Passion to Profit

Issue 9, April/May 2012

Rural innovation and change Small farms Online resources for business Skilled migrant worker programs

special edition

Visit our website www.nria.org.au && Get the latest news on NRIA. && Learn all about the new rural industries. && Access links to industry associations and organisations. && Read profiles of producers. && Access to articles on subjects common to all involved in new rural industries. && Access to conference presentations and papers. && Join NRIA as a subscriber or member.

Once upon a time a land was built on the sheep’s back... now Australian agribusiness is big business

Follow us on Twitter! http://twitter.com/#!/our_NRIA && Stay in touch with the latest information and news. && Share insights into new rural industries. && Stay informed. && Find and follow others with similar interests and enterprises.

Click here to subscribe to our magazine! http://issuu.com/newruralindustriesaustralia fron

t co ve

r sm l.

pdf

passion to

1

17/0

1/11

PROFIT

5:48

PM

The magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 1 October 2010

2012 is Australian Year of the Farmer You can help us tell the exciting story of modern Australian agriculture

NRIA Conference and Expo 2010

ISSN 1838-6016

Producing a product successfully Tax and Primary Production Collective Marketing – what are the choices?

to passion

PROFIT

ia Austral dustries ril/May 2011 Rural In Issue 3 Ap e of New in az ag The m

l, , Rura : New stralia u efarm Centr Industry, A be big How toeing big ut b witho althy g a he k Buildinnd livestoc sa p ro c r soil fo

passion to

PROFIT

The magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 4 June/July 2011

Global “Worming” Irrigation practices & systems Agritourism: Connecting communities

Join the celebration at: www.yearofthefarmer.com.au

A word from the Editor Welcome About NRIA Opinion

18

Rural Women

2012 NATIONAL CONFERENCE Rural enterprise, innovation and change Riveting, compelling, controversial…

Open Public Forums – start the conversation Broaden the mind – and your business Food and Fashion – the perfect combination Conference program

29

NEWS Angora Trophy Show and Sale New market ideas suits them down to a tea tree Science comes to aid of designer crocodile skins Top 5 trends for Aussie food and beverage market 2012 Goats preventing or controlling weeds Breaking the vanilla ice Grazing to disappear to sandalwood Distributor pays for false “made in Australia” claim

38

Australia Chia moves into America Regulatory change could bring ‘exotic meats’ to Australia’s supermarkets Native bush fruit with extraordinary levels of Vitamin C Myrtle rust strikes Lemon Myrtle – and now tea-trees National Alpaca Week Lack of supply leads wholesaler to grow his own Olive oil industry upset about supermarket discounting

4 5 8-13 26 50 18 19 20 21 22 24 27 27 28 28 30 30 31 31 31 32 32 33 35 36 36

PROFILES

40

CAROBS

38

Michael Jolley of Australian Carobs Pty Ltd

APPLE CIDER

40

Gail and James Kendell of Small Acres Cyder

LYCHEES

42

John and Kerry Pool of Tomarata Group Pty Ltd

COLLABORATION Painting the picture of small farms

42

Online resources to build your business online Australia’s skilled migration program

44 46 48

contents

Inside

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 3

A word from the editor Welcome to our special-edition of Passion to Profit.

NRIA was formed as an idea in March of 2009, at a forum held by the Rural Research and Development Commission.

We have come a long way since that time, and what were just ideas are now realised in our not-for-profit incorporated organisation and its activities. We have a rapidly building subscriber base, an everexpanding number of followers on social media, and a growing number of members and alliances.

This is our 9th issue of Passion to Profit and to date we have published profiles on: mohair, olives, truffles, wildflowers, chia, tea-tree, Australian fingerlimes boar goats, lavender, carob, lychees, honey, herbal teas, saffron, crocodiles leather and meat, game birds, Australian native food blends and catering, native grass seeds, mushrooms, coffee, green tea, cashmere, alpacas, goats dairy, sheep dairy, exotic tropical fruit, kangaroo and goat leather, blueberries, essential oils, deer, home-grown spice blends, Australian desert limes, Australian indigenous gifts and gourmet handmade chocolates.

No one can say we are not diverse in our activities!

In fact, I had great joy in including an article in this issue on a booming apple cider business in Orange -Small Acres Cyder, so we can also now add micro-breweries to the list. This cider enterprise, established by husband and wife team Gail and James Kendell just 5 years ago, is a great story of innovation, hard work and business savvy. I am sure you will enjoy the article as much as I did.

Secondly, this magazine details our conference, being held on the 19th and 20th of April in Ballarat, Victoria. It includes the conference program, keynote speakers, public forums, workshops, and details on the gala dinner and fashion show.

While this magazine will continue to circulate both hardcopy and online, well past the date of our National Conference, it still gives someone who is unfamiliar with NRIA a clear concept of what we do and the reasons to attend this or future NRIA events.

What I really enjoy about this magazine is the way it connects people, provides basic, pertinent and useful information, and provides a BIG picture of innovation in rural and regional Australia. If you have a business that is innovative and new – please don’t hesitate to drop me a line. And, we always appreciate feedback on what you thought of the magazine.

See you at the conference!

Lana Mitchell Editor lana@nria.org.au

Passion to Profit

the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia ISSN 1838-6008

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia, is published online every two months, free of charge. It is sent directly to subscribers and members of New Rural Industries Australia as well as to new rural industry peak bodies and allied industries.

Subscription and Membership to NRIA available at www.nria.org.au. All rights reserved.

New Rural Industries Australia Level 27, 101 Collins Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000, Australia.

Advertising: For advertising rate card contact and all ad bookings, email advertising@nria.org.au.

In addition to having profiles and articles of a collaborative nature, this edition of Passion to Profit has been put together with two purposes in mind.

Editor: Lana Mitchell. lana@nria.org.au

Firstly, it is an overview of what our organisation is, what we do, where we are heading, and how you can be involved.

It gives a snapshot of the diverse and productive industries that we work with, what people are involved in, and provides useful and pertinent information for anyone engaged in rural enterprises.

Publisher: New Rural Industries Australia

COVER Photo:

photo courtesy of Small Acres Cyder, Orange

4

Editorial Contributions are welcome and should be emailed to the editor.

Designer: Cheryl Zwart of Orphix Printer: R. Fletcher and Sons, 53 Peel Street South, Ballarat Vic 3350.

Advertising: advertising@nria.org.au ISSN 18380-6008 (Print) ISSN 18380-6016 (On-line) Copyright: No material published in Passion to Profit may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the New Rural Industries Australia.

Disclaimer: The publisher reserves the right to refuse any application considered inappropriate. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the written permission of New Rural Industries Australia. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within the magazine, the publisher, printer and their agents cannot accept responsibility for error or omission. Views held by contributors are their own and do not necessarily coincide with those of the publisher or editor.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

R&D for new rural industries adding value through the supply chain Southern Cross Plant Science provides expertise and facilities for crop science, horticulture and forestry: Agronomy • Plant nutrition • Plant and soil mineral analysis • Plant propagation – High quality growth and controlled environment facilities – AQIS registered plant importation – Partnerships for grow-out trials and data analysis Genetic selection and intervention • Molecular markers and genomics supporting breeding and selection • Identifying and introducing novel traits

Germplasm choice • Exploring and exploiting genetic diversity – Optimising quality – trait characterisation – Cultivar differentiation – matching cultivar to growing environment • Native crop characterisation End-use properties • Analytical phytochemistry – TGA licensed – Active compounds, authentication, stability testing • Physical testing of raw materials • Pilot scale extraction facility • Human and livestock nutrition

Working with you to improve plants and other natural products Southern Cross University is a regional university with campuses at Lismore, Coffs Harbour and the Gold Coast. The University is active in teaching and research aimed at promoting the development of primary agricultural production, rural economies and agribusiness. This includes cultivated and native plants, forestry, fisheries and other marine products.

Contact us at W: scu.edu.au/scps E: research.scps@scu.edu.au and/or graham.king@scu.edu.au T: 02 6620 3356 SCU2024

Rimfire is excited to be involved in the 2012 NRIA conference. Rimfire Resources has a range of different services specifically to Agribusiness including Search and Selection Recruitment, an industry leading graduate Identification program called Grad-Link and the sector wide Agribusiness Salary Review and HR Review. At this year’s conference, we are keen to promote the Salary Review as an important staff retention and business management tool to new and emerging agribusiness industries.

The Agribusiness Salary Review is an innovative product, targeted specifically for positions within the agribusiness industry. The Salary Review provides accurate information to ensure Agribusiness are offering competitive remuneration packages, whilst allowing organisations to benchmark their positions with equivalent roles in the appropriate sector.

Companies have the ability to; • Construct a competitive remuneration package • Benchmark your company packages against your industry sector • View salary and package data for over 200 agribusiness positions • Evaluate incentive options • Use data as a reference point in salary reviews • Review benefits offered to employees • Review position descriptions

Benefits to Companies include; • Cost effective approach to obtaining confidential salary data within the agribusiness industry • Reliable information for decision making – The Salary Review allows companies to comparatively look a salary, benefits, bonuses, vehicle reimbursement and additional benefits.

• Ability to benchmark your company’s salary packages against your specific industry including location (city/region), company size and like positions • Online secure access to standard, custom and company benchmark reports and individual employee benchmark reports.

The data collection is conducted by Rimfire Resources consultants that work with you to collect and analyse the data. Companies receive personalised assistance in the job mapping evaluation process.

For more information on the Agribusiness Salary Review or Rimfire’s other products, please contact Nigel Crawley on 03 9645 5200 or email info@rimfireresources.com.au for more information. Please also follow us on social media links below.

Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • New Zealand

rimfireresource

rimfireresources

www.rimfireresources.com.au

NRIA is engaged in capacity building and the facilitation of commercial opportunities for new, emerging and innovative Australian plant and animal industries.

At NRIA we are strongly focused on regional development initiatives that advance the economies of rural and regional economies across Australia including tourism, indigenous industries and cooperative projects with manufacturing, investment and resource industries.

As a diverse rural organisation, NRIA uses modern communications to facilitate information flow between all associated stakeholders. Through conferences, workshops, events, communications, social media, and this magazine, NRIA provides professional networks that support business growth.

NRIA is involved in project development and industry advancement initiatives that grow the viability and sustainability of individuals, businesses, associations and regional economies.

We are focused on rural business, working with industries to develop research outcomes into capacity building, commercialisation and ultimately profit for all members and aligned industry associations.

NRIA is available to assist and collaborate with any party that shares business interests with its objectives. NRIA is a private, not-for-profit company that is ethically motivated to achieve the best for new, emerging and innovative rural industries.

Background In 2009, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) hosted a two day workshop in collaboration with industry leaders, researchers and business investors from which the genesis for the idea of a ‘linking’ or ‘conduit’ organisation arose. RIRDC created the program ‘New Rural Industries Australia’ to advance the concept. After a 12 month ‘incubation period’ RIRDC endorsed the creation of New Rural Industries Australia Limited as a new not-for-profit private company in January 2011 with the remit to continue this work for the benefit of the same stakeholder group. NRIA is now focused on expanding its business strategy to incorporate regional development initiatives that enhance its ability to deliver its services into rural and regional Australian economies. www.nria.org.au

From the CEO It is an exciting time to be involved in agriculture and agribusiness! Notwithstanding normal challenges, the long-term demand outlook for agriculture is very positive. I recently attended the ABARES Outlook Conference and was struck by the positive opportunities that lie ahead for agriculture in Australia, provided we align some critical enterprise and industry organisation factors.

The simultaneous release by KPMG of their “Expanding Horizons, Agribusiness in Australia 2011/12 Report” supports a positive reorganisation and alignment of Australian agriculture. It also advocates reducing fragmentation to make way for a coherent industry voice representing wide ranging interests. NRIA is very keen to augment the various new and emerging rural industries into a single, strong and positive representative business model that also actively grows profitability of individual enterprises.

This special NRIA conference edition of ‘Passion to Profit’ presents positive stories across our stakeholder industries of how real people are driving their rural enterprise ahead. New rural industries by their very nature are an exploration of applied enterprise, through creative intelligence, organisation, insight and enthusiasm on the part of their owners and investors. In Australia this journey is often harder than it should be and NRIA is seeking to reduce the barriers to entry and expansion. Our desire is to see smart new rural industries grow their capacity and path to commercialisation as quickly as is possible; part of the agenda is to help facilitate much stronger investment into our stakeholder industries. Global food and agribusiness corporates are attracted to the potential of new Australian food and fibre products.

NRIA is seeking to develop major projects that have a strong regional development agenda across Australia, through which regional economies can achieve diversification and new rural industries can find a pathway to scale. In order to achieve this we will be actively expanding an alliance network of consultants, industry partners and public-private partnerships; we will also need strong support from our new rural industry participants.

I trust you enjoy this special edition of Passion to Profit and the 2012 Conference in Ballarat, Victoria.

All the best, Ben

Ben White

WElcome

What is NRIA?

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 7

Introducing the NRIA Board Paul Miller Paul Miller is Chairman of New Rural Industries Australia. Since 2001 Paul has been President of the Australian Olive Association Ltd and he is responsible for the development of the world-leading Australian Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils. He has led the development of the Certified Australian Extra Virgin branding and authentication campaign for Australian olive oil, is a founding member of the AOCS Expert Committee on olive oil, a founding member of the committee of the Olive Oil Division of Euro Fed Lipids and the founding President of the World Olive Oil Quality Alliance. Paul is currently employed by several companies as an olive industry and wine-grape specialist and he part-owns and manages a large-scale vineyard in central Victoria – Lake Marmal Vineyards. Paul also owns and operates Paul Miller and Associates and Oilmiller Pty Ltd. Paul comes from a farming background and is an agricultural scientist (La Trobe University 1977).

Ian Chivers Ian Chivers is the Deputy Chair of our Board. He has been involved with native grass seeds for over 25 years. He has bred grasses, researched, sown, managed and harvested crops and established Native Seeds P/L the largest seller of Australian native grass seeds. He continues research in the field of native grass selection, establishment, management and processing, both on-farm and in conjunction with Australian universities. He leads the technical development of the native grass seed industry in Australia, is regularly asked to speak at domestic and international conferences and has written extensively on this topic. Some of his work has contributed to his Masters and PhD awards from Melbourne University. He manages his own seed production enterprise based in South Gippsland, Victoria where he, and his wife Carol, are converting a dairy farm into a seed production operation.

