Putting in the hard yards: as other wine makers exit an oversupplied industry Lucinda Estate's Andrew Gromotka has vowed to stay, saying the only thing to do is make a better drop. The Leongatha viticulturist and winemaker said his own business was "growing all the time" and there was still a good living to be made in the industry. "I think some people in the industry just aren't putting the work in. When things are tough you've just got to go for excellence," he said. See story on pages 6 and 7.
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PAGE 2 - “SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010
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SOUTH COAST
By Chris Brown ACROSS Gippsland this summer new GippsDairy Focus Farms have kicked off. There are six of them this time around; at Middle Tarwin, Toora, Nar Nar Goon, Willowgrove, Denison and Maffra. For two years these farm businesses will face the scrutiny of expert discussion groups and the agricultural community. Among those farmers revealing their business details are Rod and Lyndall Cope at Middle Tarwin. Rod was rapt with the 60 strong crowd that turned up for the first field day on February 10. They learnt about pasture renovation plans, the farm set up, running costs and walked across part of the farm in the summer heat.
FARMER
After years of visiting other Focus Farms the Copes decided it was their turn. “We thought it was a chance to put our farm out there, open it up for people to have a look at and gain advice about what to do in the future,” Rod said. Currently they are exploring options to reduce their water reliance on the Tarwin River. Better utilising home grown grass and setting up the business to increase time off are other topics for discussion. The Copes have an undulating farm with 1.5km of Tarwin River frontage. Rod has worked on the farm for about 25 years, with the couple taking it over in 1994. Today they are milking 370 cows, the majority of which are Friesian. They plan to increase this to 420 next season. Phil Isaacs and Dianne Butterworth are full time employees.
“SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010 - PAGE 3 Victoria’s rural heart
2009 SUMMER EDITION
The weather gave them a terrific season and allowed them to grow grass from mid-March until Christmas. Rod admits he was a little bit apprehensive about revealing business financials at first. “It might open the eyes of people in general to what it costs to run a dairy farm,” he said. “People might see if we are being paid 20 cents a litre while it is costing us 30 cents a litre to produce.” The Copes have had three meetings with their discussion group as well as the February field day. “I didn’t try to impress anybody I just tried to tell it as it is,” Rod said. “We don’t want to go out there and do special things just for the Focus Farm. “We want to run it the way we normally do, but be open to suggestions and try new things. At the end of the day it is still a working farm and has to
In focus: Middle Tarwin dairy farmers, Rod and Lyndell Cope have become a Focus Farm.
pay its way.” People are quick to praise the Copes for their farming and employment practices. Farmwise Advisory Services’ Ivan Grant mentors farm employees. “If all farmers around were like this we’d be right,” he said. Murray Goulburn Field Services Officer Allison Potter is the project mentee. She welcomed the opportunity to work with respected farm consultant Matt Harms who will facilitate the Middle Tarwin Focus Farm. “Rod and Lyndall are so easy to work with, you see that in their two employees who are really looked after,” Allison said. John Gallienne is the Focus Farms project manager. He said focus farms have been going for 10 years. Matt and Robyn Colwill at Mardan are a previous Focus Farm. John said a large number of people
followed the progress of the Colwills, including some from other regions of the state. Sixteen farming families applied to become Focus Farms in this round. The final six were chosen to ensure there was a variety of locations and farming issues. Funding for the program comes from Dairy Australia and GippsDairy. Indeed a Neerim South dairy farmer said attending Focus Farm field days was the only way to get value from his milk levy. “It’s the best way to learn,” he said. Focus Farm families, like the Copes, aren’t paid for their participation. “The people who have done it in the past have found it very rewarding and obviously found it a benefit because they get involved with the new focus farm,” John said.
