Recovery in the Northern Rivers –A year on from the devastating floods
Virtual fencing is on the cards –Embracing this new technology
When the chips are down & out –How our potato farmers are faring
Farmers being put on the map –Produce trails are on the rise
Electing a better future
With farming at the forefront
Jeremy Seaton-Cooper, stud principal of Circle 8 Bulls, has welcomed the opportunity to add feed efficiency to the performance data he uses to breed his cattle.
He believes it will add value to the data he already collects, including birth weights, weaning weights, fertility, maternal and carcase data. The last includes ultrasound scanned and actual chiller room carcase data.
Jeremy is in the negotiation and design phase of installing a net feed efficiency system on his farm, using the RFID ear tags and remote sensing software to measure feed intake.
A set of weigh bars at the water trough will enable weights to be regularly recorded during the trial.
Jeremy expects to use the feed efficiency system to initially gather
data about his replacement heifers, eventually evolving to a whole herd recording approach, including bulls and steers.
He said the value of undertaking feed efficiency trials on his farm means he will soon be able to identify the most feed efficient animals in his herd.
“We at Circle 8 Bulls are very aware of our social license. People want cattle to be raised with empathy and in a format that has a minimal footprint from an environmental standpoint,” Jeremy said.
“The Wagyu breed is in a luxury beef space and has traditionally relied on a long feeding grain regime. The only way to reduce our footprint under those circumstances is to measure and identify animals that have a reduced intake but have high marbling outcomes. We then use these animals to breed forward.
“If we can design an animal that produces an optimal marbling outcome for a particular market with less inputs, it’s a no-brainer to pursue that goal,” he said.
Jeremy already collects a vast quantity of performance and carcase data from his own enterprise.
“This year we are investing heavily to collect carcase data from the F1 progeny of our Wagyu bulls joined to Angus cows.
“It’s a significant investment and it will increase the accuracy of our Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) on our bulls, upwards of 20 per cent.
“It will give our customers a higher level of confidence to select bulls. It will also give us a huge advantage over our seedstock competitors in a very competitive space.”
NEWS AND VIEWS
Dubbo to host the 2023 National Renewables in Agriculture Conference; Natural ways farmers can reduce their carbon footprint; What does the forthcoming election hold?; The town of Molong rebuilds after devastating floods; A framework for taking transmission lines
CHEERS TO THAT!
Pubs are becoming more important to the farming economy by establishing breweries and stills 42
THE CHIPS ARE DOWN
Recent rain has badly impacted potato growers, with supermarkets now rationing one of our favourite foods 46
GOLDEN YEARS FOR VIETNAM’S AG EXPORTS
Aussie cotton and wheat exports to Vietnam have surged, and a fondness for our beef has flourished 50
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
Years of extreme weather events mean water managaement is now crucial 54
GATES STILL CLOSED ON VIRTUAL FENCING
Recent rain has badly impacted potato growers, with supermarkets now rationing one of our favourite foods.
GENETICS
WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR WAGYU FARMERS
Australian breeders are producing some of the best
When you work for WaterNSW, you’re an essential part of an expert team who look after NSW’s dams and rivers, and supply water across the state.
Our people live and work in more than 40 communities across regional NSW.
Creating a legacy for generations to come is at the heart of what we do. Join a team committed to delivering water when, and where it matters.
We are always on the lookout for talented people and suppliers to partner with us and make a difference that lasts.
waternsw.com.au/careers
PUBLISHER James Wells
EDITOR Michelle Hespe
ART DIRECTOR Ryan Vizcarra
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
Michelle Hespe
Email: mhespe@intermedia.com.au
ADVERTISING
SALES DIRECTOR
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–CONTRIBUTORS
Anthony Ong
Beverley Hadgraft
Danielle McIltrot
Emily Simpson
Kylie Falconer
Michael Burt
Nannette Holliday
Rachael Lenehan
Stephen Mudd
Susan Gough Henly
Tony Blackie
NSW FARMERS
Welcome to another issue of The Farmer� In this issue we are still looking at how the floods have affected so many, but now, some positive stories (and as always, ones of resilience) are shining through We met some of the locals in Molong and in the Northern Rivers and although there is still so much work to do, there are plenty of smiles as well, as everyone helps their neighbours and communities to get back on track�
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The Farmer magazine is published for the NSW Farmers Association (ABN: 31 000 004 651) by The Intermedia Group (ABN: 94 002 583 682) 41 Bridge Rd, Glebe NSW 2037. All rights reserved. Printed by IVE Group. Getty Images were used throughout the magazine.
Innovation is also a major component in this magazine, and indeed, the life of a farmer, and so in this issue we’ve delved into a remarkable advancement that, I will be honest, I had not come across before: virtual fencing It makes perfect sense, when we are dealing with floods and fires that can destroy infrastructure, homes and livelihoods, to have another option in, dare I say it, ‘the cloud’� As with any new technology, it will take time to roll out, but in the meantime, it’s a great read Recently we have also been including stories of international influence, and I was surprised to learn that Vietnam is one of Australia’s greatest supporters, and that they love our meat, cotton and wheat � And jumping over to our Special Report on Wagyu Genetics, Australians should be proud of the fact that our Wagyu is now comparable to Japan’s Speaking of great produce, one of my favourite things to do is embark on the exploration of a town or a region, being led by my nose and tastebuds� More and more farmers are seeing the benefits of opening their farm gates to tourists and becoming a part of produce trails, which can then turn into another stream of income that does not involve many of the logistics
that are part and parcel of sending produce off the farm, on to the road and into the supermarkets� Our story on produce trails might inspire you to look at what you can offer those visiting your region� Vistors to your farm will no doubt have much to learn about what you do, and who doesn’t love a good yarn over a wholesome snack and a great experience on the land?
Last but certainly not least, the upcoming election There’s a lot on the cards in relation to farming, and we have a few great features in this issue to offer some insight into how NSW Farmers will be working with you all to achieve the best outcomes for agriculture� And really, that means the best outcome for all of us
MICHELLE HESPE EditorThe Intermedia Group takes its corporate and social responsibilities seriously and is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. We continuously strive to improve our environmental performance and to initiate additional CSR based projects and activities.
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WagyuEdge ‘23 Hosted by the Australian Wagyu Association
The fourth chapter of the National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Expo will be held on June 21 in Dubbo.
Conference founder Karin Stark said this chapter will further explore the growing innovation opportunities in renewables for reducing energy costs on farms
“We’ve got brilliant speakers to discuss battery storage, bioenergy, future farm vehicles and fuels and of course we’ll hear directly from farmers on how they’re saving money and what they’ve learnt,” Karin said
“We are also covering redefining farmers roles in decarbonising the grid�”
Keynote speaker Ross Garnaut, a renowned clean energy expert and author will discuss how Australia – rich in resources for renewable energy and for capturing carbon in the landscape – could become an economic superpower of the post-carbon world
“We will also be looking at how farmers can navigate through certificate schemes available for financing renewables on farms with Gemma Clement from Green Energy Trading�”
Gemma will be presenting on what government incentives are available, cover timelines, and some of the hurdles involved in unlocking these incentives
“When considering investments and savings in energy for your business, look at a mix of equipment upgrades, sub-metering, renewable energy, battery storage and load shifting,” Gemma explained
“In most cases, these types of investments will attract government incentives that either reduce your upfront expenses or generate revenue through trading certificates; LGCs, ESCs, VEECs and ACCUs�”
Dubbo farmer Tom Warren, who owns two 100kW solar systems that export to the grid, will also feature in this chapter of the annual conference�
“We are looking to maximise the Feed in Tariff income from these systems using a profit sharing arrangement with a Melbourne business, where they sell our power into the spot market and we share profits while being guaranteed a minimum tariff, so it’s a win-win,” Tom said Head to renewablesinagconference.com.au for more information and to book tickets for 2023 National Renewables in Agriculture Conference
There are a variety of ways that SONIC Natural Farming can help farmers reduce their carbon footprint.
SONIC Natural Farming’s model is to produce 100 per cent natural Fish Hydrolysate, Seaweed Biological Fertiliser and Liquid Seaweed Supplements for livestock, directly on-farm�
Farm-based production of biological inputs can have a number of advantages for farmers�
Firstly, it can enable farmers to save money on product delivery costs, as well as the carbon footprint involved in transportation
Secondly, producing biological inputs on-farm also enables farmers to re-use storage containers, which can drastically reduce single-use plastic waste build up on the farm and in landfill� This means that there is no need to dispose of storage containers after each use, which can contribute to increased profits for farmers�
And finally, the process of producing conventional fertilisers is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other potential nutrient losses in the environment
The key to SONIC Biological Fertiliser production is the efficient processing method whereby the seaweed or fish is converted into a liquid fertiliser through anaerobic digestion� This cold fermentation process requires no power and produces no emissions or harmful by-products�
In addition, the SONIC System produces biological inputs that can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilisers and pesticides, as the beneficial microbes contained within the products help to improve soil health and promote plant growth This results in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly farming system�
The SONIC Natural Farming model is an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to the production and use of chemical fertilisers� It is a viable option for farmers looking to build soil fertility, produce nutrient-dense crops and reduce their carbon footprint
For more information, visit sonicnaturalfarming.com.au.
Dubbo: Friday 5 - Saturday 6 May
Griffith pop-up: Thursday 25 May
Wagga: Friday 26 - Saturday 27 May
Narrabri: Friday 21 - Saturday 22 July
On March 25, the people of NSW will go to the polls to determine which party will form the next State Government�
The Liberal-National Coalition, led by Premier Dominic Perrottet, is attempting something no conservative government has ever done in NSW: to be elected for a fourth term
Leading the Opposition is Chris Minns, who holds Labor’s most marginal seat of Kogarah in Sydney’s south with only a tiny lead over The Liberals�
These two leaders both face daunting tasks, and both are unlikely to hold an outright majority in the Legislative Assembly without some sort of election day miracle
Managing to govern from minority is an incredibly difficult thing to do, and while it was one of the skills former Premier Gladys Berejiklian possessed, her successor hasn’t quite managed to reach MPs – or voters – on both sides in quite the same way�
Without a doubt, Perrottet enters the campaign from a weaker position than Berejiklian held in 2019 and must overcome the weight of incumbency – the tendency of any government to bleed votes at each election On the other side, Minns is fighting two battles: to not only return Labor to government, but also to save his own seat� Indeed, there is a very real possibility that Labor could win while Minns loses�
In 2019, Gladys Berejiklian defied expectations to return for a third term of government, and in the process became the first woman to be re-elected Premier of NSW
She held a majority on day one, but then a global pandemic radically changed life in NSW almost overnight� While many praised Berejiklian’s handling of the health crisis, it wasn’t enough to weather the storm of political drama
The government suffered several blows during this term – some of its own making – and by the time Berejiklian fell during an ICAC inquiry (that has yet to deliver its findings), the government had lost its majority�
There was also the very public stoush between the Coalition partners – the ‘Koala Wars’ – which saw Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams defect from The Nationals to The Liberals
Then Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Transport Minister Andrew Constance both
resigned amid rumours of federal ambitions and fought a bitter battle in the media� Ultimately, Barilaro’s seat would be retained by the Nationals while Constance’s seat went to Labor
Two other Government Ministers – Gareth Ward and John Sidoti – also became the subject of scandal and left both Cabinet and the Party Room�
However, the Coalition was not alone in dealing with political headaches� Labor lost Member for Bankstown Tania Mihailuk to the crossbench (and then to One Nation) during a pre-selection stoush with a fellow frontbencher And the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party saw all three lower house MPs leave the party to become independents after controversial comments made by leader Robert Borsak in the Legislative Council�
The result of all this turmoil sees Labor enter the 2023 election with a far stronger position than the Coalition, but whether it can claim the nine seats required to form majority government is another matter entirely
A ‘Hung Parliament’, where neither side holds an absolute majority in the Legislative Assembly, is the last thing any leader wants The ability to deliver on promises made during a campaign is greatly reduced, and any major legislative reform becomes almost impossible without major concessions to the crossbench – to the MPs from minor parties or independents sitting on the crossbench�
At the moment, there are three true independents on the crossbench: Sydney’s Alex Greenwich, Wagga Wagga’s Joe McGirr, and Lake Macquarie’s Greg Piper This trio have worked well together during this term of government, but a potential spanner in the works is the rise of the ‘teal’ independents, a movement of traditionally conservative candidates with progressive ideals�
During the 2022 Federal Election, highprofile campaigns backed by billionaire wallets saw six Liberal MPs ousted by teals, including Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
While some have suggested a similar
‘Teal Wave’ at this state election, there are two major hurdles: the most obvious one is the strict spending cap that attempts to ensure wealthy candidates cannot buy an election by overpowering opponents This will be a major hinderance to any teal as they will not be able to use the full power of those very large campaign war chests But perhaps the biggest challenge will be the state’s ‘optional preferential’ voting system�
At the Federal Election, people had to number every box in order to cast a valid ballot But in NSW, voters can choose to number only one, or two, or three boxes
This disrupts preference flows and means support for independents quickly ‘exhausts’ unless they are wildly popular in their own right�
In the end, there is no clear path to victory for either side this time around� No conservative government has ever gone four terms in NSW, and while the ‘teal factor’ is still an unknown, it is unlikely to secure victory for Labor in quite the way it did federally last year l
l EDUCATION
Local Land Services is teaming up with NSW Farmers to deliver four face-to-face foot-and-mouth disease Information Sessions in May 2023�
The forums will cover:
• How to identify foot-and-mouth disease and know what to do if you suspect a case
• Finding out what you can do on your farm
• Hearing what Local Land Services does to prevent Emergency Animal Diseases
• Hearing about the work of Local Land Services in pest animal control�
To express your interest in attending visit www.nswfarmers.org.au/fmdinfo
To keep up to date with the latest election news, scan this QR code or head to www.nswfarmers.org.au/stateelection
The small town of Molong was hit with a flash flood that devastated businesses and sporting fields. But the community’s determination to rebuild has been bolstered by local spirit, generous donations and a successful fundraising campaign.
On the Sunday night of November 13, the Central West town of Molong, 30 kilometres from Orange, was devastated by a flash flood that destroyed most of the CBD including the supermarket, post office and service station as well as the sporting fields
“What shocked us was the wall of water that was so ferocious it burst all the shopfront glass windows and lifted and ripped apart the turf of the hockey field� It was like an inland tsunami,” says resident Kate Strahorn� “The water was all gone in the morning, but it left a trail of utter destruction ”
The very next day, everybody came out to clean up
“I’ve never been more proud of our little community,” says fellow resident Tim Sullivan “Hundreds of people were up to their arms in mud doing their bit� It was galvanising and it’s why we all love where we live�”
Kate adds: “The team from Molong Ready Mix Concrete brought in their trucks to take loads to the tip Builders from Dubbo, Wellington and Orange donated their services Armies of kids picked up garbage The Brethren Rapid Response Team and Bunnings fed us all and the local pre-schoolers in high-vis vests handed out scones and Anzac biscuits
“At the end of the day, The Telegraph Hotel – whose first floor had been under water – shouted everyone drinks� This is what happens in regional communities� Everyone wants to help no matter what age or what skills they have ”
The very next day, Kate launched the GoFundMe campaign called Help Rebuild Molong at her friend (and local photographer) Emily Eckhard’s kitchen table�
“I began to think my skills might be better used to raise awareness,” says the former director of marketing at Macquarie Bank, who moved from Sydney to Molong a decade ago when her husband bought a cattle property
“I realised I can make a meaningful difference here There are amazing multi-talented people in country towns, and we worked together organically to set things up pretty quickly,” explains Kate� “A small team of locals passionate about rebuilding our town launched an Instagram account to highlight the many acts of kindness that really speak of the wonderful sense of community we have here ” Between them all, they decided to concentrate on raising funds to rebuild Molong’s sporting facilities, which play such a key role in a small country town
“These facilities – the hockey club, the bowling club, the rugby fields, the cricket pitch and the tennis courts – are the heartbeat of the town,” says Tim, who was born and bred in Molong, and returned seven years ago to raise a family here after years working around the world for meat exporter Sanger Australia He now runs Endeavour Meats from Orange
Above:
launched
“It’s not just about the sporting assets,” he says “It’s what they add to the mental and physical wellbeing of the town � The clubs and pubs also drive the economy and when everyone comes to play or watch sport, the streets are busy and the town feels alive ”
Molong won the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association competition this year for primary school age girls and 14 Molong hockey club players were selected to play
in the NSW Under-15 training squad There are 180 paid-up members of the Molong Hockey Club and a very successful mixed twilight league of 10 adult teams in a town of just 1,600 people�
“There’s an incredible depth of skills in country areas like ours and the calibre of coaches is amazing,” adds Kate “We have so many talented young players not just in hockey, but also in cricket and rugby union and league ”
Molong resident Kate Strahorn
the Help Rebuild Molong fundraiser; locals pull together to clean up the town; floodwaters in Molong.