In the last year Ian has been involved in several NRIA projects pertaining to minor-use chemical registration, weed-control and pest control.

John Lever John Lever has been working on wildlife management programs since 1972 and established the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland in 1981. John has been an honorary consultant to the Crocodile Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature since 1975 but has also served on the Queensland Tourism Board as a Director, was Chair of Central Queensland TAFE, Chair of the regional tourism and development corporation (CTDO), the Rockhampton Area Consultative Committee and the Rockhampton branch of the Queensland Cancer Fund. John’s business “Koorana” has won many awards for achievement, not the least of which was the National Telstra Small Business of the Year – 1992.

John is currently Chair of the Queensland Crocodile Industry Group, a Director in his family business, Koorana, and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.

Martha Shepherd, GAICD

Board members From top: Paul Miller Ian Chivers John Lever Martha Shepherd Patricia Bolster Allan Cooney

8

Martha has 35 years experience in the food industry, in particular as Director of International Operations with Mrs Fields Famous Brands, managing the company’s international franchise network in 37 countries as well as all new product research and development. Martha, with partner David Haviland, founded Galeru Pty Ltd—a value added rural enterprise which produces a range of gourmet products from native rainforest fruits grown on their Cooroy, Queensland property. Martha was the inaugural Australian national winner of the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award in 2006 and Honorary Senior Fellow of the University of the Sunshine Coast for her contributions to agribusiness. She is Chair of Australian Native Food Industry Ltd, the peak industry body for the commercial development of native foods in Australia, and a member of the RIRDC New Plant Products Advisory Committee.

Patricia Bolster Patricia Bolster is a tea tree oil producer based in the Tweed Valley in northern NSW. She and her husband have been producing tea tree oil since 1993 and have dedicated their business life to product development and research of this amazing essential oil. Pat has been an active member of the board of the industry association since 1994 and is a member of the RIRDC tea tree advisory committee. Pat has 17 years Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

experience in regulatory affairs involving tea tree oil and essential oils generally, building on her prior knowledge and experience as a commercial lawyer.

Allan Cooney Allan Cooney is currently employed by the Australian Antarctic Division as a Station Leader for 2013.

He was the former CEO (and now Chair of the board) of Centrefarm Aboriginal Horticulture Limited, a NFP company which develops economic projects on Aboriginal Land. The Centrefarm core business acts as front-end project managers on behalf of indigenous aspirants and includes a national consulting business specialising in remote economic development. Allan was earlier a partner and CEO for his family company, Belyanna Pastoral Company, running sheep, a high performance stud flock and a large cattle herd. He was a founding member and Chair for South West Queensland Financial Counselling Service, and founding member of Executive Link, a national organisation of farm managers/executives focused on a sustainable Australian farm business and innovation. He is an accomplished artist, proud father of five daughters and reluctant renovator.

Meet our execs and staff Ben White Ben White is the CEO of New Rural Industries Australia. Previously CEO of YarraGum Agrifoods, a private investment company focused on Asian export markets, Ben has a diverse background within private and public sector roles including, Manager Food Group, Department of Business and Innovation Victoria and Manager Market Development South East Asia, DPIV Agribusiness Team. He is actively involved in a North Queensland seafood & restaurant business with a keen engagement in regional development and tourism issues. Ben’s family farming background has involved exposure to sheep, grains, beef and horse industries. He lives in Melbourne, is married with three children, and is currently completing a Masters of Agribusiness at Melbourne University. He is passionate advocate for Australian rural industries developing their full potential in domestic and global markets.

Lana Mitchell Lana Mitchell is the Communications and Marketing Manager. She is the founding Editor of Passion to Profit magazine, and handles the NRIA website, social media activities, marketing, and communications.

She is directly responsible for NRIA events and oversees the NRIA events team. Lana also has an ongoing commercialisation program for a variety of the Australian native Flannel flower called “White Romance”, and she licenses commercial growers here and overseas to cultivate the plant for the cut-flower industry and the garden nursery industry. Lana was awarded the 2010 RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year for NSW and is currently the Ambassador for the ACT Region for the 2012 Australian Year of the Farmer. Lana is a single mother of 2 children (5yrs and 2 yrs) and lives on the Southern Tablelands of NSW.

Darro Stinson Darro Stinson is NRIA’s on-the-ground Canberra man. He has formerly held senior executive public service positions in Canada and Australia and his most recent positions were as the Commissioner for the Environment and the Head of the Environment Protection Authority for the ACT. Darro’s formal education is in forestry; while his career experience has been directly associated with natural resource management and sustainable land management practices. Darro has also been involved in the development and formation of adventure tourism industry associations in Canada, and he was contracted as the founding manager of NRIA for our first year, and brought the organisation forward in great leaps and bounds.

Chris and Valeska Guider Chris and Valeska run a business called V’s eVents and are subcontracted as the events unit for New Rural Industries Australia. They have an extensive background in film event pre-production, set construction, logistics, catering, accommodation and also project management for both small and large events. The 2012 New Rural Industries Australia Conference logistics and organising has been managed by Chris and Valeska. They are the parents of a toddler, with another baby on the way.

Executives and staff From top: Ben White Lana Mitchell Darro Stinson Chris and Valeska Guider

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 9

New Rural Industries Australia’s Strategic Focus Where are we going – what are we doing?

NRIA aims to build sustainable capacity, profitability and commercial prospects for Australia’s new and emerging rural industries. We seek to give a stronger voice to our stakeholder industries through positive advocacy, business networks, project development and investment promotion.

Our business services are available directly to Members and through advisory arrangements to Government, regional economic development agencies, other industries and investors.

The strategic focus of NRIA is to be a ‘solution provider’ for rural industry development across Australia.

The primary remit is to advance the sustainable economic development of new plant and animal industries through commercialisation pathways.

At present NRIA is developing project opportunities for the industry in Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.

NRIA’s project management role ensures effective collaboration between agriculture, mining, energy and indigenous commercial entities.

NRIA is a leader in network and social media communications for the industry. This capability will be significantly advanced in the year ahead.

Effective market reach through our media platforms is a central element of our marketing strategy that will promote the publication of the ‘big stories and narratives about Australia’s new rural industries’. NRIA will expand its communications and event management services on a consultancy fee-for-service basis.

Trade opportunities and investment capital are also essential to building the future of NRIA stakeholder industries and regional economies.

NRIA will advance direct export opportunities for new plant and animal industries, including marketing and network facilitation. Attracting investment capital into our stakeholder industries

Ultimately, our strategy is about NRIA being an effective business that credibly represents its membership and stakeholder base. Passion is very important and profitability is critical to the sustainability of rural enterprise. NRIA will combine Passion and Profit as the factors driving our strategic business focus.

nria

NRIA provides advisory services for regional development initiatives that seek to build future economic sustainability through industry diversity and collaboration between industries.

10

and regional economic projects will also be a core platform of NRIA strategic engagement.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Cutting edge technology – just tag it!

NRIA has recently adopted a new information system to assist subscribers and members to stay up to date with the latest information and news on topics of THEIR choice.

This system, created by yWorld, is a simple one. You will see, throughout this magazine, at the NRIA Conference, and in all future NRIA communications the term – TAG IT! As a subscriber or member, you simply send the referenced tag (eg. conference@nria) to 0427 800 800 by SMS, and you will receive back to your phone, a reply from NRIA with the promised article, information and with confirmation that you will now receive all updates on that topic, as they occur.

Tagging is a way for you to be selective in what you get information on – and to be easily sent data on topics you are interested in – direct to your phone.

It is also how NRIA can provide people with the information THEY want relating to their business, their enterprise, their industry.

Here is an example – the below article details a project that NRIA is engaged upon, relating to minor use chemical registration, weed control and pest/disease control. If this is a project you would like ongoing information on, in terms of progress, workshops, trials, etc. then simply TAG IT – by SMS’ing the words “minoruse@nria” to 0427 800 800. Enjoy the updates.

Sound simple? It is!

Farm chemicals and minor use permits

The NRIA has successfully gained funding from the RIRDC for three projects.

Project 1: Herbicides – This project has proceeded

to where we have applications under assessment by the APVMA for 11 herbicides covering 10 different industries – green tea, native foods, dates, jojoba, native grass seeds, wildflowers, tea tree, olives, hemp and herbs &spices. We are hopeful of gaining minor use permits for these crops and uses by the end of this year.

Project 2: Alternative approaches to weed control – NRIA assembled a group of experts in the

field of alternatives to chemicals and developed a document that defines a systematic approach to research in this field. The Document defines the areas in which work is warranted, builds the case for the work and describes the first set of research projects. The aim has been to create a document that sets out actions that can be quickly implemented when funding becomes available.

Project 3: Fungicides and other Pesticides – For a very broad field of interest to animal/plant producers we had relatively little money available.

What we have achieved so far is to determine the priority chemicals for the various industries and especially for those that are desired by more than one primary industry. Our ongoing discussions with the APVMA are defining which of those chemicals it’s both worth our while pursuing and which are within the scale of our budget to pursue.

We plan to have a number of applications for minor use permits going to the APVMA within a month or so, and a clear understanding of what data NRIA industries need to be able to collect to support future applications.

For ongoing updates on these projects TAGIT - by SMS’ing the words “minoruse@nria” to 0427 800 800.

nria

NRIA members sometimes need chemicals on their crops or animals, be they herbicides, insecticides, parasiticides or fungicides, and sometimes this application is not sanctioned by appropriate endorsements of the product label. This exposes the grower to issues such as poor results from the application, no backing from the chemical supplier and possibly even prosecution for inappropriate chemical use. A number of smaller industries have successfully applied for Minor Use Permits for the use of a chemical within their industry for a defined application. The Permits are issued by the Commonwealth Governments’ APVMA.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 11

Our services on the web NRIA can be found at www.nria.org.au. We work to make our website current and informative on the many diverse new and emerging rural industries. As of time of printing, we get over 1300 visitors every month, with people interested in specific new rural industries and products or interested in NRIA itself as an organisation. More than 65% of these are new visitors.

Our website includes key links and contacts for industry associations. It also includes a basic background and some statistics on many of the new and emerging rural industries.

Our home page includes a news feed of current media related to any and all new and emerging industries, and this is provided as a free service for subscribers.

We also include the current and past issues of Passion to Profit, the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia – all in an easy-to-read online format which can be downloaded, printed, embedded and shared online with anyone.

Search – Our Information and Business Portal:

nria

As a free service to our subscribers, we have a Search function which enables you to do a specialised search for information on key topics related to new and emerging rural industries. This service was created to assist producers who feel they are always having to reinvent the wheel on key issues or subjects. Many have communicated that they have trouble locating key R&D information, or they simply feel overwhelmed when trying to Google key terms and come up with thousands of results but nothing that is

12

pertinent or useful to solving the problem at hand.

Search is easy 1.

2.

3.

4.

Go to the Search Tab on the NRIA website at www.nria.org.au Enter the category of the subject (or leave it open for all) Enter the key word/s.

Study the resultant documents.

Social Media The world of business is changing – and social media is changing everything about how people do business. Social media is used by New Rural Industries Australia in many ways. At this time we focus on Twitter – as it is a communication medium that appears to better reach business people in rural and regional Australia. Twitter gives us a reach to thousands of people directly involved in agricultural and rural activities, as well as media, industry organisations, politicians and more.

Twitter is fast. It is short. It is to the point. And through the hashtag system (#) you can search for key terms and follow key topics relating to your enterprise and activities.

NRIA sends out news several times a day on Twitter. We also provide information from our website, stories and articles from our magazine, updates on future events, and more. Our suggestion is that you use Tweetdeck to follow us on Twitter, and you can use this to keep up with other key forums, topics and industries at the same time.

NRIA also participates in AgChatOz forum discussions regularly, which are held on a Tuesday evening between 8pm and 10pm, at #agchatoz on Twitter.

Our followers on Twitter, have tripled in the last 6 months, and at the time of publishing this magazine, we have 800 and increasing weekly.

Come on board and join us.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Become a subscriber A basic premise that NRIA was formed around, relates to information sharing.

While new and emerging industries are as diverse as you can imagine – the basic issues that each has to tackle, whether that is market development, production lines, export/import, staff training, etc. are all the same. It is amazing but true, that the lessons learned by the Olive industry and Wildflower industries on quality standards, have applicability to other industries. The lessons learned by the Alpaca industry and Goat Industry on genetic stock and breeding, have applicability also to rabbits, ducks and game birds. And the lessons learned by the Australian Native Food Industry on market development and branding also can be used broadly by other industries.

NRIA has a free subscriber system, enabling anyone who engages in primary production, involved in a new or emerging industry, impacted

Subscription Benefits - By simply registering on the NRIA home page and providing your name, email address and a mobile phone number, a subscriber will: • Have access to the NRIA website, news, links and information provided there, • Have access to use the NRIA Search Business Portal, to address and solve problems.

• Receive the Passion to Profit magazine, published every two months,

as a supply chain member, or simply dreaming of

• Receive NRIA newsletters and updates by email,

doing something innovative and different – can

• Receive invitations to attend NRIA events, workshops and seminars.

subscribe to NRIA and benefit.

Become a Member If you want to become more involved with NRIA, then you can upgrade to Full membership, at a cost of $500 (excl. GST) per annum. As a Full member you are a voting member of NRIA, can attend NRIA AGM’s and have your say.

In addition to subscriber benefits, you also have: • A complimentary ¼ page ad in each issue of Passion to Profit magazine.

• Approval to use the NRIA logo on your own websites and publications.

• Access to promote events/products through the NRIA communication lines, whether this is for upcoming industry events, products for sale, or even job opportunities.

• Discounted attendance to events and conferences.

• Plant Health Australia Liaison – Full members get information and direction in accord with NRIA’s Associate Membership with Plant Health Australia, for any pest or disease incursion.

Corporate Membership We also have Corporate Membership, at $5000 (excl. GST) per annum. In addition to Full member benefits, you also have: • A complimentary full page ad in each issue of Passion to Profit magazine.

