The Farmer November-December 2020

The coal seam gas debate

AI and you: a brave new world

Energy game changers

New wave of oyster farmers

NSW Farmers says no to the NGP

Letting the robots take care of the farm

New infrastructure followed by no costs

What's on the horizon this summer?

–

–

–

–

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2020 / $ 9.95

Grassroots garlic An innovative industry with growth on the cards

1.25% ACROSS THIS RANGE.

DRIVE ONE AWAY TODAY.

Newholland.com/au

1.25% FINANCE RATE ON ALL TRACTORS FROM BOOMERS TO T7 OFFER ENDS 15TH DECEMBER Got your eye on a new tractor? Now’s the time to take advantage of an unbeatable 1.25% finance rate on all tractors from Boomers to T7 until 15th December 2020.

Contact your New Holland Agriculture dealer to drive yours away today!

*Refer to the New Holland Website or your local New Holland Dealer for Terms & Conditions.

From the editor

THE MAGAZINE

T

PUBLISHER James Wells EDITOR Michelle Hespe ART DIREC TOR Ryan Vizcarra

–

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES

Michelle Hespe Email: mhespe@intermedia.com.au 41 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW, 2037

–ADVERTISING

SALES DIRECTOR

Ben Payne Email: bpayne@intermedia.com.au Phone : 0403 893 668

–CONTRIBUTORS Alexandra Bunton Darren Baguley Ian Lloyd Neubauer Lisa Smyth Lucy Knight Michael Sheather Rob Webb Sandra Godwin Sheree Young Tony Blackie NSW FARMERS

CEO Pete Arkle MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER Michael Burt HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT Kathleen Curry MAGAZINE CONTENT TEAM

Alicia Harrison - Membership Service Manager Annabel Johnson - Head of Policy & Advocacy Alexandra Bunton - Senior Policy Advisor CONTAC T US

Level 4, 154 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, NSW 2065 PO Box 459, St Leonards, NSW 1590 Head Office: 02 9478 1000

–

MEMBER SERVICE CENTRE For membership, magazine subscriptions and mailing list enquiries: 1300 794 000

@ NSWFarmers THE INTERMEDIA GROUP

MANAGING DIREC TOR Simon Grover GM OF OPERATIONS Chris Baker FINANCE MANAGER Mina Vranistas PRODUC TION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper HEAD OF DIGITAL Pauline Grech HEAD OF EVENTS Beth Tobin The Farmer magazine 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.

The coal seam gas debate

AI and you: a brave new world

Energy game changers

New wave of oyster farmers

NSW Farmers says no to the NGP

Letting the robots take care of the farm

New infrastructure followed by no costs

What's on the horizon this summer?

–

–

–

–

Photo courtesy of Four Acre Farm

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2020 / $ 9.95

Grassroots garlic An innovative industry with growth on the cards

here are plenty of stories in this issue that resonate with me – farmers recovering after the fires in January, still rebuilding fences, buildings, homes and livelihoods; a decade of Farmer of the Year and what these ten remarkable people and families have gone on to do since their win, and the hard work and passion of the Bradley family on their sheep farm at New Armatree near Dubbo, to name a few.

However the story closest to my heart this issue is our feature on bowling clubs and how they are so often the beating heart of rural, regional and outback communities. And you can’t leave cities out of that mix either.

My partner and I lived above a bowls club in Neutral Bay, Sydney, for five years, in a 160-year-old apartment where past managers and club presidents have lived.

In fact, we raised our three kids who are now teenagers there, and we always joke that they have grown up with 40 or 50 sets of grandparents, as everyone at the ‘NBC’ or the ‘Club’ as all of our friends and family call it, have known them since they were babies. We say our Club is like Cheers – everyone really does know your name, and there is always someone there for a chat about life, love, and the universe.

I’ve seen firsthand how social clubs save people. They are safe spaces where you can go by yourself if you feel like it (because you’re never alone) or you can walk in and be welcomed by others to a table, even if they didn’t know you were coming. They are sanctuaries for relaxation and a bit of sport, or somewhere to simply sit, think, and watch the world go by.

Because Clubs are the heart of so many communities – and in smaller towns, one of a few places to socialise, drink and eat – they

are also hubs of activity where there’s usually a large age-span amongst members. One day you might be having a cuppa or a beer with a gentleman who you had no idea was a famous oil painter who grew up on remote cattle station, and the next be hearing about someone’s ten-year-old who just won the shot put at school. It’s a funny old mix of people that you find at Clubs, because everyone feels at home, no matter who they are or where they’ve come from.

Before reading our story (on pages 12 and 13), I had no idea that according to the 2015 Clubs Census conducted by KPMG, there are more than 1,300 clubs in NSW that contribute $8.3 billion to the economy annually. I was also very glad to hear after we received the story, that the Warialda Club was awarded a grant for renovations and other projects. Great news for everyone in the town who loves their Club!

MICHELLE HESPE

Editor

The 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.

As part of our company policy we ensure that the products and services used in the manufacture of this magazine are sourced from environmentally responsible suppliers.

This magazine has been printed on paper produced from sustainably sourced wood and pulp fibre and is accredited under PEFC chain of custody.

PEFC certified wood and paper products come from environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests.

The wrapping used in the delivery process of this magazine is 100 per cent biodegradable.

DISCLAIMER: This publication is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by New Zealand and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information.

All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.

Copyright © 2020 – The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

3

OUR BIGGEST END OF YEAR SALE EVER!

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE $150,000* TAX DEDUCTION PLUS HUGE SAVINGS ON THE ENTIRE RANGE!

15M x 22.5M x 5.1M $27,950 inc GST FINANCE NOW AVAILABLE

LIMITED NUMBERS SO DON’T MISS OUT! ABN HOLDERS ONLY ONLY AUSTRALIAN $16,090 TREASURE INC GST

10M x 18M x 5.1M (33’ x 60’ x 17’) An ideal shed for large storage on small acreage. Open both 10M ends.

BIG OPENINGS

ONLY

$35,100 INC GST

SUPER INDUSTRIAL

ONLY

$65,750 INC GST

RURAL DURABILITY

18M x 31.5M x 5.6M (60’ x 105’ x 18’5”) Plus a 4.5M (15’) roof extension, large industrial roller doors and a PA door.

Makes an ideal workshop or factory.

Colorbond slightly extra.

ONLY

$26,350 INC GST

12M x 24M x 5M (40’ x 80’ x 16’8”) Three 5M openings and one 9M opening gives you plenty of storage options.

DID YOU KNOW?

RURAL CLASSIC

ONLY

$42,900 INC GST

18M x 30M x 5M (60’ x 100’ x 16’8”) Five 6M bays. This shed is perfect for machinery or hay storage.

FLEXIBLE STORAGE

ONLY

$21,700 INC GST

Our steel, our manufacturing, our engineering and our teams are all Australian. When you purchase a Now Buildings shed you are:

15M x 27M x 5.1M (50’ x 90’ x 17’) Strong and functional. Extend to 18M (60’) wide for $7,330.

VALUE INDUSTRIAL

ONLY

$26,650 INC GST

13M x 18M x 5M (43’ x 60’ x 16’8”) All the strength and ruggedness of a full industrial building with a large roller door and PA door. Zinc. Building in Colorbond $28,290.

SUPPORTING THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY

CREATING JOBS LOCALLY

HELPING TO REBUILD AUSTRALIA

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, IS THE TIME TO BUY AUSTRALIAN

AWESOME VALUE PLUS

EVERYDAY FARMER

ONLY

$35,150 INC GST

ONLY

$25,600

18M x 27M x 5.1M (60’ x 90’ x 17’) What a great shed! Industrial rated. Ideal packing or machinery shed. Add an end wall for $3,810 or an extra bay for $5,180. Extra height is available for an additional cost.

TAX SAVING SPECIAL

9M x 18M x 4.2M (30’ x 60’ x 13’8”) Lots of options with two 3M x 3M roller doors, one large industrial roller door and one PA door. Building in Colorbond $23,160.

INC GST

TOUGH TRIPLE

13M x 22.5M x 5.1M (43’ x 75’ x 17’) Open front farm industrial building. Perfect for everyday storage. Add an extra bay for $3,820.

ONLY

$13,390 INC GST

HUGE OPEN ENDED

ONLY

$48,450 INC GST

ONLY

$20,250 INC GST

15M x 18M x 5.1M (50’ x 60’ x 17’) Strong, robust and extendable. Open both ends.

Add an end wall for $3,250 or an extra bay for $4,600.

9M x 15M x 4.5M (30’ x 50’ x 15’) Open front shed in large 5M bays for better storage.

18M x 36M x 5.7M (60’ x 120’ x 19’) Open both ends. Perfect fodder storage and access for large machinery. Add an end wall for $4,390 or an extra bay for $5,600.

MANUFACTURING LOCATIONS: DUBBO, CARDIFF, TAMWORTH, COFFS HARBOUR, QUEANBEYAN AND ALBURY

THE NOW BUILDINGS ADVANTAGE 100% Australian steel, 100% Australian made, 100% Australian family owned High tensile bolts & class 4 fasteners, gutters & downpipes included Site specific engineering, heavy duty connection & footing design High grade industrial strength materials and design

CALL 1300 559 668 OR VISIT W W W.NOWBUILDINGS.COM.AU JOHN 0437 699 111

TREVOR 0431 597 160

JAMES 0413 104 820

Images are from the Now Buildings range and are for illustration purposes only. Imperial measurements are approximate. Extras pricing in bold is applicable at the shed purchase stage only. Extensions for existing sheds POA. WA and NT slightly extra. Delivery extra. Now Buildings will not be responsible to honour these prices once the total allocation has been sold. E&OE. Prices are Region A, Terrain cat. 2. Reg B available at slightly extra. Prices are based on collection from one of our many depots, delivery is available at an extra charge in most areas. *You should consult your own tax and accounting advisors before engaging in any transactions.

Contents TRADE

THE MUSTER

THE SALEYARDS

GARLIC IS THE NEW BLACK

NEWS AND VIEWS

NSW Farmers’ COVID-19 Report; Bowling clubs and their places in the community; Farming in the Sydney Basin; New star ratings for juice; Border closures and freight logistics during COVID-19 ����������� 7

With support for local producers booming, and interest in ‘superfoods’ soaring, the Australian garlic industry has a bright future �������������������������������������� 50 NEW WAVE OF OYSTER FARMERS

With summer days and Christmas feasts just around the corner, there’s lots to celebrate along the NSW coast right now �������������������������������������������

THE BIG PICTURE

Great Christmas gift ideas

������������������� 75

ENVIRONMENT ENERGY GAME CHANGERS

54

Two NSW companies are aiming at gaining the majority of their energy at no cost after investing in new infrastructure ������������ 76

FARMERS OF THE DECADE

Looking back at a decade of top farmers, and seeing where they are now ������������� 22

COMMUNITY

SPECIAL REPORT

NSW FARMERS' TERTIARY SCHOLARSHIPS

A fresh bunch of talented young farmers are on the rise ������������������������������������ 80

PEST OF AN ISSUE

THE BIG ISSUE

Wild dog pressure will increase as the drought breaks in NSW, but farmers are better prepared than ever ��������������������

ALL FIRED UP

A debate about land-clearing and what some farmers have been left with after the devastating Black Summer fires ����������� 30

58

NEW GENERATION: THE BRADLEYS

Meet the Bradleys from New Armatree.

Despite recent challenges and difficulties, they are happily looking to the future ��� 84

TREND

ON MY SOAPBOX

INSIDER

Research from agricultural bodies is demonstrating the continuing international demand for Australia’s animal products ���������������������������������

NARRABRI GAS PROJECT

At NSW Farmers’ first ever virtual Executive Council Meeting, members called on the NSW Government to halt Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project ����������������

Local knowledge is critical for bushfire management ��������������������������������������� 91

PLANT-BASED PROTEINS

TEAM PLAYER 62

A profile on member Helen Strang �������

95

MEET THE TEAM AT NSW FARMERS 36

INNOVATION ON EDGE WITH AI

AI technology helps farmers to make better decisions much faster and more accurately.

It’s benefits are huge ��������������������������� 42

Renee Austin – NSW Farmers’ Policy Advisor – Rural Affairs & Business, Economics & Trade �����������������������������

BUSINESS

96

COSTA DOING BUSINESS

From a small fruit shop set up in 1928, the Costa Group has become one of Australia’s largest horticultural companies ����������� 66

FARM DOGS

Meet Buddy – recently awarded the hardest working dog in Australia in the Cobber Challenge �������������������������������

97

IS YOUR FARM THE PERFECT TOURISM DESTINATION?

There is money to be made from an increasing interest in farm life �������������

THE TAIL END

Farmers getting social and going viral ���

98

70

SPECIAL REPORT ALL TORQUE: BIG FARM TOYS

Some of the most drool-worthy ‘toys’ to help a farmer get the most productivity – and fun – out of the land ��������������������� 46

SPECIAL REPORT TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Innovations in new farming machinery can change not only the way farmers work, but have a big impact on the bottom line ���� 72

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

5

The Muster l NEW APPOINTMENT

James Jackson re-elected as NSW Farmers’ President

*Cash distributions are forecasts only and not guaranteed. Refer to the information memorandum for details. Offer open to wholesale investors only.

Guyra sheep and cattle farmer James Jackson was re-elected as President of NSW Farmers at the Association’s first virtual Annual Conference held in October.

More than 260 delegates from across the state took part in the conference via mobile phones and computers thanks to the technical expertise of NSW Farmers staff.

“It truly is an honour to be president of the oldest and largest state farming organisation in the country and one that is respected across the political divide,” James said. “We have achieved a lot in the last two years in relation to issues such as right to farm, drought support measures and promoting local food and fibre production, but there is plenty more to do.”

James said he is looking forward to advancing the Association’s strategic plan, which includes enhancing staff and member development, underpinning

Photo by Ant Ong

the financial stability and ensuring all political parties hear the voice of farmers.

“I think we do have to broaden our modes of engagement and make sure that we are modern in our approach

in influencing debates and this means increasing our engagement in the social media space while maintaining our strong presence in traditional media.

“In terms of policy issues, there is still more to do in the right to farm space.

There remains an increasing risk to our right to farm through regulation from all levels of government.”

Liverpool plains grain grower Xavier Martin was elected as Vice President and Moree grain grower Rebecca Reardon was re-elected as treasurer.

The remaining board directors elected were Sydney basin flower grower Sal Russo (Galston), beef producer Shane Kilby (Dubbo), tomato and stone fruit grower Peter Comensoli (Mangrove Mountain), sheep and cattle farmer Mitchell Clapham (Ilford), grain and livestock farmer Lisa Minogue (Barmedman) and persimmon, fodder and sheep farmer Chris Stillard (Barooga).

Keep growing with a proven performer Targeting cash distributions of 8%p.a.* in real estate EG Private Wealth now offers sophisticated investors the same disciplined, data driven approach to commercial property investing that’s been so successful for our institutional clients.

Call Rodney Walt on +61 2 9220 7000 or email rwalt@eg.com.au to learn more about our high yield and growth secure investments.

Visit eg.com.au/investments/private-wealth

l TRADE

Farmers and tourism operators request restart of backpacker program Paul Ryan, CEO of PayPal Australia, and Grace Brennan, Founder of Buy From The Bush

l BUSINESS

Buy From The Bush launches new online marketplace Buy From The Bush and PayPal are calling on Aussies to shop local and support rural communities ahead of Christmas this year, thanks to a new online marketplace launched that will change country lives with the click of a button.

The new Buy From The Bush Marketplace, sponsored by PayPal, is an easy-to-use, safe, secure online hub for shoppers to discover beautiful and unique products while supporting rural and regional small businesses.

More than 250 small businesses have already signed up to the marketplace to give Aussies more opportunities to buy local while bridging the gap between the city and the bush.

Founded by Grace Brennan in October 2019, the movement champions businesses doing it tough due to drought and bushfires. It's been just over a year since Buy From The Bush (BFTB) took the nation by storm, so the company has also just celebrated its first birthday.

The company also launched Stay in the Bush this year, which the same concept, but supporting accommodation operators in the country.

For more information, visit buyfromthebush.com.au and stayinthebush.com.au

Farmers have teamed up with the tourism sector to call for a controlled and COVID-safe restart of the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) Program. In pre-COVID times, backpackers could make up to 80 per cent of a farm's seasonal workforce.

The number of backpackers currently in the country is less than half the number this time last year. The number continues to decline as backpackers return home. The shortage is proving a significant headache for farmers as they go into the peak harvest season and for tourism operators as the summer holiday months approach.

In a joint letter to government, NFF CEO Tony Mahar and Backpacker & Youth Tourism Advisory Panel representative Wendi Aylward have called for a three-phased approach to safely resume the flow of backpackers. The plan is also supported by the Tourism and Transport Forum.

Over the last two years, due to the drought and water policy, Australian rice crops have accounted for less than a quarter of annual domestic consumption.

Right: Backpacker at Eaglerise Farm NSW, before COVID-19 hit.

REAL. CUSTOM. SHEDS. We wouldn’t say one rural property is like another. The sheds we’ve built across the country, have certainly been different from one to the next. From housing hay and machinery, to your precious stable, we’ve custom built sheds for every need and purpose.

From Rochester to Rockhampton, we’ve seen everything this great land can throw at us and built systems that stand the test of time.

• Fully Welded Frame

• Concrete Panels Available

• Deal Direct with Manufacturer

• Many Sizes and Options

• Plans and Engineering So if you are looking for a shed or structure built tough and to suit your needs... Give Telfords a call today.

VICTORIA

NSW

QUEENSLAND

Shepparton (Head Office) (03) 5821 4399

Wollongong (02) 4229 8116

Yatala (07) 3804 6688

www.telfords.com.au

The Muster

l REP ORT

Reform after COVID-19 As NSW looks to recover and rebuild after the COVID-19 crisis, NSW Farmers has launched an eight-point reform plan for agriculture.

Words ALEXANDRA BUNTON

8

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

A

As the industry looks toward recovery and growth, New South Wales agriculture can pursue its goal of becoming a $30 billion industry by 2030.

s an annual contributor of around $11.9 billion to our state’s economy, agriculture will be a key industry helping our community bounce back from COVID-19.

The NSW Farmers’ Growing our Food and Fibre Future plan is designed to help the state’s agricultural industry reach its goal of $30 billion by 2030 through priority investment and effective policy settings.

NSW Farmers’ President James Jackson said while agriculture can help NSW recoup recent economic losses, there is potential for the industry to add even more if certain barriers to growth are minimised or removed.

“Agriculture has played a key role during the crisis, and it will be critical in the aftermath as well,” Mr Jackson said. “We’re at a critical juncture. The state and federal governments need to be aware of where and how productivity can be improved in agriculture, and we will play an integral role in providing those insights.”

The Growing our Food and Fibre Future plan focuses on eight key priorities: • Strengthening supply chains and infrastructure • Growing farming businesses • Securing a Right to Farm • Creating fair and competitive supply chains • Driving premium products and value adding • Improving and expanding market opportunities • Building vibrant regions • Achieving water and environmental reforms Some of the elements of this plan are focused on the future, while others can be acted upon now. Investment in infrastructure in particular is critical to capturing value from the agriculture sector as it emerges from drought and COVID-19 restrictions.

Fresh produce from farmers in NSW is highly valued, but it will not get the best possible market price, and producers will lose market access unless it is delivered in peak condition. Road improvements between Sydney and the Central West could mean fresh produce reaches Sydney and export hubs like the Western Sydney Airport in under three hours.

In 2019, the Coalition pledged to significantly upgrade road access across the Blue Mountains. NSW Farmers is urging the state government to fund and fast-track this project so that tunnels, bypasses and multilane carriageways are constructed to improve safety and reduce travel times.

Value-adding is a significant opportunity for farmers in NSW, and the plan calls for the NSW Government to invest in existing groups and networks of farm businesses

to enhance their business skills. Areas such as development of individual farm brands, initiatives to promote vertical integration, and investment in provenance validation technology are key to driving new opportunities for farmers.

Farmers in NSW are using on-farm diversification to spread risk and insure against the impact of climate change, fire risk and export market uncertainties. NSW Farmers encourages decision-makers to reconsider city-centric regulations in areas such as construction, fire safety, and food safety that hamper on-farm productivity. This will help deliver more opportunities for on-farm vertical integration and product diversification.

Stoushes in the NSW Parliament over the Koala SEPP have demonstrated how command-and-control regulation fails farmers and our native wildlife. Rather than watching these issues play out in the media, NSW Farmers members are calling for government to work with land managers, rather than against them, to develop sensible and practical policies that don’t impede on everyday farm operations.

While farmers typically manage their land for the benefit of both productive use and the environment, restrictive legislation implemented by state and federal governments over the past 20 years has undermined both productivity and environmental benefits. This rigid approach, with a blanket application across farms, prevents local and regional responses to soil health, erosion, weed infestation and rotational farming systems.

NSW Farmers has long advocated for reform of the land management and biodiversity conservation framework to establish farmer-led schemes for stewardship and fair compensation for the public good delivered by farmers though environmental management of their land. Reform of both federal and state laws is needed if agriculture is to reach its potential as the engine of recovery for regional communities.

As the industry looks toward recovery and growth, New South Wales agriculture can pursue its goal of becoming a $30 billion industry by 2030. This will make the state a leader in the national industry’s aspiration of $100 billion by 2030.

NSW Farmers has been meeting with ministers to advocate for these policy priorities, delivering a positive growth message on behalf of our members. The Association has pleased to see steps in the right direction – including the state government’s changes to the Koala SEPP – to make sure that the agriculture sector can set New South Wales on a positive path forward.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

9

The Muster l COMMUNITY

Clubs: more than beer, bowls, and birdies Clubs across rural NSW have been suffering during the harsh restrictions imposed due to COVID-19, but as light appears at the end of the tunnel, clubs are making a comeback.

Words MICHAEL SHEATHER Photography RACHEL SHERMAN

A

s Slim Dusty once noted, “there’s nothing so lonesome, so morbid, so drear, than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer”.

The beer isn’t the problem at the Warialda Golf and Bowling Club in Northern NSW. No worries there. It’s the COVID-19 that’s causing all the lonesome blues.

“There have been times when I have walked into the Club on a Friday afternoon – which is usually our busiest time during the day – and I’ve felt more than a little dejected,” recalls Warialda Club President Mathew Williams. “We’d have between 25 and 30 people in the dining room and bar sitting around a couple of tables sharing a drink and laughing, telling tall tales, and poking fun at each other.

“But since the pandemic kicked in, we’ve had to separate everyone and make sure they sit just four to a table with all the proper distance between them. We might get 10 blokes in from the golf course on a Friday and not only is business down as a result, but the atmosphere just isn’t the same. It’s quite sad.”

BY PHIL SOMERVILLE

12

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

And here is the cruelest irony – the region hasn’t had a single case of COVID-19. In fact, as far as many of the locals know, they haven’t even had anyone tested for the virus. And yet, its effects – both financial and psychological – have been long and disturbingly deep.

The Warialda Golf and Bowling Club holds a unique position in the Northern NSW town, which has a regional population of about 1,300 people in a shire of 5,000.

When it comes to dining, there's the Royal Hotel Warialda in town that does a great hamburger and chips, weekly pasta specials and some hearty lamb chops with a cold one on the side. But if you're after something more exotic then the Warialda “Golf n’ Bowlo” is the go because it has the only Chinese restaurant in town, complete with red and gold Chinese lanterns suspended above the dining room tables.

In fact, it's the only restaurant in these parts, and there's a couple of cafes in town for lighter snacks.

That’s a fact that goes some way to explaining why the Club is such a vital part of the social fabric of the

town – it’s the sporting and social hub around which the community revolves.

It might be difficult for someone from the city to fully appreciate just how important an establishment such as a bowling club can be in a small town, says Mathew. “City folks wouldn’t get it because they have such a wide range of choices when it comes to dining out or having a bit of fun or a few beers on a Friday night. Here in Warialda, we’re a very tight community.”