The GoFundMe page has raised more than $100,000 to rebuild the sporting fields destroyed by the floods, including the hockey club and rugby league fields, with plans to unite the sporting clubs; Two weeks after the flood, the Molong Christmas Markets saw 3,000 visitors arrive to support the town and bolster the local economy.
Tim and his wife Cass, as well as Fliss Armstrong, used their contacts to get exposure on programs like Channel 7’s Sunrise , ABC’s The 7.30 Report and numerous radio stations� But it’s also been the community’s work on social media that has had a direct impact on the success of their fundraising
The GoFundMe Page has already raised more than $100,000 while Auctions Plus ran an online charity auction with 33 impressive lots including herd bulls, rams, semen and embryo packages, stud kelpie pups, meat and even five nights at a luxury Noosa beachfront apartment that raised another $143,000�
Two weeks after the flood, also thanks to social media, 3,000 people came to the Molong Christmas market where local
shops were selling their salvaged goods, the preschool filled the empty walls of the post office with student art, the Spilt Milk Bar (with donated milk from Little Big Dairy Company) gave out free gelato, while market, food and wine stalls were run off their feet, everyone sang Christmas carols and the pubs were heaving�
Meanwhile, Sydney sports clubs and schools have been donating equipment and raising money and the plan down the track is to invite city kids to come and play the country teams in Molong to build an even bigger community�
“In January, we’ll be focusing on government grant applications many of which require co-contributions, so our Rebuild Molong funds will be very useful,” says Kate “We’re encouraging everyone to apply to bolster the local economy ”
“A small team of locals passionate about rebuilding our town launched an Instagram account to highlight the many acts of kindness that really speak of the wonderful sense of community we have here.”
–
KATE STRAHORN
Local resident of Molong
“Our goal is to unite the sporting clubs of Molong, to create something for many generations and to build back better,” says Tim� “We’ll have lots of in-depth conversations and perhaps rethink where sporting facilities might be co-located and we’re looking forward to partnering with the council to make a meaningful difference in the community ”
If you would like to help #RebuildMolong, please go to the GoFundMe page gofundme.com/f/help-rebuild-molong l
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NSW Farmers is plotting a way forward for a planning framework that considers going underground as an option for energy transmission line projects.
Words MICHAEL BURT
Underground powerlines look better and are safer in times of natural disasters, however the need to dig trenches does come with a hefty price tag
For instance, according to the results of a Transgrid investigation, construction costs would more than triple if the 360-kilometre HumeLink project went underground The project will connect Wagga Wagga, Bannaby and Maragle via a new 500kV Alternating Current (AC) Consultants investigated HVAC (High Voltage Alternating Current) or HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) options, both above the ground and underground, for the HumeLink Undergrounding Study Report
Released in August last year, the report estimated a $17 1 billion total price tag for putting HVAC lines underground and $11 5 billion for HVDC lines, compared to the project’s current costings of $3�3 billion�
The increased costs are driven by a range of factors, most obviously the need to dig the trenches Other costs include labour, materials, plant and equipment, as well as engineering and project management costs
Affected landholders and members of the Humelink Community Consultation Group (CCG) such as Andrea Strong are disputing costings laid out in the report
“We could not endorse the report at the end of the process We considered that it was flawed and unbalanced,” she said “We believe the HVDC construction costs could be exaggerated by billions, and the current overhead project cost could be understatedby at least a billion�”
Andrea is a NSW Farmers member and beef producer based in Gunning and was one of three community
members on the steering committee for the underground study
“The figure they produced for the overhead lines was based on 2020 input costs and the one for undergrounding was based on 2022 input costs� The consultants doing the study said there has been a dramatic rise in input prices in the last two years, so it’s not a fair comparison in that regard
“The independent undergrounding expert, who was paid for by Transgrid to advise the community, has also said publicly he does not endorse the report
“They first released the report in June with a cost of $21 million per kilometre for undergrounding cable� The expert told us that was wildly exaggerated, and the report was eventually retracted
“Another independent expert was appointed to resolve the issue and they estimated a worst-case scenario of $6�5-$7�5 million per kilometre�” >
GOING TO GROUND Underground powerlines carry a hefty price tag, however members of the Humelink Community Consultation Group are disputing costings laid out in a 2022 report from Transgrid.
“Another independent expert was appointed to resolve the issue and they estimated a worst-case scenario of $6.5-$7.5 million per kilometre.”
–
ANDREA STRONG NSW Farmers member
Andrea said these cost estimates do not include the cost of DC converter stations required to transform the current back to AC for retail use, which makes the total installation cost more for undergrounding
“It is complicated comparing the two options We don’t disagree that the initial construction costs will be more for underground – we knew that at the outset of the study
“But I do believe there is a misconception that overhead transmission lines deliver the cheapest electricity� There are potentially enormous costs to agriculture, the environment and to communities�”
Andrea said the report concluded that the corridor needed for one underground option was 17 metres, compared to 70 metres for the overhead option
“We are concerned about the impact to threatened species and it’s going through ecologically threatened communities and valuable remnant vegetation on farmland�
“There are also costs to the productive efficiency of agriculture, particularly in terms of modern precision farming practices that rely on technologies such as drones, machine guidance and virtual fencing
“Many governments in other countries have come to the conclusion that undergrounding is the cheaper option when you take all the associated environmental costs into account�
“The construction costs for undergrounding are more, but the offsetting non-market benefits for the environment and the community outweighs that�”
Andrea cited the 700km HVDC underground SuedLink project currently being constructed
in Germany as an example � The 525kV direct underground power line will connect wind-rich areas in northern Germany to major consumption areas further south The project is tipped to cost AUD$15 4 billion and is a key plank in Germany’s plan to have 80 per cent of the country’s power supply be renewable energy by 2050
NSW Farmers economist Brendan O’Keeffe said there needs to be greater consideration of undergrounding as an option earlier in the regulatory assessment process
“Greater consideration of the environmental and social costs associated with transmission lines earlier in the regulation process would avoid the current situation with HumeLink, which is characterised by a lack of transparency, robust analysis and community acceptance,” he said�
According to Brendan, the Australian Energy Market Commission has conducted a review of the transmission planning and investment process, finding that there are opportunities to incorporate social licence in the Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T) process
“This test currently only considers economic costs and their impact on energy consumers, ignoring broader impacts on communities and the environment�
“Transmission companies are also supportive of this regulatory change as it would allow them to recover social licence costs such as consultation and analysis of different route options ”
Overhead transmission lines can carry unseen costs, such as lowering the productive efficiency of agriculture.
Brendan is advising the NSW Farmers Energy Transition working group to develop a policy that advocates for incorporating undergrounding as an option for future transmission lines�
One option Brendan noted is “a change to the national energy rules to provide consistency and certainty for the handling of social licence costs, which will ensure the mistakes of HumeLink are not repeated
“This will be especially important in light of the hundreds of kilometres of transmission lines that will be financed by the $20 billion Rewiring the Nation program,” Brendan said� l
A report released in January claims that the proposed HumeLink overhead powerline project will significantly increase the risk of deadly bushfires. This risk and resulting environmental harm were not accounted for in the HumeLink undergrounding report, and is not considered in the RIT-T process.
The Why are we super-charging bushfire risks in a changing climate? report calls on the state and federal governments to use their planning powers to insist that the cables go underground.
It was commissioned by the Stop, Rethink HumeLink campaign, which was established by community action groups, HumeLink Alliance and HumeLink Action Group.
The campaign’s spokesperson and volunteer firefighter, Bill Kingwill, said plans to build HumeLink overhead would exacerbate bushfire risk already rated ‘above normal’ by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council.
SPARKS WILL FLY
As overhead powerlines could potentially increase the risk of deadly bushfires, there needs to be greater consideration of undergrounding as an option earlier in the regulatory assessment process.
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“The HumeLink towers proposal is based on flawed and short-sighted economic thinking and ignores the findings of numerous bushfire inquiries and Transgrid’s own assessment that there is a high degree of bushfire risk along parts of the route,” Bill said. “It is well recognised in several recent bushfire inquiries that overhead powerlines not only start deadly bushfires, but also hamper our efforts to fight them because of the clear dangers that they present to volunteer firefighters on the ground and in the air.
“In recent years, investigations into major and destructive bushfires in Australia have made recommendations of undergrounding electricity transmission lines to minimise risks of sparking fires and impeding firefighting.”
access to
us and our latest #Beyondbuybacks and #DYK campaigns on Twitter and Facebook For more information, call 02 9264 3848 or visit our website www.nswic.org.auThe NSW Irrigators’ Council is the peak body representing irrigators in every NSW Murray-Darling Basin valley and coastal valleys.
The green shoots of recovery are emerging for the Northern Rivers farming community one year on from the devastating 2022 floods.
Words MICHAEL BURTThe floods that ravaged the Northern Rivers region in February last year were the fourth most-expensive natural disaster in the world in 2022, according to global reinsurance company Munich Re�
The region (along with southeast Queensland) also has the unenviable Insurance Council of Australia title of being the most costly natural disaster in Australian history
For third generation Tweed Valley farmer Alan Brown and son Andrew, the magnitude of the disaster is still surreal
“We’ve had two of the biggest floods in history, and that’s a pretty big shock to the system despite living with floods all my life,” Alan said � “It’s no wonder the scars still run deep�”
Alan and Andrew farm 130 hectares of sugarcane at Tygalgah on the Rous River near Murwillumbah with Alan’s brother Malcolm
Sugar contributes $200 million a year into the Northern Rivers economy and is based around three river systems – the Tweed in the far north, the Richmond, and the Clarence�
“We’ve always been prepared for flooding, but the bar has been lifted now and we’re working with new parameters,” he says “We didn’t get an accurate reading of rainfall at the time because our rain gauge went under water, but it was absolutely dolloping
Above then clockwise: Third generation Tweed Valley famer Alan Brown (right) and his son Andrew on their sugar cane farm
(Image: Ant Ong)
A soybean crop emerging on the Brown’s farm
“I know that there was over 40 inches around Doon Doon and Burringbar and that’s the water that hit the cane farms down here on the flood plain�”
Alan said the farm’s two homes dodged the worst of the flooding, but the family’s machinery sheds and sugarcane crops did not fare so well
“Like grain farmers, our machinery and equipment are our most valuable working assets: water and modern tractors do not mix well We got our two tractors up to a flood mound, but 900 millimetres of water went through the shed that was already on a flood mound above normal flood levels,” he explains�
“We’ve built one new shed on one flood mound, and we’re working on lifting another shed Making a safe haven for our machinery has been a priority We’ve also been working on improving the farm’s drainage system ”
Alan estimates it will be at least three years before the cane crops are back in full production�
“The growth and vigour in our cane crops is just not there yet – we reckon the plant’s root system is still recovering And there does not seem be any life in the stools – the below ground structure of sugarcane I have not seen it like that before ”
The bulk of the annual sugarcane harvest in the Tweed region is traditionally from one year-old plant cane, however crops can typically be harvested annually for up to seven years�
“The big impact has been on the young crops,” Alan explains�“With good weather, it will take three or four years to get those crops back to where they should be
“And of lot of plant cane did not go in until November, which is extremely late, and so won’t be harvestable this year It’s a tough plant when it comes to surviving wet conditions, but this flood and the ongoing wet weather was new territory�”
Chairman of the Tweed Valley Canegrowers
Robert Hawken said the two floods in February last year had a severe impact on the region’s sugarcane farmers, but the industry will recover
“Sugarcane is the most resilient crop grown on the Northern Rivers flood plains, and high sugar prices, farmer resilience and soybean crops will sustain the local sugar industry in 2023,” Robert said.
“We were certainly tested though� I am 70 years old, and the 2017 flood was the biggest one I had seen in my lifetime, but this one was more than one metre deeper than that on my farm
“Yields for the 2022 crop were down by at least 30 per cent and ongoing wet conditions through much of the year really set back the recovery phase A significant amount of plant cane was lost, which means yields this year will be markedly down and may not be any better than last year’s results�”
Alan says that growers were also not able to get a soybean crop off last year, which was another hit to income streams
“Every day is still a struggle,” said Lismore City Council Mayor and small business owner Steve Krieg.
“To know that one of the biggest global natural disasters in the world last year happened here in our region really puts into context what we’re having to rebuild from, and why we are going to have to get some housing off the floodplain.”
Mayor Krieg said more than 1,000 homes will need to be relocated from the city’s floodplain area.
“We are bit over 12 months into what we will be a five to 10 year rebuild for Lismore. I understand people’s frustrations and the need for answers, and my goal is to make sure people get at least some level of clarity and some direction for the relocation of their homes,” he says.
“It might not happen this year, but I want people to know that there is a future for them here. It’s a long and complicated process, but we will get through it.
“My priority is keeping our residents safe and getting them off the flood plain, but we will also need to be able to use that land for something else.
“We are working on a Lismore 2032 vision for rebuilding, to present to the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation to return Lismore to a sustainable thriving regional centre.”
In the shorter term, the council’s priority is the daunting task of repairing the Shire’s road network.
“There’s 1,200 kilometres of roads in the Lismore LGA, and more
than 950 kilometres of that was directly impacted by flooding,” says Mayor Krieg. “To use a farming term, there’s definitely green shoots, but there is a lot of dead grass that will take a lot of work to recover.”
The green shoots that are emerging include a resurgent industrial area and news that Norco will rebuild its dairy factory.
“Every week we are getting new businesses reopening again. Our industrial estate has bounced back a lot faster than our retail sector,” he says, adding that the council’s successful push for a landlord’s grant for Lismore’s central business district has proved vital.
“A lot of landlords would have walked away from their investments otherwise. It gave them the motivation to refit and rebuild,” he says.
“Our retail and CBD areas are still only at about 30 per cent capacity. We were back to 90 per cent in 2021 after the 2017 floods, so it will take some time for the CBD to be fully reactivated.”
Mayor Krieg said initial talks that Norco would be forced to move its factory to another town were “stressful”.
“Norco employs up to 160 people and any employer of that size in a town like Lismore is critical, but it is also a favourite farmer-driven brand that is strongly associated with our town,” he says. “I will only use Norco milk in my coffee! I think they are planning on having their first ice cream run in July, which is great news.”
“The growth and vigour in our cane crops is just not there yet – we reckon the plant’s root system is still recovering. And there does not seem be any life in the stools – the below ground structure of sugarcane. I have not seen it like that before.”
–ALAN BROWN Tweed Valley sugar cane farmer
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Top to bottom: While there is still much to be done in terms of rebuilding in Lismore, there are promising signs of the town coming back to life, with many local businesses reopening; Alan Brown, who is hopeful for the future of farming in the region he loves.