• Complimentary exhibit booth and 2 registrations for each annual NRIA Conference, plus free advertising in the conference handbook.

To join as a Full member of Corporate member of NRIA, simply go to www.nria.org.au.

nria

Full Membership

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 13

Passion to Profit, the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia to passion

PROFIT

stralia ries Autober 2010 Indust 1 Oc Issue Rural of New azine ag m The

to passion

PROFIT 8-6016 ISSN 183

rence Confe NRIA xpo 2010 ralia s Aust 11 and E dustrie /March 20 duct a proew Rural Inue 2 February Iss ucinginlly of N Prod m azu e agsf e es Thcc su mary d Pri n Tax an uctio Prod ting – Markeoices? ve ti c Colle are the ch what

to passion

PROFIT

ia ustral2011 y , ries A onl ey IndustIssue 3 April/Ma mra ewgRu Nin ofak binye m it rt g ta in az S ag end mers The m not sp onsu s–C trend Food it all! ew n want it a fru ha – Achacstralia to Au

to passion

PROFIT

l, , Rura : Newustralia efarmstal ,A Centr InA u trryia dus stries4 June/July 2011 be big du In l to ue ra Iss How being big ew Ru e of N ut agazin witho hy The m healt ck ing a to Buildand lives ps o cr r soil fo

to passion

PROFIT

ia g” Austreral2011 “Wormin stries mb al s Glob ral Indu gust/Septe stem ew Ru Issue 5 Au s & sy ce e of N ti in c ng az ra ag necti s ion p The m ie : Con Irrigat urism communit to ri Ag

to passion

PROFIT

ia Austral stries Novekmber 2011 ns ral InduOcstobber/ac ressio ew Ru stueri6ke r exp e of N stry Iss call fo agazinaroo indu – m e Th Kang rence with fe n n o o C get NRIA them 2012 rest d let ple an of inte t peo h g ri the Find jobs their

to passion

T I F O R P

ia Austral icstalrieser/January 2012 opdu l In btr cemb Rura n su 7, De liaew Issue raN uestof A in ry e az st h u Tag e The mcoffee ind onlin r feet g you 12 Findin nce 20 nfere CEO co IA ew n NR mes welco NRIA

to passion

PROFIT

ia Austrhal2012 striesla t /Marc ra bruary ral InIssdu Feal ue–8,B ew Ru ce e of NConferen agazin licy IA m ce R e Th 2012 N ce po Allian suran uality an in Oil Q rity – Olive lia secu ra io B st u arm for A On F ective re dir A futu

ge chan ries n and indust vatio rural , inno se ew ri n f rp ics o l ente m o ra n u R n d eco uctio ing an Prod Fund dustry mary od in d Pri ive fo Tax an n nat lia ra ust The A

14

We’ve published profiles on

mohair, olives, truffles, wildflowers, chia, tea-tree, boar goats, lavender, carob, lychees, wasabi, honey, herbal teas, saffron, crocodiles leather and meat, game birds, Australian fingerlimes, Australian native food blends and catering, native grass seeds, mushrooms, coffee, green tea, cashmere, alpacas, goats dairy, sheep dairy, exotic tropical fruit, kangaroo and goat leather, blueberries, essential oils, deer, home-grown spice blends, Australian desert limes, Australian indigenous gifts, gourmet hand-made chocolates, and duck meat.

S

tarting with our first issue in October of 2012, the Passion to Profit magazine has gone through a number of growth spurts and changes.

Initially our magazine was printed hardcopy and sent to a limited number of primary producers engaged in new and emerging rural industries. As NRIA was a new organisation, distribution of our first magazine was partially through the mail, and also through our inaugural conference at Jupiter’s Casino on the Gold Coast.

In December of 2010 we negotiated having Passion to Profit magazine printed inside the Town and Country Farmer magazine. Whilst this gave us legs and an opportunity to get a far wider distribution Australia-wide, we decided in April of 2010 that we needed to change our business model for the magazine, as extensive time was being spent on raising advertising to cover printing costs and

postage – rather than on creating on the magazine content.

In June of 2011 we move from hardcopy publishing to on-line and distributing the magazine for free. As the voice piece of NRIA, it became clear that the magazine represents the best way to network, collaborate, promote and also build our new rural industries – and as this IS a core function of NRIA, it was a decision that has built us from strength to strength.

Since June 2011 we have continued to publish every two months, and have had over 90,000 page views and more than 9000 readers. Our magazines can be read and shared online, they can be printed, downloaded, bookmarked and also embedded into any website.

This special edition issue of Passion to Profit, is also being printed hardcopy for use at our National Conference and for distribution throughout the coming year.

All Passion to Profit magazines can be readily accessed at www.nria.org.au.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

farm biosecurity Good farm biosecurity practices on your property will protect your livestock and plants from diseases, pests and weeds. Consider these risk areas on your property and what you can do to minimise them:

Spotted anything

Product movement

unusual?

LINE T HOT T PES N A L IC P EXOT

4 8 81 8 0 0 18 0 Y ANIMAL EMERGENCCH HOTLINE AT W E AS DISE

People movement Vehicles and equipment

88 18 0 0 6 7 5 8

Feed and water Pests and weeds

www.farmbiosecurity.com.au secure your farm: secure your future

‘Working together for animal health’

Credits: A. Yzerman, J.Doherty and M. Banks.

Animal Health Australia Members Animal Health Australia is a not for profit company established by the Australian Government, state and territory governments and major national livestock industries.

With a focus on national animal health and welfare issues, the company facilitates sustainable partnerships between members and provides leadership in securing outcomes that position Australia as a world leader in terms of its animal health status and services.

Australian Government

Livestock industries

• Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

• Australian Alpaca Association Limited • Australian Chicken Meat Federation Inc • Australian Dairy Farmers’ Limited • Australian Duck Meat Association Inc • Australian Egg Corporation Limited • Australian Honey Bee Industry Council • Australian Horse Industry Council • Australian Lot Feeders’ Association Inc • Australian Pork Limited • Australian Racing Board • Cattle Council of Australia Inc • Equestrian Australia Limited

States and territories • State of New South Wales • State of Queensland • State of South Australia • State of Tasmania • State of Victoria • State of Western Australia • Australian Capital Territory • Northern Territory

• Goat Industry Council of Australia • Harness Racing Australia • Sheepmeat Council of Australia Inc • WoolProducers Australia

Service providers • Australian Veterinary Association • Council of Veterinary Deans of Australia and New Zealand • CSIRO - Australian Animal Health Laboratory

Associate members • Australian Livestock Export Corporation (LiveCorp) • Dairy Australia Limited • National Aquaculture Council Inc

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 15

Millions of dollars worth of current knowledge could help new rural industries succeed... (if only you could find it).

Now there is a way to find the answers – in seconds.

FarmPlus online information centres, developed in Australia for Australian rural industries, now powering the knowledge portal at nria.org.au/search Type in your question and hit search, and FarmPlus search systems go into action, instantly trawling through thousands of relevant web pages and websites to find the information you need.

All new rural industries can now offer their own tailored industry search service, as FarmPlus has done for irrigation, NRM, cotton, R&D, NSW Farmers and horticulture groups.

Why didn’t somebody think of this before? Speak to FarmPlus now to see how easy it can be.

Brendan Fox 0401 349 097 Adrian Davis 0407 273 418

www.farmplus.net.au

We offer affordable, customised web design to help you grow your business.

Web packages from only $799 Domain name registration Web hosting for twelve months Content management system (CMS) Fully customised layout ... plus more.

For more information, call Youna on 0419 352 906 or visit www.castro.com.au/webpackages/

castro print+web communications

COMMERCIAL

Rural Advocacy provides tailored organisational and representative support to new rural industries at state, federal and international levels.

Our services include: • Advocacy • Government relations • Issues management • Project coordination • Secretariat support For further information contact

CHRIS MELHAM, Principal Mobile: 0488 260 664 • 24 years rural advocacy experience • NRIA Member www.ruraladvocacy.com.au Email: cmelham@bigpond.com

©

Toll free:1800 214 882

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 17

2012 New Rural Industries Australia National Conference

Rural enterprise, innovation and change Thursday 19th and Friday 20th April, 2012 Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre Ballarat, Victoria Rural Australia has many faces and is in a continual state of change. Enterprise, innovation and new and emerging industries play an ever-increasing role for diversification, crop and stock rotation, small regional blocks, niche market opportunities, agri-tourism, and consumer demands for clean and green.

Come to our second National Conference – showcasing the diverse range of new and emerging industries – and enabling producers to network, share information and gain knowledge that is key to their own business success.

With keynote speakers, public forums, exhibition trade show, gala dinner, fashion show, and workshops – you won’t find a more stimulating, topical and applicable conference on the yearly calendar.

Picturesque Ballarat is surrounded by a diverse range of primary producers and passionate business people.

And the Mercure Ballarat Hotel & Convention Centre, offers a warm country welcome and stylish four star hotel experience. In a garden setting opposite the iconic Sovereign Hill, the hotel is close to the heart of historic Ballarat and very accessible to the attractions of the Ballarat goldfields. The venue is just 75 minutes from Melbourne CBD, and easily accessible by car, train and bus.

Registrations available through the NRIA website, at www.nria.org.au

18

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Riveting, compelling, controversial…

A lesson learned at our inaugural conference in late 2010 at the Gold Coast, was that having over 30 speakers, in 3 concurrent sessions — was not necessarily a good thing. Whilst there was a wealth of information shared, over a 2 day period, post-event surveys showed that having concurrent sessions made it difficult for delegates to choose which session to go to – and that while many speakers were superb – some did not engage with the audience as we had wished.

As a direct result of the above, the planning for our National Conference in Ballarat on 19/20 April 2012 has been designed around having a small number of select speakers. They will capture and hold your attention (not to mention be somewhat controversial), while at the same time imparting pertinent and useful information. We also wanted to make the cost of attending affordable for the average primary producer. We feel comfortable that we have accomplished both of these targets in our conference program and pricing, and we look forward to impressing you on both counts.

Keynote speakers Julian Cribb

Julian is a science communicator and author of The Coming Famine: the global food crisis and what we can do to avoid it. He has received 32 awards for journalism including the Order of Australia Association Media Prize, the inaugural Eureka Prize for environmental journalism, the inaugural AUSTRADE award for international business journalism, the Dalgety Award for rural journalism, two MBF Awards for medical journalism and five Michael Daley Awards for science journalism. His published work includes more than 7,000 print articles, 1000 broadcasts, 300 speeches, 400 media releases as well as ‘’The Forgotten Country’’, and six editions of ‘’Australian Agriculture’’.

Dr David McKinna

David is recognised as a preeminent Australian opinion maker on agrifood issues. David has been the quiet achiever behind some of Australia’s best known agrifood case studies: MLA’s international and domestic marketing strategies; the original Woolworths’ The Fresh Food People supply chain program; and awardwinning milk marketing strategies for Rev, Big M and Skinny milk. David has spent the best part of his career as principal of global strategy consultancy McKINNA et al. In addition to work in agrifood, McKINNA et al has a history of strategic ‘trouble shooting’ in sectors as diverse as banking, education, FMCG, retail, home improvement and public governance. The consultancy has a global project portfolio, focusing on corporate strategy and export market development and is actively engaged in most established and emerging markets of the world. His ‘tell it like it is’ style makes him a sought after speaker, writer and social commentator.

Sally Davison Sally is Manager for Climate Change and Sustainability Services at KPMG Sydney, and manages climate change policy projects including development of greenhouse gas emission estimation tools, analysis of financial implications of carbon tax, business readiness for the carbon price, the Carbon Farming Initiative, and gas emission estimation for agribusiness. She formerly worked as a Project Officer at the Australian Farm Institute, was Media Manager of Australian Wool Innovation, and a Rural Reporter for the ABC.

Keynote speakers From top: Jullian Cribb Dr David McKinna Sally Davison Professor David Hughes

Professor David Hughes David is Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, and Visiting Professor at the University of Kent Business School and at the Royal Agricultural College, U.K. David regularly speaks at international conferences and seminars on global food industry issues, particularly consumer trends, and is a strong proponent of building vertical alliances between key chain members in the food industry – farmers, life science and input companies, ingredient firms, food and beverage manufacturers, retailers and food service. He has lived and worked in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa and South East Asia. David has extensive experience as an international advisory board member with food companies and organisations in three continents. Currently he is a Non-Executive Director of Berry Gardens Ltd – a U.K. farmer-owned berry fruit business (US$300 million turnover in 2009) with a blue chip customer portfolio; and on the Advisory Board of Rabobank, UK. He works closely with senior management of food and beverage firms on business strategy development and with governments on food policy formulation.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 19

Open Public Forums – start the conversation A key part of our National Conference is about ENGAGING. By that we mean conversation with experts, with stakeholders and the general public on key issues pertaining to new and emerging rural industries. New Rural Industries Australia sees its role as being much like a conduit – to get information shared between government, primary producers, industry and stakeholders.

(Food Trends), Tim Marshall (Organics Australia), Jane Adams (Farmers Markets Australia), Andrew Fielke (Chef and Aust Native Foods) and William Downing (pinot, pigs and cheese).

To achieve this we have called on the services of Indira Naidoo , one of Australia’s most popular broadcasters. She is personable, approachable and someone we feel will be able to facilitate our forums both professionally and competently.

Forum #1 – Innovation and Change

conference

Indira Naidoo facilitator of our public forums

20

Our first forum is based on a theme of Innovation and Change. We have an expert panel that includes: Julian Cribb (author), Danica Leys (social media/ RIRDC Rural Woman for NSW 2012), Geoff Bell (Australian Year of the Farmer), Matt Linnegar (National Farmers Federation), Mike Jeremy (Regional Skills Australia) and Vin Lange (CentreFarm) .

Forum #3 – All About the Money, Fundraising and Profitability One can’t talk about business or the future without looking at money. New and emerging industries know well the task of cash flow, cash projections, fundraising and lending. This forum takes up these key issues and relates them to new and emerging industries. Expert panel includes: Craig Burns (RIRDC), Ian Jordan (Finance Consultant), Michael LaCoutier (Fund-raising expert), and Allan Cooney (NRIA) Our open public forums will be held

on

Thursday 19th April, in Ballarat

Forum #2 – Food Trends and Opportunities

at our National Conference.