Mathew also runs a mechanical and fuel supply business in town. “Everyone knows everyone. No matter what happens during the week, you can always walk into the bar at the golfie and find a friendly face. It’s like a little haven where you can brush off the dust and push your worries off to the side for a while.”

And of course, during the COVID-19 crisis, that community cohesion has been challenged not least because the Club has been reduced to serving takeaway food from the back door while also providing a few externally consumed beers for thirsty golfers. The dining room remained closed.

Yet at the same time, the Club had to keep its lone greenskeeper employed looking after both the bowling greens and the golf course.

“In a business sense, the greens are our biggest capital asset,” says Mathew. “We couldn’t let them go or we wouldn’t have a business to come back to. But in that sense, the government’s JobKeeper payments made a big difference for the club. Even so, being the type of community that Warialda is, we also relied on a lot of volunteer support to get things done around the place and as a club, we are extremely grateful for that.”

Of course, the Club is much more than beer, bowls, and birdies. It performs a crucial role in the community as the meeting place for a wide range of community groups including farmers.

NSW Farmers’ Regional Services Manager Mick Collins is also the bowls President at Warialda, and has even been known to moonlight at the club as a volunteer barman.

“This small community and lots of others across the state were already struggling because of the drought long before COVID-19 came along,” says Mick. “On top of that, Warialda is not far from the Queensland border – only about 100 kms – so we have missed out on quite a bit of tourist trade too.

So, we have copped it from every direction.”

He says that many people don’t realise the importance of a Club in a small town. “A lot of farmers come in at the end of the week to get away from the farm and play a round of golf with their mates. That’s vastly important for a lot of them, especially in the context of the drought and the strains it has imposed out here. It’s pretty much the only outlet they have. The Club is also the place for all sorts of meetings – for sporting groups, the Lions Club and the Warialda Show committee for instance.”

FAST FACTS

According to the 2015 Clubs Census conducted by KPMG, there are more than 1,300 clubs in NSW that contribute $8.3 billion to the economy annually.

Clubs also donate more than $100 million annually to charities and sporting associations across the state.

THE COVID BLUES

Not only is business down at the Warialda Golf and Bowling Club, due to social distancing, the atmosphere just isn't the same.

Pre-COVID-19, the Club attracted about 130 people on a Friday night. These days it’s more like 40 or 50, allowing for social distancing.

“There’s a real flow-on effect for the local economy,” says Mick, explaining that the Club buys all its meat from the local butcher, groceries from the local supermarket, fuel from the local fuel depot, and chemicals from the local stock and station agent.

“It’s an integrated economy,” he says. “But to have COVID-19 come in on top of drought, that was the nail in the coffin for a lot of little places.

If it weren’t for government assistance there’s a good chance we would have shut our doors too.”

But the people of Warialda have been through a lot in the past hundred years or so, and they are not likely to let something like a pandemic get on top of them.

The government has just awarded the Club a $250,000 refurbishment grant under the NSW Drought Assistance Fund. “That will go a long way to putting the club back on its feet,” says Mathew. “The club house was built in 1951 and we need a new kitchen. In fact, we need just about everything! In a small town, the Club is the beating heart of the community and we’re going to keep it beating as strong as we can.”

The beating heart of the community Jonathan Tuckfield, NSW Farmers’ Regional Service and Sales Manager, says clubs across rural NSW are an integral part of small communities.

He says more than half of the 400 NSW Famers events that the Regional Services Managers team attended during 2019 were held at local clubs.

“Since March, regular meetings have not happened at the local club. That has a huge impact on the clubs and on farmers from an organisational point of view, which we have managed well to overcome with virtual meetings, but it also makes it hard to maintain contacts and friendships,” he says.

In another example, Southern Region manager Daniel Brear says that of the 24 NSW Farmers Branches in his area of the state along the Victorian border, only seven have managed to hold a meeting.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

13

The Muster l INDUSTRY

Busy in the Basin A new generation of farmers is taking up the challenge of peri-urban agriculture, producing food in the Sydney Basin.

Words ALEXANDRA BUNTON

C

hristina Kelman is the Chief Farming Officer at Rita’s Farm, which operates both a greenhouse and outdoor production, providing vegetable boxes for consumers across New South Wales.

It’s been a significant change in her career, bringing her back to the farm after time spent in operations and human resources for not-for-profit organisations.

“I was working overseas when dad gave me a call and told me it was time to come home,” Christina says.

Christina’s dad is a diesel mechanic and had a local tractor shop in the area, and her mum is a nurse from rural China who was always interested in the health benefits of medicinal herbs and weeds.

“Growing up on the farm – especially in a small vegetable farm like ours – I always saw mum and dad working hard every day to provide a living for us,” Christina says. “Staying on the farm wasn't really an option for us kids and mum and dad pushed me to get educated. But the business was fortunate to have grown and we expanded.”

A far cry from office life, Christina now spends her days organising the farm’s workers before getting stuck into jobs like weeding, seeding, transplanting, hoeing and spraying, before taking on the washing, picking and packing at the end of the day.

She revels in the challenges of peri-urban farming, taking inspiration from the restricted land space on the farm. “There’s this pressure here to think about what you’re growing and how can you be the most efficient,” Christina explains. “There’s also something special about being so close to your customer and getting to interact with them – they keep you grounded and give you purpose.”

Around 18 per cent of land in the Sydney Basin is used for agriculture, with outdoor vegetable production comprising over 30 per cent of the region’s farms. The basin produces 90 per cent of the state’s protected floriculture, 76 per cent of protected vegetable crops, and 71 per cent of turf.

In a region dominated by retail, service and construction workers, agriculture employs less

than one per cent of Sydney’s workforce – though some young people are breaking away from traditional casual high school jobs and looking to a career in agriculture.

For Emily May, farming in the Sydney Basin is a return to her roots on the land.

“Growing up, the closest family connection I had to agriculture was through my great grandmother, who grew up on a property at Trundle,” Emily explains. “She left the farm when she got married, and I’m the first generation to go back.”

Growing up in the Hawkesbury, Emily started working on her neighbour’s orchard instead of taking a casual job in retail or food service. She has worked across the district on farms producing cut flowers, vegetables and stockfeed.

Emily is in her final year of a Bachelor of Agriculture at the University of New England, where she juggles her study commitments, working at agricultural supply store ACE Ohlsson, and time on farm, picking and packing local produce for Sydney’s markets.

MORE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SEEING THE BENEFITS OF AN AGRICULTURAL CAREER IN THE SYDNEY BASIN

Emily May – at work at ACE Ohlsson, working on the farm, and talking to students through her work with Young Farming Champions.

14

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Emily says there’s much to love about the vibrant Sydney agricultural sector.

“Not only are the farms diverse, so are the people who run them. Many of the Hawkesbury’s agricultural enterprises are run by families who immigrated to Australia, bringing their farming practices and culture with them,” she says. “Peri-urban agriculture also provides the opportunity to reconnect people with their food and provide them with the opportunity to truly value it.”

While the Basin provides fresh produce for many Sydney households, the benefits of agriculture in the region extend much further than the suburban kitchen. For Emily, managing the landscape is key to the region’s sustainability. “Now is the ideal time to address the role periurban agriculture can play in mitigating flooding, which is a significant risk to Sydney residents,” Emily explains.

“Climate change sees the potential to further increase the severity and frequency of

floods in the future. We need the right mix of farming and housing land to minimise risk to the community from major flood events.”

Emily thinks agriculture is a great career for people growing up in Sydney, even if it isn’t the traditional pathway from high school. “If young people want a career with purpose, there’s no greater purpose than ensuring the food we produce reaches all the people who need it, with as little impact on the planet as possible.”

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

Christina Kelman – Chief Farming Officer at Rita's Farm – and her mother, who is interested in the health benefits of medicinal herbs and weeds.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

15

The Muster l TRADE

Seeing stars Fresh fruit and vegetable juice is becoming an unwitting casualty of the war against sugar.

Words SANDRA GODWIN

W

e know Australians don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables – countless studies have confirmed it and they show it’s getting worse, not better, as consumer waistlines continue to expand.

The finger is now being pointed at sugary foods and drinks as one of the major culprits.

Fruit and vegetable growers across Australia were horrified to discover earlier this year the Health Star Rating (HSR) for 100 per cent juice with no added sugar was to be slashed from 5 health stars to as low as 2 stars. At the same time, the revised guidelines would give 4 stars to diet soft drinks such as Diet Coke.

Growers say the changes make no sense, were made without consulting them, and put at risk the livelihoods of local fruit and vegetable growers as well as an industry conservatively valued at $736 million a year.

Juicing is largely considered a secondary market for produce that doesn’t meet first-class quality standards, but many growers supply all or most of their fruit and vegetables for juice.

Fifth-generation fruit grower Justin Davidson, who grows 12 varieties of juicing oranges on 100 hectares of orchards near Leeton and supplies the Berri label owned by Lion Dairy and Drinks, is devastated.

His father, the late John Davidson, was a founding member of the Quelch juice factory in Leeton in 1973 and worked as the fruit procurement officer for more than 40 years.

16

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

The Riverina accounts for almost two-thirds of Australia’s plantings of citrus for juice, but Justin says cutting the HSR for fresh juice with no added sugar would sound the death knell for an industry that has battled decades of low prices, competition from cheap imports, and losses due to drought, heat and frost.

“To put fresh orange and apple and vegetable juice in a category that’s worse than adulterated water will completely tarnish our product,” he says. “When I try to explain it to people they say, ‘What?

It doesn't make sense’. I say, ‘I know, but this is what I’m dealing with’. I’m pulling my hair out about it. It’s a funny thing politics, there’s no common sense in it.”

Thirlmere apple grower and juice producer Damien

Silm agrees. As the manager of the juicing side of Cedar Creek Orchard’s business, which produces 12,000 litres of apple juice each week, Darren says cutting the HSR for juice to 2 stars would dramatically impact sales.

GENERATIONS OF JUICERS

Justin Davidson, who grows 12 varieties of juicing oranges in Leeton, is devastated by the new juice ratings.

(Photo courtesy of Lion Dairy and Drinks)

What is the Health Star Rating system?

The Health Star Rating (HSR) system was introduced in 2014 to provide an easy way for consumers to compare similar packaged foods and make healthier choices.

It uses a calculator based on Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) to assess the nutritional composition per 100g or 100ml of foods – including positive factors such as fibre, protein and the proportion of fruit, vegetable, nut and legume content, as well as negatives such as saturated fat, salt and sugar – and rates them on a scale of ½ to 5 stars.

The more stars a food has, the healthier it is deemed to be. Fresh juice has held a 5-star rating since the HSR was implemented.

HSR is a voluntary system developed by the Australian, state and territory governments in collaboration with food manufacturers and retailers, public health and consumer groups. It is overseen by three committees including the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, which is made up of federal, state and territory ministers responsible for food and the Australian Local Government Association, chaired

by Senator Richard Colbeck. Each member has one vote.

By September 2019 the stars had appeared on more than 15,200 products on Australian supermarket shelves, but surveys have found many manufacturers only declare the HSR for their healthier products.

For more details, visit: healthstarrating.gov.au

“I don’t understand why they would do it,” he says. “If they’re saying eating an apple is bad for your health and that’s only 3 stars, then maybe I can understand why juice would be demoted to 2 stars. Our juice is basically a liquid apple. We've just taken all the crunch out of it and juiced it for you. So, if eating an apple’s healthy then we don’t understand why drinking juice would be considered unhealthy.”

Damien says his grandfather, Roland, built a press and they bought a bottling line to make juice from apples they couldn’t sell as whole fruit. It brought diversity into the enterprise and helped spread risk, providing an avenue for lower quality and damaged fruit.

“It’s definitely helped us stay afloat over the years,” he says. “If demand plummeted we’d probably have to throw them away or find someone to give them to and that would be a big hit – I reckon the juice is maybe 50 per cent of our supporting business.”

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud went into bat for growers at the July meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation which discussed the new HSR guidelines. He proposed juice with no added sugar be awarded 4 or 5 stars in recognition of its nutritional benefits. But when it came to a vote, neither option received majority support.

Mr Littleproud released a blistering statement afterwards, saying the decision was illogical and “doesn’t pass the pub test”.

“The Forum lost the point of encouraging consumers to make healthy choices,” he said. “We want Australians to eat and drink products that align with Australian Dietary Guidelines. We want Australians to consume more fresh fruit and vegetables; 100 per cent fresh fruit and vegetable juice with no added sugar can make a healthy contribution.”

Forum chair Senator Richard Colbeck told The Farmer the Commonwealth has only one vote at the Forum, but “it believes fruit growers and the fruit juice industry are important parts of the national economy”.

And while Mr Littleproud’s proposals weren’t supported, Senator Colbeck says the Forum accepted the need for further investigation and asked for advice to be provided at its meeting scheduled for November.

Citrus Australia, supported by the National Farmers Federation, AUSVEG, Apple and Pear Australia (APAL), the NFF Horticulture Council, Passionfruit Australia, Mangoes Australia and Summerfruit Australia, launched a campaign in September to ensure the issue would be reconsidered.

Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock says consumption of fruit and vegetables continues to fall, with latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing just 5.4 per cent of all Australians over 18 consume the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables.

“Effectively labelling fresh juice with no added sugar as ‘unhealthy’ would hinder any chance of stopping this decline,” he says. “The algorithm that underpins the new HSR assesses fresh juice on sugar content alone and does not consider essential nutrients, such as Vitamin C, potassium, folate and magnesium, or antioxidants.”

APAL Head of Government Relations and Advocacy Jeremy Griffith says the proposed new ratings focused solely on total sugar content, rather than added sugar.

“As a result of that pear juice can be as low as 2 stars,” he says. “And the highest rating you can get for fresh orange or apple juice is 3.5 stars. That misses the benefits of all the other nutrient-rich contents of fresh juice. The government is basically encouraging the consumption of diet drinks and diet colas, over literally freshly squeezed pear, apple and

orange juice. That’s sending the wrong message – and a very mixed message – to consumers.”

Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs at Australian Beverages Council, Shae Courtney, says the Forum’s decision in July was not based on evidence or the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which allow for the occasional 125ml of juice to be considered equal to one serve of fruit.

“I’m sure other stakeholders, juice manufacturers, juice processors and growers are similarly frustrated about this issue,” he says. “I remain hopeful the strong advocacy of the industry will encourage other ministers who sit on the Forum to change their minds (and) come to a pragmatic decision on juice.”

If not, Justin Davidson says he’ll be forced out of growing oranges for juice.

“We’ll have no option,” he says. “We’ve been through the tough times and now we’ve got more red tape and another hurdle to overcome. Australian farmers are a dying breed, and it just feels like the government is making it harder and harder for us to farm.”

Way under our daily intake Australians don’t buy or eat enough fruit and vegetables, according to food sales data released in June by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The data is based on sales of foods from supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience and specialty stores in 2018–19. It found apparent daily consumption of fruit was 1.5 serves, 75 per cent of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of 2 serves per day.

In comparison, vegetables were just 2.3 serves, less than half the RDI of 5 serves per day.

The majority of fruit serves was from fresh or canned sources (64.8 per cent), with fruit juice contributing 23.1 per cent and dried fruit 12.1 per cent Just 5.4 per cent of all Australians over 18 consume the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables.”

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

17

The Muster l FREIGHT & LO GISTIC S

Keeping the wheels rolling Australia's freight industry has managed to navigate its way through state-by-state border lockdowns and keep the country’s agricultural supply chain functioning during the COVID-19 crisis.

Words and Photography LUCY KNIGHT

W

Trucking operators Kim and John Jackson from Coonamble say the freight permit system is okay if you’re organised.

18

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

hile the imposition of border closures has caused major social and logistical disruption to communities and the rural workforce, the classification of freight as an essential service and the recent implementation of a national freight management code has helped keep the wheels rolling for rural freight operators and, crucially, limited the impact of restrictions on farmers.

The Freight Management Code was endorsed by the National Cabinet in late July and came into effect in early August in response to border lockdowns following the second major outbreak of the virus in Victoria.

The code set out a number of protocols as well as compliance and enforcement measures, designed to deliver greater consistency and cohesiveness to freight operators regularly moving across regions and borders.

Included in the code was the need for a COVIDsafe plan for operators, valid border permits, record keeping enabling contact tracing if required and weekly COVID-19 testing.

So successful has the freight code been that farm advocacy groups argued for similar arrangements to help manage the flow of agricultural workers across borders to avoid major labour shortages, especially during peak harvesting periods in grain and horticultural industries.

NSW Farmers Association’s Policy Director of business, economics and trade, Kathy Rankin, said keeping freight and logistics moving with minimal disruption has been pivotal to ensuring agricultural production continued throughout the pandemic and the supply of fresh food was maintained.

Rankin said at the initial outbreak of the virus, and subsequently during the development of a national code, there was considerable work between government agencies and representatives across the supply chain to secure regional access, testing, permit and quarantining arrangements which would ensure freight continuity for essential industries like agriculture while also preventing the spread of COVID-19.

“The fact freight management during this period has had few restrictions by comparison to other sectors has provided some certainty to farmers,” Rankin said.

“NSW Farmers was very concerned that any delays around freight movement minimised the impact to live animals, and from the beginning we argued the welfare of live animals needed to be prioritised.

“We also supported calls for streamlined processes in relation to border check points and flexibility with COVID-19 tests and where these were conducted to ensure time delays were kept to a minimum and the impact on freight companies was low.

“Another major concern for us was ensuring there were no undue delays in farmers getting access to inputs, or hay and fodder. Minimising these delays has really been crucial for agriculture.”

Rankin says domestically, concerns about freight have been well managed, however there was still some uncertainty within the farm sector about international freight in relation to machinery, parts and critical inputs like fertiliser, glyphosate and other crucial agricultural chemicals, which has been the result from the downturns and border controls within other countries.

Paul Pulver from the Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association says government agencies have worked closely with industry and have responded to industry concerns as they’ve arisen.

For instance, he said a main issue was Lawton Freight owner Paul Lawton has introduced a number of COVID-19 protocols to respond to border restrictions and keep his business safe.

the requirement for mandatory COVID19 tests every seven days after crossing certain borders but following advice from trucking operators designated testing sites were opened up in key highway locations and opened 24-hours to minimise delays.

“Regional operators have had a pretty good run,” Pulver said. “Border restrictions haven’t overly affected us, and we’ve been able to keep operating without too many delays or hassles.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Gunningbased bulk freight owner-driver Paul Lawton, who says his business has been able to manage current challenges without too many impacts.

While city consumers were madly panic-buying toilet paper when the pandemic first hit Australia, Lawton was trying to keep up with farmer demand for fertiliser, fencing supplies and other key inputs which the industry rushed to secure during March and April.

Lawton, who runs 12 trucks and has 11 full-time employees, said they recorded a 30 per cent increase in their business during that time, which he was able to keep up with because freight could move across borders and regions relatively easily.

He has commended the state and federal governments for the way in which freight has been managed. “The government has done the right thing, there have been no real hold ups and it’s really helped keep rural businesses moving,” Lawton said.

FAST FACTS

trucking operators are  Rural classed as an essential service national Freight Management  ACode has streamlined border crossing protocols

say the system is  Truckies working, minimising delays and keeping rural supplies moving

Lawton Freight operates throughout central and southern NSW and western Victoria and has implemented a number of its own protocols to help respond to interstate border controls as well as minimise the risk of any potential COVID-19 incursion into the business.

Lawton said just one driver works on Victorian runs, while all truck drivers take their own meals to avoid eating in roadhouses and his drivers are now all home each night. This all minimises potential exposure and helps them operate with more confidence, he said.

Western NSW operators, John and Kim Jackson, have been kept busy trying to navigate the permit system to move grain and livestock in between South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and NSW but said so far the system has worked for rural freight companies.

Operating out of Coonamble with four trucks and three employees, the Jackson trucks are regularly crossing borders moving hay, sheep and cattle and grain.

Kim Jackson says with a big harvest looming across the eastern states, she hopes the measures recently announced to allow agricultural workers across borders will work as smoothly as the freight code, adding support staff will be “critical” during harvest to work alongside trucking and freight companies in what is always such a high-pressure period.

“The restrictions for freight companies are okay as long as you are organised with permits,” Kim said. “The best outcome has been a sensible system which means drivers can return home from Victoria without needing to be in quarantine for two weeks, provided they haven’t been in any hotspots or have any symptoms. “It is hectic at times as border passes are needed in some cases every seven days, but it’s all too easy once you have the passes.”

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

19

Helping our regional and rural customers Introducing the Regional Advisory Network (RAN): a new program we’ve put together for our regional, rural and remote customers that ensures we’re going the extra mile to help when and where they need it most.

What is it?

The Telstra Regional Advisory Network (or RAN) is a program that helps our regional customers (Consumer, Small Business & Enterprise) to get connected wherever they are in regional, rural or remote Australia.. It provides holistic service solutions using our experts from regional Australia, as well as our Network & IT team and field technicians, to provide customers with a range of services from a simple fix to fully integrated and bespoke network solutions to ensure you’re able to make the most of your connection using our regional footprint. And it’s a big footprint.

We have the largest regional mobile network by a country mile: We cover 1 million square kilometres across regional Australia that is not served by any other network. It’s because of this investment and long history of supporting the regions that we wanted to ensure that

Why have we created it? our customers outside the major cities are able to get the help they need and deserve.

The RAN program has been designed to help customers who are having connectivity issues in their home, business premises or on the road. We want to be able to fix these problems the way that our regional customers need: by putting the right people on the job who understand the issue in detail and who can recommend a solution.

The RAN team is made up of expert Regional Network Advisors (or RNAs) from our Networks & IT team and Local Communications Advisors (LCAs) from our skilled field technician team, who are supported by the wider Regional Australia team.

The RNAs and LCAs are scattered around the country so no matter where you live, you’ll have access to them, locals helping locals!

In an ever-evolving digital world, we understand the critical role telecommunications plays in regional Australia. Whether it’s connecting with family and friends, educating the kids, running your business or calling for help, having a reliable service is essential.

We also have a dedicated regional team with deep technical knowledge who understand the reality of connectivity and are able to help all customers make the most out of the network.

So, we have put two and two together to deliver a personalised face to face service to help our customers by leveraging our team of experts.

The RAN is an integral part of Telstra’s broader Regional Workforce Strategy with a focus on maintaining Telstra’s workforce integrity in regional areas.

How does it work?

You can find out more about the Regional Advisory Network and how to speak to someone on our team at our Regional Australia page https://Telstra.com/ regionalaustralia For Mobile Coverage issues – You’ll be asked to complete a few questions online that will go to the specialist team, who will then arrange to call you back to understand more about your situation and what solutions will help get the outcome you’re after.

To invite a network expert to your event – This will give you the option to request the engagement of an RNA/LCA to attend a community event, to ensure the event has the right network support.

Looking back

moving forward and

With the NSW Farmer of the Year awards cancelled for 2020, The Land and The Farmer look back at the past decade of inspiring winners to see how they've adapted to current times, as well as what the competition has meant to them.

HALL FAMILY ORCHARD S

Chris and Lee Hall on their property in Wombat, near Young, say that the award allowed them to spread an important message about regenerative horticulture.

22

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Farmers of the Decade

2019

Pure success at Hall Family Orchards Words MICHELLE HESPE

Since 2005, Chris Hall and his team at Hall Family Orchards have been committed to chemical-free cherry farming. And after becoming NSW Farmer of the Year in 2019, news of their innovative cherry growing practices spread far and wide.

“It was great to be recognised for our ideas and practises around growing cherries, using nutrition to control pest and diseases, and transferring principals of regenerative agriculture to a horticultural environment,” Chris says.

“The awards allowed us to spread an important message about regenerative horticultural and agricultural farming practices and the ability to push the boundaries of growing cherries that are export quality, nutritionally rich, enhanced with flavour and without any nasty chemicals in the process.”

The hard work over the last 15 years has paid off, with one of the many benefits being that due to the company’s focus on regenerative horticultural, it no longer has to deal with the “ever-changing export issues related to countries moving towards banning fruit with certain chemical residues” as they are not using any of the questionable chemicals.