Soybeans are an important rotational crop for the region’s cane farmers, and Alan said it could be a saving grace for many of the region’s cane farmers in 2023�
“It’ll be a tough few years ahead, but farming is what we’ve always done,” he says “It’s in our blood and we enjoy what we do, so we will make it work ”
President of the North Coast Oilseed Growers Association Paul Fleming said many farmers are pinning their hopes on a decent soybean harvest this year to recover at least some of the significant losses endured in 2022
Paul said 98 per cent of crops were wiped out last year in the Northern Rivers
region, which is the largest supplier of dryland and organic soybeans in Australia�
“Surprisingly, it’s been a dry start to the year Some rain in late January was a real godsend and I would hope we can get back up to 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of soybeans planted
“Prices are reasonably good too and there will be strong demand for soybeans harvested from crops that were planted early, so there is the potential for a good recovery in 2023�”
The Northern Rivers beef industry has
fared better than most in the 13 months since the unprecedented flooding�
Fences are still being replaced and pastures lack some vitality, but record market prices have spurred a speedy recovery
NSW Farmers Executive Councillor and Rosebank cattle farmer Ron Chittick said the region is a vital ‘nursery’ for supplying young cattle to the east coast cattle market�
“The beef industry is still going strong – our sector was not as badly impacted as others,” he said “There was lot of damage to fences and shedding, but I would estimate that around 80 per cent of cattle country escaped the worst of it
“The grass has been very slow to recover, but otherwise everything is back to normal on my farm�”
Ron said the strong cattle market in 2022 has helped keep spirits high in the local beef industry, which is the largest agriculture sector in the Northern Rivers
“The high cattle prices have been good for those affected farmers that still had some to sell, but it’s difficult for those buying back in,” he says� “The main issue has been the ability to restock for those down river that lost cattle� Some farmers lost up to 100 head, including breeding cows No one really knows exactly how many cattle were lost ” l
Lismore’s Norco factory will be churning out ice cream later this year, much to the delight of employees, the Lismore community and ice cream lovers.
Norco’s Heritage-listed building was decimated during the floods, leaving the dairy cooperative with a $140 million bill.
Norco supplies ice cream to major brands in the domestic market, and exports product to Japan, Taiwan, and the US, to name a few.
“We’ve had tremendous support from our customers, including overseas. They are all keen to see the factory reopen,” said Norco Chair Mike Jefferies. The federal and state governments have chipped in with around $55 million for the rebuild, alongside a “sizeable investment” from Norco.
“Construction is well underway. The Norco ice cream factory will be reopening in stages, with the aim to start operations in the new financial year,” Mike said.
He said Norco has outsourced some manufacturing in the last 12 months to keep the ice cream flowing.
“For dairy farmers, there are still lots of challenges on farm rebuilding laneways, infrastructure and fences, and pasture recovery has been slow.
“Production across the region is still down, because a lot of farmers had to cull cows or lost cows in the flooding, and production per cow is still below average.”
Mike said Norco implemented a funding program for its suppliers to assist with the purchase of replacement cows.
“The quicker our farmers get back into full production, the better it is for our business and to get the ice cream production back into full swing.
“There were increases in farm gate prices in July, which has also helped rebuild some confidence levels.”
Mike said the rebuilding of Norco’s rural store, feedmill and headquarters in south Lismore is complete.
The nation-building Inland Rail project will change how freight moves around the country – and change it for the better.
– Words TONY BLACKIEThe construction of Inland Rail will add flexibility and resilience to the national network by providing an alternative route away from the existing rail line up the east coast of Australia, which has been hit by floods, fires and landslips as a result of multiple weather events in recent years
The ability for Inland Rail to link into existing networks allows greater flexibility for operators when something goes wrong It will also ensure the national freight network is more resilient in the face of future challenges.
The plans for 1,700 kilometres of freight rail down the spine of eastern Australia will mean the Inland Rail is ensuring the economic viability of producers needing to get animals and produce to major centres for both domestic and export markets It is planned to deliver track record of 98 per cent reliability for transporting freight
With less than 24-hour transit time from Melbourne to Brisbane, farmers are getting the competitive edge needed to attack the re-emerging international markets�
Over the past three years the east coast of Australia has suffered unprecedented and, in many cases, catastrophic weather events
While the damage to towns and cities has been massive, the impact on farming communities has left many people struggling to survive and questioning whether there is any point in continuing to work their properties�
The recent floods that washed away stock, fences, roads and rail lines seemed to be a last straw for many
The rail network between Narrabri and Moree opened in early December 2022, with major construction works through to North Star set to be finished this year�
Rebecca Pickering, Inland Rail’s Chief Executive, said the project was creating a new freight future for Australia She said that despite various unavoidable setbacks – such as the weather – the planned construction was gaining momentum, and in some areas ahead of schedule
“We are really looking forward to continuing that momentum in 2023,” she said � “The work we are doing is not only connecting Australia’s freight network, but is also a real catalyst for communities and businesses to unlock benefits and opportunities
“Those benefits are clear from the first phase of construction between Narrabri and North Star, which has supported work for nearly 2,000 people since September 2020, including more than 660 locals – of which 180 are First Nations workers�
“In addition, nearly 140 local businesses have shared in nearly $225 million of contracts supporting and servicing the build
– helping to spread the benefits of Inland Rail across the local economy
“We are also very proud that our Inland Rail Skills Academy has already delivered training to more than 2,000 people along the alignment, helping to develop the skills needed to build a better future for our communities
Mrs Pickering said the network was not only connecting rural and regional Australia to the major distribution centres of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, it’s also proving to be a catalyst for communities and businesses to unlock benefits and opportunities�
With the flood waters still slowly receding in some areas, teams of emergency repair workers have managed to replace the kilometres of track torn up by the water Now, despite the damage done, the system is largely up and running
Moree and surrounding areas have experienced major flooding events over the past three years due to the impact of La Niña weather, with the Mehi and Gwydir flood plain requiring a track rebuild and many other areas experiencing washaways and infrastructure damage
Moree Mayor, Councillor Mark Johnson, sees the development of his district as a Special Activation Precinct – providing a major transport hub for the movement of primary produce from surrounding areas to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – as a vital component in the development of Australia’s rural sector
“Moree is one of five Special Activation
Precincts or SAPs Essentially the idea of an SAP is to have a designated area – a commercial hub providing opportunity for businesses to come to town,” Cr Johnson said.
“The Special Activation Precinct for Moree is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for this town We’ve had 10 to 15 years of declining population and for the first time the state government is projecting that we’ll actually have a population increase ”
Cr Johnson indicated that as a consequence of the implementation of the SAP, the NSW Government is projecting up to 4,000 population increase which will have major knock-on effects for the town such as new housing projects and supporting infrastructure, education and health services
“The Inland Rail Project has been on the Government’s drawing board for decades –really as a pipe dream – getting transport from Melbourne through to Brisbane and straight through our shire� We’re an agricultural-based community, producing about a billion dollars of agricultural product in any one year, and we’re very proud of our contribution to Australia’s economy ”
Cr Johnson said most of the agricultural produce from the Moree area has traditionally been trucked north or south, providing large expense for farmers�
“It really chews into their gross margins, so to be able to put that in containers on a train that’s 1 3 kilometres long – heading north and south – will create great cost efficiencies for our farmers l
The primary concern for voters coming into this state election is the cost of living, with interest rates, innovation and infrastructure following close behind.
Words EMILY SIMPSON Photography ANTHONY ONGPolling commissioned by NSW Farmers shows that cost of living is the primary concern voters are taking to ballot boxes on the March 25 election� While the cost of food and groceries is at the top of the list for most voters, interest rates are not far behind – and for new landowners such as young farmer Martin Murray, rising interest rates are a significant worry
But while the NSW Government cannot change interest rates, Martin is clear on what the government can do: help farmers become more productive and profitable It’s a sentiment shared in the NSW Farmers state election platform, which focuses on five key areas where government and industry can partner to build agriculture for the benefit of farmers, regional communities, and the consumers who rely on access to affordable, clean, and healthy food and fibre
For Martin and his family, who run a 340-hectare cropping farm business near Delungra, relief at finally entering the farm property market in 2020 quickly turned to worry as loans across the country began to swell�
Martin said, “Like most young farmers who have just bought in, we are pretty well leveraged to the bank Rising farm input costs have not helped Grain and beef prices have been strong, but they have been winding back ”
Martin and his wife Rachel, who have a two year-old son and another child on the way, might be considered lucky to even be able to enter the farm property market�
Wearing his other hat as chair of the NSW Young Farmers Council, Martin’s key state election priority is to advocate for strategies to help new young farmers to purchase or lease farmland
As chair of NSW Young Farmers Council, Martin Murray’s key state election priority is to advocate for strategies to help new young farmers purchase or lease farmland.
“Support measures including business capability initiatives, stamp duty rebates, and low documentation loans through the Farm Innovation Fund need to be explored
“There are support schemes for young farmers in Victoria and Queensland� It’s time to bring one to NSW�”
But first things first: with Martin’s phone dropping out several times during his chat with The Farmer, improving telecommunications would also get his tick of approval
“Delungra is a shocker for mobile service, which really can inhibit the farm business ”
Martin wants to look to the future rather than dwell on the challenges� For him, a lot of answers lie in innovation�
“With rising costs, we are going to need to be as smart and efficient as possible in the next few years to maximise returns from the farm
“Research and development is key to driving productivity and paying that interest bill The more that can be spent on researching new varieties, new techniques and new technology, the better it will be in terms of improving farm productivity and profitability�”
As part of its state election platform, NSW Farmers is calling for the expansion of the Farm Innovation Fund and Seafood Innovation Fund beyond the $1 billion already committed to date to help build the >
resilience of farms The group is also calling for the establishment of a dedicated Climate and Emissions Reduction Innovation Fund to help find emissions reduction solutions on farms, such as non-petroleumbased fuels
Martin said road, rail and port infrastructure investment should also be a priority for the next state government
“In terms of future investment for our farm, the priority would be grain storage That would help with our marketability and efficiency of grain production It would be much better for us to sell direct from the
“Support measures including business capability initiatives, stamp duty rebates, and low documnentation loans through the Farm Innovation Fund need to be explored. There are support schemes for young farmers in Victoria and Queensland. It’s time to bring one to NSW.”
–
MARTIN MURRAY
Farmer and chair of the NSW Young Farmers Council
farm rather than use bulk handlers because we are relatively close to the Port of Newcastle�
“We grew durum wheat last year, which was exported from the Port of Newcastle� The next state government must continue to support the expansion of container exports at Newcastle, and I know that grain traders in this region back that ”
An ongoing advocacy priority for NSW Farmers is to expand access to ports, including the Port of Newcastle� Legislative changes made last year meant a fee liability to the NSW Government when the port reached certain levels of container movements was replaced with a more equitable pro-rata compensation payment Now, the priority for the advocacy group is to push for 100 per cent of bulk grain to be delivered to port by rail
Top: Martin Murray’s Delungra property.
Above: Mick Veitch MLC (Labor), NSW Farmers Armidale Branch chair Andrew Cameron, Mark Banasiak MLC (SFF), Sue Higginson MLC (The Greens) and Deputy Premier Paul Toole attended the third NSW Farmers Regional Debate in Armidale, which focused on building regional NSW.
“Rail lines are improving for the transport of grain, but traders tell me the chokepoint is now at the ports,” said Martin�
At a farm level, however, the chokepoint is the state of local roads
“The state of the roads is appalling Our farm is at the end of a road that is managed by two councils, so we never get a look in,” said Martin
A key request in the NSW Farmers state election platform is for greater and more sustainable funding for councils to undertake the significant road work required following severe and ongoing storms and floods across regional NSW, including an amendment to the current grants process
The headline ask is a $1 billion commitment to improve the roads in regional, rural and remote areas – which, at the time of writing this article, had the backing of the Coalition if re-elected
NSW Farmers hosted a Regional Debate series leading up to the election � The forums, held throughout regional NSW, focused on key issues for voters including environment, water, infrastructure, land use and energy, and featured the relevant Minister, Shadow Minister and spokespeople from the cross bench
Environment policy was the focus of the first NSW Farmers Regional Debate in Goulburn� Politicians who attended included Minister for Environment and Heritage, the Hon James Griffin MP, Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage, the Hon Penny Sharpe
MLC, Sue Higginson MLC of The Greens, and the Hon� Robert Borsak MLC of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF)
Each panellist agreed with the importance of balancing productivity and environmental conservation, the need to engage consultatively with landholders, and the need for a strong partnership between government and industry� While there was some disagreement about the approach needed towards climate change regulation, it was generally agreed that land management in the future must be incentive-based and not impeded by red tape Biosecurity on public land was recognised as an important issue Going into the election, NSW Farmers has a headline policy supporting the establishment of an independent Natural Resource Regulator to enforce required management of public lands including National Parks and Crown lands� In Budget Estimates 2022, the Department of Primary Industries confirmed there had been no prosecutions made by public land managers since 2016 for animal pests
NSW Farmers put water management in the spotlight at the second regional debate in Bega Politicians who attended included Minister for Water, the Hon�
LEARNING ON THE LAND Martin and his wife Rachel (with their two year-old son and another child on the way) might be considered lucky to even be able to enter the farm property market, but they have certainly faced many challenges so far.
Kevin Anderson MP, Shadow Minister for Water, the Hon� Rose Jackson MLC, Cate Faehrmann MLC of The Greens, the Hon Mark Banasiak MLC of SFF, and the Hon Rod Roberts MLC of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
With coastal harvestable rights and a new water sharing plan as the key local issues on the night, panellists primarily discussed water capture and the balance between agricultural productivity and environmental outcomes� The construction of new dams was a sticking point for panellists, particularly in relation to the definition of first, second and third order streams under the new water sharing plan in the Bega Valley
With several marginal seats in doubt, NSW Farmers took a closer look at two key regional seats ahead of the election� Goulburn and Myall Lakes currently sit with the Coalition, with the former held by Liberal Wendy Tuckerman and Myall Lakes by Nationals member Stephen Bromhead
In the seats of Goulburn and Myall Lakes, the cost of living consistently remained the key issue on voters’ minds In Myall Lakes, most voters do not believe either major party will address the issue, contributing to primary swings against Labor and The Nationals and increases in minor party and independent voters� In this relatively safe seat held by The Nationals, around a third of voters have indicated a departure from the major parties – a significant shift away from the two-party system compared to previous elections, such as the 2019 election when almost 78 per cent of Myall Lakes voters gave their primary vote to one of the major parties�
In Goulburn, polling suggests the outcome could go either way� As well as cost of living, aged care and health are key issues for Goulburn voters�
In both Goulburn and Myall Lakes, the state of roads registered as the headline issue for voters in terms of the NSW Farmers’ election priorities l
NSW Farmers has a headline policy supporting the establishment of an independent Natural Resource Regulator to enforce required management of public lands including National Parks and Crown lands.
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While traditional fences will always have a place in Australian agriculture, the on-farm applications of virtual fencing are a game-changer for livestock farmers.
Virtual fencing technology is moving forward, but legislation allowing it on farms in NSW is not.
–
Words MICHAEL BURTBY PHIL SOMERVILLE
Virtual fencing offers many benefits for both farmers and the environment.
What if the thousands of kilometres of fences destroyed in last year’s floods were virtual and could simply be switched back on once waters receded?
That question was posed to NSW Farmers staff at the 2022 Primex Field Days from a Northern Rivers farmer who had been replacing around five kilometres of fencing destroyed by flooding.
While traditional fences will always have a place in Australian agriculture, the on-farm applications of virtual fencing are a game-changer for livestock farmers.
The ability to set up cell grazing paddocks or fence off waterways and conservation areas with your mobile phone is already a reality in Australia, thanks to the work of the CSIRO.
Research and development by the CSIRO into virtual fencing commenced in 2005 and it now works in partnership with Gallagher Animal Management to develop on-farm applications for the technology. Its first product, the eShepherd for dairy and beef cattle, is not yet commercially available but farmers are trialling it on farms in New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania.
A virtual fence is essentially an invisible line in the landscape that can be created on a digital map using GPS technology.
Gallagher Animal Management’s head of eSheperd, Hayden Goble, explained animals wearing a GPS-enabled neckband are warned of the presence of the invisible fence through an audio cue and if that is ignored, the neckband delivers a short, mild electric pulse.
“Each neckband has GPS coordinates loaded into it that identify where the virtual fence is,” Hayden said.
“The audio warning is like a beeping noise and is only a couple of seconds long. We’ve seen that cattle quickly learn what the sound means and adapt their behaviour. Cattle do the same thing with temporary electric fencing.”
NSW and other states and territories are yet to amend their animal welfare legislation to allow livestock to wear the eShepherd neckbands.
Exemption permits can be obtained for approved research purposes, and projects have been undertaken in NSW and Victoria using beef and dairy cattle and sheep.
NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders told parliament last year he would consider legalising the technology as part of a reform process for animal welfare legislation.
Mr Saunders said he recognised the important role this technology can play in rotational grazing systems, environmental outcomes and monitoring livestock.