PAGE 4 - “SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010
SOUTH COAST
FARMER
By Brad Lester DAIRY farm workers will still have long term job prospects, despite low dairy prices forcing many farmers to shed staff. Large herd sizes and properties in South Gippsland will ensure farmers need to employ staff to guarantee the ongoing operation of their businesses. A pilot study of dairy farm labour needs by GippsDairy and the University of Melbourne in 2008/09 focusing on the Baw Baw Shire, found that among 385 dairy farmers surveyed, there were vacancies for five managers and 45
2009 SUMMER EDITION
Victoria’s rural heart
farmhands. Despite facing increased financial pressures, many farmers still see the advantage in retaining staff, according to GippsDairy’s executive officer, Dr Danielle Auldist. “Not all dairy farmers are cutting staff, because they realise good people are important to their business,” she said. “There are young people on farms still earning money while the owner is losing out, because the owner is looking at the bigger picture. “Sharefarmers have even been put on to management arrangements in order to hang on to them.” But as every farm operates differently, the
labour situation varies from gate to gate. There is no doubt that in the short term at least, job opportunities could be limited as farmers tighten their belts to deal with reduced income. “With more than 85 per cent of dairy farmers supplying export processors, the cost of production is greater than what farmers are being paid, so where possible, farmers are reducing their costs, whether that be paying for less labour and paying for less contractors,” Dr Auldist said. “A lot of dairy farmers have had to cut parttime jobs off farm to help manage the farm to save labour costs.” Others are working harder and longer to do jobs that still need doing. Farmers with higher
equity in the business – typically older, more established operators – are more likely to be in a better financial position to retain staff or employ additional workers. “The ones with lower equity will have higher debt servicing costs, with up to $100,000 a year in interest. They are the ones who will probably be cutting costs,” Dr Auldist said. In a typical season, dairy farms operate with one full-time person per 80-100 cows. Farms with more than 250 cows would most likely function with a husband and wife team, plus a part-time worker. The Baw Baw pilot study found the biggest competitor for farmhands was the building industry, as both fields typically attract
Lending a hand
FARMERS do not have time to waste, but managing staff is time consuming. Dairy Australia introduced The People in Dairy project to enable farmers to get the most from their staff. The website contains useful information for farmers and staff about industrial relations (including new laws that came into effect this year), and finding and managing workers. Program leader Pauline Brightling said successful staff-employee relationships come from having the right staff in the right job at the right time. “Employers need to be really clear about the job and who is allocated to what and ensure people have the training and support they need,” she said. Pay rates, hours, duties and expectations should be clearly defined in a contract, and farmers are advised to share their plans for the farm so staff can share their vision. “Having a whiteboard with notes on display and getting together regularly is all part of that,” Ms Brightling said. Looking for opportunities to make everyday operations easier, even at a cost, can have long term benefits. “It might not be the most economic way of doing it, but having the right match is the best way of doing things,” Ms Brightling said. For more information about employing staff or working on a farm, visit: www.thepeopleindairy.org. au
Confident future: dairy trainee Wes Dowel with parents Colin and Jenny.
Faith in the future
LOW dairy prices have not dissuaded Wes Dowel from pursuing a career in the industry. The 18-year-old is a trainee on his parents,
Colin and Jenny’s farm at Korumburra and is pursuing a Certificate Four in Agriculture. “I just like the variety of it, there is plenty of stuff to do and you’ve got the whole open space,”
Wes said. He is a fourth generation farmer at his family’s 80-year-old Inverell Jersey Stud, continuing a tradition of family working together in pursuit of a shared passion.
Colin believes a successful relationship between farmers and staff is based around doing the right thing by each other. “There is a lot of give and take in the arrangement. If someone wants a day off and if you want them to work Saturday morning and they can, then they will,” he said. Apart from Wes, the Dowels employ casual staff and have trained each one. “It’s always tricky to find the right staff but being close to town helps,” Jenny said. Colin added: “We’ve never advertised for staff and just find them through contacts and people knocking on the door seeing if there is any work around.” Having extra pairs of hands enables the Dowels to complete more work and enjoy time off, but also results in more paperwork to meet contemporary regulations and accountability requirements.
“SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010 - PAGE 5
men aged 17-27. “There is demand for good farm workers but at the moment, there is not the supply to meet that demand. There are jobs available for people wanting a career in farming,” Dr Auldist said. She believes Australians, particularly in the cities, do not value farm work as a career option whereas in New Zealand, where Dr Auldist worked for eight years, farming is a respected occupation. “If you are not the sort of person who can be an accountant, a mechanic and a vet, then you won’t succeed in farming,” she said. Dairy Australia has acted to encourage primary and secondary students into farming by introducing the Cows Create Careers and Picasso Cows programs into schools. But inevitably, as farm numbers reduce and less people work in agriculture, fewer skilled workers are likely to be available. “Farmers need people who know how to run machinery and have a good manner with cows, but some farmers say their best employees are people with no farming background because they are more open to being trained,” Dr Auldist said. “Whereas people looking for managers would need someone with more experience.” A GippsDairy survey of dairying in Gippsland in 2008/09, found the industry employed 6800 people: 55 per cent on farm and 45 per cent in processing. The latest National Dairy Farmer Survey showed 16,000 people work on dairy farms across Victoria. GippsDairy is now pursuing funding to expand the Baw Baw pilot into a broader Gippsland study that will encompass labour needs in South Gippsland, Bass Coast and Wellington shires.