Farmers have had the fires, drought and COVID-19 to deal with this past year, and due

Glen and Julie Andreazza

to cherry farming being heavily reliant on good quality water, Hall Family Orchards was significantly affected by the drought.

“We struggled with water levels needed for the cherries, especially last year, however we have adapted our business in preparation for this season and the subsequent COVID-19 restrictions, and were fortunate that our harvest was later in the year,” says Chris.

“We may have staffing issues related to many regular workers from Queensland not wanting to enter NSW due to the risk of having to quarantine for two weeks when they return prior to Christmas, however we have been able to attract new staff due to our increased profile that was a result of the awards.”

2018

Balancing sustainability and profits Words OLIVIA CALVER

After two years of drought and very low water availability, 2018 NSW Farmers of the Year Glen and Julie Andreazza are entering an exciting period.

The Griffith irrigators – who supply wheat to Arnott’s for Tim Tams and Scotch Fingers – are preparing to harvest their best wheat crop in years.

They’re also planting rice for the first time in two seasons and are entering their second year of growing popcorn.

“After two shocking seasons in a row, it’s exciting to have some water back,” Glen says. “Last year we didn’t plant rice and a lot of our wheat was not watered so we were back to a third of our normal tonnage.”

Glen says popcorn emerged as an opportunity last year – the crop being one of the few offering enough potential profit to offset the high water prices. “We had nearly 40 hectares of popcorn, which was mostly grown on bore water, there was nothing else we could grow which would return the same money as selling our water,” he explains.

“It’s a very rewarding crop to grow, especially when you can take it home and pop it yourself.

It’s one of the first commodities I’ve been able to grow and just go from paddock to plate instantly, without it being processed.”

The Andreazzas plan to grow popcorn again this year, and they will be one of only a handful of growers kept on by their supplier after COVID-19 restrictions shut down popcorn's biggest market – cinemas.

The couple, who were awarded NSW Farmers of the Year for their ability to balance sustainability

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

23

>

FARMERS OF THE DECADE

with profits, while offsetting the risks of seasonal conditions, say the accolade led to incredible opportunities.

For instance Julia was asked to speak at events and on podcasts, telling the story of her mental health challenges after the family was confronted by just about everything life could throw at them in the year prior to their win.

“I told my story at the stump at Henty Machinery Field Days and from there I've been part of the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network’s program Tell It Well and was on John Harper's Mate Helping Mate podcast,” Julie says.

She adds that the award had also inspired their four children to become even more involved with the farm, with their youngest daughter starting an ag diploma on top of her law degree and their oldest son now keen to do more on the farm.

Julie says they were honoured that the award had recognised them as a couple, and they saw it as part of their role as NSW Farmers of the Year to promote farming at every chance they got, and would continue to do so. “I think COVID-19 has been a chance for everyone to look outside the box and see that there is a real future in farming, there are career opportunities outside of the high rise buildings in Sydney,” Julie says.

2017

Masters of adaptation in Beckom Words MICHELLE HESPE

Mike and Velia O’Hare operate a 2200-hectare mixed farm in Beckom, south west NSW, producing canola, wheat and lamb in a rotational cropping and grazing system based upon nitrogen-fixing hard-seeded pasture legumes headed by biserrula.

“As well as promoting safe, sustainable, and profitable farming to the wider community, being part of Farmer of the Year gave us the opportunity to take a close look at our business through the eyes of others, and this presented the opportunity to learn from progressive farmers in various agricultural industries,” Mike says.

Velia adds that one of the most satisfying aspects of winning the award was the further opportunity to spread the word on Biserrula – the hardy legume pasture that has done so much to boost

24

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Mike and Velia O'Hare

SAFE & SUSTAINABLE

Mike and Velia O'Hare (above) say that winning the award gave them the opportunity to let other farmers know about Biserrula – a hardy legume pasture that has helped boost their farm's production.

their farm’s production. “Even more rewarding are the occasional calls from growers who’ve given it a go and are very pleased with the results,” she says.

Since the O’Hare’s win, the duo has made a substantial change to their sheep enterprise with the introduction of SheepMaster genetics.

“SheepMaster are a relatively new 100 per cent shedding, high fertility, meat sheep with good feet and leg structure,” explains Mike. “Their introduction is improving our lamb production efficiency and we have since become part of the National SheepMaster Stud Breeders.”

With the intensifying drought, the couple joke that they soon went from ‘Farmer of the Year’ to ‘Failure of the Year’.

“It was a case of battening down the hatches with a reduction in the cropped area, a rare alteration to the crop rotation, a reduction in ewe numbers, ewes in confinement lots, finishing lambs in a feedlot, and a general reduction in operating expenses until the drought broke earlier this year,” says Mike.

“And although COVID-19 is doing its best to disrupt our markets and supply chains and create general uncertainty, from a day-to-day aspect, little has changed. Farmers do isolation well, and the restrictions imposed remind us how lucky we are to be on the farm and how fortunate we are to enjoy each other’s company.”

2016

Two different lines in the water Words MICHELLE HESPE

Nick Arena’s unique approach to business diversification has helped him and his team to navigate the tough times since being awarded Farmer of the Year. His business has two different income streams – fish production and an on-site restaurant and function centre called Cook-a-Barra, where guests can enjoy the barramundi grown on the property that they can see on a tour. The restaurant also has its own hydroponic vegetable farm so that all food is fresh from the source.

“We are drought-proof, but not bushfire and COVID-proof,” says Nick. “The bushfires didn’t cause us too much grief, but COVID-19 has had a big impact on the business.”

In March, like all restaurants, Nick had to close their doors without ant notice.

“This was easier to manage than the fish production side of things, as shutting the restaurant was like turning the engine on your car off – it doesn’t cost you any money,” he says. “But on the fish production side, the demand and price both dropped, but our costs such as staff and power remained the same. We saved some money on feed costs because we had to pull back so that the fish didn’t get too large for our market.”

Cook-a-Barra restaurant has since reopened and business is great due to locals from NSW not traveling overseas or interstate.

For Nick, being involved with Farmer of the Year was beneficial as it helped him to gain contacts within government bodies who can assist with rectifying industry issues when they arise.

CONSTANTLY ADAPTING

Ed Fagan has always ensured that Mulyan Farm in Cowra has always had many specialty crops on rotation and he is constantly adjusting the business model to work in tune with the physical environment.

Ed Fagan

“Also, being acknowledged by others for the hard work you have put in over many years is a pat on the back,” he says. “What we do is very different to other farming practices, and it’s nice to be recognised for that.”

2015

Making hay while the sun shines Words DANIEL PEDERSON BARRA BUSINES S

For Nick Arena (below), winning the award has helped him to gain contacts within government bodies who can assist with rectifying industry issues.

Nick Arena

The Fagan family have their fingers in a lot of pies at their 1600-hectare property called Mulyan Farm on the Lachlan River in Cowra. They produce wheat, canola, oats and popcorn, as well as horticulture crops including beetroot, asparagus, onions, baby spinach, while also trading cattle and producing lamb.

The farm has a plethora of specialty crops so that their produce is clearly differentiated in an often saturated market. So with red onions for instance, the Fagans produce a specific line of red onions that no one else has, and they’ve partnered with other companies in different areas of the country in order to maintain their solid share of the market.

“From 2010 to 2015 were good years,” says Ed Fagan. But he says that from 2016 until now, agriculturally things have been very different.

“We’ve had flood, drought and outside factors that affect our business model. In 2017, 2018 and 2019 we had drought, then came COVID-19, then the trade spat with China. Every year has been very different and so it’s been hard to plan,” he says.

A paddock of Planet barley served the business well during the drought years as they made hay.

“We made the best cereal hay we've ever made from Planet, everyone we sold it to said it was the best hay of the season,” Ed says.

A lot of the barley ended up at sheep feedlots locally. >

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

25

Other specialties of theirs have also been affected. Asparagus for instance, needs to be cut every day, and on Mulyan Farm there are 30,000 crowns to the hectare, each producing at least one spear daily spread over 30 hectares. That’s a big job when it comes to cutting, and this year the usual casual workforce of backpackers is not available due of COVID-19 travel restrictions. There would generally be as many as 30 cutters in the field.

This year the crop is not being harvested and has been left to fern. It’s not all bad news though, as Ed explains that the crown will come back stronger next year and if cared for well, will do so for decades.

Beetroot is another sector that has kept the Fagan’s farm wheels turning. It’s straight out of the paddock and onto the grading table for production.

It’s also steam blanched at the shed, sliced, diced, brined – whatever the customer wants. The beets are processed every couple of days and they are the mainstay of the farming operation at the moment.

Ed is constantly adjusting his business model to work in tune with the many moving parts of the business and the physical environment, and it’s one of the many reasons why this Farmer of the Year continues to do so well in tough conditions.

Ed Fagan

2014

Conscious farmers sharing success Words MICHELLE HESPE

It’s been six years since Liverpool Plains producers Derek and Kirrily Blomfield claimed the Farmer of the Year award.

At the time the pair were running a 980-hectare beef property called Colorado, near Quirindi, and producing cattle for their paddock-to-plate brand,

Derek and Kirily Blomfield (Centre)

26

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

The Conscious Farmer, which is focused on ethically produced beef.

The operation features grass-fed cattle raised on perennial pastures with up to 65 subdivided paddocks for rotational grazing, with a focus on improving and regenerating soils, pastures and biodiversity while optimising beef production and profitability.

This grazing system, as well as careful choice of drenches (if required), also resulted in an explosion of the dung beetle numbers, especially during their predominantly active time over summer.

The Conscious Farmer brand became a subscription-only blog offering information on regenerative agricultural practices and their practical application for both broadacre and small scale farming and grazing.

2013

Taking first class glasshouses global Words MICHELLE HESPE

“Having worked in the glasshouse industry for a lifetime, and being recognised for my efforts with Farmer of the Year led me to rethink my future,” says 2013 winner Godfrey Dol. “It gave me that extra confidence to push myself further and I began to think about and explore what small legacy I could possibly leave behind.”

With this in mind, Godfrey started his own consulting business, specialising in what he has always done – starting up large glasshouse operations. “This time I changed the starting point of my plan to satisfy my interest in travel and experiencing new cultures,” he explains.

To achieve this balance of life, work and travel, Godfrey approached investors financing new glasshouse projects around the world, with the proposal that he manage their new facilities for a year at a time.

“Farming changes every day, and I felt that to impact any farm, I needed to be there every day.

The result is that over the last three years, I have lived in three different countries – the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Kazakhstan – setting up large glasshouse projects, training staff and managers, and providing investors with returns on their investments,” Godfrey says.

“Being able to be successful in different cultures has enriched me professionally, but also personally, while at the same time leaving a legacy around the world. Without the confidence boost of being a Farmer of the Year, this might never have happened.”

FARMERS OF THE DECADE

Godfrey is now self-employed, well-travelled, culturally enriched, and feeling more independent and satisfied with what he does.

“Every day it is a pleasure dealing with staff, managers, and investors who want to learn about their business,” Godfrey says. “They recognise me as an expert, and I feel privileged to provide them with my experience, while at the same time becoming intimately acquainted with their culture.

I developed myself into a better manager and consultant so I can continue to taste that sense of achievement.”

COVID-19 has meant that Godfrey has not been able to travel back to Australia nor visit his clients in Japan, Mexico, and Iran, but video conferencing has continued to connect him with clients and family, and his success has continued to soar.

Last year Godfrey was asked to be an advisor for a team participating in a prestigious challenge organised by the University of Wageningen.

The contest provided six teams with a tomato glasshouse that had to be managed remotely, without ever entering the glasshouse.

The teams were scored on profitability, sustainability, and the quality of the artificial intelligence. “During the challenge, COVID-19 emerged, highlighting the need for this type of service, and my team won all three aspects of the challenge,” Godfrey says with pride.

Godfrey Dol STRIKING A BALANCE

Godfrey Dol (above) started his own consulting business after winning Farmer of the Year, making sure he created a business plan that satisfied his love of farming, staff management and travel.

2013

Improving local and global sheep practices Words HANNAH POWE

After winning the NSW Farmer of the Year competition seven years ago, Matthew and Cherie Coddington of Roseville Park Merinos, Dubbo, have grown their networks, further developed their knowledge and set out on a journey to expand their business.

Operating across 3,200 hectares, the Coddingtons are predominantly a sheep enterprise and Merino stud, running up to 10,000 sheep, but when grass is plentiful, they also run a cattle trading enterprise. They also crop around 1,500 acres a year of oats, barley and lupins as fodder crops to improve pastures for the livestock.

Over the past 30 years the Coddingtons have become industry leaders, not only at shows and sales, but for their commitment to developing their business, their clients’ businesses, and the industry.

Matthew Coddington

“What we are doing on-farm is to try to improve the sheep industry and sheep breeding for all farmers in Australia and across the globe,” Matthew says.

The Coddingtons mentor others whenever they can, conduct research on-farm and collaborate with universities, the Meat and Livestock Australia and NSW Department of Primary Industries.

“With our research partners, we investigate sheep reproduction and remote farming systems, including walkover weighing, pasture monitoring, pedigree matchmaker, and we use DNA and genomic technology in sheep, and breeding systems to increase the genetic gain, reproduction, meat and wool production of our sheep,” Matthew explains.

The drought has made the Coddingtons further diversify their business.

“We have focused on increasing our Merino seedstock genetic selling markets in Australia and globally, and because of drought we have been forced to think outside of the box and develop new global markets,” Matthew says.

“Our team has now opened these other countries up to import sheep and goats from Australia for breeding purposes, and we are empowering farmers in third world countries. Through increased production of our genetics, these farming communities are now getting better housing, schooling, and medical standards in rural areas in their remote regions," he says.

“Last year, every cargo flight out of Australia was full of sheep, goats, dairy cattle and beef cattle - overseas countries cannot get enough of Australian produce or Australian meat and fibre at the moment. This is our golden opportunity,” Matthew says. “These countries are looking at their own longterm food security, which is something Australia hasn’t done a particularly good job at.” >

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

27

FARMERS OF THE DECADE

2012

Rising from the challenges Words STEPHEN BURNS

In the eight years since being crowned the 2012 NSW Farmers of the Year, Peter and Alison Campbell from Henty have noted many changes in their business.

At the time of their win they were running a mixed cropping and sheep enterprise with a focus on maximising financial performance while managing natural resources. The couple were cropping two-thirds of their 1,550-hectare southern NSW property as well as running a Merino selfreplacing flock.

However when their daughter Ainslie, who was working as a vet, contracted an incredibly serious illness – myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome) everything changed and the Campbells had to prepare for a 'worst case scenario’ in their family.

“When we won the award everything was on track for an uneventful future and a seamless move into retirement,” Alison says.

It has been a very challenging few years for the family but Alison says that now Ainslie is able to cope with day-to-day living.

“We have not made any radical change to our business as a result of these events, but continue to fine tune what we do,” Alison says. “Our age is catching up with us and will have to make a decision soon, together with Ainslie, on our farming future.”

To ease the workload, the Campbells have moved to Henty and sold a 500ha block to a neighbour, leaving them with 1,550ha. “We also arranged for share farmers on two other blocks which meant our cropping program was reduced by half,” Peter says.

“But we still run 2,600 Merino ewes with followers.”

They have been able to stick with some of their long-term principles, such as their belief that stubble retention in a medium rainfall environment should be a long term industry goal.

They also include a pasture phase for carbon/ nitrogen benefits and aim to have an intensive cropping rotation and to demonstrate high yields can be coupled with full stubble retention.

The Campbells benchmark in the local crop competitions and are regularly in the top three places with their main crops of wheat, canola and lupins.

Further challenges were caused during the recent drought years, when Peter says stress was an issue as decisions needed to be made each day. But he realised there were others a lot worse off.

“Grain and stock sales meant that income was maintained, however, very little stubble hay was made as we needed to maintain groundcover,” he says.

28

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

That was an important consideration for the Campbells as they endeavoured to preserve the integrity of the top soil of their property.

Otherwise, except for a scare when a galah shorted itself on a power pole and started a fire in February, neither bushfires nor COVID-19 have impacted the business.

And as for their foray into the Farmer of the Year awards, Alison says that they were “proud to be able to tell our story at the time and to showcase both our farm and our area”.

Norm Smith

2011

Bows with many strings Words MARK GRIGGS

Continuation of the Yellow Box Grassy Woodland Stewardship Project on 1,600 hectares of Glenwood, Wellington, led 2011 NSW Farmer of the Year Norm Smith to expand his Merino breeding enterprise.

Now in its 10th year, instead of grazing for five days then resting paddocks for a minimum of 40 days as part of the contract, Norm and wife, Pip, rest each paddock for a minimum of 120 days.

“It’s all part of our holistic management of shortgraze periods and long rests, however, we think our rest is too short and are now looking to subdivide those paddocks to allow for longer rest periods, even up to 140 days,” Norm says.

“This also encourages diversity of perennial plants and ground cover which give us a triple bottom line of making it financially stable for us as well as regenerating the landscape while good for the production and health of our livestock.”

When the Smiths began the stewardship program they also began to build a business relationship with the Maurice family at nearby Spicers Creek and moved all 3,000 commercial ewes from Glenwood to Gillinghall where the sheep were Alison and Peter Campbell

CHANGE IS GO OD

The grandfather of blueberries, Ridley Bell (right) sees challenges such as bushfires, drought and COVID-19, as reasons to make changes that are beneficial to business.

run on a profit-share arrangement. “We own the livestock and we profit-share the gross income,” Norm explains.

Three years later, the Smiths set up another partnership with farmers Angus and Lucy Maurice, and started leasing two properties.

The Glenwood commercial ewes still run on Gillinghall, however, the Smith/Maurice partnership run another commercial flock nearby and have been buying the five-yearold ewes from Gillinghall to stock that property which will become a self-replacing flock next year.

“The aim next March is to join 2,500 ewes in that flock and then fatten the wether lambs off there and class the ewe portion which will enter the flock,” Norm says, adding that leasing had been a way to expand without having to buy more land.

The Glenwood Merino stud has also improved in the past 10 years culminating this year by achieving the best sale average ever of 19 sales at $3,099 for 136 rams selling to four states.

The Smiths believe that farmers should always have a number of strings to their bows, and the new venture for the business is LoveMerino – a brand producing individually hand-dyed woollen fashions, including scarves, neck warmers, pashminas, baby blankets and throws.

COVID-19 has changed the Ridley Bell business to a more direct online outlet, and the online sales having been very strong.

2010

Adversity creates opportunity Words MICHELLE HESPE

Ridley Bell of Mountain Blue Orchards is considered the grandfather of Australia’s

blueberry industry. Although he has always been on the map for consumers when it comes to blueberries, by becoming the 2010 NSW Farmer of the Year he feels that he was also put on the map for other farmers and for the horticulture industry in general.

“The awards opened up whole series of different networks and support that I didn’t have much access to before,” he says.

“If we ever have to lobby something for instance, we can now call someone, as we have a broader, more established network at our fingertips.”

Ridley says that they were a relatively small operation when he won the award, and so the prize of $10,000 really helped the company through a tough time and went towards its new research and development program.

“In 2010 we were in three countries with a breeding program and now we are in 24,” Ridley explains. “We are also now fully vertically integrated whereas back then we were just a breeding farm and a nursery. And in 2010 we were producing 60 tonnes of fresh fruit a year on 10 hectares. Now we are on target to deliver 1000 tonnes this year on 120 hectares. At that time we had around 50 staff and now we have 500-600.”

Mountain Blue now has breeding, a nursery, farming and marketing, and are now also marketing raspberries and strawberries alongside blueberries. “Under Mountain Blue Marketing we market all of our family fruit and 40 per cent of the total that we market is third-party growers,” Ridley explains. “Now we also have multiple farms throughout Australia including one in the Atherton Tablelands, and in Moondarra, Victoria where we do cold-climate breeding.” The company also has a new farm in India.

Last year Mountain Blue was badly affected by drought and then bushfires, but they were lucky enough to not lose any infrastructure or the farm itself. They did have to walk away from many fields of blueberries as it was hard to keep staff during the fires, and they almost ran out of water and so had to choose which crops to save.

But Ridley says that “adversity creates opportunity” and amongst many other changes, losing some of what they had planted meant a chance to get rid of old varieties and try some new ones.

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions they’ve also now employed hundreds of locals alongside many Pacific Islanders in need of work.

The big picture

As NSW looks toward applying the lessons learned from the Black Summer bushfire crisis, rural NSW must face another fire hazard this summer – from Spring rain-fed ground fuel and grass fires with the potential to threaten the state’s first post-drought harvest.

–

Words MICHAEL SHEATHER Photography ANT ONG

T

he first major fire of last year’s now infamous Black Summer bushfires began in an area known as the Bees Nest – a rugged and difficult-to-access part of the Guy Fawkes National Park near Guyra in Northern NSW. And for beef producer Tony Brazier, whose property borders the National Park, and for many others, the Bees Nest fire delivered what he describes as a catastrophic sting.

Initially, hard-pressed firefighters reported they had “blacked out”, or extinguished, the blaze. But smouldering embers, a rolling log and high winds helped the fire jump containment lines, giving it a new and devastating life that spread across neighbouring farmland to eventually burn through more than 100,000 hectares, including broad swathes of Tony Brazier’s property, in what was later labelled “the perfect fire storm”.

“I had about 200 head of cattle on that part of the property bordering the National Park,” recalls Tony, a fourth-generation farmer, estimates the fires have cost him up to $300,000, and probably much more in additional debt and repairs.

“We managed to move those cattle to safe ground before the fire swept through but we lost all our fences along the park’s border, as well as a huge amount of fodder and feed that we put aside to feed our stock through until well into January. We also lost a lot of improved pasture, but I haven’t had time to calculate what that might have cost us. The fences alone, without labour, will cost more than $200,000 to replace. >

30

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

DAMAGE D ONE

Tony Brazier, a fourthgeneration farmer whose property near Guyra (pictured here), estimates the fires have cost him up to $300,000.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

31

THE BIG PICTURE

“It’s bitterly disappointing because, quite frankly, if sufficient hazard reduction had taken place in the park, as it is supposed to, then the fire couldn’t have been as big or as bad as it was. As usual, the consequences all come back on the farmer who has no control over what happens in the National Park.

This was a disaster waiting to happen.”

A year on, NSW has already launched into this year’s bushfire season. But conditions this year will be vastly different, with drought receding and a predicted La Niña part of the Australian weather cycle bringing more rain and cooler temperatures across the country.

At the same time, the political and administrative embers of last season’s disastrous bushfires are still smouldering. The NSW Government released its muchanticipated Bushfire Review Report at the beginning of August – an extensive document that puts forth a total of 76 recommendations for changes in the way authorities prepare for, respond to, and fight bushfires across the state.

Many of the report's recommendations point to hazard reduction in government-controlled land such as national parks and crown land as well as private forests.

Then there is acknowledging the potential role of cool burning and Indigenous cultural burning techniques in avoiding future large scale fires, the destruction of property, and loss of life.

However, as welcome as the some of the recommendations are, some have caused concern among farmers at the forefront of local fire-fighting operations.

The NSW Farmers Association recently observed in an analysis of the recommendations that: “It is disappointing that with regard to better engagement with Farm Fire Units, the recommendation focussed on the need for personal protection equipment rather than the issues of better engagement and utilisation that is included in the report narrative.”

It was also “disappointing” that the review of vegetation clearing focussed on ‘residences’ and roadside clearing and not on farmland clearing when adjacent to Crown land, national parks, and private forests.

32

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

LIVESTO CK & FENCES

Tony Brazier (right) managed to get his cattle to safe ground before the fire swept through, but he lost all of his fences along the park's border.

This analysis also noted that several recommendations also focussed on ‘centralising’ decision-making during fires, which had the potential for reducing the impact and effectiveness of the local knowledge and experience shared by local firefighting crews.

NSW Farmers’ policy director for rural affairs Kathy Rankin says the recommendations were unclear about whether the intent to centralise decision making was intended as a strategy among top level officials or if the intent was to remove decision making power from frontline firefighters.