“There is presently stakeholder engagement being undertaken, as well as other jurisdictions across Australia assisting the government to make an informed decision on virtual fencing,” Mr Saunders said.
However, the Animal Justice Party strongly opposes the adoption of virtual fencing in NSW and the RSPCA has voiced concerns about animal welfare implications.
According to the RSPCA: “One of the main welfare concerns of virtual fencing is the use of an electric shock, which has been shown to produce an acute stress response in animals.”
The RSCPA also cited a 2018 virtual fencing case study published within the Frontiers in Animal Science journal that states the technology initially exposes animals to an environment of low predictability and controllability, which can lead to anxiety and stress.
“Where virtual fencing technology is legally permitted, the use of collars should be subject to regulation that ensures safeguards are in place to protect the welfare of animals,” the report states.
“This includes adherence to standards that ensure appropriate use and avoid animal harm as well as third-party monitoring and auditing to verify compliance.”
Virtual fencing is less stressful on sheep than other standard farming practices, according to the results of University of New England (UNE) research project.
Joint UNE and CSIRO post-doctoral researcher
FENCING WITH YOUR PHONE
Left: The ability to set up cell grazing paddocks or fence off waterways and conservation areas with your mobile phone is already a reality in Australia, thanks to the work of the CSIRO.
Right: Nicole Bachmann removing the eShepherd neckband.
Danila Marini and joint UNE/CSIRO PhD candidate Tellisa Kearton took on a series of complex experiments measuring sheep stress responses to virtual fencing.
This project aimed to determine how the stimuli used in virtual fencing are perceived by the animal. The audio and electrical stimuli were compared to other commonly encountered stimuli in normal sheep production systems, including a barking dog and a restraint procedure.
Danila said they discovered that sheep eat the same amount of food, in much the same way as if contained by electric fencing.
“They behave normally, graze normally, without any stress, and learn very quickly how to interact with the fence,” Danila said.
Tellisa’s comparative experiments explored how sheep respond physiologically and behaviourally to the audio and electrical stimuli. Combining video analysis and measurements of cortisol levels and body temperature, she found that sheep were more stressed by a barking dog than the fence’s beep.
“Once the sheep recognise that the beep indicates the boundary, it’s no more problematic than any other fence, and that’s been an important finding,” Tellisa said.
“It’s very similar to the principles of a normal electric fence, except that it is an audio barrier rather than a visual, physical one.”
“Future versions of this technology will also enable farmers to automate the movement of livestock to higher ground during dangerous flood situations.”
–HAYDEN GOBLE Gallagher Animal Management’s head of eSheperd
Tellisa also discovered that sheep learn to interact with a virtual fence very quickly – after about three interactions, over a day or two – and that social learning is possible.
“We think individual ewes may be able to teach their lambs how to interact safely with the virtual fence, and while this maternal learning warrants more investigation, it has applications for when and how a farmer implements fencing within a mob.
“It may, for example, be better to introduce the virtual fences immediately after lambing, to educate the lambs all together.”
A four-year Virtual Herding (VH) project led by Dairy Australia showed the technology had minimal behavioural and welfare impacts on livestock, while effectively containing them to a prescribed area.
In addition, the physiological and behavioural responses of livestock indicated they were no more adversely impacted by the cues involved in VH technology stimuli than they were by other commonly encountered stimuli.
The VH project was completed in December 2020 and was the result of a partnership between the major livestock industries of dairy, beef, wool and pork. The project’s results demonstrated that beef cattle could learn the system within 4-5 interactions and were comparable with existing electric fence outcomes in terms of pasture consumption and animal performance.
In a first for NSW, a virtual fence is being trialled on a busy section of road on the South Coast to help curb the high wildlife road toll and improve driver safety.
One kilometre of virtual fencing has been installed along Cullendulla Drive in Long Beach – a section of road notorious for its high number of wildlife fatalities.
The project is spearheaded by local community environmental group, The Coastwatchers Association, in partnership with the Eurobodalla Shire Council and a local branch of the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service.
The electronic protection system comprises a series of poles set at 25-metre intervals along the road in a zigzag pattern. When a vehicle approaches at night, the car’s headlights activate each pole in turn, causing it to emit a combination of sound and flashing lights, creating a ‘virtual fence’ that alerts nocturnal animals about to cross the road.
The success of the virtual fence will be determined by comparing the roadkill data collected by council prior to installation with that gathered in the years after.
Similar virtual fencing has been trialled with success in Australia and internationally, with one pilot study in Tasmania reducing wombat roadkill by a significant 80 per cent.
Hayden Goble described the technology as “the next stage of evolution for fencing”.
“There are a lot of benefits in monitoring the health of livestock and the environment, as well as
Top to bottom: UNE PhD student Tellisa Kearton and post-doctoral researcher Danila Marini with sheep neckbands used as part of the virtual fencing program; eShepherd cattle neckband in use.
maximising pasture use efficiency. In New Zealand for example, we have waterway regulations coming in that will require farmers to exclude livestock.
“The economics and practicalities of fencing-off streams does not work for many farm businesses, so virtual fences could be a far cheaper option.”
Another environmental benefit is that native species can cross the virtual fence and maintain ecosystem connectivity.
Hayden said the technology could also be used during natural disasters to establish paddocks safe from flooding.
“Future versions of this technology will also enable farmers to automate the movement of livestock to higher ground during dangerous flood situations.”
Hayden said he understands the need to address any animal welfare concerns.
“It’s to be expected that people do need time to assess any risks with new technology, and we need to have animal welfare as the number one priority. We are conducting a number of trials in New Zealand that include monitoring the welfare and health of the animals. Those trials and other research papers indicate that there is no additional stress on the animals.” l
The forums will cover:
• How to identify foot-and-mouth disease and know what to do if you suspect a case
• Finding out what you can do on your farm
• Hearing what Local Land Services does to prevent Emergency Animal Diseases
• Hearing about the work of Local Land Services in pest animal control.
Tuesday 16th of May
Tuesday 23rd May
11am – 1pm
11am
– 1pm
to
express
Local Land Services is teaming up with NSW Farmers to deliver four face-to-face foot and mouth disease Information Sessions in May 2023.
–Stated in a recent RSPCA report, and cited from the Frontiers in Animal Science journal.
Country pubs are changing. While still integral as the visitor and hospitality centre of many small towns, they are also becoming important to the farming economy by establishing their own breweries and stills.
Words TONY BLACKIEThis rapidly growing industry of craft brewers and distilleries was kicked off by hobbyists and backyard enthusiasts.
However over the past decade, many small-scale brewers and distillers have been quietly growing their businesses, with many focusing on building rural and regional bases.
Many operators source ingredients for their products from local NSW farmers, including grains for whisky and beer production, native fruits for unique tastes as well as local meat and vegetables for the dining experience. It’s an industry worth billions – and it’s still growing.
There is an added bonus to the growth of this new industry: in many country towns the local pub has often seen better days. With a diminishing clientele looking for a few beers with a schnitty and chips, the new local distillers and brewers have been taking
over licences and providing a more modern experience.
Gavin Gillin runs the Braidwood Hotel, a classic Georgian-style building built in 1859, in the Southern Tablelands town of Braidwood.
He and his partners have a grand vision for the hotel which includes returning the building to its former glory and providing a tourism drawcard to Braidwood with fine food and locally distilled spirits made from local products.
Already the owners have made a substantial investment in the upgrade, and they are looking at an expansion which includes accommodation.
In the basement of the old pub stands a shiny new 500 litre stainless steel and copper still which delivers a variety of gins, vodka, whiskies and now rum – all of which is produced with local and regionally grown grains and additives.
In the basement of the old pub stands a shiny new 500 litre stainless steel and copper still which delivers a variety of gins, vodka, whiskies and now rum – all of which is produced with local and regionally grown grains and additives.BRAIDWOOD BREWS Above: The Braidwood Hotel, where their first whisky The Mermaid (above) was produced, with art by Ieva Guogyte.
Gavin Gillin’s gins, whiskies and rums are marketed under the Hold Fast Distillery brand, and targeted towards customers looking for an authentic food and drink experience in regional Australia.
Marketed under Gavin Gillin’s Hold Fast Distillery brand, the expanding range is aimed at customers who are now demanding a family-oriented experience and fine food in an authentically restored colonial pub.
“Our vision is for a nationally recognised tourist venue,” Gavin says. “We want people to stop here, enjoy our hospitality and then stop and shop in other parts of Braidwood.”
The plans to renovate the pub took a hit through the Covid-19 pandemic as few tourists were visiting the town and finding staff to manage the restaurant and bar was difficult, however, Gavin says, as conditions have eased, increasing numbers of people are visiting the town and the Braidwood Hotel.
Having spent 19 years in the Australian Navy, Gavin is not only passionate about building job and career opportunities for locals, but he is also keen to provide a helping hand to the many veterans who are struggling to move on from their military service.
He believes that when the hotel is fully functioning and the distillery is working at capacity, the venue will be able to employ up to 100 staff.
Paul McLeay is the CEO of the Australian Distillers Association, which currently has more than 400 members across Australia with more than 75 per cent in regional areas.
“Distillers are producing locally, using grains and botanicals more often than not grown on nearby properties,” he says. “Craft distillers are working with farmers to obtain the best grains and developing new and distinctive tastes for their products.”
McLeay says that the produce doesn’t stop at grains but also includes a variety of fruits including plums, apples and many others which are used in the distilling process.
“Australian gin and whisky is selling well in export markets as we have a great diversity of flavours with our native flora that haven’t been seen before on international markets,” he comments.
Domestic tourism to rural and regional areas is also being developed by the new industry. In Tasmania, a whisky trail has been established, while distillery trails in northern NSW, supported by State Tourism authorities, are helping to bring people to country towns.
Kylie Lethbridge, CEO of the Independent Brewers Association, says that the value of craft beers to the Australian economy is about $1.2 billion and growing.
“We want people to stop here, enjoy our hospitality and then stop and shop in other parts of Braidwood.”
–GAVIN GILLIN Braidwood HotelBY PHIL SOMERVILLE
Above: Craig Field –aka ‘Crafty’ – sitting amongst his barrels in the distillery that he established behind the Royal Hotel in Capertee.
“Our members are buying local and supporting local,” she says. “There has been a proliferation across the country of old pubs which would have been boarded up but have been taken over by brewers and distillers who are revitalising them.
“They are creating skilled jobs in rural and regional areas. It’s a win-win for country towns.”
Craig Field is known as ‘Crafty’ to everyone who visits the Royal Hotel in Capertee, a village 46km north of Lithgow. Crafty is a larger-than-life character who from small beginnings has established a distillery at the back of the Royal Hotel producing a fine single malt whisky made from locally sourced malted barley.
“We use 100 per cent NSW malted barley from Voyager Craft Malt north of Griffith,” Crafty says. “It is absolutely true that the local distilling industry is on an upward trajectory. New distillers are starting in country towns and creating employment.
“The relationship with farmers is very important. It is a fact that a farmer who grows malted barley will get more per tonne in sales to distillers. We are also sourcing wheat, rye, quinoa, wattle seed, corn and now rice.”
Crafty says he started part-time distilling and five years ago took a redundancy from his paid job and started full-time production.
He has developed unique marketing processes, not only selling through the pub, but also going to farmers markets and making online sales. More recently, he has been providing tastings combined with a movie in beach theatres and in country towns.
Demand is growing rapidly, Crafty says, as more people recognise the unique Australian blends available in the now internationally recognised creation of whisky and of the range of other spirits.
“We were affected by the fire, Covid-19, flooding and mouse plague, but we are still here,” he attests.
On the south coast of NSW lies the small town of Milton. The licensee of the Milton Hotel is Damien Martin, a chef, brewer, and owner of Dangerous Ales. He took over the Milton Hotel after 23 years as a chef and changed the look and feel of the pub. Providing the full hospitality experience of fine food, the hotel now boasts recognition in the form of a chef’s hat, and various beverages made from local produce.
“I think what is happening is that country pubs are going back to the way it was in the past, with a brewery in every town,” Damien said. “People want to see where the beer is made.”
He says that the clientele of the pub has also changed. “We are now operating under a different business model. We are after people who are looking for a different experience.”
The Milton Hotel operates a 2,000 litre microbrewery system, and its beers are now sold around Australia. The pub is looking to add a still for the production of spirits to expand its offerings. l
Australia grows more potatoes than any other vegetable, two-thirds of which are sent off for processing. However, the recent rain has badly impacted growers with supermarkets now rationing one of our favourite foods. –
Words BEVERLEY HADGRAFT
As the rising costs of fuel, fertiliser and labour began to bite, Jason Menegazzo did a few calculations. With a 50-year family history of growing potatoes behind him, he decided not to plant his usual crop last year.
“With all the increases, I just didn’t want to proceed,” he says. “There was no margin in it.”
When La Niña rains hit his NSW Riverina property in October last year, it confirmed he’d made the right decision.
“There was so much rain,” Jason observes. “The farm can only drain so much and when it’s non-stop rain every week, you get a situation where the soil becomes anaerobic. When you’ve got newly growing seed in there it’s no good. If the plant’s established, it can survive, but not as a seed.
“I was so glad I hadn’t planted. I know of other farmers in the area who had planted big areas of potatoes and they lost everything. With seed at nearly $1,000 a tonne, that was a lot of money to lose.”
Potatoes are Australia’s most valuable horticultural crop, with around 1.5 million tonnes produced per year. Processing potatoes –which become hot chips and crisps – have been particularly affected by bad weather, rising costs, and a shortage of labour and machinery.
Jason, along with the majority of potato farmers in Australia, would normally send his potatoes for processing into hot chips or snack food crisps.
And while potato growers are obviously not the only horticulturalists struggling with bad weather, rising costs and a shortage of machinery and skilled labour, the potato crisis has caused particular angst. That’s partly because potatoes are our most valuable horticultural crop. Australia grows around 1.5 million tonnes of potatoes a year, according to Shaun Lindhe, National Manager Communications at AUSVEG, nearly three times more than the next most prolific vegetable, tomatoes.
However, it’s also because while parents may have trouble getting their children to eat most other vegetables, getting them to eat their hot chips is rarely an issue.
The big dent in the 975,000 tonnes of potatoes that would normally go to processing has left shoppers frantic as some supermarkets restrict customers to one bag of frozen chips each or the option of sweet potato chips instead which are at least twice the price.
This shortage can’t be made up by importing potatoes or frozen chips either. Droughts in Europe mean their yields are down also, says AUSVEG director and fellow potato grower Geoff Moar. Meanwhile sea freight costs have risen and there’s a shortage of containers, he adds.
Curiously, fresh potato supplies have not been hit. “That’s because around 80 per cent are from South Australia which may not have been as impacted by the wet as the Riverina, Ballarat and Tasmania,” explains Shaun.
“I replanted one crop in January for a customer who has come on board and is more willing to discuss costs... It’s a work in progress but I’m not going to plant unless they make it worth my while.”
–JASON MENEGAZZO Potato farmer
However, these varieties aren’t ideal for chips and crisps. “They need a particular type of potato – high yield and not a potato you’d buy in the supermarket, it’s very dry,” says Jason.
Processing potatoes also need to be as large as possible for a better skin-to-potato ratio to avoid wastage in the factory and to have the ideal starch and sugar content for a crispy outside and a soft centre.
POTATO GROWERS AT A CROSSROADS
So, when will frozen chip supplies return to normal?
That depends on who you talk to.
Shaun says predictions range from two months to the rest of 2023.
“It depends on the weather and if yields from growing regions improve. Some people missed their optimum window for planting because it was too wet to get a crop into the ground and they didn’t want to sow later because they wouldn’t get the yields.
“Potatoes are a longer crop to grow – it takes around 120 days from planting to harvest – so we need to wait a bit to see what’s happening in the key regions.”
A BIG DEAL
Everything in potato farming is big. Processing potatoes need to be as large as possible for a better skin-to-potato ratio to avoid wastage, the volume produced is enormous and the costs for land and machinery to farm them are extremely high.
Jason, meanwhile, believes potato growers could be at a crossroads. The floods on top of the additional costs have been the final straw for many.