Dairy jobs: large herd sizes and properties in South Gippsland will ensure farmers need to employ staff to ensure the ongoing operation of their businesses.
PAGE 6 - “SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010
By Matt Dunn THE Sou South Gippsland wine infacing tough times, with dustry is fac some winemakers pulling up vines winem and leaving the industry. others, like Lucinda EsBut oth Andrew Gromotka, have tate’s And vowed to stay, saying the only thing to do is make a better drop. Andrew believes the roAnd mantic mant notion of making wine attracts some people who are not really prepared for the hard pre work. wo It’s the very reason he refused to pose for a photograph with a bottle of the stuff. He b insists The Star phoin tograph him workto ing. That’s what wine i making is all about. m “You’ve really got to t put in. If you can get g the quality right you can certainly be y well rewarded,” he w said. s “You can’t get away, as a smaller proa ducer, with producing d a mediocre product. You’ve really got to, Y as a a small producer, be producing something pr excellent. If you’re not, ex you yo may as well pull up stumps. stu
“There is a great oversupply, so we do need some growers to exit the industry. There’s some people who move down here in their retirement and they hire people to work on their vineyard and they get the wine made by a contract wine maker. They wonder why they can’t make any money. They’re not putting the work in.” The Leongatha viticulturist and winemaker said his own business was “growing all the time” and there was still a good living to be made in the industry. “I think some people in the industry just aren’t putting the work in. When things are tough you’ve just got to go for excellence,” he said. But there are always challenges. The winery lost a crop to a summer heatwave last year, which was “hurtful”. But he battled on. The Star visited Andrew at his vineyard and followed him around as he went about the task of “wing clipping” the vines, a process that sees unripe grapes cut away from the ripe ones. While grapes are lost, the eventual product is a much better one – a superlative bottle of wine with a “good even ripeness”. He said some other wineries don’t observe the same levels of quality control. The end result is an inferior product. For this winemaking perfectionist, such slovenly practices would never do.
“It might seem ridiculous to be dropping fruit on the ground, but it’s all about quality, quality, quality,” he said. If you’re not prepared to pour your heart and soul into your wine, you may as well get out, Andrew believes. “Unless you’re willing to work and be hands-on in your own vineyard, you’re not going to succeed,” he said. “I think there are some older people who buy in not fully understanding the amount of work there is and how tough it is. I think they’re buying on the basis of romance or as a retirement project. “That’s not helpful to the industry.” He believes Australia needs to produce a “small high-quality crop” rather than the bulk inferior product that is sold through many overseas supermarket chains with a ‘no name’ label. But by the same token, producing an overpriced wine does not work either, he said. For Andrew the key is running a lean operation with a big focus on quality. “We’re fairly efficiently set up. I think the cost of our production is a bit lower than the others. I think a lot of the wineries are selling their wines at too high a price,” he said. He said the market had changed, with prices for qual-
Sour grapes By Matt Dunn KIWI wines are taking up more and more space on liquor retailers’ shelves, adding to the jitters of an already nervous Australian wine industry. New Zealand wines now make up 10 per cent of the wine market in Australia. “Historically – for 29 of the past 30 years it’s been five per cent – and now the phenomenon which is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, combined with dollar impact of some of the imports, is now meaning that the growth in the market has not been equally shared and Australian producers are actually seeing their market share eroded,” Winemakers’ Federation of Australia chief executive Stephen Strachan told The Star. Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show wine production across Australia fell by almost six per cent last financial year, while imports rose by more than 15 per cent. While domestic sales and exports of Australian wine rose slightly during the period, their value, fell by eight per cent. Mr Strachan said much of the Australian wine being sold overseas was “at a price that is not good enough for the grower or the winery. “We don’t look at that as being sustainable business. A big part of our business is to make sure we’ve got an industry selling wine that’s profitable. And that means the wine that goes offshore needs to be branded,” he said. Often Australian wine is sold cheap to overseas supermarket chains that put their own labelling on it, a practice said to undermine the integrity of the local industry. “It’ll be a cheap buyer’s own brand. In the short term that works, because it helps us remove some of the oversupply but in the long term it’s not sustainable,” he said. He said a choice between “building markets or making a decision about whether we