“If they intend to streamline decision-making at the top of the hierarchy then that is welcome, but if the intention is to remove the ability to respond quickly with on-the-ground decisions made by local volunteers, then that is something we are concerned about, and it is a trend many farmers have criticised for years,” she says.

Kathy says the emphasis on hazard reduction around residences rather than farmland is also problematic for the farmers.

“Focusing on reductions around residences and built infrastructure is understandable, but to ignore the considerable impacts on open farming areas which are vital assets both for producers and the community is not,” she says.

“If last year’s bushfires have taught us anything it’s that there are significant costs associated with rebuilding and restoring farm infrastructure such as fencing, which is often not covered by insurance policies, and thus the cost then falling back on

producers. The perception is that because it’s open farmland then built infrastructure doesn’t exist, but it does and there is a significant cost impact to replace it.”

NSW Farmers’ President James Jackson says that what is missing from the review recommendations is “the critical need for significant improvements in recognising and responding to local advice”.

“It is also disappointing that there are no observations regarding the importance of a clearly articulated strategy for the management of fuel loads in heavily forested areas on public land,” he says.

“NSW Farmers has long-held the view that hazardreduction management needs improving on public land and this could include options such as landscape scale hazard reduction and strategic grazing in national parks.”

The recommendations, as well as how and when they will be implemented are currently under consideration by NSW Cabinet, while the new bushfire season rapidly approaches or is in fact already underway in some parts of the state.

The coming season will be quite different to last season. Predictions indicate the devastating high temperatures, low humidity and high winds are unlikely, and might be replaced with normalised weather patterns.

However, while that means the threat of forest fires has receded compared to last year, another equally dangerous threat is emerging from the likelihood of swift and damaging grass fires on the western side of the Great Dividing Range.

THE SUMMER AHEAD

Weather conditions in the coming season are predicted to be quite different to those during last year's black summer.

Predictions indicate that the devastating high temperatures, low humidity and high winds might be replaced with normalised weather.

Shane Fitzsimmons, the man lauded for his leading role as RFS Commissioner during the bushfire crisis, is now Commissioner at Resilience NSW and responsible for natural disaster response, preparation, and recovery.

He says grass fires, which burn with speeds up to 40 kilometres an hour in the right conditions, may pose a real threat to crops at harvest time later in the year.

“Things have changed a great deal from this time last year,” says Shane. “Everything you looked at last year was dry and covered in thick red dust. I’ve heard from graziers who are down on stock, but they are putting in crops to try and earn a quid. The wheat crop is expected to go from three million tonnes to potentially 12 million tonnes this year, so conditions are dramatically different.

“But the challenge is, with La Niña being forecast as the dominant weather feature this year and probably more rainfall, we can’t ignore the fact that we will also have a grassland fire risk this year, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a long time.

“If you think about all the millions of hectares that have been sown so far, there comes a great opportunity for harvesting good crops but there also comes a risk of more ignitions and the quick spread of fire if we have hot, dry windy days. We have a widespread abundance of ground fuel across western NSW. Safe cropping and rural practice is going to be a real focus this year. It would be such a pity if farmers were just about to take off the first good crop after the drought only to lose it to a fire. That would be devastating.” > NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

33

THE BIG PICTURE

Shane says he is part of an action team that includes the RFS and the Emergency Services David Elliot, along with Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning John Barilaro working on putting together a plan which will soon go to cabinet.

“What I can say at this point is that the plan will shortly be before cabinet and that will seek to capture the thoughts and views of ministers and departments to respond to the inquiry, everything from boundary fences to land management to new technologies to better governance and we are working with the minister to bring all that back for consideration,” Shane says.

Even so, many farmers could be forgiven for thinking they are experiencing a bout of Deja vu.

There have been many inquiries and reviews into bushfires in the past but little seems to change, explains Brett Fitzpatrick, who is a five-generation beef farmer, captain of the Hazelgrove Rural Fire Service near Oberon in Central NSW, and President of the NSW Farmers Oberon branch. His father was also the Hazelgrove fire captain.

“The biggest gripe that farmers have with the hierarchy at the RFS is that they don’t listen to us,” Brett says. “Farmers know their local area and they know how to fight fires – most have been doing it for generations. But the RFS seems to want to fight fires at arm’s length.

“Nobody at the fire-front does anything unless it gets the okay from someone in an office in Sydney, and that’s just ridiculous. Decisions sometimes must be made in an instant and with local knowledge, and

34

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

NEW GROWTH

After the fires raged through Tony Brazier's property, he was left with more than $300,000 worth of damage. Today, he has new fences and the land is regenerating.

they must be more proactive instead of reactive. We’ve had orders for crews to stand seven kilometres back at a house while the fire is coming straight at them. You have got to do more than that. There’s communication going on but it’s just us talking down the phone. They don’t listen.”

That lack of communication seems to be an important point for many farmers. Mitchell Clapham is a member of NSW Farmers’ Conservation and Resource Management Committee and farms near Mudgee in the state’s Central West.

“It’s disappointing because we don’t see in the recommendations much recognition or acknowledgement of the collaboration with farmers and the need to locally manage fires,” says Mitchell.

“From my local RFS brigade’s point of view, there doesn’t seem to be any consideration to bringing the decision making closer to the fire ground. It seems to

Bees Nest bushfire legal action Beef producer Tony Brazier, along with five other farmers from his area, have launched legal action against the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service seeking compensation for damage and losses because of the Bees Nest bushfire originating in the Guy Fawkes National Park.

The legal team representing Tony and the five other farmers has requested further information from both the RFS and National Parks before their claim can go ahead. More than a year after the fire and the destruction of their property, they are still waiting for answers.

have been moved to regional offices and you just can’t fight fires like that.

“You have to make quick decisions and move fast, and when you relocate that decision-making to a regional, state or Sydney office, then it distends the firefighting process and makes it untenable. There doesn’t seem to be much consideration of that at all.”

Perhaps the last word should be left to Gary Grant, chair of NSW Farmers’ Rural Affairs Committee, who says he holds high hopes changes will be made. He’s just not sure about when.

REPLACING FENCES

Tony estimates that his fences alone (above), without labour, will cost more than $200,000 to repair and replace.

“I am hopeful that we will see some significant change in the way bushfires are handled in the future,” says Gary. “To be a farmer, overall, you have to be optimistic about the future and most of us are. But there have been 58 inquiries into bushfire responses in NSW since 1939 and a lot of them have all found remarkably similar things. A lot of it comes down to improved land management, dealing with fuel loads and quick responses to outbreaks. We all know what needs to be done but whether we will get there this time, I don’t know.” l

CASTRATING TOOLS - WIDEBAND™ RINGS - WATER MAGNATION - CATTLE HANDLING EZE BLOODLESS CASTRATOR®

TRIBAND GREEN®

MAGNATION

The all new Highflow 260 HD Extreme™ is designed for the very serious stockman. Hold any size of beast with 100% control.

NEW

TH2078Mau - 09/09/2020

ANY SIZE ANIMAL

STAINLESS STEEL MODEL

SERIOUS CRUSH!

HEALTHIER WATER SAVE WATER, SAVE ENERGY, GROW MORE!

www.technipharm.com.au sales@technipharm.com.au PH: 1800 124 034

Narrabri gas project too

risky

36

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

INSIDER THE CSG GREAT DEBATE

NSW Farmers says the Narrabri Gas Project poses an unacceptable risk to water resources and farm businesses and the Independent Planning Commission should not have granted its approval

–

Words DARREN BAGULEY Photography ANT ONG

FARMERS AFFECTED

Sarah and Matthew Ciesiolka from Bundock Farming Co. are 5th generation farmers, and their property is six kilometres downstream from Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

37

INSIDER THE CSG GREAT DEBATE

N

SW Farmers is dismayed by the Independent Planning Commission’s (IPC) decision to approve the Narrabri Gas Project despite a raft of concerns voiced by farmers and the community.

The state’s peak farming body says its members believe the project poses an unacceptable risk to the water resources, soil and air quality, local food and fibre production and rural communities in western New South Wales.

“This is a disappointing decision from the IPC,” said NSW Farmers President, James Jackson.

“Our members have indicated very clearly that they have no appetite for risk to their precious water sources.”

Mr Jackson said the Government’s own Independent Water Expert Panel identified that the Narrabri Gas Project may result in groundwater depressurisation and drawdown of aquifers and changes to surface water flow and quality as a result of discharges.

“There is also no certainty for farmers regarding insurance public liability and environmental risk if they have CSG operations on their land. The NSW Parliamentary Inquiry described the coal seam gas industry as ‘uninsurable’ and a major insurer providing farm insurance has indicated that they are not willing

38

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

WATER WORRIES

The government's own Independent Water Expert Panel identified that the NGP may result in groundwater depressurisation and drawdown of aquifers and changes to surface water flow and quality as a result of discharges.

This is of grave concern to Sarah and Matthew Ciesiolka whose property (shown above with its watering system) relies on clean water.

to insure the public liability risk for farmers that have CSG infrastructure on their property.”

“That is why NSW Farmers has been urging the Government to act cautiously in regard to any proposal to re-commence coal seam gas mining in NSW.” James said NSW Farmers’ is not opposed to CSG, provided that the projects do not put precious water sources at risk, nor affect soil and air quality.

The Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) is a proposal

by Santos to drill 850 new gas wells across 95,000 hectares in the north eastern part of the Pilliga Forest, near Narrabri.

The NGP will extract gas from coal seams at 800-1200 metres, breaking through the southern recharge zone for the Great Artesian Basin (GAB).

At its first virtual meeting for the Association’s executive councillors in July, members unanimously supported a motion from the Tambar Springs/ Gunnedah Branch and the Coonamble Branch that called on the NSW Government to: a) Not approve the Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) b)Extinguish the 11 expired and inactive petroleum exploration licences Farmers are concerned that the risk of depleting, contaminating and depressurising the GAB are too high and that the Santos project could be a ‘Trojan >

WaterNSW is engaging with NSW Farmers and your members on three critical dam projects in NSW In October 2019 the Prime Minister and NSW Premier announced the planning and delivery of three new or augmented dams in NSW: ▪

▪

▪

Engaging with you Local community sentiment

the raising of Wyangala Dam wall to improve water security and drought resilience in the Lachlan Valley the replacement of the existing Dungowan Dam to increase water reliability and improve drought resilience for Tamworth a Final Business Case for building a new dam on Mole River, in the Border Rivers region of NSW.

We are working with local land owners and we are keen to engage with all interested farmers on these three dams.

Wyangala Dam Wall Raising

Dungowan 88% support New Dam and Pipeline

181

16

Landowner meetings

attendees

164

Community events

Please attend a monthly community information webinar, call us, join our Facebook sites, call our 1800 numbers.

Wyangala Dam Raising Project

84% support

New Dungowan Dam and Pipeline

briefings 72 Stakeholder

Mole River Dam Project

wyangaladamproject@waternsw.com.au

dungowandamproject@waternsw.com.au

moleriverdamproject@waternsw.com.au

1800 735 822

1800 318 045

1800 560 729

Wyangala Dam Raising project

New Dungowan Dam project

waternsw.com.au

Sarah and Matthew Ciesiolka: On the CSG frontline My husband Matthew and I are 5th generation farmers, and our farming enterprise – Bundock Farming Co. – is located less than six kilometres downstream from Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project.

For 50 years, our family has run a successful and sustainable agribusiness here, producing potatoes, peanuts, and grains for the Australian market. To put that in context, each year – year in, year out – our farm produces about 70 million potatoes, 1 million kilograms of peanuts, and enough wheat for 3.5 million loaves of bread. The end-point value of this product is more than $50 million annually. We also employ up to 20 permanent and seasonal staff who, together with their families, live and work locally.

We rely entirely on underground water to irrigate our crops and for drinking water and everyday household use. We have no other reliable source of water. Water is, without question, the most precious asset we have. It is key to everything we do, and our groundwater, and the communities and industries that rely on it, should not be put at risk for any reason. After all, it’s this groundwater that saw our community through the worst drought in more than 100 years.

We are just one farm in the highly productive and highly valuable agricultural area immediately surrounding Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project.

If you were to extrapolate out what we turn off our farm each year, you will gain some understanding of the value of the vital agricultural produce that is at risk from the establishment of the CSG industry in our region. It also threatens our reputation as producers of clean, green food, renowned the world over.

Contamination or depletion of water resources does not respect property boundaries. It has not been possible to insure against the impacts of loss of water or water contamination as a result of CSG activities in our wider region. In June 2020, Australia’s largest insurer, IAG and its subsidiaries including WFI, confirmed that public liability cover would no longer be available to farms that host CSG activities. The IPC completely ignored this in their determination – it is completely unconscionable that landholders would be placed in this position both now and into the future, essentially having the risk of CSG operations transferred to them.

Detection of contaminants would mean that we would be immediately suspended from current and future market participation for our product. Our signed contracts for supply all include clauses related to contamination of the shipment and, as per the terms of those documents, we know that our supply chain partners would hold us responsible and liable for any product contamination caused by CSG activities within our wider region.

We were bitterly disappointed by the IPC’s decision to approve the Narrabri Gas Project, despite the demonstrated large scale costs and risks to water, food and fibre production and the climate. We will continue to fight on. We can’t afford not to as our water is just too precious to risk and future generations depend on us.

40

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Horse’, according to branch secretary and wheat farmer, Xavier Martin.

“The NGP will put a pipeline through the Liverpool Plains and gas wells will spread like cancer due to the 11 expired and largely inactive petroleum exploration licences (PELs),” says Xavier.

“These licences, the subject of the second motion, cover land ranging from the Upper Hunter and Liverpool Plains north to Moree and west to Coonamble.”

While Santos claims it would generate 100 jobs in the region, other estimates suggest that once the wells are in production the project is likely to only generate 40 full time jobs.

The NSW Planning Department also claims that the project could potentially supply 50 per cent of NSW’s gas needs and lower household gas bills. This assertion is refuted by some experts.

In a submission to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) NSW Farmers’ President James Jackson said: “Security of groundwater and other water sources and protection of prime agricultural land is of paramount importance to farmers and our members cannot support any activity that could pose a risk to the precious Great Artesian Basin and other water sources.”

As a result, the NGP is the most controversial project in the history of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. In fact, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) attracted 22,721 submissions, of which 98 per cent were objections. The majority (63 per cent) of the 470 submissions from the immediate local area were also objections.

“The Narrabri Gas Project poses an unacceptable risk to the water sources in western New South Wales,” James stated. “The association believes that it is unfair that members and their communities “should have to take this risk when there are other sources of gas available”.

INSIDER THE CSG GREAT DEBATE

PRODUCING THE GO OD S

Each year – year in, year out – Bundock Farming Co. produces about 70 million potatoes, 1 million kilograms of peanuts, and enough wheat for 3.5 million loaves of bread.

“There is no like for like substitute for ruining a water supply, it is simply gone, and the businesses that rely on it are too. The conditions on the approval talk at length about offsetting the biodiversity loss, but you can’t offset a loss of water.”

While disappointed with the IPC decision, Anne Kennedy from Coonamble is delighted with the policy passed by NSW Farmers in July.

“I was told it swept through with no one speaking against it,” she says. “That is bloody powerful. When the two largest representative bodies of regional and rural NSW – NSW Farmers and the Country Women’s Association – both come out strongly opposing it, how can the government not listen? These are our biggest, largest and most conservative bodies. If the government does not listen to them then democracy, quite frankly, is dead.”

Anne spoke at the IPC hearing the day after the motion passed.

“My husband is a fifth-generation farmer in the Coonamble region where we have 30,000 acres of very productive land. But our rich black vertosol soils cannot run water for dams when it rains – so we are totally dependent on our artesian water. Every facet of our lives and our business is reliant on our groundwater – and although our property produces thousands of tonnes of wheat, lupins, barley and many hundreds of tonnes of beef in a year, we would have to literally walk off our property if we lost the artesian water.”

As branch secretary, Xavier Martin has been campaigning against the NGP for years. “The resolution was carried at our branch without dissent and our members will be very appreciative of executive council rejecting the Narrabri project and seeking the extinguishment of the inactive PELs.” He says that the members were most concerned about the range of unmanageable risks with the likelihood of impacts that could not be reversed.

“Some of our members have stock and domestic bores that are at similar depths to the strata the gas wells are in, that Santos is seeking to dewater. We have a land use conflict where we need to preserve and conserve water, and they need to get rid of the water,” he says.

“We can produce clean food and fibre for thousands of years rather than have a couple of decades of carbon energy. As one of our members said: “I can produce food and fibre without gas, but I can’t produce it without water.”

By some estimates, agriculture on the Liverpool Plains employs 1,300 or so people and the NGP would put it all at risk, Martin believes.

“Our members have seen how dysfunctional the Queensland project became regarding employment and housing, and we’ve got no wish to repeat the dysfunction we’ve observed over the border with their 19,000 wells,” he says. l

GREEN ATLAS IN ACTION

A Green Atlas unit (shown here at Batlow Fruit Company) uses laser cameras to count the fruit and buds on all trees in the orchard, doing weeks of manual work in just a few hours.

42

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

INNOVATION ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

On

edgewith

AI Because AI technology helps us to make better decisions much faster and more accurately, its benefits for farmers are huge.

–

Words TONY BLACKIE

W

e can all recall the scene in the movie Terminator where Arnold Schwarzenegger reaches out and says – “Come with me if you want to live”.

He was going to save us from the rise of robots and the glitch in Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming which allowed robots to declare war on human beings.

Nightmare stuff indeed, but that’s Hollywood for you.

The truth is that AI – machine learning and the various other names given to the process – are in most cases beneficial to the community. Essentially AI technology provides us with decision-making data to help us make better decisions much faster and more accurately. And the applications and benefits for farming are huge. > NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

43

INNOVATION ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE SHINY

It’s not to say that we shouldn’t also apply a degree of caution as we move into this new era, as facial recognition and other applications may have questionable uses.

There can of course be downsides – AI applications could mean fewer jobs for farm workers as more jobs become automated for instance, and decisions made by number crunching are based on pure financials rather than being socially sensitive or community based.

But the proper application of AI on farms will reap rewards in better and higher yields, and ultimately assist in creating greater returns for farmers.

Artificial intelligence technologies, in combination with good farming practice can be a way of increasing and improving crop yields. It can help to manage scarce resources like water and soil nutrients.

AUSTRALIA: AN AI LEADER

Fortunately Australia is a leader in the development of AI technologies, and an example of a NSW-based company forging ahead is Green Atlas. The company is now using AI to provide a competitive edge, particularly in the fruit, nut and vegetable sector.

Steve Scheding, along with co-founders James Underwood and Peter Morton, applied years of research knowledge from University of Sydney, Rio Tinto as well as robotics, telematics and self-drive vehicle development to create a ground-breaking system to help farmers understand data insights such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and solar radiation particularly relating to tree-crops.

“The system is helping farmers to manage the lifecycle of each and every piece of fruit on every tree in their orchard,” Steve Scheding explains.

HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS

The Green Atlas team has developed a mobile system of cameras and laser technology mounted on quad bikes or small utilities. The cameras and lasers are connected to the computer system which map orchards and give accurate flower and fruit counts.

The farmer is then given access to huge amounts of detail.

In the past this had to be done by individuals walking up and down the rows of trees in an orchard and providing sketchy detail.

Green Atlas’ orchard scanning platform – called Cartographer – captures extremely high resolution data from every tree, counting the flowers and fruit and covering up to eight hectares an hour.

“We have made our system very easy to use, with just the flick of a switch,” says Steve. “We can drive fast – 40 to 50 kilometres per hour – mapping the orchard, and the operator doesn’t need to be an expert to collect or read the data output.”

Steve says that the mapping of orchards and properties is currently underway as the spring buds appear. “On each car we have two cameras and a

44

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

INNOVATION AT BATLOW

Andrew Desprez is using AI to keep Batlow Apples ahead of the curve, increasing productivity of his apple orchards.

LIMDAR laser radar with 16 laser beams that spin around at high speed shooting laser light into the trees, several hundred thousand beams per second.

“We can then reconstruct a 3D vision of the tree, then we can count the number of flowers, the density of the canopy, the distribution of the fruit and other factors. All this had to be done by hand in the past, taking a lot of time.”

The data collected by the cameras and laser scanners is then sent to a remote computer where the system provides the farmer with the data and the maps of the orchards.

“While we take the data off the farm system, all of the infrastructure is on the farm,” Steve says. “And so the farmer is in control of the system.”

Green Atlas is a relatively new company, having now completed two seasons of mapping, and the system has scanned more than 27,000 hectares of tree-crops so far. As a start-up company, the founders did not want to sell out the intellectual property to a large investor, and so the building of the business was slow, and everything came from their own resources.

“We had to find early adopters who would take a risk with a new company, and fortunately farmers tend to be open to new processes,” says Steve.

“We started with apples, scanning orchards while they were flowering. Almonds have now become a large part of what we do, and the industry came to us.

In the first year we mapped 5,000 hectares of almonds, and this year in June we scanned 15,000 hectares, which is about a third of all Australian almond crops.”

“With the scan maps we can see incredible detail. For example when we do flower maps we can see where there is heavy flower, where the flowers are on a tree, and the load per tree.”

– ANDREW DESPREZ Regional Orchard Manager for Batlow Fruit Company

ROBOTS MANAGING ORCHARDS

SUPPLY CHAIN

Batlow in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales is famous for its apples and Andrew Desprez is regional Orchard Manager for the Batlow Fruit Company.

He has taken delivery of a Green Atlas system and has started the scanning of the company’s orchards throughout early spring.

He met the founders of Green Atlas at a Robotics in Agriculture event at the University of Sydney several years ago and has kept in touch because his company is always on the look-out for new technologies to better its processes.

NSW produces about 18 per cent of the total Australian crop of apples, and Batlow Apples produces about 45 per cent of the NSW crop, so the company is a significant contributor to the rural economy.

“We will do two scans a season,” Andrew says.

“The first is at flowering time in September, and in December we do a fruit count. We may do multiple fruit counts. We used to do a count only on what we could see, but now the scanners can see the flowers and the fruit on the entire tree.”

Andrew refers to the Green Atlas process as a vital part in the Precision Agriculture concept. This

With so much riding on accurate crop estimates, growers, like Batlow, want to know what is happening early on in harvest season, so that they can make their best estimates for fruit.

is usually defined as a farm management approach using information technology tools such as GPS guidance, control systems, sensors, robotics, drones, autonomous vehicles, variable rate technology, GPS-based soil sampling, automated hardware, telematics, and software.

“With the scan maps we can see incredible detail,” he says. “For example when we do flower maps we can see where there is heavy flower, where the flowers are on a tree, and the load per tree.”

He explains that when the maps of the orchards are overlaid, he is able to work out soil types, and where more pruning is required to thin out the flower load to gain optimal fruit load per season.

The effects of rainfall variation and past pruning can also be identified. Overall, this gives the grower a more accurate estimation of how much fruit is likely each season.

This is important from a logistics perspective as the grower can work out how many pickers and packers they will need, and how many boxes will be required.

The system has now gained international prominence and has been picked up in France, Chile and New Zealand.

Jack Hughes, a horticultural consultant and Director at Fruition Horticulture in Hastings, New Zealand, says the Green Atlas Cartographer is being used on kiwi fruit and apple orchards in New Zealand, providing vital data.

“Growers want to know what is happening early on so they can make their best estimates for fruit.

That is crucial for the supply chain, with a lot riding on accurate crop estimates,” he says.

Jack says the scanned maps allow farmers to manage total orchards – to identify areas that need support, where soil needs management, and where more or less pruning is required. All of this data helps to optimise the capacity of the orchard, and ultimately improve returns for the farmer. l NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

45

Big farm toys Here are some of the most drool-worthy ‘toys’ to help a farmer get the most productivity – and fun – out of the land.