“I’m hearing of more potato farmers pulling out than farmers coming in, so the ones left need to get more scale. It’s an interesting situation,” he says.
“There is an industry out there – people love their chips – but it’s quite a specialised crop and with the cost of machinery and land, the barriers to entry are huge. If a farmer pulls out due to the cost of production and low returns, processors can’t just ring up another farmer and ask: ‘Can you grow spuds now?’
“Planters are worth $250,000, harvesters up to $600,000, tractors up to $400,000…everything is big numbers.”
“However,” he continues, “processors are big companies with big bureaucracies. They’ve maybe taken a bit of time to react, but I am seeing a bit more realisation that the cost rises have happened and they need to come on board with price increases for farmers.
“I replanted one crop in January for a customer who has come on board and is more willing to discuss
While the old fish and chip shop has found the potato shortage hard, Geoff Moar, a NSW Riverina grower, says that it’s the growers who have really struggled. He hopes that the lack of hot chips and crisps will encourage greater concern for food security in Australia.
costs and I’m in talks with others. It’s a work in progress but I’m not going to plant unless they make
weren’t there when the supermarkets dictated fresh market sales.
“We also have to handle those with minimal labour so that’s another reason we switched from fresh to processed.
Fellow NSW Riverina grower, Geoff Moar, is fortunate that the situation at his farm meant he wasn’t badly
He agrees that processing companies have more recently recognised the increase in growing costs and
However he’s finding they will only cover provable increases. “When you’re growing crops there’s always an area that doesn’t yield whether due to poor seed, hail or flood, and you need a bit of fat built in somewhere to average out income.”
Geoff grows under contract to processing companies McCain, Lamb Weston and Smith’s PepsiCo. He gave up growing for the fresh food markets after they started dictating preferred packers
“We have to handle big volumes and know we have a sale for the product. The economies of scale
“The thing is we still grow for cents per kilo and by the time our potatoes get into the shop, they’re retailing for dollars per kilo. It takes a whole season to grow a crop. These people have a product for maybe a week. It’s unfair the growers don’t have a bit more of a margin of the retail price.
“This country needs to think about food security. Growers are losing interest because of the huge costs and outlays.”
So, who has taken the brunt of the hot chip shortage?
“The poor old fish and chip shop has probably found it hard but it’s the growers who’ve really struggled,” says Geoff. “Many have lost a whole season.”
The only light at the end of the tunnel is his hope that while a lack of other produce hasn’t made people think about food security, perhaps a lack of hot chips and potato crisps will. l
Fifty years of diplomatic relations with Vietnam has boded well for Australian agriculture exports in the wake of China’s trade barriers. Cotton and wheat exports to Vietnam have surged and a fondness for Aussie beef has flourished.
Words MICHAEL BURT
Australian farmers have good reason to help celebrate the 50 th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australian and Vietnam this year.
Substantial increases in wheat and cotton exports helped forge a record $3.4 billion of export sales to Vietnam in 2021-22, and demand for Australia’s high-quality beef is tipped to continue to grow as consumers become wealthier.
Vietnam’s appetite for Australia food and fibre has also extended to increased sales for dairy products, seafood and premium horticultural produce.
Australia will be celebrating the 50th anniversary in Vietnam throughout 2023 with a program covering all aspects of Australia-Vietnam relations.
This includes agriculture, education, tourism, climate cooperation, skills as well as innovation and equality. Australian produce will be showcased through Taste of Australia events.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has marked the anniversary with an announcement of Australia and Vietnam’s shared intention to elevate the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
“This announcement reflects the high level of mutual strategic trust
and ambition in the relationship and will place Australia in the top tier of Vietnam’s closest partners,” Mr Albanese said.
Australian grown cotton has already hit top tier in the Vietnamese fashion world. In the second half of 2021, Australia became the largest supplier of cotton to Vietnam, overtaking the United States, with export sales of around $812 million.
Vietnam is the world’s second largest importer of cotton – buying around 6.8 million bales each year.
Chair of the Australian Cotton Shippers Association, Matthew Bradd, tips Vietnam will be the top market for Australian cotton again in 2023.
The bulk of the 2023 cotton exports will begin in May. “Vietnam was already an important export market, but has become our number one since China imposed soft import bans,” Matthew said.
“We have seen a massive uptake of new domestic customers in Vietnam with the 2022 crop. I was there late last year, and the feedback was clear: Australian cotton is by far the best to purchase. We have taken a lot of market share away from the US.”
Australian company Good Earth >
Cotton – which produces one of the world’s first carbon-positive cotton products – is adding another chapter to Australian cotton’s success story in Vietnam this year.
It has partnered with a leading Vietnamese fashion company, Fashion Enterprise, that plans to increase the processing volume of carbon-positive cotton to 16 million kilograms in 2023.
Fashion Enterprise is also looking to establish the first merino wool spinning factory in Ho Chi Minh City.
Australian wheat farmers have also benefited from strong diplomatic ties. Wheat is not commercially grown in Vietnam, and Australian wheat has become the preferred ingredient in bread, noodles and wheat biscuits.
The increased use of wheat in animal feed is also driving demand for Australian wheat, according to Austrade.
Demand for feed wheat is forecast to grow by 30.1 per cent, from 1,250 kilo-tonnes (kt) in 2021 to 1,626kt in 2031. The growing demand for feed wheat stems from growth in the local livestock industry and its wider use in aquafeeds for Vietnam’s large aquaculture industry.
Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) general manager of international markets, Andrew Cox, said the Vietnamese beef export market is still in an ‘infancy stage’.
“Our beef exports to southeast Asia have traditionally been dwarfed by countries further north like Japan, Korea and China, but the whole region
BY PHIL SOMERVILLEAustralian grown cotton has already hit top tier in the Vietnamese fashion world. In the second half of 2021, Australia became the largest supplier of cotton to Vietnam, overtaking the United States, with export sales of around $812 million.
holds a lot of great opportunity for Australian beef exporters,” Andrew said.
“Vietnam, in particular, is an exciting market for Australian beef. It’s fast growing and now has a population of almost 100 million, many of which are young and growing in wealth.
“Plus, we have had some recent market access improvements, particularly on chilled beef. Five years ago, we were exporting inconsequential amounts of chilled beef. Last year we sent 200 tonnes.
“We already export around $150 million worth of beef per year to Vietnam. It’s still small, but there are real opportunities to grow that as the country matures, retail standards improve and consumer demand increases for quality beef.”
Fish, pork and poultry still top the list for choice of meat, but beef consumption is on the rise.
The OECD-FAO forecasts Vietnam’s beef consumption to rise 15.1 per cent from 12,050kt in 2021 to 13,875kt in 2031. This 1,825kt increase is almost double the 944kt of beef Australia exported to the world in total in 2021-22.
These types of numbers have inspired MLA to invest more in marketing, including two new market
development managers based in Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City.
Vietnamese chefs were also bought to Australia to check out supply chains for beef and lamb and the food service sector has been targeted with a social media campaign promoting Aussie beef.
Andrew said beef exporters had also selected Vietnam, along with Thailand and Saudi Arabia, as a key market for MLA to invest in as part of an Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grant from the Federal Government.
“The good thing about Vietnam on beef is that we are not trying to introduce something new to the culture,” he said.
“They love beef and eat it more frequently than any other country in the region. They have their traditional dishes like Pho, but consumers are increasingly interested in Korean BBQ dishes, hotpots, steakhouses and grill restaurants.
“I had an Australian Wagyu Pho on my last visit to Vietnam, so there is premiumisation happening within traditional dishes.”
Andrew said the retail supply chain in Vietnam is becoming more sophisticated, which is creating
Australia exports around $150 million worth of beef to Vietnam, but the demand for quality Australian beef is growing. Australian Wagyu beef is now a premium ingredient in traditional Vietnamese dishes such as pho.
opportunities for Australian boxed and chilled beef in the market.
“The vast majority of beef is still sold through wet markets, and it is still important for Australia’s live export trade.
“On the boxed meat side, there are a lot of low-cost suppliers from India and Brazil. We are mainly competing with Canada and the US for market share.”
In 2021, Australia accounted for 83 per cent of the fresh or chilled bovine meat exports to Vietnam and 15.2 per cent of frozen bovine meat exports.
Andrew said sheep meat consumption remains low but is growing steadily, albeit from a low base.
Dairy consumption in Vietnam per capita remains low. For example, milk consumption per capita in 2017 was only 8.7 litres, compared to China at 24.1, India at 106.1 and Australia at 219.5 (Source: Our World in Data 2022). However, as consumers become wealthier and the population ages, dairy consumption is forecast to increase.
Most growth in dairy consumption is predicted to come from an increase in skim milk powder consumption. l
For the people on the frontline at Water NSW, the past three years have tested them at every turn. Years of debilitating drought followed by unseasonable catastrophic weather events have presented them with unprecedented situations to monitor and respond to.
The management of the state’s water resources is without doubt a highly complex process. Even though dams and water catchments across NSW are now at peak levels, daily monitoring of dams and river systems is a high priority.
“Dam management is now erring on the side of caution, due to not knowing exactly where the weather is going,” said Tony Webber, spokesperson for Water NSW.
He and the water management team believe that there is no time for complacency.
“Contingencies are now in place to ensure we keep the water flows that are necessary for farms and towns,” he said. “We learned some tough lessons over the drought years and the government has made some great investments to improve facilities and services, so we are in a much better place now.”
Tony admits there has been criticism of Water NSW, particularly over the critical weather periods and, most recently, with the impacts of the extreme rain and flooding events. While Water NSW is always trying to improve its services, he pointed out that the team managing the water flows and dams across NSW also live in the affected areas.
“Their homes, families and friends have been impacted by the floods and increased water flows. They are invested in safe and considered management of the flows,” he said of his frontline colleagues.
“It has to be said that due to the efforts our people made, the flooding was less intensive and the impacts weren’t as great, especially when you consider that the dams have filled multiple times. In other words, we are talking about extraordinary levels of water which have been both above the average and above the forecasts.” >
Words TONY BLACKIE
“Contingencies are now in place to ensure we keep the water flows that are necessary for farms and towns.”
–TONY WEBBER Spokesperson for Water NSW
AIN’T NO SUNSHINE Sunflowers near Coleambally in the Murrumbidgee Valley.
Tony said most people in NSW have seen the news footage of Wyangala Dam spilling into the Lachlan River in November 2022. This, he said, clearly showed the power and impact of the rising water.
Despite this, the outcomes were a good indication of the diligent and careful calculations and success achieved by Water NSW dam operators in creating space in the dam between rainfall events to hold back huge amounts of water, before the frightening November deluge finally pushed the dam beyond capacity.
“I have never seen a year like 2022,” Tony said.
Over the coming months, Water Ministers from the eastern states will meet with federal counterparts to discuss key issues around water management, with particular reference to the Murray Darling Basin Plan and a focus on the Menindee Lakes.
With unprecedented rainfall in the Darling catchment, the massive flows are making their way into the Menindee Lakes.
Tony pointed out that the lakes were receiving 1.5 times their total capacity in a five-week period during the height of the La Niña rainfall period. With a floodplain that was already saturated, this meant inevitable higher downstream floods. Tony said that the Menindee Lakes are only now showing a fall from peak inflows.
NSW Farmers Association has been brokering discussion between Water NSW, local government and farming communities across the state. They recognise that water management is a highly complicated issue and that dialogue with all the parties involved is a means to producing a better system.
The rollout of these meetings has so far involved communities on the South Coast, with more to come.
Clockwise from top left: Flooding creates an ephemeral wetland in the Gwydir Valley; Cotton field near Bourke, in the BarwonDarling Valley; Rice paddies at Coree, near Jerilderie in the NSW Murray. Images by NSWIC.
“Changing climate conditions have meant that water management does not only need to be undertaken with the next drought in mind, but with the next super-wet period which will inevitably come.”
Clockwise from top left: Irrigators grow 76% of Australia’s vegetables; Canola in full blossom near Jemalong Irrigation Trust in the Lachlan Valley; Flume gates near Griffith in the Murrumbidgee Valley; Delivery channel, Darlington Point in the Murrumbidgee Valley. Images by NSWIC.
NSW Farmers has taken a strong stance on many water-related issues such as recent buy-back plans and the formulation of a consistent management plan which benefits farmers and the local communities.
The NSW Irrigators’ Council (NSWIC) represents 12,000 water licence holders across the state. CEO Claire Miller said a lot of good work has been done to improve water management for environmental purposes but a great deal more needs to be done to safeguard water for food and fibre production and the viability of rural and regional towns.
She said that while the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has delivered greater environmental flows, it has reduced water security for farmers.
On the Gwydir River, Copeton Dam near Inverell exceeded capacity and spilled more times in the latter part of 2022 than the previous 40 years combined.
In the past 12 months Keepit Dam – the main storage on the Namoi River near Gunnedah that ran dry during the most recent drought – received and released water equivalent to almost 2.5 times its storage capacity.
If dams like Burrendong on the Macquarie River near Wellington and Burrinjuck on the Murrumbidgee River near Yass had both been empty in July, they would have received enough water since winter to fill and spill almost three times.
“If you can’t access enough water at prices you can afford, you go out of business,” Claire said.
Water security is not just an issue in the Basin, however. Claire explained that coastal farmers need to build more farm water storage so they can fill up when rivers are running high, protect rivers by not pumping when flows are low, and provide more water for activities such as fire-fighting.
Changing climate conditions mean water must be managed not just with the next drought in mind, but also the next inevitable super-wet period.
“We have to manage for both ends of the extreme, with fewer shoulder years in between,” Claire said. “We don’t want knee-jerk reactions when the extreme periods hit.
“We want the Basin Plan to work, but not at the cost of seeing our communities die. We need integrated catchment management, and we believe we are at a tipping point.”
Claire said farmers are very adaptable and have historically played a responsible role in water management.
She said there is an impression that water users take what they want and let the rest suffer, but in fact, water is allocated first to make sure rivers run, then to supply towns and stock domestic. Irrigators are
Left to right: Irrigating fodder crops for dairy in the Bega Valley; Orange grove near Curlwaa in far southwestern NSW; Mulwala Canal, near Finley in the NSW Murray. Images by NSWIC.
last to be allocated from what’s left, and first to have the taps turned off when it turns dry. Further, data from the ‘water police’, the Natural Resources Access Regulator, show theft and misuse is rare.
The Basin Plan and earlier reforms have also redirected one in three litres of irrigation water to the environment, on top of river flows. It means much less water for farmers, especially in low flow or drought periods, leaving farmers less resilient to climate extremes. Claire is worried about the political pressure to further reduce farmers’ water access.
She added that degradation drivers such as carp are undermining the Basin Plan’s gains, achieved at large socioeconomic cost. She has called on Basin ministers to move beyond the Plan’s simplistic ‘just add more water’ approach.
“The focus, funding and sense of urgency must shift,” Claire said. “The biggest threats include invasive species such as carp, habitat degradation, blocked fish passage and cold-water pollution.
“Buying back more water from farmers won’t fix that. The 2,100 billion litres recovered under the Plan so far is delivering many environmental benefits, but if these degradation drivers are not addressed, then just adding water will only ever be tinkering around the edges.” l
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Every five years, the Japanese Wagyu Olympics are held. Since 1966, the Wagyu Olympics were used to encourage a high level of cattle breeding and to promote Wagyu beef in and outside of Japan. The most recent Olympics was held in October 2022.
The Breed Improvement category judges a cow on visible traits such as its size and proportions. The Meat Quality category is open to carcases judged on fat quality and content.
At the most recent Olympics, pairs of breeding cows and fattening cows were paraded, prodded and turned into prime steak in a competition to identify the best Wagyu beef. At the end of the competition, the best breeding cows and carcases were sold at auction.
What is at stake is the ability to breed and lay down intramuscular fat: the last fat deposited within the muscle.
The soft fat in Wagyu beef has a lower rendering point than other beef. Intramuscular fat is metabolically expensive to achieve because the breeder or finisher has to hold onto the animal for longer, feed it for longer and allow the animal to lay down weight slowly, which helps give the beef its famous marbling.
Then there is the delta-9 desaturase gene, which converts stearic acid (saturated fat) into oleic acid, which Wagyu cattle are selectively bred to enhance. Readers would be familiar with oleic acid being predominant in olive oil as mono-unsaturated fat.