need those vineyards” had to made. “Basically the conclusion we’ve reached is that there is an oversupply of grapes in Australia, but I guess that’s not news to anyone,” he said. “We need to deal with it so we can continue to build brands for our wine internationally. The oversupply is leading to a lot of discounting and that’s compromising our brand image both here and offshore as well.” Paradise Enough Wines in Kongwak is one boutique winery that has stopped production of its award-winning wines. The last wine was bottled in 2009 and the winery will only sell until stocks run out. Part owner Sue Armstrong said there had been a “downturn in the industry, with too many people planting vineyards. “There’s insufficient markets. Grape prices have gone down by 30 per cent, last year and again this year. Small producers are struggling,” she said. At nearby Kongwak Hills Winery, the vineyard has been left to grazing cattle. Calls to the business were not returned. Sue said producers “can’t sell their wine at a price that allows them to make a living”. She and partner John Bell planted their first grapes in 1987. But it was a long time before they reaped anything from those young vines. “It’s a hard industry to get into, because it’s quite highly regulated by three levels of government – local, state and federal all have their bit. Getting into it was a huge sort of bureaucratic battle to begin with. “It’s a few years before you get your first vintage.” The first wines were produced in 1990, when wine was “easier to sell”. “Certainly over the past two or three years it’s been pretty tough,” she said. He believes “market forces” will ultimately decided the future of many businesses.
“SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010 - PAGE 7
Good riddance: it’s all about “quality, quality, quality” as far as Andrew is concerned, which means unripe grapes are discarded rather than left on the vine. ity wines tumbling. It’s a factor that has made life more difficult for small producers. “You couldn’t get a good pinot for $20, let alone $15. There’s a lot of good pinot out there now. Very drinkable,
good fruit-driven styles, with no faults, for $15,” Andrew said. “There’s certainly a lot more competition. It’s challenging times, but it’s not insurmountable for us.”
Careful watch: Andrew is always on the lookout for unripe grapes.
The Australian wine story AUSTRALIA’S first vines arrived with the first European settlers in 1788. Initially wines were produced in the coastal region around the fledgling settlement of Sydney. John Macarthur established the earliest commercial vineyard. In 1822, Gregory Blaxland shipped 136 litres of wine to London, where it was awarded the silver medal by the forerunner of the Royal Society of Arts. Five years later, a larger shipment of Blaxland’s wine won the gold Ceres medal. The planting of vines accompanied the spread of European settlement across the Australian continent, and by the beginning of the 20th century Australia was exporting some 4.5 million litres of mainly full-bodied dry red wines to the United Kingdom. The end of the Second World War saw a rapid influx of migrants from Europe, who brought with them a strong culture related
to wine. This provided an important impetus to the Australian wine industry. However, it was the period from 1996 to 2007 that saw spectacular growth in exports, following rapidly increasing appreciation of Australian wines overseas. Major wine producers from abroad have invested in Australian wineries, and Australian companies have taken controlling interests in wineries in countries such as France and Chile. Australia has some of the oldest grapevines in the world. Many of Europe’s established vineyards were destroyed by disease in the 1800s, and only the vines brought to Australia survived. In order to preserve these, Australian viticulturalists developed new vine management techniques, some of which are now used throughout the world. Source: Department Foreign Affairs and Trade.
PAGE 8 - “SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010
French cuisine: while French Bazadaise cattle sound very up market, and they are, this breed of cattle isn’t fussy when it comes to feed and thrive on the good Aussie tucker being delivered by John Wood of the Baleze Bazadaise stud in Grantville.
He’s got a Dimple: all the cattle on the Baleze Bazadaise stud in Grantville are lovingly tended by John Wood and wife Faye and young bull, Dimple is a particular favourite and a fine looking beast
Moo la la GRANTVILLE may be a long way from the French Riviera but here you will find some of the finest Bazadaise cattle around. Faye Tuchtan and husband Graham Wood, owners of the Baleze Bazadaise stud have been breeding quality beef cattle since 1992. This ancient breed of cattle, dates back to the middle ages in the southern part of France, near the old walled city of Bazas, south of Bordeaux, close to the Pyrenees, where for centuries they have been exposed to all weather conditions. They are excellent foragers and food converters, thriving in the extreme heat of northern Australia as well as in Tasmania and all states in between. Bazadaise cattle arrived in Australia in 1991, Baleze had their first Bazadaise cross calves on the ground in 1992, thus were in the forefront of their development in Australia. Through careful breeding programs, which include flushing and importing embryos and semen from France, Baleze has established itself as a premier Bazadaise stud in Australia. For Faye breeding award winning cattle is definitely a lot of hard work but it is her passion and for years she has been studying and breeding for the very best quality in her Bazadaise cattle.