–

Words IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER

46

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

SPECIAL REPORT ALL TORQUE

SPRAY IT Imagine a tool that needs only one person to control it but did the work of 100? Now imagine that person could control five such tools at the same time and do the work of 500? That’s the sales pitch for the XAG P30, a ready-to-deploy spraying drone with a 16-litre tank that can spray 14 acres per hour. The XAG P30 uses an atomising system to push micron-level droplets through rotary spraying discs that stick to the surface of crops, reducing pesticide use by 30 per cent and water waste by per cent. It also features a 360-degree radar system that combined with artificial intelligence allows this drone to automatically avoid obstacles like birds and trees, and allows it to change course over hills, forests or ravines. riseabove.com.au

WHERE'S WALLY? Losing your keys is a pain, but losing a cow is worse. Now, nights spent looking for one with a flashlight in a freezingcold field are a thing of the past thanks to the GPS Ear Tag

by Aussie start-up mOOvement. Powered by a battery and integrated solar panel, this lightweight (30 gram) device can track and trace cattle over distances of up to 8 kilometres – even in remote areas without mobile coverage. Instead, it uses a low-power wide-area network that sends messages to satellites that bounce them back onto a standard antenna set on your homestead. And with an optional moveable antenna that fits on the back of a ute, you can track down a cow in the biggest and most remote properties in Australia. moovement.com.au

BEST DIRT BIKE EVER The rule of thumb with motorcycle engines is that for every 15cc, there is 1 horsepower. But the KTM doesn’t make ordinary motorcycle engines. The Austrian marque’s new KTM 450 SX-F for 2021 delivers a category-smashing 63hp – more than double the rule of thumb and more than four times as much as Australia's best-settling farm bike the Honda CTX200. And while the CTX200 weighs 135kg, the KTM 450 SX-F weighs only 100kg – making it not only the fastest factory dirt bike in the world, but also the lightest and easiest to handle. You don’t ride trails on this bad boy. You dance on them. The only drawback is KTM’s infamously small seat – no more than a few silicon strips. But “KTM’s concern isn’t having a plush seat. It’s about putting a smile on your face when you open the throttle,” says spokesperson David Vasquez. ktm.com/en-au >

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

47

SPECIAL REPORT ALL TORQUE

CUT ABOVE THE REST The Stihl MS 5000i is the world’s first commercial chainsaw with a fuel-injected engine. Why should you care? Because in doing away with heavy and inefficient carburettors, Stihl has pretty much made the Ferrari of chainsaws. The MS 5000i has the best power-to-weight ratio in the world, almost like a 90cc saw while weighing around the same as a 60cc.

It’s acceleration – 0 to 100 km/h in 0.25 seconds – is insane while the antivibration system minimises the transfer of engine and saw chain vibrations, letting the operator conserve their stamina and strength. stihl.com.au

MINI-TRENCHER

THE CRAFTER VAN If anyone knows business, it’s the Crafter Van with its perfect blend of utility, versatility and comfort.

With hundreds of customisable options, 8-speed auto and optional 4Motion all-wheel drive, it’s built to handle whatever your workday brings. With ample storage solutions, App-Connect as standard and the incredible Comfort Seat, you’ll enjoy a comfortable, connected and convenient workspace.

Choose from two different wheelbase options, an additional overhang option and three roof heights. Plus, the Crafter is also available in single and dual cab chassis with the brawny alloy tray offering seriously impressive loadability.

And it always plays it safe. Standard safety systems such as Front Assist with City Emergency Brake, MultiCollision Braking and six airbags keep you stress-free and your cargo intact.

No one knows your business quite like you. That’s why the Crafter can be built by you, for you, to ensure you get the van your business deserves.

48

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Until recently, there have been two main ways to dig a hole: by hand with a pick and shovel or by renting a trencher. One takes forever and the other is expensive. Enter the TerraTrencher – a portable trenching unit that clips onto the end of a chainsaw that offers a more costeffective digging solution than hourly labour and machinery hire rates. Available in two sizes that can cut clean trenches up to 450mm or 750mm deep, it features a heavy-duty trenching chain with steel selfsharpening blades that can cut through tree roots up to 30mm wide. Made in New Zealand, TerraTrencher can be bought as an attachment, with a Stihl chainsaw or in a complete kit with a chainsaw and guiding trolly. terratrencher.com.au

AUSSIE AG-BOT A driver-less base platform that can go into the field with mower decks, slashers or spot spraying technology onboard, SwarmFarm’s ag-bot represents the new revolution in farming. But unlike most ag-bots, Swarmfarm’s invention is relatively light, weighing at around two tonnes. “A lot of people think about automation in terms of getting people out of their cabs,” says SwarmFarm CEO Andrew Bate. “But our focus is about getting the weight off the paddocks and reducing the soil compaction.”

Andrew has sold eight ag-bots in Australia that are being used every day and, he says, already changing the way people farm. “Being a farmer myself. When we head out into the fields and start killing weeds in different ways or change how we apply nutrition. These are the things that robots are bringing into play.” swarmfarm.com

REALLY BIG TYRES Soil compaction is a concern for the makers of Titan tyres. “Think about it this way,” says Scott Sloan, agricultural product manager for Titan International and Goodyear Farm Tyres. “If you walk out into the field on ice skates, you’re going to sink right into the mud. With boots, you’re good to go. Now I don’t see too many guys walking around the field in ice skates, but I do see a lot of guys running narrow dual tyres when they don’t need to.”

Titan’s answer: LSW, or Low Sidewall Technology – a hybrid wheel and tyre with larger rim diameter but smaller sidewall than a standard tyre.

This spreads far less pressure over a much wider footprint, improves ride quality and stability, and reduces power hop and road lope. titanaust.com.au

App lic curr ations entl f y ac or 2021 cep ted

Scholarship applications open until 25th November 2020.

Developing young farmers through our Youth Education program for over 50 years 1800 025 520

www.tocal.nsw.edu.au

J20-074

Students at Tocal College get practical training on our large commercial farms. Tocal runs 1400 beef cattle, a 300 cow dairy herd, 120 stockhorses, Dohne sheep and a free range egg enterprise. Residential facilities available.

FROM THE EARTH

Enormous bundle of freshly picked Garlicious Grown garlic (Photo courtesy of Garlicious Grown).

50

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

TRADE GARLIC

blac k

r l a G ic i

w

s

e h t ne

With support for local producers booming, and interest in superfoods soaring, the Australian garlic industry has a very bright summer ahead.

–

Words LISA SMYTH

W

hether it be an Italian Bolognese, Thai curry or Chinese stir-fry, you are guaranteed to find inside a humble garlic clove (or five) packing a flavourful punch. Given our unique melting pot of cultures, it’s no wonder Australians love garlic – it’s been estimated that we consume 13,000 tonnes every year.

However our love of garlic far outstrips what we grow domestically, and consumer expectations that it should be available year-round means that at least 80 per cent of garlic sold in Australia is imported, overwhelmingly from China. In fact, after tariffs were removed in the mid-1990s, the local garlic industry was all but destroyed by cheap imports, retailing for as low as $2 a kilogram – five times less than Australian garlic at the time. The industry collapsed, and it’s taken decades for it to recover.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

“The tricky thing for the garlic industry is still the cost of imported garlic,” says Thomas Christie, owner of Four Acre Farm, near the town of Dungog in the Hunter Valley.

“So it depends on what customers are after, and if they’re prepared to pay a bit more for something that's locally grown and ethically produced.”

Garlic is the biggest crop on Thomas’ farm, and along with his wife, he is producing roughly 10,000 heads of garlic per year across two varieties – Southern Glen and Italian Purple. Like many small-scale growers, Thomas mostly sells direct-to-consumer through farmer’s markets and online.

“While people are interested in the organic growing process, the comments I get from customers the most are about the taste and flavour, and saying how much they enjoy it compared to other garlic,” confirms Thomas.

“People says it’s not only stronger, but the taste is more complex, and each variety will change in different ways as you cook it.”

The Australian Garlic Producers group reports that China uses a range of chemicals on its garlic that are banned in Australia, and often bleach the bulbs to ensure a spotless white colour, reducing the garlic’s flavour and intensity. This means the average Australian shopper likely doesn’t know just how great garlic can taste.

“There's always been a demand for either organic or chemically-free garlic, or garlic from smaller growers such as myself for the restaurant and café trade, and the farmer’s market trade,” explains Dougal Munro, owner of Boutique Garlic.

Dougal began growing garlic 10 years ago on his family’s farm in Springside just outside of Orange. He >

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

51

Imported garlic Although the NSW supply period for garlic is between November and February, imported garlic can be found in supermarkets almost year-round, and is about 80 per cent of supply.

COUNTRY MONTH SPAIN

September / October

AFRICA Late November to April NEW ZEALAND

March to August

MEXICO

May to October

USA

May to December

FRANCE

August to October

ARGENTINA

January to March

CHINA

May to November

Sourced from dpi.nsw.gov.au

FUN FACTS

superfood market, which includes  The black garlic, is expected to generate revenues of AU$9.7 billion by 2030.

– March and April – is the main  Autumn planting time for garlic in NSW, with harvesting in early-to-mid November.

This allows the garlic plant to have a long vegetative period before bulbing commences in late Spring.

BY PHIL SOMERVILLE

GARLIC INNOVATION

Left to right: Thomas Christie and his wife Dominque Northam from Dungog, with some of their popular garlic straight from their property – Four Acre Farm; Black garlic sells for roughly $180 per kilo, compared to $30 for Australian garlic.

grows 39 varieties at last count, and produces 40-50 tonnes of garlic annually when the farm is working at full scale. In recent years, a lack of water has meant planting a full crop hasn’t made sense, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought its own challenges.

“For smaller operators our usual customer base, like cafes, haven’t been open or operating, because they're basically in survival mode,” says Dougal. “But it’s quite a versatile crop and people are only just starting to realize that. People are processing their own garlic products, pre-packaged or preserved, like minced garlic in a jar, right through to people making black garlic. I am looking into value-added products as well, with some chef friends of mine, using some of the by-products of the garlic plant.”

A BLACK FUTURE

With the difficulties of scaling up or down to meet the domestic demand for fresh garlic, niche and value-added product markets are a key opportunity for small-scale Australian garlic growers. The health benefits of garlic are widely documented, and while products like garlic oil are slowly making their way on to the market, it’s the ‘superfood’ black garlic that is making headlines.

Incredibly popular in China and Korea, black garlic looks the same as regular garlic on the outside, but on the inside the bulb is entirely black. The cloves are less pungent and have a sweet, caramelised flavour.

Sold for roughly $180 per kilo, compared to $30 for Australian garlic, and $10 per kilo for imported product, black garlic has a profitable future.

52

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

TRADE GARLIC

Photo courtesy of Boutique Garlic

“Black garlic is not a variety of garlic, but a process whereby regular garlic is held at low temperature and high humidity for 30-plus days. It is an on-trend superfood, high in antioxidants. It adds umami depth, especially in plant-based diets and is gluten-free and vegan friendly,” enthuses Cathy Owen, Founder and Director of Garlicious Grown – Australia’s largest producer of black garlic.

Working as a rural doctor in Braidwood, Cathy met her co-director Jenny Daniher on the sidelines of their sons’ football field, and saw the potential to create something new with their local garlic crops.

Just five years into their business they already sell their products (including cloves, paste, dressing, aioli and powders) across Australia, with their biggest customer being the Hello Fresh meal kit company, as well as export to Asia and the Middle East.

According to the Australian Garlic Industry Association, Australians consume only 2,000-4,000 kilograms of black garlic a year, classifying it as a micro market. But Cathy sees lots of drivers pushing the market forward.

“With the rise of TV cooking shows and highend foodie magazines, premium ingredients are a key focus for consumers today,” she says. “While more restaurants are using black garlic in their dishes, growth will stem from food trends, and with Summer just around the corner, and gatherings likely to be outdoors thanks to COVID, we’re excited to introduce the world to our picnic-worthy essentials, like black garlic paste or our black garlic white balsamic dressing.”

SMALLER GROWERS

Dougal Munro, owner of Boutique Garlic.

That’s not to say that 2020 didn’t throw up some trials for Garlicious Grown.

“Several of our garlic growers were burnt out by the bushfires, but the rains of February 2020 allowed them to put in another crop this year – they are a resilient bunch!” Cathy says. “And the rains have eased the burden of attempting to grow garlic in the drought of previous years, as good garlic does require adequate moisture to produce quality.”

And while COVID brought the immediate loss of significant food service trade, Cathy’s company focused on recipe box services and sharpening marketing plans to include a heavier focus on direct-toconsumer trade. “Sales have been booming,” she confirms.

Garlic is a crop Aussies will always want, and with the next planting season just around the corner, there are plenty of opportunities for NSW farmers to turn a profit. Whether it’s organic, locally-produced, or valueadded, Australian-grown garlic is finding new ways to stand out from the imported crowd, and the results couldn’t be tastier. l

NSW garlic production areas

Griffith

Hay Balranald Braidwood Coffs Harbour NSW Tablelands around Tenterfield

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

53

OYSTERS IN NSW

In 2018-2019, the NSW oyster industry produced 76 million oysters worth $59 million at the farm gate.

54

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

TRADE OYSTER FARMING

New wave of

oyster farmers Oyster farmers have been some of the hardest hit in 2020, but with long summer days and Christmas feasts just around the corner, there’s lots to celebrate along the NSW coast.

–

Words LISA SMYTH

W

hile the deliberate cultivation of oysters in Australia started in the 1870s – making oyster farming the oldest aquaculture industry in NSW – oyster middens (piles of shells) in the Sydney area have been dated as far back as 10,000 BC. Indigenous Australians have understood for a long time just what a valuable, and delicious, food source oysters are, and Australians today are coming to the same conclusion in growing numbers.

“Over the past five years there has been an increase in sales and farm gate prices of up to seven per cent,” reports Caroline Henry, Chair of the NSW Farmers Oyster Committee and Owner of Wonboyn Rock Oysters. “I believe part of that is because farmers have become more professional in their approach and are better educated about environmentally sustainable farming methods.

We are now fully mindful that we are farming in public water and the industry has been proactive at transitioning to more environmentally friendly practices.”

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

>

55

“Another factor is an increase in the number of marketing groups working between the farmer and the wholesalers. This has given farmers more time to concentrate on what they do best, and has given our industry a better pricing system.”

In 2018-2019, the NSW oyster industry produced 76 million oysters worth $59 million at the farm gate.

While three species of oyster are grown in NSW – the Sydney Rock Oyster, the Pacific Oyster and the native, flat oyster – the Sydney Rock Oyster accounts for over 90 per cent of production in the state. Importantly, the Sydney Rock Oyster can live out of water for up to three weeks – longer than any other oyster variety in the world. This means that fresh, unfrozen product can be available across Australia throughout the year.

“Over the last 10 years there has been a high turnover of farms to younger people with a whole new perspective on farming and how it can be made into a viable business,” explains Shane Buckley, Owner and Operator of Wapengo Rocks, Australia’s first organically-certified oyster farm.

Known as the ‘canaries of the waterway’, oysters are an excellent indicator of estuary health, and oyster farmers are often proactive environmentalists.

“Emphasising the sustainability of our practices and the quality of our product has changed public perception of the industry, resulting in an increase in farm gate returns. This has allowed farmers to reinvest in their farms, further improve their practices and continue to farm in a sustainable framework,” continues Buckley.

FUN FACTS

Pacific Oyster was introduced from Japan in the 1940s, and can  The reach market in just 18 months. But, Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS) has wiped out much of the Australian stock, and devastated Europe’s oyster industry.

Rock Oysters are harvested at various times of year. South  Sydney Coast oyster farmers traditionally harvest and sell prior to Christmas till early July, while Georges Basin and Sydney estuaries, and North Coast NSW, supply from the end of Winter to late February.

MURKY WATERS AHEAD

Given the revitalisation of the industry in recent years, there was reason to hope that 2020 was going to be landmark year for oyster farmers. But the compounding crises of drought, bushfires and COVID19 have proved an overwhelming challenge for many.

“Drought on the land is also a drought in the water,” laments Henry, who sold 40,000 dozen oysters in 2019. “Lack of water flow reduces food sources in the estuaries, increases salinity and water temperature, and, in some cases, estuaries shoal and close. This can slow the growth rate of oysters and cause increased mortality.”

Each female oyster can release up to 20 million eggs, but only 0.1 per cent survive, so if conditions aren’t optimal it can be hard to see decent growth.

Smoke and ash from this year’s bushfires caused major water quality issues for many oyster farmers up and down the coast, and tourists fled in their thousands so the usual holiday trade collapsed overnight. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australian shores.

“Due to lockdowns, there was no longer a market for oysters as wholesalers and restaurants were closed. As the lockdowns eased there has been a slow return to sales, but not in the same numbers,” says Henry. In June, the NSW Government announced a $9 million support package for NSW seafood industries,

56

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

CANARIES OF THE WATERWAY

Top to bottom: Shane Buckley of Wapengo Rocks – Australia's first organically certified oyster farm; Some of his plump oysters. Photos courtesy of Michael Pfeidler

TRADE OYSTER FARMING

including $2.1 million in fee waivers and rent relief for the Aquaculture industry. But, long-term problems still remain.

“With farmers not being able to sell their oysters they are faced with the added problem of stock.

Sydney Rock Oysters have a three-year growth cycle.

But, if you haven’t sold this year’s stock, you don’t have enough infrastructure and leased area to restock.

This will cause an issue in three years’ time as farmers won’t have stock to harvest.”

AFFECTED BY FIRES

Smoke and ash from this year’s bushfires caused water quality issues for many oyster farmers.

Photo courtesy of Wonboyn Rock Oysters

NSW oyster farms In 2018-2019, there were approximately 280 oyster farming businesses in NSW, spread across 32 coastal estuaries from Tweed River to Wonboyn River.

OYSTERS ON THE HOMEFRONT

Despite the rollercoaster ride of 2020, oyster farmers have a lot to look forward to this summer season.

With imports down due to COVID-19, there’s more room in the holiday and festive market for domestic product. “If everyone does the right thing around the COVID-19 situation I believe business will be great over the summer, especially on the local market level,” forecasts Buckley.

“A lot of people will holiday domestically within NSW, predominantly on the coast, so there will be a great opportunity to support the local economy with seasonal products like oysters. But, the challenge within the industry will be to maintain farm gate

How big is your oyster?

Plate (Very Large)

Bistro (Large)

Bottle (Medium)

Cocktail (Small)

prices and not end up in a desperate discount war to off load product.”

Additionally, Oysters Australia has been working with farmers to make progress in the premium ‘at home consumption’ market, shifting the perception of oysters as an expensive indulgence when dining out, to one about creating ‘special moments’ at home.

“Many farmers have become quite innovative, using social media to target specific markets and thinking of other ways to move their stock, like home deliveries.

There is generally a feeling of optimism for the coming year,” notes Henry.

What 2021 will bring is still uncertain, though Buckley believes this may be the time for NSW to look beyond its own backyard. In 2014-2015, Australia was exporting close to 500,000 oysters, but in the past financial year it was just over 100,000.

“The future for the NSW oyster industry is very exciting. The sustainable food movement is surging and Sydney Rock Oysters are touted as being the golden egg of oysters worldwide. I see a very commanding place for us in the export arena.

Not to say that the domestic market isn't strong and bounding ahead, but to be able to have our beautiful oysters on an international stage is an opportunity not to be missed.” l

Depending on the species and the growing area, it can take 12 to 48 months for an oyster to grow to a marketable size. The grading process is then done by hand or using a computerised machine, to sort the oysters by size.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

57

Pest of an issue Wild dog pressure will increase as the drought breaks in NSW, and herbivore numbers rebound after the devastation of last summer’s bushfires.

But farmers are better prepared than ever.

–

Words DARREN BAGULEY

58

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

SPECIAL REPORT PEST CONTROL

W

ild dog attacks are already on the rise with animals driven out of the Wollemi National Park by the Gospers Mountain bushfire impacting on Central Coast famers (See the Sept/Oct issue of The Farmer for a full report). With much of NSW getting good rain over the past few months and the Bureau of Meteorology predicting a wetter than average spring and summer, wild dog numbers will increase.

Although this is a definite cause for concern – as a conservative estimate, nationally wild dogs cost farmers $89 million a year in lost production and control costs – NSW land managers have never been better prepared to meet the challenge.

The wild dog fence is being extended, the National Wild Dog Action Plan has been updated, years of control measures are having an impact and cutting-edge research continues to add to knowledge of wild dog behaviour. >

WILD D O GS ON THE LO O SE

Conservatively, wild dogs cost farmers around $89 million a year in lost production and control costs.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

59

SPECIAL REPORT PEST CONTROL

“Without a doubt, wild dog breeding will increase now that there is widespread water, and the ability to monitor numbers will be greatly reduced,” says NSW Farmers’ Wild Dog Coordinator, Bruce Duncan.

“There are also other flow-on effects; control efforts have benefitted from the dry conditions, with limited kangaroo numbers and limited free-ranging rangeland goats which form the single largest food source for feral dogs. As the season progresses and water and feed sources return, we’ll see a spreading out of animals and reduced opportunities for observation leading to the opportunity for more increased wild dog activity.”

In March, the NSW Government recognised the devastating impact livestock losses from wild dog attacks have on primary producers and committed to doubling the length of the NSW Border Wild Dog Fence. The 742km extension means the barrier will soon stretch from the Murray River in the south, north to Cameron’s Corner and east to Mungundi, making it the longest dog fence in the world.

NSW Farmers’ Western Division Council Chair, Greg Rogers, said the exclusion fence extension will be vital for wild dog management. “For graziers, every ewe, ram or lamb lost due to a wild dog attack is devastating,” Greg said. “But at a broader level, wild dog attacks cause an estimated loss of $22 million to the local and state economies.”

Released at the end of June, the National Wild Dog Action Plan 2020-30 (NWDAP) updates the independently reviewed NWDAP 2014-19 and is endorsed by producers, peak farming bodies, the Australian Government, state governments as well as research and development corporations.

A coordinated and collaborative approach underpins projects such as the NSW Border Wild Dog Fence extension, and ensures control measures are evidence-based best practice models, and the most ethical and humane available.

North East NSW Wild Dog Facilitator Dave Worsley is more optimistic when it comes to increasing wild dog numbers.

“We’re expecting to see an increase in wild dog numbers without good participation on the part of land managers. A professional dog trapper I spoke to recently said a lot of the bitches he’s trapped recently had pups. We definitely can’t afford to take our foot

FAST FACTS

dog predation conservatively costs  Wild Australian farmers $89 million a year in lost production and control costs.

deer are a potential reservoir of the  Feral dreaded foot-and-mouth disease. extension to the NSW Border Wild  The Dog Fence will cost $37.5 million and it will be 1,325 kilometres long when completed.

60

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

KEEPING PESTS AT BAY

Clockwise from top left: Feral pig resting in the dust; a wild dog on the lookout for prey, wild deer and rabbits are a constant pest for farmers; The Wild Dog Fence is soon to be vastly extended to a length of 1,325 kilometres.

off the brake – so we’ve got a spring aerial baiting program starting soon (the second this year), when usually, we don’t do two programs in a year.”

Greg added that for the exclusion fencing to be fully effective, a multi-pronged strategy that includes identifying and eradicating wild dogs already in NSW must be followed.

“Understanding the behaviours of wild dogs in Western NSW through tracking and tagging will not only help identify where the attack risk is highest, it will build important data to help long-term management and eradication across the state.”

Research and technology have also played major roles when it comes to reducing the impact of wild dogs. The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS) has developed its Wild Dog Alert facial recognition technology to the point where it is able to register the presence of a wild dog 95 to 98 per cent of the time.

CISS National Wild Dog Management Coordinator, Greg Mifsud says, “the research component has been completed and now it’s a case of taking that information through to the commercialisation phase.”

One of the most important research projects for

Rabbit and deer control update NEW CALICIVIRUS STRAIN

Western NSW graziers is a vertebrate pest project that collars feral pigs and wild dogs to see how they interact in the environment.

“A feral pig can take up 12 baits intended for a feral dog before it succumbs, so it’s vital to control pig numbers in an area before seeking to control dog numbers. This project will give us a better understanding of the two species and their interaction in the environment, Greg Mifsud says.