Australia’s Wagyu breeders understood that producing meat is a high cost enterprise in a globally competitive marketplace, but they could use the genetic analysis of the animal to fast-track their breeding and build a database of carcase values.
In 2016, when science enabled genomic information to be captured and used to finetune their breeding, Wagyu breeders had a considerable database of breeding and carcase values to analyse and utilise.
This same type of dedication to excellence continues to influence and drive the passion of Wagyu cattle breeders in Australia. Their passion is driving breeding at the cutting edge of data collection, with an eye on the future for customers and consumers.
Outside of Japan, Australian breeders are producing some of the best Wagyu steaks in the world.
When a pedigree Wagyu heifer bred by Jon and Robyn Elphick of Inverell sold for $400,000 in NSW last year, there were 45 international bidders from 10 countries among the 260 registered bidders, in person and online, at the sale.
The winning bidders, Yulong Investments, bought Sunnyside S0014 for an embryo transfer program, using elite semen and recipient cows.
The Wagyu breed was introduced into Australia in the 1980s and 1990s as a minor breed in a very niche market.
Science was part of the breed’s growth from the beginning, figuratively and literally. Genetic analysis was centred around growth – or size – of the Wagyu animal, while matching animals to breed for eating quality and marbling traits.
Because the Wagyu animal was generally owned by the one farmer throughout its life, that enabled breeders to rapidly develop a collection of useful data.
This was incredibly important, given only 300 animals were allowed out of Japan and into Australia.
That initial courage that breeders demonstrated has now been vindicated with global interest – to the extent that Australian Wagyu genetics have been exported into many other countries.
The high marbling and eating quality traits in the Australian Wagyu have attracted interest from Asian countries, including the Japanese market, where premiums of at least 10 per cent are paid for the meat.
Last year, the three North Asian markets of China, Japan and Korea imported more than 62 per cent of Australian beef exports by volume.
Wagyu breeders want to be part of that and, according to the Australian Wagyu Association, Australia is the largest global exporter of Wagyu branded beef.
WAGYU
Top left, then clockwise: Jeremy and Carmen SeatonCooper of Circle 8 Bulls; The WagyuEdge Industry Dinner at the Australian Wagyu Association’s annual conference; Olivia Thomson, whose grandparents Michael and Susan McCosker breed Wagyu cattle for prime marbled steak; Laine and Lucy Thomson and Michael McCosker at the homestead on Codenwarra.
“I see the day coming when Wagyu bulls will be a mainstay of commercial beef production. Wagyu-sired beef product will be readily available on supermarket shelves and in all levels of dining experience due to its superior eating quality.” –
A Meat Standards Australia research project is looking to identify a quantified ‘Wagyu effect’ involving feedback from thousands of consumers across Australia and the Middle East participating in sensory testing.
The United Arab Emirates is involved because it has been identified by Meat and Livestock Australia as an emerging market for Australian-grown Wagyu meat.
The sensory test, describing the eating quality potential of a beef product, involves 72 head of cattle, including purebred Wagyu, Bos Indicus F1, Angus F1 and purebred Angus.
Recent changes mean Wagyu is part of that F1 progeny testing for carcase and feed performance. This has opened the potential for using Wagyu bulls as terminal sires, whose offspring will be used for meat.
The Australian Wagyu Association currently holds the world’s largest Wagyu genetic database, with more than 25,000 full-blood animals registered in the system.
Wagyu is also set to benefit from a project identifying country of origin markers that guarantee the meat is produced in Australia. Technology trials to identify authenticity were developed in Japan, Singapore, the UAE, China and the US which use Blockchain technology to secure supply chain integrity, providing customers with a trusted provenance story.
Provenance stories have also benefited from the growth of the Wagyu Branded Beef Competition. In 2023, there is a record 58 entries from 28 individual brands competing across five classes. >
Jeremy Seaton-Cooper, of Circle 8 Bulls, has recently been validated and recognised for his discipline of applying data to breeding, a trait that leading Wagyu breeders are well known for.
There are four Breed Object Indexes that are designed to optimise profit outcomes from commercial breeders self-replacing, Fullblood terminal and F1 terminal production systems. At the time of writing, Circle 8 Bulls stud has the number one Self-Replacing Index (SRI) bull in the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) database, as well as the number one and seven ranked females (as heifers).
“This accolade reinforces that our breeding objectives are on the right trajectory, but at the end of the day, we won’t treat the females any differently,” Jeremy said.
Weaned earlier this year, the two heifers will be flushed, then turned back into the herd to mature. They’ll then go through the normal practical joining and rejoining program to identify if they deliver on their genetic promise.
“A cow earns her keep by having a calf, raising a calf and getting back in calf,” said Jeremy. “Commercial breeders need guaranteed fertility, and that’s what we’ll be looking for from these female cattle.”
Jeremy has been collecting performance data from his Angus cattle for 20 years, and from day one within his Wagyu breeding program.
He is pleased to see AWA supporting data collection on Wagyu F1 progeny.
“I think Wagyu bulls are stepping away from being a fad to join to any cows to try and capitalise on a premium for an F1 feeder steer,” Jeremy said.
“I see the day coming when Wagyu bulls will be a mainstay of commercial beef production.
Top left: The Australian Wagyu Association awarded the McCosker family with a 25 year membership plaque honouring the late Robin McCosker and his pioneering work establishing the Wagyu breed in Australia; Above: Marathon Wagyu family: Amy and Callum Dunn, Ellie and Lincoln Parkinson, Lucy and Laine Thomson, Meg McCosker and Jonno Tate, and Susan and Michael McCosker.
Wagyu-sired beef product will be readily available on supermarket shelves and in all levels of dining experience due to its superior eating quality.
“The Wagyu bull will be used as a terminal sire at the start of the production system, taking advantage of the Wagyu breeds’ high libido and calving ease traits.
“A maiden heifer is the hardest thing to get a calf out of on the farm, and a two-year-old heifer is the hardest beef cattle to get back in calf on the farm.
“The Wagyu breed can fix a fertility issue in your herd and add eating quality to the meat harvested from the animal.”
Last year, a new chapter in Wagyu breeding was written when Michael and Susan McCosker purchased the Codenwarra Wagyu herd. The Codenwarra herd was bred by Michael’s late uncles, Robin and John McCosker, who visited Japan in 1997 and subsequently began their career as pioneers in bringing the Wagyu breed to Australia.
Michael and Susan have amalgamated those generations of breeding with their own herd, Marathon Wagyu, combining heritage genetics with modern cattle traits.
“The Codenwarra herd still strongly recognises the Sumo genetics it’s bred from. We’ve bred our Marathon herd by implementing embryo transfer and artificial insemination, using some high-performance animals to rapidly expand our genetics,” Michael said.
“Now we have a good mix of well-bred animals, with established fertility, mothering, growth and marbling traits.
“Our fertility is excellent and we’re achieving some great results through artificial reproduction. Using artificial reproduction is a great way to stay at the forefront of genetic improvement technologies.”
All data is important to the breeding plan and Marathon wagyu steers consistently perform impressively with the most recent cohort demonstrating marble scores averaging 8.3 (MIJ). The AUS-MEAT beef quality grading system uses a scoring range of 0 to 9+ with the latter being the highest grade of exceptional marbling.
“We’ve got a base herd of large females with plenty of growth, and we’ve achieved this without compromising on carcase quality,” Michael said.
“The recent Marathon Wagyu steer drop sold well, which gives us confidence knowing that our extensive data collection is benefitting not only feedlot buyers but also producers who are buying our herd’s genetics.
“We are selling our genetics all over Australia and internationally.”
Marathon Wagyu recently purchased an MIJ camera and the principals use this to collect carcase data on both their and customers’ cattle in the abattoir.
“It’s something we like to do so we can consistently measure and verify carcase traits including marbling
NO BULL
Above: A standout Marathon Wagyu bull (MSMFP0011) weighs 1.2 tonne as a threeyear-old. His first progeny were weaned in February and entered the feedlot at Rangers Valley, near Glen Innes.
of every animal. This gives us traceable data that we can use when making future breeding decisions,” Michael said.
This attention to detail also transfers to production operations at the Codenwarra property in Emerald, Queensland. The family grows irrigated cotton, silage and grain on the property, as well as producing their Wagyu herd.
“Codenwarra is also home to a comprehensive backgrounding system that the family uses to grow out steers; and an artificial insemination facility where they store semen.
“We work with some amazing nutritionists, veterinarians and reproductive technicians to breed animals we are really proud of, and that we believe meet the needs of the modern Wagyu industry in Australia,” Michael said.
“We have premium semen in storage and some great bulls coming forward. This means we have something to suit most producers, whether they have large established herds or they’re just beginning to build their herds.
“We have the data to back each animal and that’s something people can rely on.” l
“The recent Marathon Wagyu steer drop sold well, which gives us confidence knowing that our extensive data collection is benefitting not only feedlot buyers but also producers who are buying our herd’s genetics.”
–
MICHAEL MCCOSKER Marathon Wagyu
AN APPLE A DAY
The NSW countryside is brimming with extended opportunities for growers and producers to showcase their wares on produce trails that tourists flock to.
Words NANNETTE HOLLIDAY
The NSW coastline stretches over 2,000 kilometres and its interior covers 800,000 square kilometres. It offers an array of opportunities for farmers and producers to think outside their key activities and expand their income by creating additional and complementary activities that will attract both locals and visitors.
Over the past decade, many agricultural communities have joined forces to create produce trails and other agritourism enterprises that have produced additional income streams.
Regionality Pty Ltd and Rose Wright have been instrumental in bringing many producers and regional organisations together to create these trails. In the 2000s, it was her vast experience, content and piloted face-to-face delivery of extension material targeting farmers, not tourism operators, that helped them plan farm tourism.
“Regional Australia has untapped potential,” says Rose. “Over the years, Regionality has helped farmers, regional businesses and communities revitalise or reinvent themselves. It’s all about creating value chains that connect farmers, food and drink businesses, and consumers together. We work at a grassroots level, helping farmers to identify what they have to offer –what I like to term ‘spare capacity’ – to use as a base for innovation or diversification right through to launching and marketing their brand.
“We’ve worked with the NSW Small Business Commissioner to advocate for changes to planning legislation to enable farmers to consider agritourism on their farms in a way that doesn’t compromise the productive capacity of the farm or the region. On 1 December, 2022, Planning NSW launched their new legislation.”
Clockwise from top left: Cycling out of Shaw Wines on the Murrumbateman Wine Trail. Image by Yass Valley Council; Tim Wimborne of Braidwood Food Company; Cheese platter and wine from Courabyra Wines, Tumbarumba. Image by Destination NSW
Regionality has instigated programs across Queensland’s Mary Valley and Scenic Rim as well as throughout Tasmania, including King and Flinders Islands.
Across NSW, their work includes the Northern Rivers, Richmond Valley, New England, Murray, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Wollondilly, the South Coast and a range of urban farmers in Western Sydney through the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust. They continue to help all these farmers and regions grow and develop.
“We’re currently working with Natural Resource Management in ACT, delivering an agritourism program in that region. Every two years, we run an event called farm2plate exchange that’s designed to bring producers and the hospitality industry together to learn from each other.”
Clockwise from top left: Scenic views of the Tumbarumba region in the Snowy Valleys. Image by Destination NSW; Sunflower Trail long table dinner at Windy Station Woolshed. Image by Regionality Pty Ltd; Feeding chickens at Vintner’s Daughter Estate Murrumbateman.
From April 29-30 this year, Canberra Wines inaugural Stomp Festival will showcase more than 20 local wine producers from across the Canberra District.
“The last three years have been very difficult for members. They’ve suffered huge losses due to bushfires and multiple disruptions from lockdowns during Covid,” says Fergus McGhie, president of the Canberra District Wine and Industry Association. “Getting people back into our region to experience our wine and celebrate what makes the Canberra District unique, will be positive for our district and our winemakers and their business.”
Perhaps Regionality’s most interesting example of agritourism innovation is unfolding across the Liverpool Plains of NSW, as the region is not known for tourism.
“After introducing a group of farmers to our program in 2018, they established The Plains Inc. Today, many new and enhanced businesses are opening their farms to visitors,” says Rose.
The Plains Inc 2022 inaugural Sunflower Trail was initiated and hosted by a group of seven business owners and farmers who had endured tough years of drought and the pandemic. The trail drew curious travellers from far and wide. It couldn’t have come at a better time, boosting the economy and overall moral of the community.
Across Quirindi, Willow Tree, Pine Ridge and Premer it showcased the area’s rich beauty and wasn’t just a photographer’s delight. It featured a variety of events hosted by local individuals and businesses, including boutique markets, yoga in the paddock, bush tucker camp ovens, cooking with sunflowers, a paddock concert, iPhone photography workshops, sunflower painting workshops, a sunflower picking event and splendid long table dinner at Windy Station.
“The heritage grant we’ve just received will transform the magnificent 1901 44-stand woolshed into a venue for agricultural and visitor events,” says Clare Lee from Windy Station.
Nearby Wilgabah sheep and cattle property owners Rodney and Tania Hartigan are integrating Indigenous tourism into their agritourism ArtShack@Wilgabah. Tania, a Gamilaraay woman, proudly shares her First Nation heritage, bush tucker food garden, jams and sauces and their property’s cultural sites.
Partnerships with Uraah Innovations & Cultural Services and 2Rivers will deliver Cultural Healing days, weekend camps and art-making workshops. A Reconciliation Day gathering and Art & Cultural Festival is planned for September 2023.
“These activities have created more sustainability for our farm,” says Tania. “The nine accommodations, farm produce and products, gallery and art classes provide an income during drought events.”
Positioned directly on a railway line, The Plantation, a 13,000-acre mixed farming property owned by the Simpson family in Premier, has developed farm accommodation and farm experiences. They conduct farm tours when the heritage train from Sydney stops. Afterwards, it continues on to Orange.
Other new NSW harvest trails breathing life into regions and serving up good healthy products and
Clockwise from top left: The women farmers behind the Liverpool Plains Sunflower Trail (L-R): Jane Gulliver, Clare Lee, Fiona Simpson, Rose Wright, Giny Hope-Johnstone. Image by Regionality Pty Ltd; Range of wines and produce made onsite at Jolly Berries, Tumbarumba. Image by Destination NSW.
experiences for visitors stretch from the Barrington Coast, Dubbo, Cowra, Murrumbateman, GundagaiTumbarumba, and Griffith to Canberra, Lake George, Queanbeyan-Palerang and Wollondilly. They join the well-trodden culinary destinations of the Tweed, Central Coast, Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Orange, Hawkesbury, Penrith, Sydney Hills and Southern Highlands.
Previously people automatically associated Dubbo with the magnificent animals at Western Plains Zoo, but there’s much more to discover in the region, from regular Farmers Markets and Regional Platter offerings along with DREAM, Beer to Bush, Winter Whisky and Under Western Skies Festivals.
“To plan a Dubbo visit, users simply browse our online directory, search by category and click the heart
Clockwise from top left: Rodney and Tania Hartigan, ArtShack@ Wilgabah; Rose Wright and Liverpool Plains farmers on the 2018 Farm2Plate Exchange. Image by Regionality Pty Ltd; Fresh produce available from the Farmers and Producers Market. Image by Destination NSW.
icon to add the item to their customised trail wish list,” says Yannika Hendess at Dubbo Regional Council. “All is saved and displayed on Google Maps for sharing.”
The recently launched Murrumbateman Wine Trail, an initiative of Yass Valley Council, allows visitors to wine, dine and e-cycle their way around a shared walking-cycling path.
“It’s a relaxing way to visit Murrumbateman Village, the markets, field days, exhibitions, our Moving Feast and other events,” says Georgia Patmore at Yass Valley Tourism. “People load the front and rear bike baskets with crafts, wines and produce.”
Second-generation Murrumbateman winemaker Stephanie Helm also operates wine and farm tours on her Vintner’s Daughter Estate.
“People love the interactions. They see emus, chickens, peacocks, dairy goats and Babydoll sheep and
learn about their role on the farm,” says Stephanie. “We love seeing them leave with a greater appreciation of the hard work and dedication that goes into producing quality wines and caring for our farm animals.”