Our second forum is based on a theme of Food Trends and Opportunities. The food industry is changing quickly, and this forum is about predictions and looking ahead about how these changes will impact on producers and supply chain, and how we can be proactive in our businesses as regards this change. Our expert panel includes: David McKinna (consultant), Prof David Hughes

Register today to attend, and if you cannot be there on the day – follow and participate in the conversation on Twitter at #nria.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Broaden the mind – and your business A key aspect of our National Conference is including workshops that provide pertinent and useful information for stakeholders – and not just as a talking head and PowerPoint presentation – but workshops that enlighten the audience on key topics and get involvement, interest and participation.

Sounds like a tall ask, but we have dedicated the second day of our National Conference to this task.

Social media — what is it? And should I even care?

Being facilitated by the 3 founders of AgChatOz – Danica Leys, Sam Livingston and Tom Whitty, this workshop will not just introduce you to Twitter, but actually answer your questions on social media, give you the big picture and get you actually handson with the subject. With over 2500 followers, AgChatOz is the largest forum platform in Australia and takes up key rural and agricultural issues on a weekly basis.

Workshop #2

Carbon farming – is there any money in it?

Being facilitated by Nicholas Cameron of Country Carbon, this workshop will detail, in layman’s terms, what the carbon farming initiative is, how it works, the detail of how to get involved (and if it is worth the trouble). Country Carbon is an accredited provider of carbon offsets from Australian farmers. They provide both Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) for the compliance market and VNUs for the voluntary market, sourced from farming networks in regional NSW, Victoria and further afield. They act as an aggregator of carbon offsets and work directly with farmers to supply quality ‘Australian Made’ carbon offsets to both the international and domestic markets.

Workshop #3

Agritourism and the internet - remaking the connection between farmers and eaters This workshop is being facilitated by Barry Green, a man who is passionate about the benefits of agritourism. In addition to having his own farmstay operation, Barry runs Western Tourist Radio, which provides tourists with information about things to do, places to stay and services available in

the south west of Western Australia, via a network of tourist radio stations. They highlight aspects of each region, with information and humorous anecdotes on the history, industry, attractions and talents of the people in the region. This workshop will get you thinking about possibilities for agritourism, and using it as a possible diversification for existing rural enterprises.

Workshop #4

Weed & Pest Control – yes, there are solutions on the way for new rural industries Our last workshop is on a hot topic of control of pests, diseases and weeds. It has been a bugbear of new and emerging industries for some time that minor use permits don’t exist for non-mainstream products, and the cost and red tape in getting vitally needed herbicides and pesticides has seemed daunting. Over the last year Dr Ian Chivers of New Rural Industries Australia and Dr Fran Shapter have made major headway on this topic, as well as non-chemical methods for weed control and more.

This workshop will detail their projects, brief you on what resources and methodologies exist for the control of weeds, pests and diseases – and also give you an opportunity to ask those questions you have not been able to get answered to date.

To register for the workshops on Day 2 of our National Conference, go to www.nria.org.au/conference.

conference

Workshop #1

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 21

Food and Fashion – the perfect combination As delegates experienced at our inaugural conference in late 2010, the menu planning of our conference is second to none.

It is guaranteed that you will get the opportunity to try foods you have never been served before.

The talented Chefs of the Ballarat Mercure Hotel & Conference Centre will show their culinary abilities under the direction of Executive Chef Andrew Fielke, who has again created a menu plan that truly showcases our new and emerging food products.

Our morning teas will tempt you with Quandong Macadamia muffins, Davidson Plum Frangipane Tarts and Finger Lime “Caviar” Tartlets.

The lunch buffets include Buffalo Sausages with Wild Thyme Onion Confit, Venison, Chestnut & Oyster Mushroom Ragout, as well as Kipfler Potato Gratin with Australian Truffle and Pepperleaf.

In the afternoons when you are needing that pickme-up, you will enjoy Chocolate Muntries Cake, Red Curry Kangaroo Cocktail Pies and Desert Limes & Coconut Tarts.

And of course the gala dinner will leave you raving.

Gala Dinner Menu

conference

Crusty bread with Sticky Bush Tomato Balsamic and Saltbush Dukkah Mixed Australian Olives

22

Entrée Tasting Plate Australian Truffle Arancini Crocodile Spare Ribs – Davidson Plum Chilli Glaze Wakame Seaweed Salad – Sashimi Tuna – Sesame Soy & Desert Lime Dressing Yabby with Hot’n’Sour Shot Australian Tea Smoked Duck Breat – Muntries Relish Main Course Platters to share Tagine of Rabbit – Dates & Sunrise Limes – Cous Cous Kangaroo Fillet Mignon – Sweet Potato Mash – Native Currant Glaze Slow Roast Camel in Honey Soy Pepperleaf Marinade Stir Fry Asian Greens Desert Tasting – Cheese Platters to share Riberry Chocolate Cake – Rainforest Tamarind Coulis Mini Quandong Crumble Pies – Vanilla Bean Strawberry Gum Gelato Olive Oil & Pistachio Semi Freddo – Achacha Compote Meridith Goats Blue and Ashed Cheeses with Caramelized Anise Myrtle Figs & Pepperberry Oatmeal Cookies Australian Coffee – Chocolate Peppermint Gum Lollipops

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Fibres and Leather – on the catwalk Our new rural industries are infiltrating the fashion world in more ways than you can believe.

From bamboo undergarments, to boot guards, hats and boots. From leather handbags, wallets, belts and vests, to woollen scarves, wraps and winter wear.

Presented by Diane Marks School of

very much a Ballarat institution. Her

Deportment

models will be showcasing :

Our fashion show will endeavour to educate you, while at the same time entertain you.

and instructs clients in a range of

• Kangaroo Leather

subjects for personal development

• Goat Leather

or employment and her school is

• Bamboo

modelling and beauty industry for over 20 years. With broad personal experience in the modelling industry and the retail sector, Diane mentors

The gala dinner and our fashion show are both being held on

Thursday 19th of April. At only $70, including food, wine, coffee and entertainment, the tickets are selling fast.

To register, go to www.nria.org.au/conference.

• Alpaca • Cashmere • Mohair • Crocodile Leather

conference

Diane Marks has been involved in the

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 23

2012 National Conference Program Ballarat, 19/20 April 2012 – Thursday, 19th April 8.00am

Doors open for delegate registration

9.00 am

Welcome

9.30am – 10.15am

Dr. David McKinna – You don’t have to be in the grip of Coles and Woolies

10.15am – 11.00am

Julian Cribb – The Future of Food

11.00am – 11.30am

Morning Tea

11.30 – 12.15pm

Sally Davidson – Carbon opportunities

conference

12.15 – 1pm LUNCH

24

1pm – 2.00pm

Public Forum #1 Change and Innovation

2.00pm – 3.00pm

Public Forum #2 Food trends and opportunities 3.00 – 3.30pm Afternoon tea

3.30 – 4.30pm

Public Forum #3 All about the money! Funding and profitability

4.30pm – 6.30pm

Exhibition/Trade Show

7pm – 10pm

GALA Dinner and Fashion Parade, showcasing entirely Australian produce and products. Prof. David Hughes as keynote speaker

Friday 20th April 2012 9.00am- 9.30

NRIA Projects and Opportunities, CEO Ben White

9.30 – 11am

Workshop: Social Media – how and why bother?

Facilitators –Danica Leys, Sam Livingston and Tom Whitty of AgChatOz 11 – 11.30am Morning Tea

11.30 – 1pm

Workshop: Carbon economy and your business Facilitator – Nicholas Cameron of Country Carbon 1 – 1.45pm LUNCH

1.45pm – 3.15pm

Workshop 3: Agritourism and the internet – re-making the connection between farmers and eaters.

Facilitator – Barry Green, Tourist Radio WA 3.15 – 3.45pm Afternoon tea

3.45 - 5.00pm

Workshop : Weed Management Facilitator – Dr Ian Chivers of NRIA and Dr Frances Shapter of Southern Cross University

5.00 – 5.15pm

Event close

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Full Membership is open to producers and distributors of essential oils and plant extracts and to producers of plant material for the production of essential oils or plant extracts. Associate membership is for researchers, consultants, regulators and other interested parties.

www.eopaa.com.au

Call EasyBiz Finance…

We provide business finance based on how good your business is – we don’t care how much your house is worth, in fact we don’t even care if you have a house.

EasyBiz Finance will back your business, your customers, your stock and most importantly, EasyBiz Finance will back YOU!

www.easybizfinance.com

ph: 1300 161 600

National Peak Body representing the

Olive Industry of Australia Stay informed about the Australian Olive Industry

Agritourism offers visitors the opportunity to visit or stay on farms to learn and enjoy agricultural experiences. learn more at

www.agritourismwa.com.au

Visit our website to find out more

fresher tastes www.australianolives.com.au

It aint as bad as it is painted

By Jamie Briggs This year has been nominated the Australian “year of the farmer”, a brilliantly timed moniker given the rapidly developing opportunities presented to our agricultural sector.

The unprecedented growth in Asia will result in nearly 3 billion more middle-class mouths to feed between 2010 and 2030, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

This growth is changing the nature of the agricultural sector. For instance, since 2006, Australia has increased its food exports to China by more than two-thirds.

That is why it is a little confusing to see people such as Bob Katter, self-proclaimed rural champions, promulgate myths about Australia’s “food security”.

This has become the catch-cry of the modern agrarian socialist. Don’t be surprised if each time a protection measure is proposed, it will be on the basis of “food security”.

opinion

Let’s consider the truth behind the myths. The first myth is that to ensure our food security, we need to prevent Australia being “sold off” to foreigners.

This myth operates on the assumption that the land purchased by the foreigner can be removed, like the cricket pitch at the MCG, and taken back to the place of purchase for use there.

26

It conveniently forgets that Australian agriculture has been built on foreign capital and the ingenuity of local farmers. To make the most of the unprecedented growth in the region, we will need more of it, not less. It also ignores the reality that the investment creates jobs and boosts prosperity in rural and regional areas.

The second myth is that inappropriate land use is a threat to our “food security”. This is based on the premise that Australia is inappropriately using its best farmland for mining, putting the nation’s “food security” at risk.

Again, the facts tell a different story. Just 0.02 per cent of the nation’s land is used for mining, while 50 per cent is used for farming, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. More arable land is used for houses and car parks than for mining.

The third myth is that Australia is being flooded with low-quality food from overseas. Again, the reality is different. Australia exports about 60 per cent of the food it produces, yet we still provide 93 per cent of Australians’ diets.

It is estimated that Australia produces enough food to feed 60 million people. If Australia’s “food security” is under threat, maybe we should be building big warehouses to stockpile supplies.

But if you say no to food imports, you say no to food exports. To see how quickly a relationship with a trading partner can be damaged, simply refer to the impact of the decision to stop live cattle exports to Indonesia last year.

But there are genuine threats to agriculture, but food security is not one of them. Putting aside the destructive storm of the “reverse tariff” carbon tax, Australian farmers are already dealing with debilitating environmental laws.

In my home state of South Australia, farmers face absurd natural resource management laws that in some cases give bureaucrats more power than police officers to force them to answer questions relating to the use of their own land.

Worse, farmers face a legislative double-up with federal laws that deal with the same issue. In my electorate, one land owner has been prosecuted by the state government for “inappropriately” clearing native vegetation 10 years ago. He now faces sanctions by the federal government for the same offence. You can’t make this stuff up.

Australian agriculture, like so many other industries, is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the unique opportunities of our time.

Our farmers produce the highest quality food; we have large tracts of excellent land and the local ingenuity to use it to its highest potential.

What we shouldn’t allow are untruthful, fearbased campaigns for short-term political benefit to stand in the way of farmers achieving a more prosperous future.

Jamie Briggs is the federal member for Mayo and is on the executive of Modest Members, a group of Liberal MPs. Source: Financial Review

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

New market ideas suits them down to a tea tree Since Paul and Pat Bolster started growing tea tree oil in northern NSW in 1993, they have been of the opinion that the only way to ensure they had long-term, viable custom was to invest in research and develop markets themselves.

The Bolsters produce up to 35 tonnes of oil a year, most of it going overseas into products for human use. However, about 15 per cent goes to an Australian company which makes an airconditioning product, called Gelair, which kills mould and bacteria.

The Bolsters actually developed Gelair, but sold it because they are more interested in farming than marketing. The same applies to their involvement in the latest tea tree oil research.

“Because all the research was going in the direction of human uses, we wanted to look outside the square,” Mrs Bolster said.

“We knew there was potential in this area.

Preliminary work had already been done and it has already been proven effective in humans for head lice, and is used in pet shampoos against fleas and ticks, so it is not really a big jump.”

If the next phase of trials are positive, the Bolsters will apply for registration with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, then look for a commercial partner to take up a licence to use the patent to develop and market a commercial product. The deal will be that the Bolsters supply the oil first and foremost.

About 180 animals and 60 fleeces were placed before the judges of this prestigious event for angora goat breeders. This year’s judge was Margaret Piccoli an established commercial mohair grower from Victoria with extensive experience in breeding and showing angora goats.

This was the 23rd time the NATS has been held and according to organisers it was one of the best exhibitions of quality mohair and goats for held in the past few years. Owner of the winner in the yearling doe fine class Helene Ypma said she was lucky to get to the NATS. “We had over nine inches of rain in two and a half days and I was lucky to get out with the goats but it was certainly worth it,” Ms Ypma said.

She said that her herd consisted of around 300 goats and that provided them with a modest income.

“I love the fibre and we continually endeavour to improve our herd to meet the market expectations of a quality fibre that can be used for the top end of the garment market.

“The goats are pretty good for the paddocks too. We have very little problem from blackberries and that much talked about fireweed that is so prevalent around the region.”

She said that the NATS was a good opportunity for breeders to get together and talk about their common interest.

“It is also a good way to ensure we are all on the right track with breeding and producing goats that meet the international market expectations,” he said.

Source: Town and Country Magazine

“Currently, we can sell all our harvest but what we are looking for is a premium for what we produce,” Mr Bolster said.

