms program for primary school students and we’ve seen them really enjoy learning about this practical, everyday thing that many take for granted.

“We’re hoping to see all sides of politics commit to bolstering agricultural education in our schools from kindergarten right through to Year 12, because there are great opportunities out there for young people.”

While NSW already had agriculture as part of the curriculum up to Year 8, Mrs Charlton said expanding that focus would help restore Australians’ connections to where food comes from.

Furthermore, she said exposing older students to modern agricultural practices would open the door to more job opportunities, particularly for those students who wanted to work with nature.

“At the moment there are six jobs to every one agriculture graduate in Australia, and these are in a range of disciplines from shearing and dairying through to IT and piloting drones,” Mrs Charlton said.

“Agriculture is not just a ‘manual labour’ sort of career, it’s a modern and ever-evolving industry that requires a range of skills across the entire state.

“Many lifelong careers start with a childhood passion, and it makes sense to get students switched on to farming from a young age.”

NSW Farmers has called for:

1. Establishment of an ‘Ask A Farmer’ program to strengthen conversations about agriculture.

2. Dedicated funding for teachers’ professional development to improve specialist agriculture delivery for all students in K-12.

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3. Funding for an industry-led agriculture awareness, engagement and career program available for all school students in K-12.

4. Additional funding for TAFE NSW towards local delivery of agriculture and agriculture-dependent qualifications across rural NSW.

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