While technology is a vital tool in the battle against wild dogs, Bruce, Greg Mifsud and David Worsley all emphasise the importance of not becoming complacent.

“Coordination has really played a significant part in the programs, and has led to significant changes in the landscape,” says Bruce.

“Complacency has been a problem in the past but state governments, LLS, NPWS have all done a lot of work building capacity to trap and do baiting throughout the year. Nevertheless, having an independent person on the ground working across all agencies and a range of different stakeholders is vital.” l

Warren ripping, baiting and shooting all have their place for culling rabbits, however, biological control is such a vital strategic management tool that the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions has been working on a 20-year innovation pipeline with the goal of achieving sustainable rabbit management.

CISS CEO, Andreas Glanznig, says “Resistance to biocontrol is inevitable, so a new agent needs to be released every eight to 10 years or there is the risk that resistance will undo all the gains of previous years.”

By 2009, immunity was building to the initially released RHDV1 Czech strain, and research had found the reason it was less effective in temperate high production areas was interference from an endemic Australian strain (RCV-A1).

Funded by the CISS, CSIRO, MLA, AWI and all state and federal governments, the pipeline, also known as the RHD Boost Project, began in 2009 with the objective of identifying and developing as biological control agents new strains of Rabbit Calicivirus (RHDV). After testing, a Korean strain, known as RHDV1-K5, was recommended for release as it showed an ability to overcome resistance to RHDV1 and the partial protection offered by RCV-A1.

To further complicate matters, a new strain RHDV2 appeared in mid-2015. According to Andreas, “RHDV2 works differently from the RHDV1 class including RHDV1-K5.

It rapidly spread throughout Australia and the average national

decrease in rabbit population was some 60 per cent, which is a very significant knockdown.

“But because RHDV2 was not intentionally released CSIRO, NSW and South Australian scientists are doing a full evaluation and optimisation to enable RHDV2 to be legally registered and available as a biocontrol agent through the APVMA.” NEW NATIONAL DEER COORDINATOR

“In late-2018 the CISS launched Australia’s largest deer management research collaboration. With a combined investment of $8.7 million, including $3.2 million of direct funding from the DEWR, the collaboration will work to develop best-practice management for feral deer toolkits and better understand the role of feral deer in the transmission of disease to livestock, including foot-andmouth disease,” says Andreas.

As part of the project, the Australian Government hired a National Deer Coordinator – Dr Annelise Wiebkin – to be hosted within Biosecurity South Australia.

Inspired by the success of the National Wild Dog Coordinator, Annelise will work closely with regional land management agencies, farming groups and individual farmers to increase their awareness of feral deer impacts and to support them in their efforts to ramp up their existing feral deer control programs.

The role will also lead the development of a National Feral Deer Action Plan by engaging with relevant stakeholder groups.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

61

VEGETABLE BALLS

Shoppers can now buy HUVUDROLL – a new take on IKEA’s muchloved Swedish meatballs.

62

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

TREND ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS

Plant-based proteins:

food for thought News of developments in the alternative protein sector may have some livestock producers nervous, but research from agricultural bodies is demonstrating the continuing international demand for Australia’s animal products.

–

Words ALEXANDRA BUNTON

M

eat and Livestock Australia’s 2020 State of the Industry report shows increasing international meat consumption, and that most Australians have maintained their level of red meat consumption over the past 10 years.

ABARES data also demonstrates that pork and poultry meat are seeing exponential rises in consumption domestically, driven by price and cultural preferences.

And so rather than being a direct threat to livestock, developing plant-based protein products for the Australian market could ultimately provide new market opportunities for grain producers – something that’s well in train across the research and development sectors.

Alternative protein is a growth sector for the CSIRO. The organisation recently announced three ‘missions’ – projects to provide solutions for agricultural sector issues – including one on the future of protein.

The mission will look at opportunities to change the genetic makeup of certain grain products, positioning them as highvalue inputs for stockfeed.

It will also consider what plant-based ingredients will be needed in manufacturing alternative protein products locally, providing an additional income stream for Australian grain growers. >

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

63

TREND ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS

The market for local manufacturing is growing. In September, Victorian-based Australian Plant Proteins (APP) began manufacturing plant-based protein powder at its facility in Horsham, Victoria.

While the plant’s current output is around 2,500 tonnes of powder production, the company is looking to double its production in the next 12 months to meet international demand.

APP is initially using Wimmera region faba beans in its products, and is looking to expand to lentils, chickpeas, and other pulses and legumes.

The Horsham facility is leading the way in manufacturing plant-based products from local sources – previously, ingredients had to be imported due to the lack of local processing facilities. It’s also the first facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

“There is interest from numerous global companies as well as domestic food and beverage manufacturers,” says Brendan McKeegan, APP co-founder and director.

“In the first instance, the protein isolate is destined for manufacturers in Australia, the USA, Japan and various European markets.”

APP is sourcing its inputs from specialist grain handlers with experience in pulses, and doesn’t have strict specifications for inputs as they recognise the high quality of Australian product. “We can also take second grade product and extract just as much protein as we would from first grade product,” Brendan explains.

64

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

PLANT BUSINES SES

IKEA recently launched meat-free Swedish meatballs (right) made from yellow pea protein, oats, potatoes, apples and onions. It's meant to taste just like the brand's classic meatballs made from beef and pork.

Below: Australian Plant Proteins hedquarters in Horsham, Victoria.

There’s news on the consumer front, too. In October, IKEA launched meat-free Swedish meatballs made from yellow pea protein, oats, potatoes, apples and onion.

It’s meant to taste just like the brand’s classic meatballs made from beef and pork.

IKEA says that the new meatball has a significantly reduced carbon footprint, but not much evidence has been provided to back up this claim.

Consumers in major cities are starting to see changes at the supermarket, as retailers dedicate more shelf space to plant-based products.

Australian company v2food for instance, which produces the Hungry Jack’s plant-based Rebel Whopper, has launched its v2mince and v2burgers in Woolworths stores across Australia. v2 has also teamed up with meal delivery companies Marley Spoon and Dinnerly to deliver their plantbased options.

As the plant protein processing sector in Australia is still in its infancy, v2 are still relying on a number of imported ingredients – but its mince is made in Australia from 65 per cent Australian ingredients.

They plan to ramp up production at their Wodonga facility this year, and will look to source inputs from Australian growers.

Politicians and regulators are keeping a close eye on the industry – Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud hosted a roundtable in late September with members of the plant-based, meat, dairy, egg, manufacturing, and retail sectors.

“I am confident that the massive demand for protein presents huge opportunities for all food producers, and I remain committed to giving our growers greater opportunities to be part of the globally thriving plantbased industry,” the Minister said.

“Plant-based industries form an integral part of Australian agriculture and provide crucial jobs to many Australians living in rural communities, both on farm and through the food manufacturing supply chain.”

AUS SIE PLANT PROTEINS

Brendan McKeegan, Australian Plant Proteins Co-founder and Director (above, left) says there is interest from numerous global companies, but for now, the protein isolate (pictured) is destined for manufacturers in Australia, the USA, Japan and various European markets.

The Minister’s interest is focused on labelling, ensuring that marketing is accurate and consumers aren’t confused about the products they are purchasing.

The agricultural industry itself is continuing to hold open discussions with the alternative protein sector, including through the Future of Protein forum.

The forum is spearheaded by NSW Farmers in conjunction with the National Farmers Federation and Food Frontier.

Its first meeting in November will bring together key peak industry bodies and alternative protein companies to discuss opportunities for plant producers, life-cycle assessments in Australian agriculture, and new technologies in the alternative protein sector. l

We share your passion in food security.

Because every grains counts Storing the Nations’ Grains since 1969.

www.hesilos.com FREE CALL 1800 046 046

BUSINESS INNOVATION

Costa doing business

From a small fruit shop to some of the most impressive, innovative greenhouses in the Southern Hemisphere. The Costa Group is a runaway success.

I

–

Words IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER

n 1928, Tony Costa – a migrant from an old winemaking family in Italy – opened a small fruit shop in the Victorian town of Warrnambool. Two decades later, Tony's sons Frank and Adrian Costa took over and expanded it into a wholesale provedore business in Geelong.

Over the next half-century, the business kept expanding, supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to supermarket chains with distribution centres around Victoria and other states.

Today the Costa Group is one of Australia’s largest horticultural companies, producing berries, mushrooms, tomatoes, bananas, avocados, citrus fruit and other crops for domestic and foreign markets.

Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, the company has a market capitalisation of more than $1.4 billion.

Investments in technology have been key to the Costa Group’s stellar growth trajectory. It recently developed a Virtual Reality training simulator in conjunction with Melbourne Polytechnic that teaches pickers about the correct sizes of mushrooms to harvest and optimal cutting techniques.

It has rolled out an Artificial Intelligence system designed by Sydney ag-tech firm The Yield, that measures soil moisture, wind and 12 other variables in real-time to help it better manage the quantity and quality of its berry crops.

And in the town of Guyra in NSW, it has established one of Australia’s most efficient and productive farms.

Set within six glasshouses with a combined footprint of 30 hectares, the facilities combine hydroponic technology and vertical farming techniques to produce an average of 70kg of truss tomatoes per square metre – around six times more than the best farmers in Australia can grow on land. >

66

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

GLAS SHO SUE PERFECTION

Tomato plants in the Costa Group's glasshouses do not grow in soil, and instead are planted in balsa rock.

> NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

67

Here we look at the technology, systems and people that have made vertical farming in Guyra such a runaway success – and how the jobs and opportunities created have breathed new life into the country town.

VERTICAL FARMING

Just like the Costa Group’s founder, Tal Kanety, a senior grower manager for vertical farming, migrated to Australia in search of his dreams. “In Israel, we have compulsory army service and I served in a brigade that combines infantry and farming on collective farms called ‘kibbutzim’. It was there that I got the agriculture bug and learned about irrigation,” he says.

After leaving the army, Tal backpacked around the Far East and met his future wife: a girl from the Blue Mountains. They spent the next decade traipsing back and forth between Israel and Australia before landing a job with the Costa Group in 2011.

“The main attraction for me was that Costa is a leader in ag-tech, not just in Australia, but in the world. Basically, everything we do is about resource efficiency – how to grow more food using less land and less water. If you consider we will have to figure out how to feed 10 billion people by 2050, it’s one of the most important jobs in the world,” he says.

Tomato plants in the Costa Group’s glasshouses do not grow in soil. Instead, seeds are planted in balsa

68

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE TONNES OF TOMATOES

Left, then clockwise: Sarah Williams – Grower Manager; Peter Davis, State Manager Vertical Farming – NSW; Keshav Timalsena – Senior Grower Vertical Farming.

rock sealed in insulation pads set on hanging gutters in glasshouse structures up to seven metres high.

“The beauty of balsa rock is that it’s completely inert – it has no nutritional value – but acts as a perfect growing medium which allows you to have exact control over water content, fertiliser content and temperature of the root system to bring the most genetic potential out of a plant,” Tal explains. “The technology was developed by the Dutch, the superpowers of glasshouse production. Their structures are not covered with plastic sheets like in Israel, but with glass that is much better at transmitting light.”

Most of the carbon emissions released by the heating system in the glasshouses are pumped back into the structures to assist with the photosynthesis of the plants. And the structures are also almost entirely water self-sufficient. “We harvest all the rain that falls on the rooves and other hard surfaces and collect it in a dam,” he says. “More than a third of the water we use – as well as half of the fertiliser – has already been recycled. So we never ran out of water during the drought but in 2019 we had to push the boundaries in terms of water efficiency to get through the worst of it and wait for the rains.

Looking back, it was actually a blessing in disguise because it forced us to think outside the box for ways to future-proof our business.”

BUSINESS INNOVATION

GROWING PEOPLE

The Costa Group currently employs 700 people in Guyra. Among them is Peter Davis, who was born in Guyra but moved to Brisbane at the age of 19. But in 2010, he moved back to his hometown to work as a labourer in the glasshouses alongside his dad.

“I never expected that I would be able to move back home before retiring, so I was very lucky that the tomato farm was here,” he says.

After noting his potential, the Costa Group moved Peter into a workplace safety role. The company's motto is “we grow people” and this man is living proof.

Today he’s Tal’s boss – State Manager for vertical farming in NSW. “Even though we pride ourselves on employing locals, we have a very diverse workplace,” Peter says.

“We’ve hired a lot of people who live in Guyra and nearby Armidale. We also employ seasonal workers from Tonga, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and backpackers and university students from Armidale to cover all of our labour needs during harvest. Although, we are less dependent on seasonal workers than many traditional farmers because most of our jobs require specific training and skills.”

The glasshouses, Peter says, have reversed the fortunes of many Guyra residents, after a large abattoir that employed 350 people closed its doors in 1995, leaving them all unemployed.

“The company has definitely brought Guyra back to life again. There would not be as many shops on the main street, we might not have a supermarket, and

NEW JOB S, NEW TOWN

The Costa Group's glasshouses (below) in Guyra have reversed the fortunes of many locals, as when a large abattoir closed in 1995, it left 350 people unemployed. The new venture gave many people jobs and fresh hope for their town.

house values would not be doing so well. It’s added a lot of value to the community,” he says.

NSW Farmers’ President James Jackson, who lives on a sheep and cattle farm about a 20- minute drive from Guyra, shares those sentiments.

“The glasshouses have been a boost to the local economy and the regional economy as well. It’s had a huge economic flow-on effect through the community – plumbers, electricians, there are a lot of coffee shops in town and now there’s one girl with a shop that sells exotic vegetables, he says. “They’ve created an economical ‘critical mass’ that kept Guyra going throughout the drought when there wasn’t much money coming in from anywhere else.”

Next year Guyra is going to get even busier when the Costa Group erects another ten hectares of glasshouses and a new plant nursery that were supposed to be finished this year but were delayed by the pandemic. The expansion will increase tomato production by 25 per cent and create an additional 160 jobs, and provide hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of work for local contractors during the construction process.

Above and beyond the economic aspects, diversity of the workforce at the Costa Group has also made Guyra a more colourful place to live. “The locals welcome people from all different cultures,” says James. “The Tongans for example – who are quite religious – they have really got the Methodist church going. I attended a service once, and you should hear them sing. Amazing!” l

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

69

BUSINESS FARM STAYS

T

Is your farm the perfect tourism destination?

With domestic tourism set to surge in the coming months and years, there is money to be made for those ready to take advantage of the increasing interest in farm life. Agritourism is about to boom.

–

Words LISA SMYTH

asmania is 12 times smaller than NSW, and has only a 14th of our population, but its agritourism sector is worth an incredible $1.1 billion annually. As restrictions ease, domestic tourism increases, the interest in the provenance of food booms and the #supportlocal hashtag continues to circulate social media, there has never been a better time for farmers in NSW to open an agritourism business.

“People have a misconception of what agritourism is – their immediate thought is it’s all about farm stays,” explains Rose Wright, Managing Director of Regionality, a business development consultancy that recently partnered with the NSW Government to pilot a new agritourism trail with nine farms in the Liverpool Plains.

“Agritourism is any tourism-related experience or product that connects agricultural products, people or places with visitors on a farm or rural land. It could be tastings, tours, events, naturebased tourism, or a farm-based store – it doesn’t have to be complicated. People want authentic experiences, and it helps them to understand the importance and the value of agriculture.”

Wright estimates it can take 6-12 months to get everything in place to start an agritourism business, but says the key is understanding how any venture complements your day-to-day farming business.

“You should see agritourism as a way to add value, diversify your farm and to create a pathway to market for some of your products. It is a way to connect to your consumer.”

We asked two NSW agritourism businesses to share their paths to success.

Rose Wright’s 5 steps to setting up an agritourism business

1

Develop your idea so it adds value to your core agricultural business.

“It can’t be just about making money – you need to understand why you are doing it.”

70

THE FARMER

2

Always get council approval.

“Make sure your plans are in writing and approved by local government – your idea is not worth losing your farm over.”

NOV - DEC 2020

3

Learn to understand how the tourism industry works and how you can develop that authentic experience that will appeal to your core consumer.

4

Value your time.

There is only one of you, and you’ve really got to make sure that you’re investing your time in the right way to get a return on investment.

5

Market your business well.

People will tell you that it’s easy, but tourism businesses can be time consuming if not planned and designed well.

TRISH FEUERHERDT

Orange Grove Gardens CULCAIRN, NSW

“We originally bought the property as a land extension and it had the added bonus of a beautiful homestead and old English-style gardens. Functions and events have been running for 10 years now, and the accommodation concept started three years ago.

Guests enjoy learning about the reality of life on the farm, and being able to see different activities such as shearing, calving and harvest at certain times of the year. The lifestyle fascinates people.

The council was great with the process of regulations and supported us getting it off the ground. The expense of the set up and infrastructure was a challenge, as was taking small steps at a time to make sure we had a market before over committing. The functions and events were shut down with COVID-19 in March, but now that the border region has been expanded bookings have already started to increase.

I would advise other farmers to keep it simple and use your own experiences. What you do on your farm is your biggest asset and it is the reason people want to visit you.”

FUN FACT

In 2018-2019,

44 cents

of every Australian tourism dollar was spent in regional areas

SERVICE NSW FOR BUSINESS IDENTIFIED FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF AGRITOURISM ACTIVITIES

KRISTEN EDMONDS

Camyr Allyn Homestead HUNTER VALLEY, NSW

Operating a guided tour on a farm

“The business was developed after my father died in 1985. My wife Janet was an avid quilter and she suggested inviting other quilter friends to stay in groups in the homestead. This was successful and other groups stayed for painting and rehabilitation. In 2005 we applied to extend the homestead and the range of activities increased to include photography, art, business conferences and homestays. We currently have guests returning annually for more than 20 years. Our guests love the open spaces, wildlife, fresh air and quiet environment.

The challenges have included training and retaining suitable staff, securing council approval to extensions, and complying with changing government regulations. Our business vanished in March with COVID-19, but enquiries have increased since June and reservations have started to come in now. We are confident of a strong recovery.

Our emphasis now must be on social distancing, cleanliness and sound management practices.

My advice to other farmers would be to plan to take advantage of the demand that is already apparent, and be conscious of the need to build your reputation, as word of mouth is the best form of marketing. There is no quick return on money borrowed, so budgeting and cash flow management is an essential part of the operation.

Selling produce via a roadside stall

Operating farm stay accommodation

Selling farm products via on-farm retail premises

Hosting weddings and events

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

71

72

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

SPECIAL REPORT FARMING MACHINERY

of the trade Australian farmers are among the most efficient in the world and efficiency is driven by innovation.

Check out this selection of innovative machinery and tools from local and international suppliers.

–

Words DARREN BAGULEY SOILKEE

Pasture cropping – sowing an annual crop into a perennial pasture (whether for harvest or to fill a seasonal fodder gap) is becoming increasingly popular in NSW. It maintains ground cover, helps build soil, improves soil structure, increases soil organic matter and increases biodiversity both above and below ground.

Farmers have traditionally used disc seeders for pasture cropping, but South Gippsland beef producer, Nils Olsen, decided he could go one better when he invented the Soilkee Renovator – an implement that combines cultivation, mulching, aeration and mixed species seeding to improve pasture and build soil carbon and biodiversity in one pass.

The Soilkee features rotating blades that create a competition-free seed bed for successful germination, leaving around 80 per cent of the pasture undisturbed.

A diverse mix of seeds from clover seeds to fava bean sizes can be applied from the seed box during operation with seeds dropping into the kees. The undisturbed portion acts as a cover crop protecting the soil from the elements, reducing erosion and keeping around 80 per cent of soil life habitat intact.

Whilst creating the seed bed the Soilkee Renovator provides additional benefits of aeration and a green manure crop within the worked up portion, providing aerobic conditions and a food source that activates the soil fungi, bacteria and earthworm populations and the natural soil processes they perform.

Winner of Farm Magazine Innovative Farmer of the Year 2019 and Food and Fibre Gippsland’s Excellence in Adaption to Change 2019 Awards, independent trials have found that Soilkee Renovator users have seen soil carbon increase 24 per cent (3.7 per cent to 4.6 per cent), plant-available nitrogen increase 122 per cent, plant available-phosphorus increase 34 per cent, plant available-sulphur increase 51 per cent, dry matter increase up to 30 per cent and Crude Protein increase 13-45 per cent. According to Nils, these increases translate to an up to 25 per cent increase in weight gain for beef cattle on pastures that have been worked up with the Soilkee Renovator.

KESTREL DROP

BIG THINGS,

Whether you’re cropping, a livestock producer or both, there are times when it’s vital to measure environmental conditions in a particular area whether that is a barn, silo, hay and feed storage area, greenhouse, cool room or stock transport.

To make this task as painless as possible, Kestrel – a name familiar to any farmer who has had to log conditions before spraying or doing hazard reduction – has developed the DROP. Not much bigger than a large chicken egg, the Kestrel DROP measures a wide variety of parameters including the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI), temperature, humidity, heat index and dew point.

By connecting to the DROP via Kestrel LiNK, the free iOS and Android app, users can view real-time readings from any DROP logger within Bluetooth range (up to 30 metres or more line of sight).

Each phone or tablet can connect to up to eight DROP loggers at the same time and store data logs from many more. Min/Max/Average readings are clearly displayed, and the data log is viewable as a scrolling graph with detailed data for each logged point. The Kestrel LiNK app also allows adjustment of the logging interval and other settings as well as real-time threshold alerts. Readings can be updated as frequently as every two seconds and logging time and date are automatically updated whenever the DROP connects to a smart device.

Built to Kestrel’s brand-specific rugged durability standard, Kestrel DROPs are waterproof (IP67 standard) and drop-tested to MIL-STD-810G. Users are also able to set threshold alarms where an in-app pop-up will notify a user in a range that certain measurement criteria have been met. >

SMALL PACKAGES

Left: In development since 2013, the advent of the New Holland T6.180 Methane Power tractor offers farmers the possibility of going ‘back to the future’ by producing their own energy needs again.

Above: The Kestel DROP measures a variety of parameters including the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI), temperature, humidity, heat index and dew point.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

73

SPECIAL REPORT FARMING MACHINERY

NEW HOLLAND T6.180 METHANE POWER

Before the widespread use of tractors, up to a 30 per cent of a farm’s arable land would be devoted to growing feed for the draught horses that were an integral part of every farming operation. While the advent of fossil fuel power led to a massive jump in productivity, the flip side was that farmers lost some of their independence as they now had to rely on an off-farm energy source.

In development since 2013, the advent of the New Holland T6.180 Methane Power tractor offers farmers the possibility of going ‘back to the future’ by producing their own energy needs again. Farmers can make use of agricultural or animal waste (as well as specifically grown energy crops), to generate biomethane, which powers the tractor, which, in turn, helps to grow those very crops. Alternatively, refilling can be performed directly from the gas grid.

The T6 Methane Power features an all-new NEF 6.7L engine specifically developed for agricultural applications by FPT Industrial, a leader in natural gas powertrain technology. With the same levels of power and torque as its diesel equivalent, T6 Methane Power operators also benefit from up to 30 per cent lower running costs. Producing 99 per cent less particulate matter, reducing CO2 emissions by 10 per cent and overall emissions by 80 per cent, when using biomethane near-zero CO2 emissions are achievable.

Winner of the inaugural Sustainable Tractor of the Year Award, the T6 Methane Power tractor is key in completing New Holland’s Energy Independent FarmSM concept, closing the loop of a complete CO2-neutral cycle – from field to energy generation and back to field.

GOANNA AG GOFIELD AND GOWEATHER

Irrigators know that converting water into production drives their business success. But irrigation scheduling can be challenging, even at the best of times, and just a small mistiming can cost money.

74

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Developed in conjunction with the Cotton CRC and the CSIRO, Goanna Ag’s GoField and GoWeather have been designed to enable precise scheduling to help irrigators optimise water use efficiency. GoField requires coverage by Goanna Ag’s extensive LoRaWAN network and it offers a fully integrated approach to better understanding crop performance, water usage rates, water efficiency and the optimal time for the next irrigation event.