Faye and John are very proud of the stud and their much loved and cared for cattle and during the recent Beef Week they were keen to show off their fine beasts. Over the years Faye has enjoyed a lot of success at many local shows, winning grand champion awards on many occasions and prizes at the Melbourne and Adelaide Royals. Asked why she decided to breed these French cattle, Faye said after a lot of research and looking at other breeds she was most impressed with the Bazadaise’s quiet temperament, easy calving with muscle development starting at three weeks. Due to their short coat and thick hide, they have been found to be tick and fly resistant in the northern Australian climes. They thrive in hot or cold weather and in layman’s terms these cattle produce more meat, which means more money in the butcher’s pocket. “We just sold one of our older bulls at market and were thrilled it dressed out at 70 per cent and 980kg green weight. In finished crossbred cattle, dressing out is around 60 per cent or better. Even more outstanding is the saleable meat yield of around 80 per cent. Butchers remark on the extra length of eye muscle which normally extends from the 12th rib to the seventh rib, but in Bazadaise, it extends to past the fourth rib.
Backing up these findings to show what a Bazadaise bull can do in a cross breeding program, Baleze Bazadaise has won both Champion and Reserve Champion carcass at several carcass competitions in the last 12 months and, in fact, over a number of years has always scored extremely well in every carcass competition entered. “They are much sought after by buyers in the know and they never last long at market. They seem to always be snapped up pretty quick,” Faye said. For anyone looking to breed quality pure bred beef cattle or those wanting to beef up their commercial beef herd then the Bazadaise cattle are well worth a look, and Faye and John are only too happy to help out with the right advice. Faye said they have a lot of repeat clients who have been thrilled with the results given by the Bazadaise cattle. “The Bazadaise breed are not as well known in Victoria but are very big in Queensland, in fact the cattle usually sell for double the price there,” Faye said. Baleze take pride in breeding quality cattle with quiet temperaments and have bulls, females, embryos and semen available for sale. For further information or to discuss any of your proposed breeding programs contact Faye Tuchtan on 5678 8366 mobile 0411 732 987, or fax 5678 8247.
“SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010 - PAGE 9
By Jane Ross WHEN Simon was a baby, he used to sit on Pam Smith’s lap.
Nosing in: the donkeys are very friendly and will push their snouts in anywhere. Pam held The Star’s camera bag so the donkeys wouldn’t chew it. Sweden thought it a great resting place.
Family: Pam with Jimmy and his mother Jackie enjoying the shade.
He still tries to, but he’s a bit big now and Pam doesn’t want to be squashed. Nevertheless, he gets plenty of attention and is doted on by Pam who calls him “sweetie” and “darling”. She’s like that with his friends too. Simon is an Irish donkey and Pam is their best public relations agent. She loves them. So much so, she has a baby donkey photo “brag” book! Pam breeds the creatures and sells them through her business called Shambow Irish Donkeys. It’s on the Inverloch Road. Screw Creek runs through the property where she and her husband Joe live. The entrance, which Pam created, must be one of the most picturesque in South Gippsland. When anyone buys a donkey from her, Pam gives them photos of them as babies. And yes, she laughed, she does cry when they leave her! The donkeys were Pam’s idea. Joe milks a large herd of cows but Pam is pretty much retired from milking. Joe was sceptical about the donkeys because he thought Pam would become so attached to them she wouldn’t want to let them go. But he’s been won over by their
Protective: Lizzie with her baby Liam. He was two weeks old when this photograph was taken.