Queanbeyan-Palerang’s Treasure Trail offers a feast for all senses, from Braidwood to Queanbeyan and everything in between. Discover quirky cafes, French cooking classes, unique woodwork, artisan chocolates, truffles, handcrafted semolina and lentil flour pasta and several festivals.
Tim Wimborne describes his Braidwood Food Company shop and pasta as ‘an accidental business’ born out of the 2020 bushfires after their fledgling Tasmania Lanceolata Mountain Pepper orchards were destroyed.
“While the smoke was still rising, we bought a small building in Braidwood and built a commercial kitchen during the first Covid lockdown,” says Tim. “Today, we have eight kinds of pasta, four oven-baked flatbreads using artisanal techniques and ingredients from around Braidwood.
“Over 50 per cent of our retail sales are from Treasure Trail travellers. People love to talk about food. I honestly believe knowing the back story to your dinner, and the provenance of what’s on the table has become a meaningful aspect for many Australians.”
By focussing on small-scale family farms and artisan producers, these trails enhance Australian agriculture’s sustainability and viability. People are visiting regional produce trails to ‘meet the maker’ and purchase specialised products. It’s bridging the once-apparent city-country divide. l
A supercharged season of pasture growth has fuelled fears that farmers could be facing the worst grass fire threat in more than two decades.
Words MICHAEL BURTLivestock are enjoying a pasture bounty on farms across NSW after consecutive wet years, but farmers are being warned about the increased grass fire risk.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) is urging farmers and the wider community to be aware and prepare as hot and windy conditions transform lush green pastures into dangerous fire starters.
“My main concern is the risk of grass fires, right across western New South Wales,” said RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers.
“We have seen prolific grass growth as a consequence of three years’ of significant rainfall. Recently, we’ve seen these grasslands dry out and so with only a few hot and windy days, it presents a real risk – as it is able to carry fire very easily.” >
With grass fires a major concern, NSW Farmers has called for a swift crackdown on public land managers letting weeds grow out of control.
RFS volunteers have already been called to more than 3,352 grass fires since 1 July 2022, with more than 1,000 of those occurring since 1 January 2023.
Mr Rogers said what makes grass fires so dangerous is how quickly they start and spread.
“You can’t outrun a grass fire on foot; they move frighteningly fast.”
Mr Rogers said RFS volunteers have already been called to more than 3,352 grass fires since 1 July 2022, with more than 1,000 of those occurring since the beginning of 2023.
“We [RFS] are doing everything we can to prepare for bush and grass fires, but we also need landholders to do their bit to be prepared.
“Recent research by the RFS has found while four out of five people have a plan for fires, less than half
JUST ONE SPARK
RFS volunteers have already been called to more than 3,352 grass fires since 1 July 2022, with more than 1,000 of those occurring since 1 January 2023.
➤ Vehicles and machines should be checked at regular intervals throughout the day and a water source or fire extinguisher should be carried to suppress any fire outbreaks.
➤ Take the time to clear grass and vegetation from machines and vehicles to reduce the chance of these fuels getting caught in the drive train or around the guards and mufflers.
➤ All machinery and vehicles must have an effective spark arrester fitted to the exhaust system to prevent fires.
➤ Clean the drive train every two-tothree hours on days of increased fire danger.
➤ Put fire breaks in place around assets and standing crops as well as boundary fences.
have actually taken action to prepare their property. We need the community to do their bit in reducing their risk.
“We know that farmers are well-aware of the risks associated with using vehicles and machinery around crop, pasture and stubble paddocks, and I would remind them to be vigilant when operating machinery and to always be aware of the current and forecast conditions.
“It only takes one spark to set off a serious fire that can quickly spread to adjoining paddocks and properties, potentially destroying valuable crops and farming land.” l
Weeds have also enjoyed an abundance of moisture and NSW Farmers says time is running out to prevent mass bushfires at the end of the year.
In February, NSW Farmers Head of Policy and Advocacy Annabel Johnson called for a swift crackdown on public land managers letting weeds grow out of control.
“During Black Summer we saw horrific fires as a result of the disastrous ‘lock it up’ approach to land management,” Ms Johnson said.
“We’ve seen huge parts of the state converted into National Parks and locked up in the name of conservation, which presents another fire risk on top of grass fires.”
NSW Farmers has called for a swift crackdown on public land managers letting weeds grow out of control.
“The decision makers need to come to their senses and listen to the people who experience these natural disasters firsthand, and make sure there is an embedded strategy that will effect change in the short and long term.”
Australia had a long history of wet years followed by fires, Ms Johnson said, which would race from town to town consuming everything in their path.
“You hear the stories of fires outrunning vehicles, and you just hope it never happens to you,” she said. “I’ve heard of whole farms being incinerated and the people only barely making it out alive, and that was before we had these huge National Park tinderboxes everywhere.
“For the most part, farmers and private landholders are actively managing their properties, but there simply are not enough resources to do the same on public lands, and this will surely lead to catastrophe.”
➤ Check your farm equipment is in good order and is ready to deal with a fire.
➤ Be aware that slasher and mower blades can spark if they strike rocks or metal, causing dry grass to ignite.
➤ Register Static Water Supply sources on your property, such as dams, swimming pools and water tanks, with the NSW RFS, which will assist firefighters in a fire emergency.
➤ On forecast hot and windy days or on days of Total Fire Ban, the RFS may issue a Harvest Safety Alert for areas of heightened risk. Harvest operators should monitor conditions and regularly check that they are operating within guidelines.
➤ Download the Fires Near Me app and set Watch Zones for your home and property to be alerted to new incidents.
“We [RFS] are doing everything we can to prepare for bush and grass fires, but we also need landholders to do their bit to be prepared.”
–ROB ROGERS RFS Commissioner
Sharing the joys of growing up on a sheep farm inspired a unique and fun agritourism venture at Green Valley Farm that is beloved by families from far and wide.
– Words MICHAEL BURT Photography ANTHONY ONGBeryl Stewart’s dream of having a ‘piece of God’s Earth put to wholesome pleasure’ continues to be a happy reality for families visiting Green Valley Farm near Tingha on the northern tablelands of NSW.
That dream was shared by Beryl’s husband Pat, who should be regarded as a pioneer in the now-flourishing world of agritourism.
The passing of Pat in 2020 left a hole in the heart and soul of Green Valley Farm, but his legacy and free spirit lives on through Beryl and the next generations of the Stewart family. It is also evident in the smiles and laughter of children enjoying the farm’s amusement park, which features waterslides, an adventure playground, a rollercoaster, mini golf and a fascinating museum.
This ‘bush oasis’ of family fun was started in the 1980s on Pat and Beryl’s 405-hectare sheep farm, which they purchased in 1973. It was not born out of need to diversify the fine wool farming business, but rather a desire to share the adventures and joys the five Stewart children had growing up on a farm.
Family tragedy also played a part. Pat and Beryl’s daughter, Irene, passed away in 1982 just prior to her 16th birthday. Before her passing, Irene suggested to her parents that Green Valley Farm should open to the public so everyone could share in the wonderful life she had. With Beryl’s guidance, Pat created a memorial garden in Irene’s memory as the first chapter into what was going to be a long story for Green Valley Farm.
Beryl said the next chapter was to start a farm stay and provide camping facilities for families who wanted a taste of country life.
“My mum ran a holiday home for children in Katoomba that was very successful, and in 1982 Pat and I decided to start the same thing on the farm,” Beryl said. “We had five children of our own and a nephew living with us at the time, so we knew how to entertain families.
“We put an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald, and in no time, we had families coming up to holiday on the farm.”
Beryl said the addition of a pet monkey to the farm’s menagerie of animals ignited local interest and families from Inverell and surrounds started requesting farm visits.
“We put an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald, and in no time, we had families coming up to holiday on the farm.”
–
BERYL STEWART Owner of Green Valley Farm
WHOLESOME PLEASURE Children ride the rollercoaster at Green Valley Farm, one of the many attractions including swings, slides, a waterpark, swimming pool and more.
“That monkey really did kick things off. We then got an offer of some camels and Green Valley Farm started developing from there.”
THE ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND AND MUSEUM
Pat travelled to South Australia to pick up the camels and decided to call into Grant Telfer’s famous adventure playground in the small town of Monash.
Regarded as an engineer with a free spirit, Grant Telfer filled two hectares over a 20-year period with 180 pieces of steel play equipment.
Beryl said Grant’s ingenuity and steel fabrication skills inspired Pat to build an adventure playground of his own.
“Grant and Pat became friends, and Pat bought some of the playground equipment plans. Pat was a welder and so was my son Michael, and together with some very clever local men, they built all the playground gear, waterslides and the mini golf grounds.”
The next addition was a museum, which was led by Michael’s interest in local history and the weird and wonderful.
“Michael already had his own little collection, but then the Smith’s Museum in Tingha went up for
FAMILY FUN
The whole Stewart family (above) are involved with the operation of Green Valley Farm, including Beryl’s children and grandchilden.
sale. We bought the collection and built the mud brick museum that it is all housed in now.”
FINE
In addition to antiques, bottles, mining gear and war memorabilia, visitors are greeted with intriguing exhibits such as a two-headed calf and a chicken with eight legs.
“We also used to have some wonderful music concerts here, which Pat loved. Slim Dusty played here four times and thousands of people turned up.
“We’ve had huge support from Pat’s family, and my family. They backed what we were doing and
“I have never been one to look too far ahead in the future, but I think it will continue to be a happy one for Green Valley Farm. All the grandchildren are involved now.”
–
BERYL STEWART
Owner of Green Valley Farm
were hugely helpful in setting up the Green Valley Farm of today.”
The music concerts are no more and have been replaced with the hosting of weddings, bike rallies and other events.
Beryl said the farm continues to produce fine merino wool to this day, with son Michael running the day-to-day farming operations.
“One of my granddaughters is crazy about fine wool and sheep, which Pat would be very thrilled about. Pat grew up on a mixed family farm near Inverell and became a passionate fine wool producer. He loved his sheep and their wool.”
The sprightly 78 year-old said her strong Christian faith and family support has guided her through the tragic loss of Pat and two children (Beryl’s son Gavin passed away suddenly in 2010), and the challenges of operating Green Valley Farm.
“I have been blessed in my life. I am surrounded by loving family, including 18 grandchildren, and I am losing count of great-grandchildren that are here or on the way.
“I have never been one to look too far ahead in the future, but I think it will continue to be a happy one for Green Valley Farm. All the grandchildren are involved now.
“It is also literally a piece of God’s Earth put to wholesome pleasure, so Pat’s vision is destined to survive.” l
Kathy Vickery’s upbringing would have been the envy of many teenagers back in the 1980s.
As one of five of Pat and Beryl’s children, Kathy was treated to the freedoms of growing up on a farm and the joys and adventures of having her own amusement park.
“We had loads of fun. Mum would have a fit if she knew some of things we did on that playground. As soon as it started to rain, we would hit the waterslides,” Kathy said.
“They were good times. I have been very lucky, but it did come with some hard work. No matter how late you were out at parties in those teenage years, you had to work the next day.”
It was once free-for-all to share, but ‘rules and regulations’ meant running the park off the backs of the farm’s sheep was no longer viable. An accident in 2009 that led to a litigation case against Green Valley Farm also led to a spike in insurance costs.
Charging an entry fee did not sit well with Pat’s vision of sharing family fun for free, but the Stewarts have done their best to keep it economical for families.
The park’s entry fee started at just $2 and has risen to $10 per head during winter and $15 during the warmer months to include the waterslides. It is still free for children under two.
Kathy’s main role today is to look after the accommodation, group tours and to help manage events like weddings.
“We started out with little caravans that we used to rent out for about $30 a night. Eventually, we had to move the
accommodation out of the park and started with camping and then started building cabins and bunk rooms.”
Kathy is keen to add some safari tents to further broaden the accommodation options.
In line with Green Valley Farm’s retro fun theme, accommodation bookings are done old-school style. You won’t find Green Valley Farm on Airbnb, nor will you find an online booking option on the website.
“You’ve got to come through me. I get to chat to the family before they get here and by the time they get here, I feel like I know them all. It’s lovely,” Kathy said.
“All the rest of the family hold down jobs, but everyone comes together on most weekends and school holidays to help out. We always have a list of jobs ready to do.
“My daughter has now taken on the weddings, which is great. My sister Stephanie runs the waterslides, and my brother Michael runs the farm, but we often also call on his welding skills. Mum is still heavily involved of course.”
Kathy said that just like her dad’s spirit and legacy, the show will go on at Green Valley Farm for many years to come.
“If it is up to us as a family, then Green Valley Farm definitely has a good future. The kids really want to keep it going, which is lovely. For a small family business, we do pretty well,” she says. “It’s not going to be easy though, as there are those out there that don’t like you to have too much fun.”
Some people seem to be able to come up with great ideas over and over again – Gary Johnston has already shown he’s one of these people. Now his son Sam seems set to follow in his footsteps.
Words BEVERLEY HADGRAFT
At 17, Gary Johnston travelled west from his home in Sydney until he finally found what he was looking for: Merriment, a property in Forbes, suitable for lucerne production.
With the help of his parents, Allan and Heather, and family friend Bruce Ferguson, he finished his HSC, bought the farm and then struck out on his own.
“I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he admits now. “My dad and grandfather (Oswald) were dairy farmers and I’d always wanted to be a farmer, but I did wonder if I’d done the right thing.
“The loneliness and isolation were tough. I’d moved away from the coast and knew my friends were out having a great time while I was working away in the middle of nowhere, not knowing anyone and knowing very little about farming in this area.”
What helped Gary was that he’s a people person which, in turn made him a great networker. With no internet or mobile phone but desperate to talk to people and improve his skills, he set out to get advice from the best growers and irrigation specialists in the area. “Everyone helped me which is testament to the farming community here,” he says.
However, Gary looked further afield, and didn’t limit his communications to just locals. When a large dairy farm in Richmond tasked him with providing the highest quality lucerne, their nutritionist giving him the parameters needed for maximum milk production, Gary sent hundreds of samples of his crop to a forage lab in New York.
His results were so good that not only did he get a regular order of 1,000 tons of hay a year from the dairy, he was contacted by an organisation called Kentucky Equine Research.
“They were trawling data sets and told me: ‘Your hay is in the top five per cent in the US’.”
The organisation arranged to introduce Gary to the best studs in the Hunter Valley who continue to order hay from him today.
Such skills have seen Gary rise to oversee and co-invest in $40-$50 million worth of rural investments, sell rural properties and run two properties of his own.
DRIVEN BY INNOVATION
Networking, obviously, isn’t his only top trait, however. He combines it with innovation.
For instance, he didn’t just grow premium quality lucerne, he was one of the earliest adopters of lucerne cubing in Australia, initially exporting to Saudi Arabia and Japan because he couldn’t find a market for the cubes here.
So with only a fax and a phone (albeit the first fax in Forbes), how did he find the markets?
“I did an export development short course, met people through AusTrade, went to Japan on a study tour and came back with a deal,” he says. Gary went on to be the first in Australia to register lucerne as a fertiliser. That saw him producing a range called Earth Cubes which sold in garden centres in three states. He also invested in better irrigation, developing his property over many years with the latest technology and more than 15,000 trees. One of his inventions to improve irrigation water delivery and measurement saw him win a national technology award – and the awards have continued to flow since then.
Often these open more doors, including his 2006 win for being NSW Farmer of the Year for his on-farm value-adding. That saw him approached by a consultant tasked with finding an Australian operator for the Global Agricultural Land and Opportunities Fund set up by Deutsche Bank.
His passion for Australian agriculture and his belief in it as a vehicle for investment has not only seen Gary set up a family-run, independent stock and station agency, Johnston Rural Group, he has added an investment arm.
That, again, started through his network. “I’ve known the guys who invest with me since I was 15. They worked on my property to get through uni
“The world is awash with cash looking for a safe haven asset class and Australian farmland is as good as anything. You should never underestimate a successful family farming business.”
Gary Johnston
MAKING HAY WHEN THE SUN SHINES
Gary Johnston has always been innovating: he was one of the earliest adopters of lucern cubing in Australia, and was the first to register lucern as a fertiliser. He won NSW Farmer of the Year in 2006 for his on-farm value-adding.
then went off and became very successful in the financial markets,” he says.