Angora Trophy Show and Sale Despite the flooding in many parts of NSW the National Angora Trophy Show (NATS) and Sale in Goulburn on March 2-4 went ahead.

Participants travelled from South Australia, Victoria, Queensland plus various locations throughout NSW and the ACT, for the event, held in the Peden Pavilion at the Goulburn Recreation Area.

news

Source: Australian Horticulture

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 27

HYDROPONIC substrates

For all your Coir (Coco) requirements: • Grow Bags • Easyfil® PlanterBags • HydroBlocks • Discs and • Bulk Mixes Online Hydroponic Resource: www.galuku.com Free Call: 1800 991 709

For more information please contact mohair@mohair.org.au dnL890

The Carbon Farming Initiative, what’s in it for you?

Soil carbon is key to soil health An introduction to Carbon Farming and Trading: 1 day Farm Ready Approved Program Ph 02 6374 0329 or www.carbonfarmersofaustralia.com.au

 

   



       

28

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Science comes to aid of designer crocodile skins The crocodile breeding industry in Australia is worth an estimated $8.8 million in exports.

A group of international scientists say groundbreaking research will allow breeders to select baby crocodiles with the best traits for producing skins to make handbags and other fashion products. They will be able to take DNA samples from baby crocodiles as soon as they hatch to determine which ones have the best qualities.

The Darwin Crocodile Farm’s Dr Sally Isberg worked on the project and says DNA is taken and tested using a process called genome sequencing.

She says egg breeders essentially will look for favourable attributes like strong growth rate, stress resistance and good skin.

Dr Isberg says it will bring enormous benefits to the crocodile industry in Australia.

“We can do a simple blood test when they first hatch out of the egg and go and look for those genes that we know are favourable, and select those

animals immediately to be put into our breeding program,” she said.

She says being able to select animals with smaller scales on their skins increases the aesthetic appeal to those who buy leather for handbags.

Source: ABC

Top 5 trends for Aussie food and beverage market 2012

‘Pure’ is the new ‘natural’. Natural products are becoming the rule rather than the exception in most western markets, despite ongoing issues with a clear definition of what ‘natural’ encompasses. One way around this has been marketing the ‘purity’ of a product. Innova Market Insights reported a doubling in the number of food and drink products using the word ‘pure’ between 2008 and 2009, and a further third added in 2010 and considerably more in 2011.

Green is a given: Corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategies have taken on an increasingly important role. The current focus is on reducing carbon emissions or packaging, or creating higher welfare or fairly traded lines.

The ‘ingredientisation’ of commodities is also moving forward with previously untapped

waste materials used for their potential functional and health benefits.

Location, location, location: Interest in where foods are coming from has never been higher among consumers. This is being driven by an interest in supporting local suppliers, a desire for ethnic-style lines, concerns over the quality and safety of importing products, or the demand for authenticity in terms of products from a particular country or region.

Premium stands out: Despite austerity measures topping the agenda yet again from mid-2011, a premium positioning provides many benefits. Consumers are likely to look increasingly to the extremes of discount or super-premium products, with the centreground brands squeezed. A premium treat can be justified as an affordable indulgence during difficult economic times.

Seniors draw attention: Companies are starting to address the needs of an ageing population, both in terms of packaging functionality and of general and specific health concerns.

news

International research body, Innova Market Insights, has identified five key trends that it claims will have impact on the Australian food and beverage market through 2012 and beyond.

Innova Market Insights presented the trends during a webcast on November 23 2011.

29

Goats preventing or controlling weeds Do you use goats to prevent or control the spread of weeds of national significance (WONS)? The Goat Industry Council of Australia (GICA) and Monash University are searching for producers who employ goat-based weed management practices for a new research project which aims to develop best practice guidelines to tackle the $4 billion national annual impact of invasive weed species in control programs and lost agricultural production.

The project aims to tackle the shortage of scientific research on goat-based weed management of WONS species. It is hoped this information will enable a series of guidelines to be developed which will be shared with producers through workshops and field days at research sites.

Monash University environmental scientist and The Weeds Network founder Dr David Low, who will spearhead the project, said the research aimed to use existing or new demonstration sites across a range of settings (eg- linkage corridor, conservation buffer zone, grazing area, forest and horticulture) and a range of weed species. The areas would be incrementally monitored, evaluated and reported to the wider industry.

news

David Low said the results from the one-year study would be made freely available online through training modules, best management guides, a goat weeding business directory as well as a printed guide. He said that any increase in goat weeding knowledge could encourage more producers to utilise the animals for weed control

30

Breaking the vanilla ice Tropical North Queensland is more commonly known for producing the country’s premium bananas, papaya and avocados, to name a few, but it is also home to Australia’s first commercial vanilla bean plantation.

Port Douglas farmers Russell and Mary Spanton started Vanilla Australia more than 10 years ago by accident, when their landlord, a Second World War veteran who was part of the first trial of cocoa in Australia, asked them to “grow something”.

They called the CSIRO and asked for information on growing vanilla and were told that nobody grew it in Australia and that the CSIRO didn’t know anything about it. On a whim, Russell and Mary built their own greenhouse and started with 55 vanilla orchid cuttings. Those cuttings have since grown to 500 plants and further expansion is currently underway.

Russell said there was a lot of misinformation on the Internet about growing vanilla, though through experimentation and organic growing practices, they now produce vanilla beans with some of the highest vanillin content of anywhere in the world.

They also successfully make the first Australianmade and manufactured vanilla essence in Australia, and they manufacture without chemical extraction. Vanilla Australia products have now been on shelves for more than three years.

Russell explained that going down the nontraditional route of growing the vanilla in a greenhouse, and on weed mats out of the direct sunlight, had also helped their product thrive.

“There will be funding available for people to fence off areas of weed infestation to keep the goats working away in that area and the producer will need to allow access to the university guys to do their monitoring,

“We feed our orchids organic matter and use insects instead of pesticides. We grow them altogether and I think intensifying it into a smaller space as opposed to traditional methods gives us a good product,” he said.

Mr Telford said he sold more than 1,000 goats to AA Co in 2008, which the company used to control weeds across its properties at Julia Creek.

Source: Stock Journal

“The most important outcome for farmers from having goats in the paddocks is they can control woody weeds without the use of expensive and toxic chemicals.

Source: Qld Countrylife

Grazing to disappear to Distributor pays for false sandalwood “made in Australia” claim

It said about 1000ha would be developed for Indian sandalwood plantations.

The sandalwood plantation to be developed on Midway Station will overtake a third of the property that has been touted for its innovative operations over the years. The station was owned by the Underwood family and run by Chris and Marie Muldoon, had been awarded for its advanced work in land care.

Through its cell grazing operation, the station has surpassed the region’s benchmark carrying capacity of one head per hectare per year, to 1.5 head.

Work has also been done to slash fertiliser and herbicide use, and increase the levels of organic matter. Although the station’s sale reflects strong investor confidence, some say that the spreading influence of tree plantations represents a massive shift.

Environment Centre NT director Stuart Blanch previously told Rural Press that trees, not food crops, were winning the jostle for the district’s limited agricultural land. He highlighted the popularity of African mahogany and sandalwood plantations over crops and livestock.

“The move by TFS, together with the dominance of trees in the Ord Irrigation Area and the recent rapid spread of mahogany plantations at the expense of cattle grazing in the Douglas Daly area, shows that the economic reality is that trees and not food crops are dominating growth in the north’s few agricultural areas,” he said at the time.

When asked about the acquisition of Midway, Mr Blanch added the move would impede proposed dam developments to amp up food security.

“The reality on the ground in key irrigation areas of the north Katherine, Douglas Daly, and the Ord is that farmers and investors are more interested in tree plantations than food crops.”

The Muldoons said that they would stay on to work at Midway.

Source: North Queensland Register

A recent report from the ACCC details that the distributor of ‘Double D’ eucalyptus oil has paid a $6,600 infringement notice for falsely labelling imported oil as made in Australia.

On 21 February 2012, the ACCC issued the notice because it had reasonable grounds to believe that Club Trading & Distribution had falsely claimed that the eucalyptus oil in its 100ml bottles was made in Australia.

Club Trading & Distribution was unable to substantiate the made in Australia claim that appeared on the label. The ACCC had reasonable grounds to believe that during much of 2011 the oil was actually imported from China and southern Africa.

“Australian grown eucalyptus oil is readily available to distributors and primary producers are harmed when imported oil is falsely labelled as being made in Australia,” Mr Sims said.

Australia Chia moves into America As Americans look to improve their diet, demand is growing for a tiny oil seed being grown in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Known as chia, the seed boasts a range of health benefits and is the richest plant source of omega 3.

Growers in the Ord Valley started trialling the crop back in 2005, following research by a Nuffield scholar who was looking for natural solutions to modern diet related diseases. From those early trials, the region is now the world’s largest producer of chia and seed from the Ord is now used in over 80 commercial products, including breads, cereals, juices and yoghurts.

Nuffield scholar and founder of the Chia Company, John Foss, says demand in America for Australian chia has grown 100 per cent each year for the last five years.

“Chia is going so well in the US market because people are caring about what they’re eating,” he said.

“There’s really a major push for people to eat healthier foods, and there’s a major push by the food companies to get healthier ingredients into their foods.”

Editors note: We did a full profile on John Foss and his chia enterprise in our June/July 2011 issue of Passion to Profit, which you can read online at www.nria.org.au/magazine

news

One month after an agreement to turn parts of three Katherine properties into a sandalwood plantation, further plans will replace even more livestock and crops with trees. Western Australian Tropical Forestry Services (TFS) announced on January 20 that it had entered into a contract to purchase the 2910-hectare Midway Station in the Douglas Daly for $4.45 million.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 31

Regulatory change could bring ‘exotic meats’ to Australia’s supermarkets

legislation for other meats, such as beef, lamb and chicken. This reflects would enable all meat producers and processors to operate under a single, national set of requirements for all meat products, including exotic meats.

A proposal to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, if brought to fruition, means so called “exotic meats” such as bison, emu and crocodile could be sold in Australian supermarkets within a year.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which administers the Code, has begun consulting on a proposal to change regulations for producers and processors of minor meat species and wild game.

Meats covered by the proposal include buffalo, kangaroo, crocodile, rabbit, ostrich and emu.

While it is legal to eat these meats in Australia, current regulations make commercial production of these meats unviable for most producers.

FSANZ is considering incorporating the processing controls currently in place under existing

FSANZ intends to notify the Ministerial Council of its findings by late April 2013, following two public consultations. The closing date for submissions on the proposal is 21 May 2012.

Source: AFN

Native bush fruit with extraordinary levels of Vitamin C One of Northern Australia’s best kept secrets the bush plum, called gubinge, has been recognised for its medicinal value by Aboriginal communities, but it is only now that the pharmaceutical companies have cottoned on. There is now a push to protect the developing industry before other countries try to cash in.

The bush plum are said to be the world’s richest natural source of vitamin C. The typical vitamin C found in these raw plums is about 1.5 percent by weight. To put that in some perspective, that’s roughly about 500 to 1 000 times higher than you would get in a normal orange.

The Coradji Company in Sydney is now processing the gubinge from the Kimberley into a powder form. It is being used as a key ingredient in a new anti-oxidant supplement said to support the immune system and counteract premature ageing.

Two international cosmetics companies are now negotiating to use the fruit in their products, but the challenge facing this fledgling industry is ensuring it is sustainable.

Spotted anything

unusual?

NOTHING WILL PROTECT YOUR CROPS AND THE ENVIRONMENT MORE THAN A GOOD HARD LOOK It is important that you are aware of the risk. If you spot anything unusual on your crop or in the general environment, call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881. The call is free (except for mobiles) and early detection will help protect your farm, your industry and the environment.

For more information visit: www.phau.com.au/biosecurity

TLINE NT PEST HO EXOTIC PLA

1 18 0 0 0 8 4 8 8

Improving national biosecurity outcomes through partnerships

Myrtle rust strikes Lemon Myrtle – and now tea-trees Myrtle rust has taken a big toll on lemon myrtle production across the Northern Rivers, with the region’s 70,000 trees all affected. The area’s largest grower and contract harvester Gary Mazzorana, Australian Rain-forest Products, said growers had to resort to using fungicides, which not only was an extra cost but had wiped out their big organic market.

“This is an industry where chemicals have not been needed before, so it has been a real blow,” he said.

Tea- tree oil producers in the north east of the State are now also facing big costs over the next few months to keep the fungal disease myrtle rust under wraps, with monitoring indicating the pathogen is now present in every plantation.

Myrtle rust, which originated in South America and was first identified in NSW close to two years ago, attacks new growth on plants belonging to the Myrtaceae family such as eucalypts, bottle brush and tea-tree. It has the potential to threaten sustainable tea tree production in Australia and growers have been vigilant about on-farm biosecurity for the past year.

However, natural progression of the easily-spread rust and the humid conditions of the past month meant it was likely every tea tree plantation had been exposed on a minor scale, according to Lismore agronomist Peter Entwistle.

“It has been in this area now for 12 months”, he said “and is starting to express its ability to affect.”

“We’re suggesting growers have appropriate fungicides on hand to deal with developing patches quickly.”

With the cost of controlling myrtle rust at between $100 and $300 a hectare, gross margins for growers were gradually being eaten away, however it was not likely the issue would push people out of the industry, said Australian Tea Tree Industry Association chairman Robert Dyason, Casino.

The way in which tea-tree was grown – constantly in flush when the rust is at its most dangerous and with trees shoulder to shoulder – made for the ideal environment for the fungus to thrive and spread, he said.

“There is now an enormous pool of infected plants in the natural environment, so there is no way of eradicating it,” he said.

The disease setback comes on top of a tough year for tea tree producers, with continual wet weather badly affecting yields and the ability to harvest.

Connect physical, with digit

Subscribers of NRIA are kept abreast of all news, events and magazines.

There was now about 4000ha under tea tree production between Port Macqaurie and the Queensland borderº with some production around West Wyalong.

Join businesses across Australia, who have taken control of their digital marketing

Web Your own email client, a professionally designed website and email campaigns running on your own customer database.

Got your own website? We’ll plug it into the yworld system for you.

Food Service Australia

CMS An easy to use Content Management System. Stay in control of the content on your website to make all the changes to wording and images you like.