warm temperament and sometime shaggy appearance; they tend to look a bit scruffy in winter when their coats are long. Pam said the donkeys are very affectionate and the Irish breed is small. “They’re a really lovely little animal.” They took to The Star’s visit with gusto. As soon as we entered their enclosures, they trotted over, nestled in for a pat then nudged the visitor for more attention. Pam said the donkeys don’t kick or bite and even the jack (or male) called Callum is amiable. He’s white with a couple of small black spots and his latest progeny are brown. The creatures make ideal pets and need about as much room as a pony would. But they also make good watchdogs, guarding sheep from foxes. The donkeys eat anything. Pam rescued The Star’s camera bag from the ground before her curious pets started chewing it! She feeds them oat and grass hay, with a grain mixture supplement in winter. “Their appetite is different from a horse, they’re more like a goat,” said Pam. “They love roughage. “You can put them in a paddock with rye grass, but they prefer roughage. “They’re very easy to look after.” The donkeys will also munch on
blackberry bushes and they love carrots, apples, any sort of fruit. Pam feeds them once a day, in the morning. Used to a dairy farmer’s hours, she’s up and about at 5.30 or 6 and as soon as the donkeys hear her moving about, they start braying for their breakfast. The only other care they need is vaccinating, worming and having their hooves attended to. That, and as much attention as anyone is able to give them. Pam became interested in Irish donkeys when a stud near Ballarat was closing. She saw the animals advertised and bought some. That was about four years ago. She has since discovered that they make ideal pets and are a great comfort to children, particularly those with disabilities. She has a friend with an autistic child who is calm and at home with the creatures. Pam herself has had a bout of ill health and credits the donkeys with helping her manage. Pam has arranged for two more donkeys to come from Queensland at the end of March and one from Tamworth, to broaden the Shambow gene pool. The animals will travel by special transport to Longwarry and Pam will collect them from there. She’d keep an entire zoo if she could, but has to be satisfied with 12 donkeys and two alpacas called Roy and HG!
PAGE 10 - “SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010
French is best By Matt Dunn
GLEN Alvie’s Colin and Pam Willmott know that French is best. The couple, who have been working on the land together for close to 50 years, are part of a growing band of Limousin devotees. The Gallic cattle are renowned for their superior muscle mass. “We’ve been in farming all our married life, which is 47 years. We’ve milked cows, we’ve had stud Friesians, stud Jerseys, stud Herefords. But in Colin’s old time of life he decided to have stud Limousins,” Pam said. “We were selling vealers from a Limousin bull. That seems to be what the market wants, the Limousin cross calves.” After attending a sale at Lardner, the change was made. The Willmotts decided to do it all themselves. “Colin said, ‘I could breed my own bulls,’ so he bought two cows and it’s gone on since then. My daughter, Sharon Oates, who helped
us out, has an embryo transfer business just up the road,” Pam said. “We’ve probably been doing that now for about five years.” The couple was so impressed by the Limousins that they set up Tarraleaha stud, with the help of Sharon. Last year the couple joined the Limousin Muscle Alliance, a group formed by Limousin breeders who are keen to maintain the breed’s unique muscle gene. Research since the mid 1990s has shown that French Pure cattle carry two copies of a muscling gene (Myostatin variant F94L). The gene means a bigger, more muscular beast. The muscle alliance will sell animals online on Friday, February 26. All lots are F94L verified. The Willmotts will have four lots in the ‘Muscle Sale,’ with most of the excitement surrounding their prize bull. A quaking mass of muscle, Domino 1 has been busy doing what studs do best. Pam described Domino1 as Colin’s “pride and joy”. Domino 1 weighed 685kg at just 15 months old,
with plenty of growth left in him. “He’s already served quite a few cows. He is just dynamic when you let him out with the cows,” she said. Domino 1 is lucky to be alive, as his mother’s head was quite literally on the chopping block. In French parlance, she was ‘facing the guillotine’. “She was going to get her head chopped off because her former owner had to sell his cattle. He said, ‘Well, I get a thousand bucks for her at the market, so that’s what you can have her for.’ We flushed her and flushed her. These black bulls are all by her,” Pam said. “She’s still breeding.” Limousins come in a variety of colours, with apricot and black the most common. Pam said most people seemed to prefer apricot. Domino 1 is black. “I don’t have a problem with the black bulls. It doesn’t matter. I’m not colour prejudiced.”
Pam Willmott: the Glen Alvie woman is pictured with husband Colin’s “pride and joy” Domino 1, who is still growing.
“SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010 - PAGE 11
AFTER the birth of their twins Archie and Lexie just over a year ago, Murray and Janelle Francis are more determined than ever to produce good food on their 70 acre property high above Devon North, rather than ‘processed packing’ . The Francises, in partnership with fellow farmer Trevor Vardy, trading under the name Womerah Gully Fine Produce, planted a crop of Nicola potatoes from seed they sourced in Ballarat late last year, and now the crop is almost ready for harvest. “We bought seeds for our initial planting so we could get into the planting rather than just talking about it,” Murray said. “The paddock we chose to plant our first crop in has not been cropped since 1960 but potatoes are renowned for doing well in new ground. “With the help of family and friends we planted the first crop, we also have a plot down at Jack River which we planted with an old planter. “The worm activity after planting was phenomenal, and coupled with some good
rain told us we were on the right track.” “The plants were largely left to their own devices, no pesticides or herbicides are used on our crops. “A dressing of sulphate and potash was added at the time of planting due to a lower than average potassium level. “We chose the Nicola variety because of their versatility, they have a yellow flesh and hold their shape well, making them an excellent choice for many applications including ‘new’ potatoes, boiled, mashed, in salads as well as being great for gnocchi,” Murray said. “Independent tests have also shown that they have half the GI index of other varieties,” he said. “They are not the highest yielding variety but are hardy and that is what was required in the hill country around here.” The trio is planning to expand their food growing operation by planting leeks, beets, carrots and legumes on a rotation basis. “We are planning to have a system utilising free range pigs to be integrated into the rotation, therefore having a minimum of 40 to 70 acres in production at any one time. “After harvest we will use a Ferbon
Healthy crop: Murray Francis of Devon North shows off his biologically planted potato crop high in the hills above Devon North.
FF50 soil conditioner on the soil to enable greater moisture and soil life retention with an added benefit of keeping the soil warmer through the winter months,” Murray said. Once the potatoes are harvested the Francises and partner Trevor Vardy will sell their produce through local businesses such as the Tarra Valley Rainforest Retreat and Wildfish Restaurant at Port Albert. “We are planning to sell at farmers markets and Moore’s Butchery in the heart of Yarram,” Murray said. “The increased popularity of farmers markets in and around this area shows that there is a really big demand for fresh produce and more grower to consumer contact,” he said. Murray and his team are also founding members of the recently formed Loyal Local 3971+ group which is hoping to raise the profile of local food producers in the area. “Our potatoes will be used in the first Loyal Locals 3971+ secret dinner to be held in March and which we are all very excited about, as this dinner will showcase some of the very best food and wine in the district.
Bumper crop: Murray Francis digs up a handful of Nicola potatoes which will be marketed under the Womerah Gully Fine Produce label throughout the local district.
PAGE 12 - “SOUTH COAST FARMER”, February 23, 2010
Dream ride: the Snake Island ride is a highlight for Emily.
FOR Emily Baker, a mad keen campdrafter from Dollar it is hard to remember what came first the walking or the horse riding. With the campdraft season in full swing Emily, 20, doesn’t have a spare moment, competing most weekends, working three jobs, helping out on the family farm, and on her boyfriend Dane Perczyk’s farm. Dane is a stock agent with Alex Scott, based in Leongatha and Korumburra. Emily seems to take it all in her stride and is thrilled she has been of-
fered full time work at the Leongatha Golf Club as an apprentice chef. She is thrilled she will be able to work normal hours Monday to Friday and have time to dedicate to training and competing in as many campdrafts as she can fit in, mostly around Gippsland. Growing up with her mother, training race horses from an early age Emily was in show rings, competing in dressage and show events all around South Gippsland from Yarram, to Foster, Korumburra, Leongatha and further afield near Geelong and she attended training ses-
sions for the State games. From the age of six or seven Emily joined the contingent of Snake Island drovers for the regular trips across the waters of Corner Inlet. “I absolutely love it, it is a very special place,” she said. “We usually leave early on a Friday morning, it is a three day trip and we get back Sunday afternoon.” Emily said there is always a core group of friends who head over and they get trail riding groups coming along. “There are always different groups joining the ride, one time we had the Barwon Hunt Club come along. It is
really great you are always meeting new people,” she said. “I have met a lot of people and I am still friends with one girl I met when I was nine.” Campdrafting is Emily’s passion and as a member of the Tarwin Valley
Campdraft Club she enjoys the excitement of competing and the social side of the weekend event. “I just love campdrafting, the other competitors are so supportive and freely offer advice, the events are always so inviting,” she said.
Dollar drafter: fresh from a win at the Powlett River Downs Campdraft, Emily Baker is looking forward to new challenges. Family affair: Emily Baker and step father John Giliam enjoyed competing together at the Powlett River Downs Campdraft recently.