GoField combines existing 80cm and 120cm soil moisture probe technology with Goanna Ag’s GoSat analytics as a base layer. By adding additional layers such as local weather observations from the company’s GoWeather weather station, regular satellite imagery and point specific short term forecasting, GoField gives the farmer a deep understanding of what’s going on in the soil and the impact the next seven days of weather will have on irrigation scheduling.

In addition, GoField interfaces with a new Canopy Temperature Sensor, a sensor developed by the CCRC and CSIRO over the past 10 years that focuses on the health of the growing plant. Supported by powerful analytics, the combination of GoField, GoWeather and Goanna Ag’s Canopy Temperature Sensor, lets growers know precisely how their crop is performing and how to best manage their irrigation. Results vary from crop to crop and field to field, but trials have seen Goanna Ag’s GoField integrated solution demonstrate consistent return on investment.

The BoM-certified GoWeather weather station measures temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, rainfall, solar radiation, dew point, DeltaT, ETo, barometric pressure, FDI, inversion risk, soil temperature and animal heat load index. Available with NextG connectivity, GoWeather’s easy to use app-based data interface displays current + historic data at 10-minute recording intervals.

GoField is offered as an annual, all-inclusive subscription service with no lock in contracts so growers are future-proofed against technology being rapidly superseded and they only need use the solution when there is a crop in the ground. l

SEEDING NEW IDEAS

The Solikee (above) features rotating blades that create a competition-free seed bed for successful germination, leaving around 80 per cent of the pasture undisturbed.

Below: Goanna Ag's GoField – developed in conjunction with the Cotton CRC and the CSIRO.

GIFTS MARKETPLACE

The saleyards We’ve pulled together some great, colourful products to bring some Christmas cheer into your home this summer.

Edited by MICHELLE HESPE

MASKED IN STYLE

Based in Victoria, Aromababy has been producing sensitive skin-friendly, organic skincare for mother and child for more than 25 years. Founded in 1994 by beauty writer Catherine Cervasio, the brand has expanded its offerings to include gorgeous, hand-sewn face masks along with the range of body balms, scrubs, candles and gifts. $19.95 – $24.95 aromababy.com

GET INTO THE PINK STUFF ART PROJECT FOR HOME

The Mini Project Pack has everything you need to create a small project and includes two small Project Pots of Chalk Paint, Soft Wax and Dark Soft Wax and a small pure bristle Annie Sloan brush.

Priced from $95 anniesloan.com

Led by medically-trained Head Distiller, Toby Angstmann, Underground Spirits uses local, highquality ingredients and pure spring water from the Snowy Mountains, along with a unique cryofiltration process, to produce award-winning spirits in the heart of Canberra.

Around $95 undergroundspirits.com.au

SPOIL THE POOCH

Nice Digs creates high quality lifestyle products for the modern pet owner. Or rather, their beloved pooches. These fun prints and trendy styles will have tails wagging.

Prices from $189 nicedigs.com.au

LOVELY LINEN

Printmaker and designer, Trudy Rice, has partnered with KE Design to produce a stunning new collection of linen homewares. Created with special needs workers, the collection includes the Wattlebird and Christmas Hakea designs featuring cushions, tea towels, placemats, table cloths, napkins and table runners.

Priced from $39 kedesign.com.au

WINE PEOPLE FLUFFY & DELICIOUS

LOVE YOUR RUG

This padded and waterproof picnic mat ensures a comfortable and spill-proof seat anywhere outdoors for everyone from babies to pets. The mat includes a pocket for your phone and keys and folds into its own carry bag. $155 top3.com.au

Based on the Central Coast of NSW, The Marshmallow Co. makes unique marshmallows by experimenting with different flavours and styles. The cornerstone of their recipe is the fluffiness – every single marshmallow will melt in your mouth. With over 40 awesome flavours, you’re sure to find a delicious treat for everyone.

Mixed gift bag is $38 themarshmallow.co

Stock your wine rack with 12 rich reds for just $139.99 and receive a FREE gold-medal shiraz, a foldaway picnic table and two picnic glasses worth $120. To order, visit wp.wine/5622060.

Do you have a great product you’d like us to consider for the page? Email an image and details to: mhespe@intermedia.com.au

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

75

ENVIRONMENT ENERGY

Energy game-changers After investing in new infrastructure. two NSW companies are aiming at gaining the majority of their energy at no cost

–

Words IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER

76

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

F

arming in Australia uses a lot of energy.

The average cost as a proportion of the gross value of farm production (GVP) is 9 per cent, and in some sectors it’s a lot higher.

According to research by the Australian Farm Institute and Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, the cost of buying diesel and electricity to pump water, maintaining and harvesting crops accounts for up to half of input costs for cotton farmers.

For poultry and sugar cane growers it’s 16 per cent, while dairy farmers and wine-grape growers fork out 13 per cent.

And it keeps on rising. The cost of energy as a proportion of production costs has more than doubled over the past five years, offsetting the efficiency gains of new technologies by more than 20 per cent.

But what if, after investing in new infrastructure, farmers could get most of their energy at zero cost, and then take their margins back from energy suppliers? Two companies based in NSW are moving closer to turning this dream into a reality with gamechanging new renewable energy technologies. But they still have some hurdles to jump, both scientific and legislative.

STORING THINGS UP

H2Store aims to revolutionise the energy industry by commercialising low pressure, intrinsically safe, non-toxic hydrogen hydride storage products.

MINI HYDROELECTRIC

In 2014, the average power bill of dairy farmers in Dorrigo – a small town north of Coffs Harbour – was $1,200 a quarter. By 2019, it had climbed to $4,500 a quarter.

“Farmers are desperate for innovation in energy, so that’s why we decided to base ourselves here,” says Peter Lynch of Pelema Energy, a company that cut its teeth manufacturing and installing long-life stainless > NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

77

steel micro-hydroelectric turbines in the Solomon Islands and other remote parts of Melanesia.

Another reason for choosing Dorrigo is it’s wet: set at an elevation of 731m on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range, the area receives more than two metres of rainfall a year and is pockmarked with waterfalls. “About 42 per cent of the rainfall in NSW lands on just 17 per cent of the land area east of the range, which makes it perfect for mini-hydro,” Peter explains.

“Of course you can have solar, but on average, solar panels only generate power for a quarter of the day, and never at the break of dawn when dairy farmers need it the most to milk their cows. But as long as you have flowing water, hydros generate power 24 hours a day,” he says. “And small hydros don’t need dams like big hydros, so you don't have to set them at high elevations and you won’t come into conflict with conservationists who want to protect natural habitat that would otherwise be flooded, or with irrigation communities who want the water released. You can place them at a geological sweet spot, ideally near the top of your land.”

Estimates by Pelema Energy suggest these mini hydroelectric systems, which range in size from 1kW to 250kW, pay for themselves with energy savings within 20 months. But there’s one major obstacle for farmers in NSW reaping the benefits.

“In Tasmania, there are non-consumptive water licenses,” Peter says. “But NSW is lagging; you can only get a consumptive water license. That means you have to purchase the water, and then you need a license to put the water back in the river and have it inspected for pollution, so the proposition is financially unviable.”

Pelema Energy is lobbying the NSW Government to amend these laws however their progress thus far has been slow; it took the company seven years to get a boundary adjustment passed by the local council.

But as energy keeps on getting more expensive, and the environmental consequences of climate change become more real, momentum continues builds in the company’s favour.

“We think that within the next two years we will have two or three demonstration hydros in Dorigo,” Peter says. “Once we prove to Fisheries NSW minihydros do not cause damage to fish migration, there will be no reason they can’t be installed all over Dorrigo and other parts of the state.”

THE HYDROGEN BATTERY

More than two million businesses and households in Australia have invested in solar panels. But as Lynch points out, the problem with solar and wind turbines is that they only generate power when it’s sunny or windy. Some of the excess power not consumed at the time of production can be stored in lithium batteries, but they cost a bomb and their storage capacity is limited.

Enter the hydrogen battery, a technology with metal alloys capable of storing surplus electricity in the form of hydrogen much more cheaply and efficiently

78

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

than Tesla batteries, currently the world’s leading manufacturer of lithium batteries.

“Call me an alchemist, if you will,” Professor Kondo-Francois Aguey-Zinsou, the University of NSW researcher behind the invention, told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s like the Internet revolution.”

Matthew Muller, head of strategy at the Providence Asset Group, a Sydney-based company backing the professor’s invention, says if all goes to plan hydrogen batteries will hit the Australian market as early as next year.

“The prototype is already working and now it is being tested to confirm the commercialisation of the technology and how much energy it can store,” he says. “If all goes to plan, we will start manufacturing actual models at the end of this year.”

Matthew says farmers will be a key target market: “There are two huge benefits for farmers. The first is ‘security of power’ because there are far more brownouts and blackouts in rural areas than in metro areas. And second, it will reduce the cost of generating power, especially for dairy farmers who use a lot of energy early in the morning. If they have solar panels on their premises, they could store all the energy their panels generate during the day.” He adds: “Many rural industries will do very well out of this.”

Sold under the H2Store brand, these hydrogen batteries will cost a little more than Tesla lithium batteries, which currently retail for about $14,000 in Australia. But Matthew says they should last twice as long and could offer the equivalent of six Tesla batteries in terms of power generation.

According to Providence Asset Group’s estimates, one battery will provide 40kw hours of power when fully charged – enough to power an average size Australian home for 1.6 days.

“It won’t be a completely off-the-grid solution because in winter months when there is less sun you may need supplementary power,” Matthew says. “But either way, it’ll be a game-changer.” l

FAST FACTS

thatIt istheestimated predicted energy cost per year of a cow is $275 to $300

energy costs forThe producing 1,000 litres of milk is $11

BATTERY P OWER

Sold under the H2Store brand, the new hydrogen batteries will cost a little more than Tesla lithium batteries, which retail for about $14,000 AUSD.

ENVIRONMENT ENERGY

P OWERING UP

Construction of a mini hydro-electric power station by Pelema Energy in the Solomon Islands, which aims to have 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030. Photos courtesy of Pelema Energy

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

79

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Emelia Inwood

Scholarships awarded by NSW Farmers University students from Glanmire, Braidwood, Piallaway, Pearces Creek and Willala have been named as recipients of the 2020 NSW Farmers’ Association Tertiary Scholarship.

Words SHEREE YOUNG

80

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

F

ive outstanding NSW students have been named as the 2020 recipients of the NSW Farmers’ Association Tertiary Scholarship program.

NSW Farmers’ President James Jackson commended all five recipients for the dedication to their study and their appreciation of farming as well as the role agriculture is playing and will continue to play in Australia's prosperity.

“Agriculture is well-placed to become the next $100 billion industry and for that to happen we will need the innovative thinking and skills of the next crop of young farmers and service providers,” he said.

“That’s why we are proud to have provided these NSW Farmers Tertiary Scholarships since 1993 and recognise the value of education to the future of agriculture.”

Hannah Cargill

EMELIA INWOOD – JOHN WHITE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

HANNAH CARGILL – E.L. O’BRIEN SCHOLARSHIP

Hometown: Glanmire, NSW University: University of New England – Bachelor of Agriculture/ Bachelor of Laws

Hometown: Braidwood, NSW University: University of New England – Bachelor of Agriculture/ Bachelor of Business

Emelia grew up on a property near Glanmire, NSW, and fosters a love of farming and rural pursuits by working full time on her family’s farm during university holidays. She is inspired by her father Michael’s focus on innovative approaches to manage environmental sustainability and profitable commercial farming.

Emelia is the Deputy Senior Resident Tutor and Head of Academics at her residential college, and secretary of both the UNE’s Ag/Law Society and the NSW Young Farmers New England Tablelands Branch.

Emelia’s legal interests include conflict between mining and agriculture; foreign land acquisition; water rights; and the right to farm. As a passionate advocate for advances in agriculture and rural communities she aims to become involved in agricultural consultancy and policy to effect this change, utilising the skills and knowledge provided by her degree.

Hannah grew up on an Angus beef enterprise near Braidwood, NSW. Her passion for the beef industry led her to join the Angus Youth Society, helping to organise Angus Youth Roundup events.

Since beginning her studies, Hannah has worked as an economic analyst at Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC) and with the CSIRO on wheat genetics.

Hannah is Chair of the New England Young Farmers Branch, a NSW Young Farmers Councillor, and a member of the NSW Farmers’ Sheep Meat Committee. She is also the Careers Fair Coordinator for the UNE Farming Futures Committee.

Hannah looks forward to supporting rural and regional agricultural businesses to reinforce and strengthen resilience, while also increasing retention of young people in rural and regional communities to build the future of the agricultural industry.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

81

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Amy Vincent

AMY VINCENT – ALAN CHAPMAN MEMORIAL

PHILLIPA DONALDSON – PAUL LOCKYER MEMORIAL

SCHOLARSHIP

SCHOLARSHIP

Hometown: Piallaway, NSW University: University of Newcastle – Bachelor of Nursing

Hometown: Willala, NSW University: University of New England – Bachelor of Psychology with Honours

Amy was raised on a property in Piallaway, NSW where her family operates an Angus Stud, and Amy assists with marketing and preparations for the Stud’s annual sales.

In her final year of a nursing degree, Amy plans to use her qualifications to give back to the rural sector. She believes nursing has a vital role in thriving rural communities, enabling those who live and work in rural areas. This includes increasing access to good healthcare at home rather than being forced to travel long distances to access basic healthcare.

Upon completing her degree Amy intends to complete a diploma in Midwifery. By gaining both Registered Nurse and Midwifery qualifications she will be able to work in smaller rural hospitals and help to alleviate the need for rural health professionals.

Phillipa grew up on her family’s property near Boggabri, NSW and continues to work and participate in sporting activities. She loves the rural lifestyle, helping out on the family farm or assisting her mum, a local veterinarian.

After high school Phillipa worked on cattle stations in remote areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Her passion for mental health services developed from these experiences and her concern for appropriate resourcing of mental health services in rural and remote areas.

On completing her studies, Phillipa intends to work as a clinical psychologist in regional and remote areas, and would like to establish a mobile practice. She hopes this local service model increases access in regional, remote and isolated communities.

Phillipa hopes to encourage other practitioners to prioritise service delivery in rural areas.

82

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Angus Wilson

ANGUS WILSON – GRAHAM BLATCH MEMORIAL GOOBANG SCHOLARSHIP

Hometown: Pearces Creek, NSW University: Charles Sturt University – Bachelor of Dental Science

Phillipa Donaldson

Angus grew up on his family’s sheep and cattle property near Barraba, NSW before moving with his family to a beef and pecan nut property near Lismore, NSW. He has returned to the Barraba district to work on sheep, cattle and crop properties and volunteers at the local primary school.

Angus has witnessed the hardships and inequities faced by those living in small rural communities and this led to a passion in him to help bridge the services gap. He believes that access to adequate healthcare is a right for all Australians.

Angus understands the unique requirements of a rural healthcare practitioner: to not only practice safely, but to integrate effectively into the community and respect its values and culture.

Angus hopes that his background in agriculture, dental science studies, and deep engagement with rural communities will improve the lives of regional and remote residents.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

83

MEN T TECH NOLO GY & THE ENVI RON

atree, At the Bradleys’ farm in New Arm ations oper and technology is embraced, rns retu imum max ct fine-tuned to extra g ncin bala e whil ness for the busi environmental outcomes.

“Our children had to experience life before coming back to the farm, and they needed to bring something back to the business. We’re open to change, and they bring new ideas, efficiencies, and different skillsets.”

84

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

COMMUNITY NEW GENERATIONS

FAMILY TIES

Meet the Bradleys (Left to right): Daughter Peta, father Craig, mother Jenny and son Jack.

The Bradleys have been farming in New Armatree near Dubbo for more than 70 years, and although change has come with its challenges and difficulties, this family are happily looking towards the future.

–

Words ALEXANDRA BUNTON / Photography RACHEL LENEHAN

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

85

“Change is sometimes difficult, but embracing new methods and technology is critical for the success of any business – and a farming business is no exception.”

Jenny Bradley

W

hen Jenny Bradley was a child, she used to quite literally follow in her father Max’s footsteps to the shearing shed, trying to match the imprints his shoes left in the dust. “I have always thought I would follow those shoe prints,” she says.

She recalls that in the 1980s, it was rare for daughters to return to work on the family farm – but after training as an agriculture and science teacher, she bucked the trend and came back to a new life on the land.

Jenny’s family has farmed New Armatree since the 1950s, and it's a tradition that she’s proud to continue. As it did back then, the family still runs a mixed cropping and livestock enterprise, but the farm operations have changed significantly in her hands.

“Today, technology is embraced, and operations have been fine-tuned to extract maximum returns for the business while we also balance environmental concerns and outcomes,” Jenny says.

Jenny and her husband Craig have run the enterprise since the early 2000s. The property consists of a little over 1,700 hectares, producing cereals (wheat, oats, barley), legumes (chickpeas, lupine, faba beans), and sheep. The livestock business comprises a merino ewe base breeding first-cross lambs, and a Border Leicester stud that embraces sheep genetics.

“Change is sometimes difficult, but embracing new methods and technology is critical for the success of any business – and a farming business is no exception.”

Innovation and technology bring significant possibility to the Bradley’s operations – greater profitability, improved animal welfare, improved landscape management, and better time efficiency.

Jenny points to pregnancy scanning as a key technology that the business has embraced over the years. New Armatree was an early adopter of scanning and has been using it to manage their performance for 25 years.

“The business is always reviewing and adjusting,” Jenny says. “We identify the lambed and lost animals, as well as those with singles and multiples, and divide grazing management to match pregnancy demands.

When lambing is complete, we review performance over the lambing period and identify the top paddocks and lower performing paddocks.”

86

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Another key change within the stud is the amount of data captured on all the individual animals to drive and improve their progeny.

“Meat eating quality is an exciting space to be in at present, and we are able to select animals on that trait to improve the consumer’s lamb experience,” Jenny says.

Aside from running the farm business, Jenny is heavily involved in research and advocacy.

“Presently within the business we have two research projects running. Both projects focus on our sheep enterprise; one on reproduction through the University of Sydney, and the other with the University of New England examining the effects on conception of six-monthly shearing.”

Jenny says that the research isn’t done for personal benefit, and that the Bradleys have to do a fair bit of work themselves on the projects.

“We do it for the benefit of all agriculture. If producers don’t put their hand up to be part of it in a commercial sense, how are we going to improve?”

Jenny currently chairs the AWI Producer Advisory Panel for Sheep Connect NSW, which provides an extension network for sheep and wool industries within the state. She balances this with her on-farm work and her NSW Farmers advocacy positions, where she sits on the Sheepmeat Committee and represents the Association on Sheep Producers Australia’s Animal Health and Welfare Committee.

“Ensuring good policy and governance are the core of creating successful outcomes for all involved within agriculture,” Jenny says. “Delivering achievable outcomes, whether it is successful extension or positive research to improve the profitable practices on farm, are very worthy of advocacy.

“This is why I became involved with advocacy – to ensure positive change for agriculture.”

Jenny is passionate about engaging youth in agriculture, drawing on her experience as a secondary science teacher to inspire the next generation of leaders. New Armatree often hosts visits from University of Sydney agriculture students touring the central west.

“For every agriculture graduate there’s so many jobs available,” Jenny says. “We need young people and young minds to be involved the business, and they need to be given the contacts and mentorship to get a foothold in the industry.”

The Bradley family all fulfil different roles at New Armatree – Jenny runs the livestock business

COMMUNITY NEW GENERATIONS

while Craig, an agronomist, focuses on the cropping enterprise. Their daughter Peta enjoys working with livestock, and son Jack keeps the farm running as a diesel mechanic.

With Peta and Jack gaining skills off-farm, they’ve both brought important learnings and new ways of working to New Armatree.

“Our children had to experience life before coming back to the farm, and they needed to bring something back to the business,” says Jenny.

“We’re open to change, and they bring new ideas, efficiencies, and different skillsets. We’ve always been quite open about succession and encouraging them to stay on.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR

As it did back in the 1950s, at New Armatree the family still runs a mixed cropping and livestock enterprise.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

87

COMMUNITY NEW GENERATIONS

THE NEW GENERATION

Jenny and Craig's daughter Peta enjoys working with livestock, while son Jack keeps the farm running as a diesel mechanic. With Peta and Jack gaining skills off-farm, they've both brought fresh new ways of thinking to New Armatree.

88

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

“Things will only change if young farmers are enabled to act on their learnings and implement them on a business basis, rather than doing exactly the same as everyone has done for the last 50 years. That's why you go and get off-farm experience.”

Peta Bradley “Picture this: a Ute, a kid, mum, lots of sheep and a Wiggles tape. That pretty much sums up some of my earliest childhood memories driving around the farm and checking the sheep.”

Peta Bradley has always been interested in farming and says that her parents never pressured her to study agriculture or pursue a career in the sector. But those early drives with Jenny piqued her interest in agriculture and led her to securing a Bachelor of Rural Science (Honours) at the University of New England.

“I didn’t go away to boarding school, which allowed me to play an active role in the farm growing up,” Peta says.

This early involvement in the farm business not only sparked Peta’s interest in a career in agriculture, but a particular passion for animals and breeding.

“The performance recording of animals at home was something that fascinated me, and I enjoyed being involved in it. At the ripe old age of 17, one of the reasons I picked UNE for study was that I knew all things related to livestock genetics were based there.”

This interest continued throughout Peta’s degree, and she completed an Honours project in sheep genetics, looking at reproduction parameters in Border Leicester sheep.

In her final 12 months of study, with her ear to the ground for opportunities in the field, she applied for a role as a Merinoselect Development Officer at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). Peta is still at MLA, working as a Senior Development Officer in Sheep Genetics.

“Working for other people and organisations before returning to the farm is important,” Peta says. “It has allowed me to develop a range of skills and industry contacts. If I wasn’t working for MLA, I would see myself still working within the agricultural industry for another company. My passion is for livestock production so I would be working somewhere in this field. The opportunities are endless.”

Usually, Peta would spend her time travelling throughout the country delivering a range of forums and workshops and attending conferences. But with COVID-19 forcing many businesses to adapt

to working from home, she has relished spending time back on the farm while transitioning to online meetings and workshops.

“It has been great to be home for so many different parts of the farming cycle from sowing to pregnancy scanning, lambing and lamb marking.

While there isn’t a lot of daylight after work during winter to be out on the farm, it has been good being around on weekends.”

Aside from her interest in sheep genetics, Peta has also followed in Jenny’s footsteps by promoting her industry through the Young Farming Champions program. Peta first got involved with the program in 2014 while in her first year of university. Now in her sixth year as a Young Farming Champion, she has seen the program grow with her.

“The program is a great opportunity to be able to learn how to positively talk about agriculture. The networks as well as the personal and professional development this program offers are endless.”

Peta is interested in taking on more on-farm work, explaining the value of early succession planning with the family.

“It’s always about being open and transparent, and I don’t feel pressured that there’s only one way forward – there are a lot of options, we need to talk openly with all parties involved,” she says.

Peta’s own experience demonstrates how the new generation is shaping the future of the family farm, particularly through gaining knowledge outside their own boundary fence. She says that the industry sees improvement when it embraces the skillsets of young farmers.

“Things will only change if young farmers are enabled to act on their learnings and implement them on a business basis, rather than doing exactly the same as everyone has done for the last 50 years.

That’s why you go and get off-farm experience.”

Peta says that Jenny’s career showed her that women can hold their own on boards and committees, as well as having a successful career in agriculture. “It doesn’t matter where you come from or where you’re educated, as long as you apply yourself,” she says. “Then you can pursue the career of your dreams.” l

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

89

Delivering results in the toughest conditions.

At Pacific Seeds, our researchers partner with Australian growers to develop seed varieties that perform in the toughest local conditions.

Stealth, from Pacific Seeds, is a new APH wheat variety with a leading crown rot rating that also delivers solid resistance to leaf diseases.

Stealth is a tough seed developed to help both your crop and your business flourish, even in the most challenging environments.