Mobile

CRM A fully integrated and dynamic Customer Relationship Manager & Integrated Member Database and giving you full control over your customer’s habits, interests and purchases.

yWorld’s own 2-way mms mobile campaign management system.

Interact with your customers in they way they want to communicate, about the products they are interested in.

Shop A Fully functioning e-commerce suite.

Products, Ordering, Checkouts, Payment- Gateway and complete integration with your own customer database.

Tags Everything, organised, recorded and called upon using yWorld’s unique yTag system. Connecting every element of your yworld solution to your customers.

Tag ‘offer@yworld’ to 0427 800 800 for a FREE month trial

Just go to www.nria.org.au and register

your world your way

www.yworld.com.au 1300 YWORLD

from $49 a month

*

*Prices are subject to requested scope of work and final package, see www.yworld.com.au/OurProducts for details.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 33

RESEARCH WORKING FOR RURAL AUSTRALIA

National Alpaca Week The Australian Alpaca Association is welcoming the public to open farms across the country to celebrate National Alpaca Week from 12th May to 20th May. Although Australia flirted with alpacas back in the 19th century it is only in the last 20 years that alpacas have been a regular sight in Australian fields and in such a short space of time Australia has become a world leader in the alpaca industry.

National Alpaca Week gives everyone the opportunity to get up close and ‘pat a paca’. For the public wanting to get out of the city for the day or for discerning potential alpaca owners to find out more about alpaca farming, there is something for everyone. More information about alpacas, National Alpaca Week and the AAA can be found at www.alpaca.asn.au

Alpacas are farmed primarily for their fleece, which produces luxury fashion for discerning buyers. Demand far outweighs supply because of its opulent quality and super soft touch. With only 4 million alpacas worldwide it would be difficult to be anything but. Farming for meat production is now also underway.

There are two types of alpacas; Huacaya (pronounced wua’ki’ya) and Suri. Studs generally specialise in particular colours, pure white allows for dying but fawns, greys, browns and blacks means dying isn’t necessary.

TASMANIA DELIVERS . . .

The perfect location for investment in food and agribusiness Tasmania’s reputation for fine food and beverages has created significant overseas and interstate marketing opportunities with increasing demand for all things grown and produced in Tasmania.

We have a growing reputation for our innovative approach to agricultural production, which has led to new markets and opportunities.

Tasmania offers: • exceptional production conditions – a temperate climate, distinct seasons, reliable rainfall, clean air, and rich, fertile soils • disease-freedom – the only Australian state free from fruit fly, potato cyst nematode, tobacco blue mould, grape vine phylloxera and other major pests and diseases Invest Tasmania Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts Phone (03) 6233 5728 Email invest@investtasmania.com.au

• security – biosecurity is high, with a moratorium on genetically modified crops until 2014 • sustainable water supply – Tasmania has 12 per cent of Australia’s rainfall on less than 1 per cent of its land mass. Major irrigation projects are underway to efficiently and sustainably utilise our significant water resources • strong trade – proven domestic and international markets • research and development – our significant research and development community works together for improved productivity, safe food production, and resource management • out-of-season supply – our location allows us to supply out-of-season fresh produce to northern hemisphere markets.

Web www.investtasmania.com.au

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 35

Lack of supply leads wholesaler to grow his own A looming lack of wild flowers to market drove Adrian Parsons to try growing his own. Flower wholesaler, importer and exporter Adrian Parsons learned first-hand about the difficulties of expanding his flower business. Almost two years ago Adrian, who runs WAFEX with co-owner Craig Musson, bought a 28ha farm at Longford, near Sale, in March 2010 to secure supply for their flower company. In doing so, they moved from managing the business side of the company, to running a farm as well. The farm required a major upgrade and they have since planted 10,000 new plants, removed just as many, installed new irrigation and learned a great deal about production costs.

And they have also been able to try out new varieties, which Adrian says is key to Australia’s survival in the cut-throat export flower market.

The company sources native and wild flowers from more than 200 growers all around Australia to sell domestically and for export., but they were worried about their long-term supply with static production and an ageing population among their growers.

“We predicted that in five to 10 years we wouldn’t have had any flowers to move or sell,” Adrian said.

The farm they bought previously grew flowers, but bringing it up to standard was the biggest challenge.

“It was really run down, with ageing plantings and we needed to update the irrigation system, do some major pruning and soil nutrition was low.

Adrian and Craig set up a separate company, Helix Australia, to develop and market new waxflower varieties. They run and manage their own trials of waxflowers at Longford, but are also working on varieties of leptospermum, commonly known as tea tree, for the cut flower and landscape markets.

He said diversifying into production, despite the challenges, had put the company in a strong position and given greater understanding of the industry.

Olive oil industry upset about supermarket discounting Paul Miller, from the Australian Olive Association, says producers can’t compete with cheap imports and are being forced to sell below the cost of production. The olive oil industry is the latest to complain about heavy price discounting at the two major supermarkets Coles and Woolworths.

The comments come as the Senate Select Committee on food processing said it wanted suppliers to give evidence anonymously about Coles and Woolworths abusing their market power.

Mr Miller says it’s not just small producers who are struggling with lower prices.

“Yes, we do have large scale olive growers that are some of the most efficient in the world, and they are in trouble because the price is below cost,” he said.

“It’s below cost here and it’s being driven by an influx of lower grade product masquerading as the real thing.”

Source: ABC

“We have spent the last two years renovating the farm, which was a big investment.

news

“We thought we could break even (in the first year), but this was an erroneous assumption and that was a big lesson.”

36

So far 10,000 new plants, including waxflower, Serruria, Erica and boronia and flannel flower, have gone in and another 15,000 will soon be planted. Existing plants, including banksia and red Christmas bush, have been heavily pruned.

Adrian said another benefit of having their own farm was in developing new varieties.

“This is the key to Australia’s survival in the international flower market,” he said. “Cut flowers, like any product, are very competitive.”

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

Do you grow or sell wildflowers as cut-flowers?

• Get connected.

• Improve yield and returns.

• Network with others.

• Develop the market.

• Stay informed.

WildFlowers Australia Ltd is the industry body for wildflowers. We exist to build the industry and help all on the supply chain. www.wildflowersaustralia.com.au

Australian TRUFFLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION

The voice of the industry STANDARDS QUALITY INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH

Soft, warm, lightweight, luxurious fibre 12 natural fleece colours - no dying required Soft padded feet minimize damage to soils For more information visit our website:

www.alpaca.asn.au

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 37

Michael Jolley Australian Carobs Pty Ltd Carob Pods, Carob Kibble, Carob Syrup, Raw Carob powder, Roasted Carob Powder and Carob Buttons (Confectionary)

Background The Australian Carob Co is owned and operated

by Michael and Jam Jolley, and is located in Booborowie, near Burra, South Australia. Michael and Jam planted their carob orchard from grafted trees on a 76-acre block of land some 12 years ago.

Today there are approximately 6000 carob trees, thriving on the property. The orchard is home to seven different varieties of carob trees, including Casuda, Clifford, Sfax, Santa-Fa, Tyleria and Waite species. The Jolley’s take pride in ensuring each individual tree has the appropriate water requirements and correct pruning year round. They use sustainable farming practices and no pesticides or insecticides are used on the trees. The carob beans are harvested in April/May and are taken directly to the manufacturing shed on site, and from there they are allowed to dry naturally, ready for processing.

Q: What inspired you to get involved in a new rural industry?

I have been a gardener for the past twenty years.

I have always loved carob trees and saw an opportunity of growing and producing Australian carob products. Some twelve years ago my wife and I purchased a 76 acre property to plant carob trees and we now have 6,000 carob trees —- which makes our the largest carob orchard in Australia.

In 2010 we purchased a carob kibbler from Spain which breaks the carob pod to remove the seed, and now we own a large roaster for the roasting of the carob kibble pieces to make the roasted carob powder, also we own our own milling plant which we can do all our own milling of the carob to

profile

The Australian Carob Co use state-of-the-art machinery to produce the products, including a

sophisticated carob kibbler, a large carob roaster and a new carob mill. This enterprise is the only commercial carob processing operation in Australia, working dedicatedly to produce carob products, which are not only healthy and high in nutritional value, but are also full of flavour and great taste.

38

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

ensure we produce the absolute best quality tasting raw carob powder available and roasted carob powder available.

Q: What have been the pitfalls you have overcome? How?

I think the largest pitfall we have had to overcome is the financial difficulties. Banks don’t like new industries so it has been an extremely hard road to get to where we are over the last 12 years. We had to use cash withdrawals from credit cards to initially purchase trees, and had to work 7 days a week to keep up with payments. Words can’t explain how hard it’s been. It has really been a matter of trying to stay focused on the goal we are trying to achieve.

Q: What do you consider your successes? What do you attribute these to?

I think there are a couple of sources I can attribute our successes to.

The first would be my late Father, who was a dreamer and always said you could achieve anything you want in life. The second would have to be my totally amazing wife who has stood by me and worked with me from the beginning, and still with me every step of the way. There is no doubt in my mind that none of this would have been achieved without her help.

Q: What tips could you give others in new rural industries?

Follow your dreams. No matter how hard things are, if you believe enough and look to the future anything is possible.

Q: What is your future vision for your business?

I would love to see our carob products in every health food shop and supermarket in Australia. I would also like to have our farm be recognised as the best quality carob products in the world – all grown and processed in Australia. I feel passionate about the carob industry in Australia leading the world in quality and taste. www.australiancarobs.com

Ingredients: 2 Cup Self Raising Flour 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 1/3 Cup Coconut Shredded 1 Cup Frozen Blueberries 1 Egg lightly beaten (Free Range Egg) 3/4 Cup Buttermilk 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil 1/3 Cup Carob Powder 2 Tablespoon extra Coconut Shredded Grease a 6 hole muffin pan. Sift flour into a bowl, stir in the brown sugar, blueberries, coconut, egg, buttermilk and oil. Stir quickly with a large metal spoon until just combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake in moderately hot oven about 25 minutes. Sprinkle extra coconut on top after cooking.

profile

Blueberry and Carob Muffins

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 39

Gail and James Kendell Small Acres Cyder Premium Cool Climate Ciders

Background Gail and James Kendell are passionate about making premium cider from true heritage cider variety apples. They are the first and sole producers of a locally grown and locally made cider in the Central West of NSW. Gail grew up in the South West of England and James lived in England for 7 years so both are well versed in the traditional styles of English cider.

The inspiration for Small Acres Cyder was borne from the fact that on return to Australia in 1998, both Gail and James were disappointed with the then cider offerings in the Australian market and believed that there was an opportunity for real, authentic cider, hence the idea for Small Acres Cyder was borne.

Orange was the logical location to base the business, with its cool climate, rich red basalt soils, elevation, and also thriving food and tourism industries. Small Acres Cyder is situated on the foothills of Mt Canobolas, 12 km west of Orange at an elevation of 892 m.

Q: What inspired you to get involved in a new rural industry?

I grew up on a sheep and wheat farm in the Riverina and although I spent many years in corporate life both in Australia and the United Kingdom, I always at some stage wanted to return to the land. I think having the freedom rural life offers you and the excitement of each year’s vintage where I get to grow, create and make something that I see others enjoy is really quite satisfying. I am the first to admit that there were some very trying times over the years, a new rural industry carries more risk than most industries and it is not for the light hearted.

For Gail, I think it was the need for some decent cider to enjoy after a hard days work.

Q: What have been the pitfalls you have overcome? How?

Small Acres Cyder produces premium ciders, more like an alternative to a white wine rather than a beer. The products are mostly still (ie: no bubbles) and match well with a range of foods. So the key challenge we faced was trying to create a market for a generally unknown cider style in Australia.

Our second challenge was entering the market with

profile

Although only open since 2007, Small Acres Cyder now produces a range of 7 different ciders and 1 Perry. The products have been widely acknowledged as some of the best ciders produced in Australia with 21 medals already awarded and 2 regional business awards.

Small Acres Cyder products are available at Cellar Door, good bottle stores in NSW and also by Mail Order Australia wide.

40

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

daylight between the pricing of our product and the then cider offering on the market.

We overcame these challenges through having an unwavering believe in our product, its quality and authenticity, and a determination and persistence to make it happen. I was fortunate to have many contacts in the beverage industry which helped to open doors, but it was through constant engagement with our customers at Cellar Door, holding food and cider matching lunches and dinners, targeted marketing and constant tastings at bottle stores that finally got the ripple to gain a little more momentum. Our product packaging has also been carefully designed to tell the story of a craft handmade product.

Q: What do you consider your successes? What do you attribute these to?

We have now been successfully operating for some 5 years, have grown our product range from 1 to 8 and are now sold through some 70 outlets in NSW as well as taking our first steps into the export market. On a personal front, we founded the Australian Cider Awards, and more recently Cider Australia, which is an industry representative group for cider producers in Australia.

This sounds a little corny, but I attribute the above successes to how I was brought up. My father was a farmer and he instilled in me that there is nothing that cannot be overcome and that if you want something bad enough only you can make it happen.

2.

3.

4.

5.

you will need, double it and you may be nearer to the true cost of starting up a new rural business.

Never underestimate the value of test marketing before committing to undertake what will become all consuming for the next few years.

Know your customer intimately, what their needs, wants and buying behaviors are and how they may change over time.

Always have an adaptable, flexible business model, you never know when things are going to change.

Constantly innovate, always be on the front foot when markets are shifting.

Q: What is your future vision for your business?

Small Acres Cyder has grown from a small weekend business through cellar door to now being available state wide through good bottle stores and restaurants and also Australia wide through mail order. There is still much growth to be had through expanding our distribution into Victoria and Queensland. We have also responded to requests for contract cider making and now have the ability to continue to grow this side of the business.

Export potential is on the horizon and we hope to capture some of this by mid way through this year. www.smallacrescyder.com.au

Q: What are 5 tips you could give others in new rural industries?

profile

1. Before starting a new rural business, research, research, plan, plan and budget, budget and when you think you know how much capital

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 41

John and Kerry Pool Tomarata Group Pty Ltd Tomarata Orchard – fresh Australian lychees, Tomarata Sensual Conserves, Condiments and Liqueurs – gourmet range of gluten and preservative free products

Background We have been involved in some form of farming in Queensland for over 20 years but our lychee story really began 1999 when we came to the Sunshine Coast to manage a lychee and low chill stone fruit orchard.

profile

This led us to buy our first lychee orchard in 2004 and, a year later form our family owned and operated company, Tomarata Group Pty Ltd, based on the Sunshine and Fraser Coasts, Queensland.