Initially when they asked Gary to find them a rural investment asset – a farmer who enjoyed what he did but wanted to take capital from the property so he could diversify or get a succession plan underway – he was reluctant at the idea of mixing money and mates. However, in 2016, after looking at numerous properties, he did his first deal with meat baron Roger Fletcher on the Kiargathur station, north west of Condoblin.
“With another group, we have invested and bought a 10,000 tree macadamia farm near Byron Bay.”
The combination of private investors and as few corporate overheads as possible is the best path to success, he believes. “It also gets back to doing the right thing at the right time with the right people.”
It has been an astonishing career and Gary is still only 66.
He has no plans to retire, he says, although he will wind back and transition more of the real estate business to son, Sam. “He’s got more ability and skills than I ever had.”
Gary has been surveying the damage caused by the floods which had caused a significant loss of lucerne, and it’s fair to ask – do incidents like this make it tricky for agriculture to attract investment?
“The world is awash with cash looking for a safe haven asset class, and Australian farmland is as good as anything,” Gary says. “You should never underestimate a successful family farming business.”
The Johnstons are certainly testament to that.
FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS Sam’s father once told him: “You only get two or three opportunities that will be life-changing so don’t stuff them up and don’t take them for granted.”
“It’s how I live my life,” says Sam today. “If I’m given an opportunity, I want to make the most of it and give back in some way.”
Sam admits he wasn’t the most academic kid at school – and only got into Sydney University because of his rowing prowess – but like his dad has a brain attuned to ideas and innovation.
He was still at school when he invented his Johnston Multi-Hitch, a device to increase safety and efficiency on farms. Designed to go on the back of a tractor to transport implements and attachments safely, the Johnstons still
use it and it won a number of awards, including third place in Land Inventor of the Year.
In 2011, meanwhile, he set up Beaut Utes, an Instagram page to repost the utes he coveted. When it won a following of 30,000 and he was able to sell merchandise on the back of it, it opened the door to his best-known project – Thank A Farmer For Your Next Meal.
Sam and his mate Jim Honner set up the campaign so people in metro areas could discover what happens on farms. “I’ve told this story before, but in my first semester of uni a girl in my class asked if it was true that cotton grew on sheep,” he explains. “I took the time to explain how cotton grows on a plant and she was really appreciative.
“I had other similar incidents and realised, ‘These guys have no idea. It’s not that they’re uneducated. They just don’t have the information.’”
At the time, practises in the wool industry were in the PETA spotlight.
Sam explains: “We didn’t want 100 per cent of the people getting a bad name when only a few were
“Dad has a saying: ‘Age and experience always outperforms youth and enthusiasm!’ In the rural property business, a bit of grey hair does help get the listings but there’s a lot of computer work and putting together marketing material that’s best left to me. I’ve brought my own skillset to the business instead of picking up all Dad’s bad habits. It works well.”
Sam Johnston
doing the wrong thing. Jim and I wanted to tell our story so people had the information to make up their own minds and weren’t simply influenced by stories that weren’t true.”
Thank A Farmer also launched the Phone a Farmer campaign, encouraging people to check in with friends and families on the land who might be doing it tough. That was followed by When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Farmer, a photo competition to recognise the younger generation actively helping out on farms.
Sponsors came on board and Jim and Sam sold merchandise, donating all profits back to mental health initiatives and sporting clubs in regional and rural communities.
Sam reckons there’s a lot of scope for farmers to create their own narrative. “People are interested in where their food and fibre comes from. If I can’t stand in front of a supermarket milk fridge and work out which will best support Australian farmers, what hope does a city person have of making an informed purchase?”
Naturally, Sam has ideas on how to fill that information gap but for now is focussing on the
farm he bought in Forbes, next door to his dad’s. He and partner Kohbe Whitehouse have just finished renovating their house and he’s spent the past 12 months re-fencing and converting his small block on the Lachlan River from cropping to grazing and livestock.
He’s also finishing his Bachelor of Property Valuation Degree (to add to his Agricultural Economics Degree and stock and station agents license) and joining his dad in the family business.
He and Gary are both such do-ers, but how do they work together?
“Dad has a saying: ‘Age and experience always beat youth and enthusiasm!’ In the rural property business, a bit of grey hair does help get the listings but there’s a lot of computer work and putting together marketing material that’s best left to me. I’ve brought my own skillset to the business instead of picking up all Dad’s bad habits. It works well.”
Although still only 27, like his Dad, Sam already has a list of achievements under his belt. What’s he proudest of?
“Being able to call myself a farmer,” he replies. l
PROUD TO BE A FARMER Above: Gary and Sam on the farm with their two kelpies. Gary’s age and experience, combined with Sam’s marketing and computer nous, is a winning combination.Gus Butcher is an excitable kelpie pup who recently arrived at Woorak cattle farm in Bundarra.
EDITED BY MICHELLE HESPE
REAL NAME AND NICK NAMES:
Gus Butcher. My five-year-old human sister has also started calling me Beat after her favourite movie Feel the Beat
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO ON THE FARM?
I’ve only just arrived, so right now I’m learning all about the cows and how to bark well at the cats.
HAVE YOU DONE SOMETHING REALLY NAUGHTY SO FAR?
I’ve been trying to round up the kids in the house, which everyone seems to get a bit upset about.
I also ate one of my mum’s Birkenstocks (they are so good!) and she said she bought two for a reason. Dad has some too – not sure why they need four.
WHAT IS YOUR WORST HABIT?
Annoying the house dog, Frank. He seems to think that he’s the boss because he’s been here longer. We’ll see about that.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD?
My current training treat of choice is cheese. Cheese, glorious cheese. I am hoping that mum starts putting it on toast for me, like she does for the kids.
IF YOU BECAME FAMOUS FOR ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Being absolutely adorable. And humble.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT DRIVES YOUR PARENTS MAD?
Playing ‘Bite the Kids’. But honestly, I think they like it!
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANOTHER ANIMAL AS A FRIEND, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY? I really want to be friends with the two cats, but so far they aren’t really into me. I’m working on it, but not sure how many more scratches one nose can take.
FAVOURITE TOY OR THING TO PLAY WITH?
The kids gave me a giant Bluey soft toy, which I really like. I hope they won’t expect it back. Certainly not with its head on top.
WHAT DOES EVERYONE LOVE ABOUT YOU?
I’m cute, crazy, energetic and very smoochy.
ANY LAST WORDS?
When I arrived at the farm about a month ago, they all told me that I would be an outside working dog. But I’ve managed to get into the house every single day so far!
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FULL PRODUCER MEMBER $438.90 For those who own or manage 1 VOTE PER MEMBERSHIP a farm. Includes our basic workplace relations package which provides:
· Collective representation on awards, minimum wage review, workers compensation.
· Wage information, including wage guides issued annually.
· Phone advice, four calls a year.
ESSENTIALS WORKPLACE RELATIONS PACKAGE
Members can upgrade to this package to receive:
· Unlimited advice on employment matters.
· Assistance in negotiating with the Fair Work Ombudsman’s office.
· Representation in employment matters handled by tribunals, such as Fair Work Australia.
ADDITIONAL MEMBER $100
Linked to a full producer, with a 1 VOTE PER MEMBERSHIP proprietorial or income interest.
· Assistance with drafting and reviewing employment-related correspondence, policies and procedures, and employment agreements.
SECOND VOTE MEMBER $100
Linked to a full producer, most 1 VOTE PER MEMBERSHIP often a family member.
SMALL FARMS MEMBER $150
ASSOCIATE MEMBER $100
Have a small holding and do not receive majority of income from it.
Do not own a farm, e.g. teachers, agronomists, business people.
COUNTRY CONNECTION $100 Supporters of farms from the city.
RETIRED MEMBER $100 For retired farmers
The Essentials Workplace Relations package fees start from $165 for up to two employees. Extra charges may apply for assistance required within your first four months of membership. All prices include GST.
794 000.
FOR ALL GENERAL ENQUIRIES Contact the Member Service Centre on 1300 794 000 or your local regional services manager:
NORTHERN Michael Collins, 0439 958 163, collinsm@nswfarmers.org.au
NORTH COAST & TABLELANDS Mark Bulley, 0429 330 348, bulleym@nswfarmers.org.au
CENTRAL TABLELANDS & ORANA Andrew Coughlan, 0447 393 092, coughlana@nswfarmers.org.au
SOUTHERN Catriona McAuliffe, 0488 100 005, mcauliffec@nswfarmers.org.au
SOUTH WEST Frank Galluzzo, 0427 773 495, galluzzof@nswfarmers.org.au
LACHLAN & NORTH RIVERINA Catriona McAuliffe, 0488 100 005, mcauliffec@nswfarmers.org.au
WESTERN DIVISION Caron Chester, 0400 116 207, chesterc@nswfarmers.org.au
YES, I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN NSW FARMERS. I HAVE TICKED MY MEMBERSHIP CHOICE ABOVE. PLEASE CONTACT ME.
NAME:
ADDRESS: EMAIL: PHONE: COMMODITY (IF APPROPRIATE):
REGIONAL SERVICE & SALES MANAGER
Jonathan Tuckfield, 0409 493 695 tuckfieldj@nswfarmers.org.au
MEMBERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER
Alicia Harrison, 0429 817 611 harrisona@nswfarmers.org.au
Help protect your livelihood. NSW Farmers is your voice – we are only as strong as you make us. The greater our numbers; the greater our voice.
Use your voice, become a member at nswfarmers.org.au or call 1300
include The Farmer magazine delivere d to you.
Name: Kylie Falconer
Farm: Rosevale and Oslo, Glen Innes
NSW Farmers Branch: Glen Innes
Years as a Member: 17+
“I was a student member at university and re-joined when we moved back to NSW. I am a member as the organisation gives farmers a united, credible voice, and having a local branch means we can act on local issues and events.”
HOW DID YOU GET INTO FARMING AND AGRICULTURE?
We were bred into farming! My husband and I have been running our own farming business since 2000.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT FARMING AND AGRICULTURE?
The challenges are ever-changing, and the opportunities are yours to make the most of.
WHAT DOES YOUR FARM PRODUCE?
Cattle are our main enterprise, with a breeding herd and trade cattle. Depending on the season, we also fatten store lambs on Rosevale.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST THING TO HAVE HAPPENED IN FARMING IN THE LAST 10 YEARS?
Improvements to online access, enabling better communications and business applications.
WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN FARMING AND AGRICULTURE AND WHY?
I am inspired by a lot of people involved
in agriculture and rural communities. An example would be the farmers and staff involved in GLENRAC – the Glen Innes Natural Resources Advisory Committee. It’s a community driven association that has achieved so much over more than 30 years of coordinating action for landholders and the community to manage and maintain the natural resource base of the Glen Innes region. 2023 is shaping up to be another big year for GLENRAC, and I am extremely proud to be involved.
WHAT DO YOU WHEN YOU ARE NOT FARMING?
Attend my son’s sporting events including cricket, swimming and pony club.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK OR PODCAST?
Leading on the Edge by Rachael Robertson.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SECTION OF THE FARMER MAGAZINE?
The feature articles that drill down further than the headlining current affairs and issues that are relevant to farmers. l
Don’t expect any staff at Wolki Butchery, the first self-service butchery in Australia. The shopfront was the brainchild of Jacob Wolki, who was searching for a way for customers to access meat grown through he and his wife Ann’s farm.
Regenerative farmer and entrepreneur Jacob Wolki has established a new paddock-to-plate pathway for his produce using a 24-hour self-service butchery in Albury.
Words MICHAEL BURTAlbury is home to Australia’s first self-service butchery, thanks to an innovative paddock-to-plate idea from local regenerative farmer Jacob Wolki.
It is called Wolki Butchery, and the shop is open 24 hours a day all year round for customers to purchase meat grown through Jacob and his wife Ann’s farm business.
“Customers get their unique pin code once they sign up to be a member. Once they enter their code, they gain access to the storefront,” Jacob explained.
Upon entering the shop, customers are greeted with cuts of grass-fed beef and lamb, freerange pork, chicken, eggs and condiments to choose from – all produced on 120 hectares of leased land near Albury.
Jacob said customers can only become a member after doing a free farm tour to learn about where the food comes from.
“We want customers to understand our values and our ethos and what we’re trying to achieve. It lets people buy into our mission.”
The shop is fitted with highdefinition audio-visual security cameras and the check-out
process is managed by a thirdparty app on the customer’s mobile phone.
“It’s been operating for two years. It’s working out exactly how I wanted it to and not giving me any headaches. We’re doing around $3,000 in revenue a week, and in two years we’ve had zero theft and zero shrinkage. It’s not a big part of our farm business, but it’s easy and it’s growing.
“Less than 20 per cent of the meat goes through the butchery at this stage. The rest goes to restaurants, local retail outlets, subscription orders and orders through our Wolki Farm website.”
Jacob established the Wolki Farm Butchery three years ago and employed two butchers for back of house processing while deciding what to do with the shopfront.
“I wanted to open a shopfront, but with my small production at the time I was not sure how I was going to make it viable.
“I thought it would be beautiful if it could work like a big vending machine that customers could just walk into. I put my pen to paper, found the providers of the right software and got it sorted out.”
Jacob said an unfruitful search
for local fresh food inspired the move into regenerative farming and supplying directly to customers: “I really wanted to source fresh, local food for my family, but when I went into the market to buy it locally I was left wanting with not much to purchase. So I decided just to do it myself.”
Already armed with small business nous from experience with his family’s retail operations in Albury, Jacob set about finding suitable land for a diverse farming system.
“It was too expensive to purchase land. It is up to $15,000 per acre, whereas I can lease it for around $120 per acre. I have had to invest around $600,000, including purchasing the freehold for the butchery, equipment, livestock and some infrastructure for the farm. I have just bought a portable chicken abattoir so I can start processing chickens on farm.
“The butcher shop might not have any staff, but we are investing in labour and skills into improving systems on the farm. We grow meat that we think is exceptional, and the resources we save from paying someone to staff the shop are instead used for that purpose.” l
After years of COVID lockdowns and supply chain disruptions, people are more focused on where their food comes from than ever before.
NSW Farmers has identified five key areas where collaboration between industry and government is essential to secure the future of farming and food in the state.
1. ROAD AND RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE
• Commit one billion dollars to the state’s regional road and rail network.
• Commit to the betterment of major roads and rail damaged by floods.
• Build funding and approval certainty for local councils to undertake repairs to road and bridge infrastructure.
• Expand access to ports, including greater container handling capacity.
2. BIOSECURITY
• Invest in research and innovation for animal and plant diseases and pest management.
• Establish an independent Natural Resource Regulator to enforce required management of public lands including National Parks and Crown lands.
• Invest in a sheep and goat traceability package to support farmers in implementing the required infrastructure and skills for traceability reform.
3. FARM PRODUCTIVITY
• Build resilience and innovation through the Farm Innovation Fund and a new Climate and Emissions Reduction Innovation Fund.
• Establish a general farm safety scheme with higher funding caps to build on the successful quad bike and side-by-side vehicle rebate program.
• Expand strategies to help new farmers enter agriculture.
• Implement a 40 per cent coastal harvestable right to make the most of high coastal rainfall and prepare for dryer times.
• Balance sustainable food and fibre production with climate change mitigation through natural capital markets.
• Develop a multi-faceted agricultural workforce and skills strategy focusing on short-term attraction and long-term employee retention, particularly among young farmers.
• Promote a modern understanding of agriculture through an ‘Ask a Farmer’ program and an industry-led agriculture awareness, engagement and career program available for all students in K-12.
• Improve regional resilience by investing in skills development for rural and remote nurses and allied health professionals, and deliver more affordable housing in regional, rural and remote centres.
• Establish a statutory Agriculture Commission to ensure decisions are made that do not negatively impact on agricultural production, with oversight of the interface between productivity, agricultural land use and natural resource management.
• Fund land use officers to work across the state on various land use issues.
• Reform the Just Terms Compensation Act to better suit rural land interventions.
To keep up to date with the latest NSW Farmers election news, scan this QR code or head to www.nswfarmers.org.au/stateelection