To find out more about Stealth visit pacificseeds.com.au

COMMUNITY ON MY SOAPBOX

Local knowledge is critical for bushfire management Words ROB WEBB, NSW FARMERS MEMBER, AND NSW RFS MEMBER

I

have some observations after being heavily involved in last summer’s bushfire fighting effort that I feel will strike a chord amongst our many farmers involved in firefighting and fire mitigation.

Farmers are land managers and therefore by association are also managers of fire on their land as both a threat and a tool.

Farmers generally understand rural fire more than most. Their livestock, livelihoods, infrastructure, pastures depend on that essential knowledge and skill.

It is therefore a tough pill to swallow when farmers find themselves answerable to a bureaucratic citybased Rural Fire Service – being told how to manage (or not manage) fire across their landscape. This has been largely the case since the NSW State Government overhauled the locally run volunteer bushfire brigades and took this incredibly valued rural service, to the city.

A growing urban interface is promoting fires as seeming worse than before.

A NSW RFS capability gap and capacity gap has widened to a critical point in regional NSW. Many more farming livelihoods will be lost due to the critical lack of engagement of farmers in the suppression and management of fires by our previous Commissioners.

Action needs to be taken now. Substantial and innovative bushfire policy devised by NSW Farmers has been often ignored. It is positive to see that the RFS is progressing its engagement surrounding farm and private firefighting resources and hazard reduction initiatives.

LACK OF IMMEDIATE DECISION MAKING ON THE GROUND

"Given the lack of decision-making at critical times on the Kerry Ridge and Gospers Mountain Fires, I was left feeling that we as firefighters, were left to do everything on the fireground, except put the fire out," says Rob.

A lack of understanding of the importance of critical first response firefighting in regional and remote areas outside of the Sydney bubble, were evident during this previous season. Seeing highly manageable small fires grow to become major infernos has proven a tragic outcome for the state.

Should we just sit back and accept that this is the best we can expect moving forward? I think not.

Some hard decisions need to be made.

Given the lack of decision-making at critical times on the Kerry Ridge and Gospers Mountain fires, I was left feeling that we as firefighters, were allowed to do everything on the fireground, except put the fire out.

Solutions are hiding in plain sight.

We should enable farmers to take whatever safe measures are necessary to suppress a fire in its infancy. Equip them, train them, formally recognise their land management skills in terms of fire management, insure them, and most of all respect them.

We need to utilise the extraordinary resources of the private sector rural contract prescribed burners and fire fighters working for private sector and Federal Government entities. They are insured, highly trained and often jogging on the spot in high risk areas (Gospers Mountain ignition for example). This resource should no longer be ignored. They should be utilised to compete with the poorly conceived State Mitigation Support Service for prescribed burn planning and implementation.

Most importantly private sector specialists should be engaged by the State Government to undertake uninhibited, critical first response firefighting.

Integration into the Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System (AIIMS) for private resources would be incredibly simple, essentially just another brigade. AIIMS is the nationally recognised system of incident management for the nation's fire and emergency service agencies. Approaches to discuss these matters with our Commissioner/s has consistently fallen on deaf ears.

Finally, credit where credit is due. New commissioner Rob Rogers has engaged farmers early in his tenure with very positive outcomes, for which he needs to be congratulated. It is a small step, but a positive one. l NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

91

BUSHFIRE AWARENESS

FIRE FACTS

The way a fire starts and burns is influenced by various factors including the season, vegetation and local weather conditions.

WHEN AND WHERE DO THE WORST FIRES OCCUR? SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA Summer and Autumn

NEW SOUTH WALES AND SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Spring and early Summer

NORTHERN AUSTRALIA Winter and Spring

FIRE PRONE SEASONS

Clean up and rebuilding costs can be affected by a number of factors including location, building codes, BAL and the presence of hazardous materials.

HOW TO ENSURE YOU ARE COVERED FOR A BUSHFIRE

Winter & Spring Spring

❒ Make a Bushfire Survival Plan (check with your local fire service authority).

Spring & Summer

❒ Check that you have home buildings and contents insurance and that your policy is up to date. ❒ Check that you have appropriate insurances in place for any vehicles, boats or caravans that may be on your property.

Summer Summer & Autumn

❒ Use an online insurance calculator as a guide to help you decide how much to insure your house for.

Autumn

❒ Check your bushfire risk. You don’t have to live right near the bush to be at risk. Even if your home is a few streets away, you may be at risk.

Winter

❒ It’s recommended that you check your BAL and the relevant rebuilding requirements with your local fire authority or local government body, as these ratings can change without notice.

Source: National Environmental Science Program

STAGES OF A BUSHFIRE ATTACK

❒ Check whether you are adequately covered for ‘removal of debris’ (clean up costs after a fire).

STAGE 1 • Fire front approaches • Ember attack

30

60

5

15

MINS

MINS

STAGE 2 • Fire front arrives • Ember attack

• Direct flame contact • Radiant heat

MINS

MINS

STAGE 3 • Fire front passes

• Ember attack

3

HOURS

5

HOURS

❒ Check that your insurance policy covers you for temporary accommodation in case your home is unlivable due to a bushfire. ❒ Make sure the final amount you decide to cover your home for includes clean-up and rebuild costs. ❒ If you’re a small business, check if you are covered for the costs of interruption to your business if there is a bushfire.

BUSHFIRE ATTACK LEVEL (BAL) Bushfire Attack Level

Description

BAL–FZ

Direct exposure to flames from fire, in addition to heat flux and ember attack.

BAL–40

Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux with the increased likelihood of exposure to flames

BAL–29

Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux

BAL–19

Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux

BAL–12.5

Ember attack

BAL– Low

There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements

WHAT IS A BUSHFIRE ATTACK LEVEL (BAL) A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) is a measure of the severity of the potential exposure to ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame contact by a building.

BAL establishes the requirements to construct a bushfire resilient building and influences the types of materials that need to be used to increase the protection of the building from bushfire attack.

BAL takes into consideration: • type of surrounding vegetation; • how close the building is to the vegetation; • slope of the land (ie. fire runs more readily and with greater intensity uphill; and • the Fire Danger Index applicable to the region.

BUILDING CODES & BAL Following the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the Australian Building Codes Board adopted a national bushfire standard for residential buildings. The new Standard, ‘A53959-2009 Construction in bushfire-prone areas’, aims to improve the ability of a building to withstand bushfire attack.

The standard sets out the building requirements for house design and construction according to the BAL that it falls into.

POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL COST TO REBUILD*

The costs of demolition and clean up should be included in your sum insured, or the terms of your policy.

It is important to consider these costs when deciding how much it will cost to rebuild after a bushfire.

$273,000

$86,000

$78,000 $53,000

Extreme BAL FZ

CLEAN UP COSTS

Very High BAL 40

High BAL 29-40

Low to Moderate BAL 12.5-1

(Additional Costs per m2 by House Type 200m2 Average House) *Costs provided by Pi based on IAG data

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO REBUILD AFTER A BUSHFIRE?

If asbestos is likely to be present on your property, a licensed asbestos removalist should be engaged to do the cleanup work. If you are insured, your home insurer may organise and assist in cleaning up, securing your home and removal of debris.

Hazardous materials that may be present after the fire include: • LP gas cylinders; • ashes, especially from burnt treated timbers (such as copper chrome arsenate or ‘CCA’); • garden or farm chemicals; • medicines; and • metal and other residues from burnt household appliances.

The chart above outlines the potential additional rebuild costs according to BAL.

HOW MUCH DO CLEAN-UPS COST?

The requirements for house design and construction vary according to the BAL.

Where there is significant damage to a home or a home is destroyed completely, clean-up costs can reach the tens of thousands of dollars.

Importantly, the majority of buildings in bushfire-prone areas may predate current bushfire regulations. Therefore, if you live in a bushfire prone area it may now cost significantly more to rebuild your home under the new Standards.

A typical four bedroom home in a high risk bushfire area (BAL code FZ) can cost more than $100,000 extra to rebuild and meet the new Standard to fire proof homes.

$46,000

is the average cost for debris removal

$68,000

is the average cost for debris removal for asbestos properties Source: IAG data from current debris removals after the 2019-2020 Christmas period fires.

Contact your local fire authority for assistance with working out the BAL level of your property. Your local government body can advise about the specific requirements of a BAL certificate by a qualified assessor.

To speak with your local WFI Area Manager contact WFI on 1300 934 934 or simply visit wfi.com.au alternatively you can contact NSW Farmers on (02) 9478 1042 or www.nswfarmers.org.au/wfi who will be able to refer you to your local WFI Area Manager.

Information

For more practical information on how to prepare and act when your home is threatened by a bushfire, contact the relevant fire services authority in your state or territory: New South Wales NSW Rural Fire Service www.rfs.nsw.gov.au

wfi.com.au

Fire and Rescue NSW www.fire.nsw.gov.au

Insurance Australia Limited ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681 trading as WFI (WFI) issues WFI Insurance policies. This flyer doesn’t take in account your objectives, financial situation and needs. To see if a product is right for you, always consider these matters and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). You can get a copy of our PDS’ from our website at www.wfi.com.au or by calling1300 934 934. If you purchase any WFI product, we will charge you a premium, plus any taxes and charges, based on your risk profile and circumstances. NSWF is an alliance partner of WFI and does not make any recommendations or provide an opinion about WFI’s products. If you take out a policy with WFI, NSWF receives a commission from WFI of between 5% and 10% of the value of the premium payment (excluding taxes and charges).

JOIN US

The coal seam gas debate

AI and you: a brave new world

Energy game changers

New wave of oyster farmers

NSW Farmers says no to the NGP

Letting the robots take care of the farm

New infrastructure followed by no costs

What's on the horizon this summer?

–

–

–

–

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2020 / $ 9.95

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.

Memberships include The Farmer magazine delivered to you.

Grassroots garlic An innovative industry with growth on the cards

Annual membership options

FULL PRODUCER MEMBER $438.90 1 VOTE PER MEMBERSHIP

For those who own or manage a farm. Includes our basic workplace relations package which provides: ·C ollective representation on awards, minimum wage review, workers compensation. · Wage information, including wage guides issued annually. · Phone advice, four calls a year.

ADDITIONAL MEMBER $100 1 VOTE PER MEMBERSHIP

SECOND VOTE MEMBER 1 VOTE PER MEMBERSHIP

$100

Linked to a full producer, with a proprietorial or income interest.

Linked to a full producer, most often a family member.

Have a small holding and do not

receive majority of income from it.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER $100 Do not own a farm, e.g. teachers,

agronomists, business people.

COUNTRY CONNECTION $100 Supporters of farms from the city.

SMALL FARMS MEMBER

$150

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. · Assistance with drafting and reviewing employment-related correspondence, policies and procedures, and employment agreements.

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.

Use your voice, become a member at nswfarmers.org.au or call 1300 794 000.

Contact the Member Service Centre on 1300 794 000 or your local regional services manager:

FOR ALL GENERAL ENQUIRIES

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 David Banham, 0428 411 221, banhamd@nswfarmers.org.au SOUTH WEST Daniel Brear, 0427 773 495, breard@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 CONTAC T ME .

ESSENTIALS WORKPLACE RELATIONS PACKAGE

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

NAME: _ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRES S:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PHONE:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COMMODITY (IF APPROPRIATE):_____________________________________________________________________________________

94

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

COMMUNITY TEAM PLAYER

The future of farming In this feature series, we meet a proud NSW Farmers member who highlights how the Association’s work makes a real difference to primary producers around the state.

NAME

Helen Strang

FARM ‘Balarinji’, Tambar Springs TIME AS MEMBER 30 years MY BRANCH Tambar Springs/Gunnedah

ABOUT THE MEMBER

I live and work on the most beautiful part of the Liverpool Plains in the North West NSW, alongside my husband, Andrew. We operate a predominately dryland winter and summer cropping farm business with some cattle. I love everything about my rural lifestyle.

Andrew’s family has been here for 98 years and our family has always called it home, including our children James (30) and Kate (27).

I worked as a registered nurse and midwife before retiring from aged care nursing two years ago to be a full-time farmer.

CONDITIONS AT MY FARM

After three years of devastating drought, we are enjoying a good start to the season with better rainfall that has allowed us to have a wheat crop in the ground that will be ready for harvest in November.

WHY I JOINED NSW FARMERS

I feel it’s important to be part of an organisation associated with your business that represents its grassroots members. Since retiring from nursing, I've been able to focus on being an active member of the community and currently hold the positions of Vice President of Tambar Springs branch and Secretary of the Namoi Group of the Country Women’s Association (CWA).

Similar to NSW Farmers, the CWA gives grassroots members a voice, and acts on their concerns. If you only have a single voice, it can be daunting to face some problems, but NSW Farmers helps us to be heard on the issues that affect us all as farmers.

HOW NSW FARMERS HAS HELPED ME

Our region is threatened by the Narrabri Gas Project (NGP) and NSW Farmers has given strong support in our fight against it. NSW Farmers’ representatives and staff members helped our branch to have an important motion passed at the State Executive Meeting in July 2020 to lobby the NSW Government to oppose the NGP and not to renew the 11 expired Petroleum Exploration Licences.

The clear and outspoken statements and repeated public assertion of our policy has had an important effect. It provides confidence in the fact that our region and others within NSW will not become a host for the polluting of water and land, and the unnecessary CSG industry.

I was pleased that NSW Farmers' President James Jackson spoke at the Independent Public Commission (IPC) public hearing opposing the Project. Having him speak at the hearings and write a submission on behalf of members

in the North West of NSW to protect our livelihoods, water, health and the environment from Coal Seam Gas (CSG) industrialisation exhibited the great strength in the organisation. It is estimated that 95 per cent of the 10,000 submissions presented to the IPC opposed the NGP. Many farmers have re-joined the Association as a result of NSW Farmers’ strong support.

James highlighted the lack of public liability insurance for those potentially affected by CSG industrialisation, something that has been trivialised by Santos and our politicians. It is crucial that organisations like NSW Farmers and the CWA of NSW have such great policies in place. We rely on these organisations to do what our elected representatives should be doing, representing their constituents.

The North West region will rely on NSW Farmers’ continuing support in the face of the recent IPC approval of the project. The approval of the NGP is a setback, but it’s not the end of the fight. I’m glad to know that NSW Farmers is in our corner.

I now have a better understanding of how such organisations work and cannot recommend enough to become involved as a member.

As one of many concerned and potentially affected farmers of North West of NSW, thank you NSW Farmers – for your wonderful support in opposing the NGP. l

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

95

COMMUNITY MEET THE TEAM AT NSW FARMERS NSW FARMERS’ COMMITTEES – CONTACTS AND CHAIRS AG SCIENCE

agvetcommittee@nswfarmers. org.au David Mailler ANIMAL WELFARE

animalwelfarecommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Jim McDonald BIOSECURITY

biosecuritycommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Ian McColl BUSINESS, ECONOMICS & TRADE

beatcommittee@nswfarmers. org.au Peter Wilson CATTLE

cattlecommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Derek Schoen CONSERVATION & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

crmcommittee@nswfarmers. org.au Bronwyn Petrie CONTRACT POULTRY MEAT

poultrymeatcommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Justin Roach DAIRY

dairycommittee@nswfarmers. org.au Colin Thompson EGG

eggcommittee@nswfarmers. org.au Brett Langfield GOATS

goatcommittee@nswfarmers. org.au Felicity McLeod GRAINS

grainscommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Matthew Madden HORTICULTURE

horticulturecommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Guy Gaeta OYSTER

oystercommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Caroline Henry PORK

porkcommittee@nswfarmers. org.au Ean Pollard RURAL AFFAIRS

ruralaffairscommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Garry Grant SHEEPMEATS

sheepmeatscommittee@ nswfarmers.org.au Floyd Legge WESTERN DIVISION COUNCIL

wdc@nswfarmers.org.au Greg Rogers WOOL

woolcommittee@nswfarmers. org.au Andrew Wood YOUNG FARMERS

yfc@nswfarmers.org.au Rachel Nicoll

96

THE FARMER

Family farm visits inspire rural career Renee Austin’s career path is proof you do not have to grow up on a farm to have a passion for Australian Agriculture.

R

enee Austin grew up on the Central Coast, but family links resulted in many trips to visit her relatives on farms around Tamworth and Mudgee.

“Those country holidays nurtured my love of the bush and interest in studying agriculture,” she says. “And I was fortunate to attend a high school on the Central Coast with its own farm, enabling me to fully participate in my agricultural studies and pursue a career in the field.”

This desire for a career in agriculture inspired a move to Armidale to study a Bachelor of Agriculture/ Bachelor of Laws. “While at university I became interested in the career path of agricultural policy.

I liked the idea of combining my knowledge across agriculture and law to advocate for farmers,” she says.

Renee completed work experience with the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law, Greater Sydney LLS and NSW DPI (in horticulture research) and was admitted as a lawyer at the same time following the completion of practical legal training at a community legal centre.

“I commenced my career as a graduate with Victorian Farmers Federation before making the move back to Sydney just in time for the annual conference last year,” she says.

“It was an excellent opportunity to meet so many engaged and passionate members in our prime policy making forum.”

Renee then joined the NSW Farmers policy team in June 2019 as Policy Advisor for the Rural Affairs and Business, Economics & Trade and the Western Division committees.

“I really enjoy working with members to identify issues impacting agricultural production and rural communities, and working to find solutions to these problems,” Renee says.

“I’m lucky to be in such a diverse role, and with Western Division Council. I’ve had the opportunity to work on issues ranging from access to education

NOV - DEC 2020

and telecommunications, transport and taxation, to firearms and rural crime. I really enjoy looking into the details of legislation and finding opportunities for improvement or reform, ultimately to help farmers get on with the business of farming.”

Renee says that it’s really rewarding when she sees the impact of NSW Farmers’ advocacy and the difference it makes for members.

“I consider agriculture a truly exciting and important space to work in, recognising the important role farmers play in providing food and fibre to not only Australians, but people around the world.” l

COMMUNITY FARM DOGS

Buddy from Grafton

Buddy, a kelpie-cross owned by Glenda Rogan from a beef farm in Grafton, Northern NSW, is the proud winner of the 2020 Cobber Challenge. That makes him the hardest working farm dog in the country. But it’s not all work in Buddy’s day – he has time to make sprinklers as well.

Words MICHELLE HESPE

WHAT’S YOUR NICKNAME?

Good Buddy FAVOURITE THING TO DO ON THE FARM?

Let those cows know who is the boss and swimming in the dam with all of my mates – creatures big and small.

HAVE YOU EVER DONE SOMETHING REALLY NAUGHTY?

Yes, I am known to do some naughty things every now and then. Once I chewed lots of little holes in my mum’s hose so it had a sprinkler effect. I thought it helped water more of the garden.

WHAT IS YOUR WORST HABIT?

Peeing on mum’s prized roses, but I swear, it improves the scent of them. She doesn’t agree.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD?

Anybody else’s.

IS THERE SOMETHING THAT DRIVES YOUR PARENTS MAD?

When I was younger I enjoyed visiting the neighbours without telling mum and dad. What can I say? I’m a social kind of dog.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANOTHER ANIMAL AS A BEST FRIEND, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Definitely a horse so that we could go mustering together!

FAVOURITE TOY OR THING TO PLAY WITH?

I love playing chasies with my mum, her daughter Bindi, and my kids.

FAVOURITE SEASON AND WHY?

Winter and Spring because there is a lot of mustering to do.

WHAT DOES EVERYONE LOVE ABOUT YOU?

My big brown eyes.

NOV - DEC 2020

THE FARMER

97

THE TAIL END FARMING FOLLOWINGS

The socially aware farming fraternity

With social media becoming a staple in the lives of some farmers, many are sharing their own stories of farm life to millions of subscribers.

Words ALEXANDRA BUNTON

IN THE NUD

Samantha and Michaela – photo by Emma Jane Industries

The Naked Farmer has gone viral online – with farmers from all parts of Australia getting naked to support mental health awareness.

98

THE FARMER

NOV - DEC 2020

Carl – photo by Ben Brooksby

F

rom Australia to Europe and the Americas, there’s a lot going on out there in the world’s farming social media fraternity.

Peterson Farm Brothers from Central Kansas for instance, use their online platform to educate consumers about agriculture through musical parodies, informative blogs and virtual farm tours. They started in 2012 with a viral YouTube parody called “I’m Farming and I Grow It” which now has over 11 million views.

Over in Oregon, dairy farmer Derrick Josi blogs under the name TDF Honest Farming, where he shares his experience in agriculture and his interactions with his herd of Jerseys. The animals are often the stars of his videos, as Derrick highlights their personalities and demonstrates how he cares for the herd’s welfare.

Chris Newman from Sylvanaqua farms uses his social media platforms to talk about his experience as an Indigenous and African American farmer.

His posts discuss the intersection of class issues and farming, and offer new insights on food security, small-scale production and diversity in the sector.

In the Lakes district of England, former UNESCO advisor James Rebanks tweets under the handle @herdyshepherd1. Rebanks’ family has farmed in the district for over 600 years and he shares his experience farming Herdwick sheep. Not just an online phenomenon, Rebanks has also authored two books – The Shepherd’s Life and English Pastoral.

Australian bloggers are now getting online and catching up.

Kylie Stretton runs Ask an Aussie Farmer, which reaches almost 20,000 people on Facebook. Kylie started the platform after the live export ban in 2011, aiming to reach out to

everyday Australians who had questions about where their food comes from.

The Naked Farmer is a social influencer with a different purpose. Victorian producer Ben Brooksby started the Naked Farmer movement in 2017 as a way to encourage conversations about mental health. With 114,000 followers on Instagram, the Naked Farmer account posts daily personal stories with funny and relatable images of farmers around the world getting their kit off. Far from being scandalous, the account creates a supportive and close-knit environment for important health discussions.

Ben has also just released his book – The Naked Farmer, with Macmillan publishers.

For those inspired by the opportunity to share their farming life on the internet, take a look at the @AgoftheWorld Twitter account where you can put your hand up to host for a week and reach almost 30,000 followers across the world. l

National Drought and Flood Agency The National Drought and Flood Agency understands that the issues affecting economic recovery in regional Australia are complex and go beyond the hardships caused by flood, drought, bushfire and other unprecedented challenges like COVID-19.

Coordinator-General for Drought and Flood the Hon Shane L Stone AC QC and the Agency’s national network of Regional Recovery Officers (RROs) give you a voice back to the Australian Government on how drought and other challenges are affecting your business, your family and your community.

Your local voice

Regional Recovery Officers serve as champions for their region, working with people to find locally-led solutions and deliver the support and information needed to help communities prosper.

They also play a key coordination role, working with all levels of government, health professionals, counsellors, small businesses, charities, agricultural and community organisations to ensure the Australian Government is delivering an effective on-the-ground presence.

Your local Regional Recovery Officer can help you quickly find information and services to assist you through the challenges of drought—please visit our website for more information and to find your nearest regional team member.

Tools to assist you in your business

There’s a lot of information that farmers and regional communities can draw on when making important business decisions, from seasonal climate forecasts, soil moisture levels, regional profiles and what government grants are currently available. But until now, it’s been difficult to get this information in a consolidated way.

The National Drought Map is an essential part of a farmer’s decision-making toolkit.

It pulls together information specific to your region from a range of sources including the Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Geoscience Australia, and the Department of Agriculture to name a few.

Take a look at map.drought.gov.au

www.droughtandflood.gov.au

The Amarok V6 XXL What power feels like

In partnership with Adaptive Manufacturing, we’ve created the Amarok XL and XXL Chassis extensions. With the V6 power of the Amarok and a whopping +650 mm to the vehicle chassis and body making the Amarok even more versatile all with the benefit of a Dual Cab with 5 seats.

As a member of the NSW Farmers Association, you are eligible for National Fleet discount.

Speak to your nearest Volkswagen Partner today.

*Conditions and exclusions apply, see https://www.volkswagen.com.au/en/owners-service/warranty.html. Your rights under this warranty are provided in addition to, and in some cases overlap with, consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law and do not limit or replace them.