We are very much hands-on directors, usually to be found on the leased property at Pomona, busy with the value adding side of the business out of season and, along with up to 50 seasonal pickers and packers, extremely busy with both the fresh fruit and the value adding business during the season. Our son, David, manages the home orchard at Tiaro, a 76 hectare block of land with a large dam, plenty of water and 2,500 mature lychee trees now all under full canopy netting to protect against birds, bats and inclement weather.

There are a further 2,500 mature trees, also under netting, in Pomona. Between the two orchards, we produce between 100-120 tonnes of fresh fruit a year, making us one of the larger lychee growers in Australia. Fresh fruit is the mainstay of our business and is mainly sold to domestic markets in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth with some exported to France and Asia.

42

In 2007, we launched Tomarata Sensual Conserves, Condiments and Liqueurs so we could value add to our fresh fruit and keep that wonderful taste of Australian lychees alive on the market all year.

We got together with Peter Wolfe, a Sunshine Coast Chef to develop and create a range of gourmet products using fruit from our orchard or sourced locally. We started off slowly and gently with four items and have gradually built up to thirteen beautifully presented delicious gluten and preservative free products.

In 2008, in collaboration with an experienced wine maker from Kingaroy, we bottled our first run of Peach Liqueur, this was followed by a Sundowner Liqueur (nectarine and honey) and in 2010, our best seller: Tomarata Sensual Lychee Liqueur.

This won a Gold at the RNA in 2010 and 2011 and, to our immense pride, a Gold Medal at the 2011 Australian Fruit Wine Awards. We were thrilled to read: “Judges Comments: Gold Medal winner was a standout, with true fruit characters, good balance and length. Some wines lacked freshness and balance.”

Value adding volumes are still minor, we work hard to take our products out to the public at various shows, events and food festivals that take place on the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Bundaberg and Brisbane. This year, for the first time, we will be going to the Sydney Royal Easter Show — great excitement indeed! We love meeting our customers

Team Tomarata

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

and talking about our products and promoting Australian lychees and Australian farmers. We love introducing people to that special taste of lychee. It is rewarding to get their feedback, to see city people take such an interest in the production of their fresh food and value added products and we love seeing them walk away with a deeper appreciation of the trip from tree to table.

Q: What inspired you to get involved in a new rural industry?

Our passion for Australian lychees and the desire to keep them on Australian tables all year round has always inspired us. Creating a niche market was another way of keeping afloat financially and promoting the lychee industry at the same time.

Q: What have been the pitfalls you have overcome? How?

Over the years, farming has become less viable and returns narrower. We are being paid the same price for fruit as we were 10 years ago yet wage and input costs have increased. The supermarket stranglehold over the fresh food market has pushed small growers over the edge and the lack of supplier and consumer education with regards to keeping lychees cool and fresh has not helped. Our Quality Assurance system and best farming practises help us maintain the consistent high quantity and quality of our fresh fruit and guarantees the best price possible under difficult market conditions. We have been promoting the 100% Australian product at all levels: through the lychee industry body (ALGA), through local and regional organisations such as the regional councils who promote local businesses, through consumer education, through membership of local or national organisations, through marketing organisations and through advertising in local papers.

kilos of fresh lychees for the week. A customer’s face at a busy food festival as they sample one of our products, their happy taste buds, positive comments and their interest in our product. A website order that comes in from a repeat customer with a comment such as “We loved your Lychee Balsamic at the EKKA and now need a bottle for Mum and Uncle Jim.” We attribute this to our hard work and dedication to produce quality fresh fruit and the passion to produce a well presented, tasty range of gourmet goods using only the best of ingredients.

Q: What are 5 tips you could give others in new rural industries?

1. Do your homework–market research, likes and dislikes, what appeals to people, where and how do you want to produce and sell, local laws.

2. Network – get involved with and take advantage of the help available from local, regional and federal organisations who promote local businesses and new ideas.

3. Don’t over capitalise – start off gently and build up slowly.

4. Be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances.

5. Be positive and passionate about what you do.

Q: What is your future vision for your business?

Continue to produce our sweet juicy fresh lychees for years to come, explore new markets interstate and abroad and expand the value adding business into retail so the full journey from paddock to plate can be experienced by more and more people.

you contribute these to?

At the end of a hard day’s work, we love to see a pallet of perfectly picked and packed premium fresh lychees loaded onto the truck, knowing it will be on the market floor by dawn. The mother and three daughters who come to the farm gate every week after school to buy another couple of

profile

Q: What do you consider your successes? What do

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 43

Painting a big picture of small farming

I

collaboration

f you were to stop the average Australian on the street, and ask them to close their eyes and describe an archetypal Australian farm, chances are they would describe something out of a John Glover or Arthur Streeton painting.

Traditional images of Australian farming typically feature large expanses of grazing land – sheep and cattle wandering along the horizon, as far as the eye can see.

44

But while this may have been an accurate depiction of Australian farming in the 19th century, today’s farming landscape is much more diverse, and the rise in small-scale farming has the potential to change the way Australians perceive and interact with our rural communities.

According to a 2007 report published by the RIRDC entitled “Small Farms – valued contributors to healthy rural communities”, the increasing number of small farms in some regional areas is changing the traditional demographic make-up of rural community, influencing community values and providing new opportunities for community growth.

So what exactly is a small farm? According to the report’s author Carole Hollier, there is no hard and fast definition.

“Currently there is no clear definition of a small farm – small means different things to different people. In Australia, classifications can be based on minimum land size, farm income, or whether the landowner is registered as a primary producer. There is no typical small farm. Size criteria is linked to the ability to create viable household livelihoods, and this varies with the type of farming that is possible at any location, and the possibilities of combining farm with non-farm sources of income. A ‘viable’ small farm, for example, may be 20 hectares in parts of Victoria or 2000 hectares in parts of Western Australia,” she writes.

By Youna Angevin-Castro Often bearing the label of ‘tree-changer’, ‘hobby farmer’ or ‘lifestyle farmer’, as a group, small farmers display enormous diversity. However, Hollier has identified certain characteristics that are typical of small farms. These include an intensity of the human-nature relationship, diversity of plant and animal life, and diversity of income sources – often relying on off-farm income as much as on-farm income–compared to large farms.

These are characteristics that Andrew Britton can relate to. As the Small Farm Coordinator for the Small Farms Network, he provides support small farm owners on the south coast and southern highlands of NSW. Although the Network was originally set up to cater for the needs of the lifestyle farmer, Britton says that diversity plays a major role in the demographic landscape of the region.

“Our average landholder on the south coast has anywhere between 20 and 40 hectares, and they vary immensely in terms of their backgrounds. These range from of farmers who come from established farming families, who have decided to downsize to smaller farming operations, through to the typical tree-changer or sea-changer looking for a specific lifestyle.”

Britton says that many of the small landholders he works with continue to rely on an off-farm income, often travelling back and forth from Sydney during the week, while spending weekends at the farm. He says that most make contact when the viability of their operations come into question.

“Many of the people who contact me have been on their farm for 3-5 years, and they’ve suddenly hit that wall, and they’re starting to question the financial viability of their farms. At that point, they come seeking advice on where they’ve gone wrong, and what they need to do to move forward.”

“A large part of what we do is to connect landholders with the right people. We work closely with the Council and DPI to make sure people have access to the right information. We also try to coordinate workshops for our members to ensure that they have the necessary skills to achieve successful outcomes on their farms.”

Britton says the trap that many small farmers fall into is to invest too much into their farms at the beginning.

“We get a lot of small landholders who come from Sydney, and are running low-production farms as a hobby, but who get convinced that they need to spend a lot of money on things like improving their soils, or investing in water security measures, when in fact they don’t need to spend that money to achieve their goals.

“So when I meet with landholders, I’ll often talk to them about their management goals, where they want to go, what they want to do, and help them realise that sometimes you don’t need to put so much into the farm.”

For small farmers Izzy Kennedy and Tom Murdoch, buying and running a farm was a long-time dream.

Two years ago, they sold their family home in outer Melbourne to buy 160 acres of grazing land in Kardella, in South Gippland, Victoria.

“We couldn’t afford a 300-acre farm, and we didn’t want to run into any planning issues with anything under 40 hectares. Tom was keen to run cattle, and I was motivated by wanting a place to have my horse and get a few more to make a small, workable herd,” said Izzy.

Initially commuting to the farm on weekends while Tom worked in Melbourne, the family moved to the farm permanently twelve months ago, living in a caravan while they established the farm.

“Tom left his work in Melbourne because the commute was too hard and took him away from the reason we bought the farm. The juggle was not working at all, because he was essentially home at the farm on weekends, leaving me with two kids living in a caravan and unable to do a lot of the required work safely.”

Today the couple have converted an old shed into a more permanent residence, and are running cattle on their land. Although the transition has been hard, Izzy believes their experience has been made easier by having a plan in place.

“I did a two-day horse property management course that introduced us to farm planning ideas. Tom then did a longer course in farm planning that built on these principles. Both courses made the task ahead seem infinitely more achievable and methodical.

Also, internal resources such as goal-setting and values awareness have been critical. They help us filter the necessary from the unnecessary, materially and otherwise. Especially with no off-farm income!

Izzy also believes that being open to advice from others has been invaluable in finding their feet.

“We’re quite openly new to this, and farmers can tell when a new farmer is bluffing their way through it just by looking at their paddocks. Being honest with our own abilities and being honest about our lack of expertise elicits the most helpful responses from our more experienced neighbours.

For those considering making the move, Izzy recommends taking a good, hard look at what you want out of farming life.

“Finding what your values are is so critical to any life change, because values inform what your goals are, and plans are made from goals. I learned a saying from a CFA time management course that sticks with me always: “Is what I’m doing right now taking me towards my goal?” If it’s a farm you want, then you start learning about farming, assessing your finances, where you are at with your family requirements and tap into the networks early.

Sometimes there are incentives for people looking to move to certain areas. Sometimes courses are offered cheaply or for free – never pass up a free opportunity to learn!”

Youna Angevin-Castro is a communications consultant and freelance journalist. She leads Castro Communications, a print and web services organisation specialising in innovation in art & design, science and agriculture. www.castro.com.

Pics from left: AFO - Taro field Cairns.

WNP - Grevillea plantation - older plants on left and seedlings in tree guards on right.

Eucalyptus oil plantation.

Peppermint crop in north eastern Victoria.

collaboration

Britton provides support by linking landholders with the appropriate resources to get them back on track.

45

Online resources to build your business online

T

he internet has become a vital and integral link for businesses across Australia – and has opened up a multitude of opportunities for businesses that are located in rural and regional Australia.

There is an abundance of resources available to help the online entrepreneur – assisting to run a business more effectively and more profitably. You may be using some of these already, but if you have not had an opportunity, do explore them all.

collaboration

Communications

46

The internet brings great opportunities to do business all over Australia and also overseas..

Fortunately there are a number of resources to help with that communication, and at a decent (or no) cost. The resources here will allow you to communicate inexpensively with others: 1. Skype – Free calls over the internet to other people on Skype for as long as you like.

2. Vonage – Leading provider of VoIP internet broadband telephone services.

3. Gizmo – Low cost international calling and free calls to users on Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Windows Live users and SIP networks.

4. Vonics Digital – Low cost plans.

5. VoipBuster – Free program that uses the latest technology to bring free and high-quality voice communications to people all over the world.

6. SunISP – VoIP Plans

Data Backup Vital for anyone conducting a business, is to maintain back up files. The unexpected breakdown or loss of a computer is generally enough to drive people to instant anxiety about the loss of the documents that were contained therein. For businesses that rely on online business, a loss of data can be tragic. The following resources give you a number of options to back up your hard drive, easily and automatically: 1. Mozy – Industry-leading solution for online backup.

2. Intronis – Online backup solution with remote computer data backup software.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Carbonite – Unlimited online backup for one flat fee.

Data Deposit Box – Your source for online backup, and secure online data backup.

Athena Backup – Automatically backup your home computer files with Athena Backup.

Data Protection Services – Secure online backup services, free trial!

Invoicing If your business includes on-line sales, then invoices become a vital part of your operation. You are sending and tracking invoices to customers, you may be able to save some time and make the process more efficient by using a program that is specifically designed for this purpose. These resources with invoicing: Bamboo Invoice – Simple, Open Source, Online Invoicing.

7. FreshBooks – Online invoicing and time tracking service.

8. Transcepta – Electronic invoicing solution.

9. Blinksale – The easiest way to send invoices online.

10. InterlinQ Solutions – Providing a daily job report, time sheets, job tracking, construction reports and mobile billing.

11. Bill My Clients – Easy way to create and send invoices and bills to your clients.

12. Billing Orchard – Online electronic billing software application.

13. 2nd Site – Secure invoicing service w/ online invoice payment & online employee timesheets.

Financial Management and Accounting Many SMEs in Australia do not have the need or the resources for expensive financial accounting systems – but having and maintaining accurate financial records is a must. These resources will provide you with everything you need and can easily be used by anyone: 1. Intacct – Delivers ERP software as a service to small and midsize companies.

2. QuickBooks Online – Accounting Solutions for professionals and businesses.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

3.

Xero – Slash the hours you spend every week on accounting administration.

For many, time management is critical to achieving maximum productivity. Try some of the below resources for better organising and better efficiency in your operations: 1. Google Calendar – Free online shareable calendar service.

2. Vitalist – Web based task manager designed to work with Getting Things Done (GTD).

3. Backpack – Personal and small business information management, intranet, and to do list organizer.

4. Basecamp – Web-based tool that lets you manage and track projects.

5. Goplan – Online project management app.

6. Copper Project – Project Management Software.

7. Side Job Track – Web-based job tracking, invoicing, reporting & project management software.

8. ActiTime – Free Time Tracking Software.

Contact Manager Managing your contacts and basic data base is a basic function of any business. The following resources are specifically created to help you effectively manage your contacts: 1. Big Contacts – Web Based Contact Manager for 2 to 20People.

2. Highrise – Shared contact manager.

3. BatchBook – Easy-to-use contact management system.

4. Relenta CRM – Small business CRM software.

5. Oprius – Sales and Contact Management Software for Independent Sales Consultants.

6. PipelineDeals – CRM made simple – $15/ User/Month.

7. Zoho – Customer Relationship Management, on demand CRM. 8. Simple Sales Tracking – Web-based hosted CRM. 9. SugarCRM – Commercial Open Source CRM.

Accepting Payment If you are taking online payments from customers or clients, you will need an efficient way to make that happen. There are many different options, and details of each can vary a bit. Take a look at these options and see which is best for your situation: 1. PayPal – World renowned.

2. Google Checkout – Google’s way to send and receive money.

3.

Neteller – Online payment solutions.

4.

Moneybookers – Cheaper way to send and receive money worldwide.

5.

iKobo – Pick up your money at over 10000Visa ATMs.

6.

CheckFree – Provides financial electronic commerce services.

Shopping Carts Rural businesses that are selling products of any kind will need some type of shopping cart. There are a number of open source options listed below, as well as a number of other options. Do shop around to find one that is well-suited to your needs: 1.

Zen Cart – Free, user-friendly, open source shopping cart system.

2.

osCommerce – Free online shop program.

3.

AgoraCart – Free shopping cart.

4.

OpenCart – Open source PHP-based online shopping cart system.

5.

Ubercart – Open source e-commerce suite.

6.

X-Cart – Shopping cart software & PHP ecommerce solutions.

7.

NetSuite – Integrated web-based business software suite.

8.

ZNode – ASP.NET shopping cart.

9.

Fortune3 – Ecommerce Shopping cart software.

10. 1Network Solutions – Robust, customizable Ecommerce online shopping cart software.

11. 1Kick Start Cart – Business professionally over the Internet.

12. 1Secure Delivery – The best digital download management site on the net!

13. 1Magento – Open Source eCommerce Evolved!

collaboration

Time Management and Project Management

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 47

Australia’s skilled migration programs

A

ustralia’s heavy-weight status in terms of kilometres squared, remains a blessing and a curse.

collaboration

On the one hand, the size of the place means that Australia covers most climatic zones and diversity of terrain, as well as scoring well on the trifecta of: “rocks, crops and animals”. We got it all–from avocados and beef, to yabbies and zircon.

48

However on the human side, this extreme diversity and concentrated pockets of population means that our ever-changing systems of local, state and federal governance can be in conflict with each other and with the population spread out (very unevenly) across the country.

Australia is, by and large, weathering the relentless shifts in global economies and power arrangements reasonably well. We are tucked away safely at the bottom of the Asia-Pacific and the once “tyranny of distance” has become a “bonanza of opportunity”.

The size, diversity and uneven spread of human geography and economics in Australia has in part lead to the often cited “patch-work economy”.

The mining and resources boom, skills and labour shortages, the value of the Australian dollar, city versus regional, ageing population, Australia’s security, small and medium sized business versus big business, Fair Work Australia versus employer flexibility – all of this impacts on us as individuals and business–all the way up to those 2am meetings in Parliament House offices.

This is NOT a ‘one size fits all’ set of circumstances.

Indeed, in a country like Australia, we’re hard pressed to even talk about “one size sorta fits all.” Kinda.

So–with that back drop–it’s easy to understand why business in regional Australia need to be concerning themselves with skilled migration policies. And given the complexity of the geographic situation, how do regional businesses make sense of it all?

Ok, some figures.

Australia expects to take in about 126,000 skilled migrants in this financial year. These people will have a permanent visa for Australia. This means that MOST of them can live, work and study ANYWHERE in Australia. Of course in Immigration-Land there is always at least one exception and we will get on to that one later (yes, regional Australia – your ears are burning!).

Now, there is also the not-so-media-shy 457 Work Visa Program. This is a TEMPORARY visa. The visa holder must stay with his or her Australian employer sponsor until real life gets in the way and that overseas person is poached by another Australian employer, or he or she simply skips onto a plane shouting – “Hey, that job in Luanda, Angola pays twice as much AND the kids get to board in Zurich!”

There are anywhere between 125,000 and 130,000 holders of 457 Work Visas in Australia at this time.

Give or take. Now, these figures INCLUDE the partners and kids of the main worker. Not wanting Australia to be one big expatriate mining camp, approx. 50% of those figures are partners and kids!

Okay, so there are a few facts ‘n’ figures to put things into some sort of perspective. Bear in mind that I haven’t even mentioned overseas students, backpackers and New Zealanders–no one said this was simple!

“Ok, but where is all this going?”

“We know it’s hard to extract Australians from the cities, and if they do load up the Navara they will

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

“Hey, and now you mention it – where the hell is my essential labour coming from? Ok we’ve got the backpackers and these “bridging visa people” – but they can be here today and in some cases literally gone tomorrow – we don’t always have the hold we would like over them.”

“How do we get a hold of some of these Permanent Visa or 457 Work Visa People? I mean there seems to be quite a few of them?”

“We also heard that the feds have increased the planning levels for the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme to 16,000 places and there are these new Regional Migration Agreements being rolled out, and what the hell, they made Perth and Adelaide both Regional?”

Yes that is all true.

However, like all things Immigration, the Devil is in the detail and small print and boy, can that print be scarily small at times.

Regional businesses can use these skilled migration programs to access essential skilled workers:

skilled overseas person through the system – it is under immense pressure to make this program work effectively. The program works well enough for larger businesses, however if you are an SME in regional Australia, you may encounter the following problems: You wont be able to sponsor anyone if the market rate of pay you are offering s less than $49,330. I’m sure that works for a regional RSL who is after a replacement cook.

Australian employers are also expected to pay 2% of gross payroll into a training fund each year OR show annual evidence of expenditure of 1% of gross payroll on “approved” training. This requirement amounts to a training tax on approved Australian sponsors.

It’s important that you realise that the 457 Work Visa Program is MUCH more about the Australian employer and his or her obligations to the Immigration Department – there is a full suite of “obligations” that your business signs off on.

The Immigration Department has the power to monitor your business and any time and the legal right to sanction your business.

The 457 Work Visa . Remember–it has a start and END date.

The Immigration Department will try as best it can to “assist” your business meet the obligations – but that can include some scary letters.

The Immigration Department is championing this program as a relatively quick way to get a

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa (RSMS Visa)

Continued on page 51

collaboration

probably be chasing the average $120K wages in the mines and by-pass the agriculture, horticulture, animal production sectors and regional centres altogether.”

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 49

State finalists in RIRDC Rural Women’s Award announced The 2012 RIRDC Rural Women’s Award state winners and runners up have now been officially announced and presented at events across Australia. The state and territory winners will go on to compete for the 2012 Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award. The national winner will be announced at the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2012 Celebratory Dinner, to be held on the night of Tuesday 9 October 2012 at the Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra.

Rural women

The 2012 recipients are:

50

Tasmanian 2012 Winner - Fiona Ewing from Snug Fiona works as the Community Engagement Officer with salmon processor Tassals. With the major salmon companies looking to expand their operations to the west coast of Tasmania, Fiona wants to use the Award to establish a community trust that will support rural communities and deliver lasting economic and social change to the west coast of Tasmania.

Tasmanian 2012 Runner Up - Gina Butler from Tunnel Gina is Principal of Yondover Goat Farmhouse Cheeses and a leader in the Tasmanian goat cheese industry. Her ambition is to help support the expansion of the goat dairy industry as a new viable enterprise for producers and an emerging new industry for Tasmania.

Western Australian 2012 Winner - Catherine Marriott from Kununurra Catherine is a consultant to the live cattle industry, having extensive knowledge and practical involvement in the northern Australian beef industry. Her Award ambition is to bring together a group of women from the pastoral country to develop their knowledge and skills in communication and media so they can better advocate on behalf of the beef industry and on behalf of rural and regional Australia.

Western Australian 2012 Runner Up - Lucinda Giblett from Manjimup Lucinda is a third generation horticulturalist, an organic grower and a passionate advocate for regional communities and sustainable food production. Her Award ambition is to create a not-for-profit organisation, Stellar Violets, to use

the wisdom of her rural women foremothers and to celebrate sustainable food and to help dissolve the urban-rural divide.

South Australian 2012 Winner - Mary Retallack from Crafers West Mary is a third generation viticulturist and Principal of viticultural consulting group Retallack Viticulture with 17 years practical experience in the industry. Her Award ambition is to support women’s leadership to ensure a more profitable and resilient wine industry, through the development of a ‘Women in Wine’ website, as a comprehensive information and networking hub to support women in the wine industry.

South Australian 2012 Runner Up - Krysteen McElroy from Padthaway Krysteen and her husband are progressive and climate change smart farmers, operating a mixed farming enterprise in the state’s south east. Krysteen is the Executive Officer of the MacKillop Farm Management Group and a Climate Champion farmer. Her Award ambition is to support Australian farmers to be climate ready by researching new high value and water efficient crops to increase productivity and sustainability.

NSW 2012 Winner - Danica Leys from Sydney Danica is an agronomist and now an agribusiness lawyer based in Sydney and co-founder of social media platform AgChatOz. Her Award ambition is to take AgChatOz to the next generation to better advocate for Australian agriculture.

NSW 2012 Runner Up - Corinne Annetts from Uralla Corinne is a dairy goat producer and processor from the New England and Principal of Sunhill Skin Essentials, a range of goat milk based skin care products and moisturizers. Her Award ambition is to support rural women in business enterprise and support the expansion of the dairy goat industry in NSW. Northern Territory 2012 Winner - Barbara Koennecke from Nhulunbuy Barbara is a pioneer of the aquarium industry in Northern Territory and Principal of Arafura Aquatic Fish Pty Ltd, one of the first professional aquarium businesses in the Northern Territory.

Barbara’s Award ambition is to support the giant

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012

clam industry and engage the indigenous community in the development of the aquaculture industry in the territory.

women’s leadership development. Her Award ambition

Northern Territory 2012 Runner Up - Dr Samantha McMahon from Katherine Samantha is an international leader in the field of veterinary practices in remote indigenous communities, having operated veterinary practices across the Territory for the past 17 years. Her Award ambition is to improve animal husbandry programs and services for remote indigenous communities throughout the Territory.

community engagement between indigenous and rural

Queensland 2012 Winner - Annette Smith from Emerald Annette is Chair of Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative Ltd and a Senior Property Valuer with Taylor Byrne. Her Award ambition is to develop and deliver a series of workshops for agricultural landholders and representatives of mining companies, to better inform and to build capacity to negotiate better outcomes for all parties and the broader community.

Queensland 2012 Runner Up - Michelle Deshong from Kirwan Michelle is a facilitator and mediator with some 20 years experience, working in indigenous affairs and rural

is to develop a model for cross cultural dialogue and women, to support and build engagement within rural and regional areas.

Victorian RWA 2012 Winner - Tania Chapman from Red Cliffs Tania is a citrus grower from the Sunraysia and Chair of Citrus Australia. Her Award ambition is to nurture and develop the leadership of rural women and young people in the citrus industry in Australia.

Victorian RWA 2012 Runner Up - Elise Wenden from Charlton Elise is partner in a mixing farming operation in the Wimmera and runs her own business, Fruition Nutrition, where she provides consulting services and products related to soil and plant health. Her Award ambition is to further develop her knowledge of biological farming as a source of re-invigoration for farming enterprises and rural communities.

Continued from page 49

Warning: We can expect a significant change to this visa from 01 July 2012. I’ve written about this at www. regionalskillsaustralia.com.au .

This is a permanent visa and the only real immigration program that offers concessions to regional Australia.

Its easiest to explain this visa in 4-steps: A regional employer (i.e. you) in Australia must offer employment to an overseas skilled person for two years – book mark that.

Your friendly local Regional Certifying Body (RCB) must give a kind of all round approval that the position on offer is legit and that level skill-level of the position warrants his or her signature. Did you know there are 55 Regional Certifying Bodies in Australia? Yes, there will be one for you.

The Immigration Department then reviews what the RCB has already looked at and then delves deeper into your business and the position. If it’s all hunky-dory, the Immigration Department approves this.

Finally, the Immigration Department takes a look at the overseas skilled person’s visa application.

Of course, this is the simplified version and unsurprisingly, any stage of this process can take a long time (way too long in my opinion).

However, a major advantage of this program is that the Immigration Department does NOT have the power to monitor or sanction a regional Australian employer after

the entire process is finished, so the chance of a scary letter is minimal.

Also–and this is not widely understood–the Immigration Department has the power to cancel the RSMS visa IF the visa holder does NOT make a “genuine effort” to remain in the position for a period of two years. There are numerous policy exceptions to this, though, and the whole thing is quite vague. It does mean that a regional Australian employer has some hold over the overseas skilled worker – just don’t count on it.

“Ahh .. this is where the two-year offer of employment comes in and hey, this is also the Permanent Visa that you were talking about before!”

Look, there are other skilled visa programs that employers in regional Australia can use, such as Labour Agreements. But this is way plenty information for now and I’m sure you have other things to do.

In the meantime, there are always the back packers, Pacific Islanders and those people on bridging visas to put to work!

My advice to you is to make sure you always check the validity of an overseas person’s visa, and whether he or she has the right to work. You want to keep the Immigration Department on side.

Otherwise enjoy the avocados, beef, yabbies and Zircon (if you can find it) and this big Australia that we all love to love.

Michael Jeremy is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0208955) based in Auburn in Sydney’s West.

Passion to Profit – the magazine of New Rural Industries Australia Issue 9 – 2012 51

The Farmer wants a life

Despite farming being one of the most physically and mentally demanding professions, farmers are often on their own when it comes to decision making.

FARM MINDER速 will save you a slab of time by helping you: plan your farming operations comply with your chemical storage and pesticide application obligations locate detailed and up-to-date pesticide product information develop strategies for taking your farm forward

So head to farmminder.com.au and try the FARM MINDER system for FREE. Who knows, you might get some of your life back.

8/9 McKay Street, Turner ACT 2612

w w w.farmminder.com.au Tel: 1300 673 700