Grazier & Farmer December 2107

Ruralweekly

DECEMBER 2017 EDITION NO.10

A grape experience Faessler Grapes goes from strength to strength

Agribusiness insight

ANZ delivers report

Race-goers wow Social wrap-up of Charleville Cup

2 GRAZIER & FARMER

westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

welcome WELCOME to the final edition of Grazier & Farmer for 2017.

What a year it has been!

Undoubtedly tough, the dry conditions of 2017 brought with it many challenges however, as graziers and farmers have proven time and time again, when it comes to resilience and fortitude, those who make up the backbone of our agricultural industry have it in spades.

And while industry challenges often stand front and centre of the news, there has certainly been plenty of good stories to report.

At an end-of-year celebration at the Roma on Bungil Gallery, ANZ bank customers of the south-west agribusiness community were told lamb demand was 54 per cent higher than this time last year and cattle prices had increased 64 percent over a five year period.

The report predicted the upward trend of beef prices would remain for the longer-term, fuelled by global demand and competition from key importers.

Such information sets the tone for a positive start to 2018, reiterating Australia’s robust and strengthening agricultural market.

In this edition we also take a look at the inspiring story of George Faessler, who has turned his 51-acre (20.6ha) property into a treasure chest of grapes.

Karen Berry spent time at the Faessler Grapes operation, a property which currently grows 41 acres (16.6ha) of Menindee table grapes, 6.5 acres (2.6ha) of Black Seedless grapes and 3.5 acres (1.4ha) of Flame Seedless grapes.

We also bring you all the action from Queensland Farmers’ Federation inaugural National Agriculture Day which was held on November 21.

In signing off for the final edition of 2017, the team and I at Grazier & Farmer wish all readers a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy start to the new year.

Carmen Miller

contact us EDITOR Carmen Miller Phone: 07 4690 9454 Email: editorial@westernstarnews.com ADVERTISING Greg Latta, Tori Johnson, Henny Cash, Stephanie Stonehouse Western Star Phone 07 4672 9927 Email greg.latta@westernstarnews.com GENERAL MANAGER Erika Brayshaw Email: Erika.brayshaw@apn.com.au All material published in Grazier and Farmer is subject to copyright provisions.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission for the publisher.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained within Grazier and Farmer is given in good faith and obtained from sources believed to be accurate.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

The Western Star will not be liable for any opinion or advice contained herein.

Associate Professor Mark Trotter. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Study does the sums on emotional costs of cattle theft

Jacinta Cummins

AS A young bloke establishing his own cattle stud, Mark Trotter was struck by cattle theft.

Even though it was a one off occurrence, the experience stuck with him and is driving his current work with GPS trackers to try and stop the same thing from happening to other producers.

Mark is now an Associate Professor at Central Queensland University and received $45,000 funding from CQU’s Social Innovation program in January to fund his research which is looking into the emotional cost of stock theft.

"If you talk to people out in the bush and if you really dig in below the surface, in some circumstances you will actually find that the emotional toll of losing your cattle can be just as stressful as the economic effect," he said.

"There is this real concern in the community where producers suspect a neighbour and don’t trust them and I’ve spoken to countless people who’ve lost a lot of sleep over this.

"We got the funding by outlining the amount of mental energy which goes into thinking about this because you can put a dollar figure on theft, but you can’t put a figure on the emotional costs of those fractured relationships between neighbours."

The study fits GPS sensors to cattle to try and determine patterns in herd movements and behaviour and pinpoint warning signs during times of emergency such as when they are being rounded up and loaded onto a truck in the middle of the night.

At this stage, the GPS trackers are on an ear tag or collar, but ideally they would be implanted in the cattle.

The challenges are determining what behaviour is different to cattle just stirring for no apparent reason, recording and then interpreting this data before relaying the important bits to the producer and then alerting him or her that there is a problem in a timely manner.

When he put the call out for producers to be

Research cow wearing a collar mounted sensor. PHOTO: SUPPLIED involved with the study, he was flooded with calls and emails from across the state with people saying the problem affects their mental well being nearly as much as their bottom line.

Professor Trotter has limited funding so wants to get the initial work done so ensure the possibility of more funding to extend it or

having enough data for a commercial player to pursue it further.

"We really want to find some solutions to the sorts of things which really hurt farming families and the emotional cost of cattle theft can be immense, so this is a good starting point."

GRAZIER & FARMER 3

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 westernstarnews.com.au

A grape experience Treasures of the vine shine at Faessler Grapes Karen Berry With droughts and flooding rains regular occurrences in St George, it is, perhaps, surprising that table grapes grow so well there, but George Faessler has turned his 51-acre (20.6ha) property into a treasure chest of grapes.

In fact, many people in the city would surely not be able to imagine that grapes could be grown in ‘outback’ Queensland, much less grapes so juicy and sweet they are in high demand by both Sydney and Brisbane markets.

But Faessler Grapes currently grows 41 acres (16.6ha) of Menindee table grapes, 6.5 acres (2.6ha) of Black Seedless grapes and 3.5 acres (1.4ha) of Flame Seedless grapes, all of which are ready for harvest in this month. (The Flame Seedless grapes actually have two pickings: early in December and just prior to Christmas).

During this picking season, George has a staff of 35–40 pickers and packers working for him.

Some of these are Australian but the vast majority are overseas workers using their wages to see more of our vast and amazing country.

“Finding good workers is the biggest challenge at harvest time,” says George.

“But I’ve got a good team at the moment, which is good because, with the good rain we’ve had, the picking season will finish early this year.”

Having a ‘good team’ means getting the grapes picked and packed quickly while they’re at their peak and before summer storms have a chance to wreak havoc with the quality of the harvest.

George has been growing grapes since 1978 — almost 40 years — and started with Cardinal grapes when he first took over the farm, which is

JUICY FRUIT: Menindee grapes hang full and ripe on the vine. PHOTO: KAREN BARRY

GOOD PICK; George Faessler, owner of Faessler grapes with some of his grapes in the cool room awaiting transport to market. PHOTO: KAREN BARRY

HAPPY: ‘Bosco’ leaves his picking cart for a stroll among the vines.

PHOTO: KAREN BARRY located just over the Balonne River from the town of St George.

Prior to that, he had worked as a ganger with Water Resources for three years, as a presser in various shearing

❝

Finding good workers is the biggest challenge

sheds for two years, and as a kangaroo boner for eight years after he arrived in Australia from Germany in 1963.

Besides grapes, George also runs a flock of 1400 Dorper sheep and 100

mixed-breed beef cattle.

The sheep find a market in Dubbo, while the cattle are sent to Dalby for sale.

Some might say that George is a treasure himself as he spends much of his

spare time in charitable pursuits like Rotary and the local singing group, but he certainly produces treasures from his vines in the form of delicious grapes for our tables.

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westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Business owner calls culling response too little, too late Jacinta Cummins THE Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) has said the processing of a Cunnamulla business operator’s application for a kangaroo Damage Mitigation Permit (DMP) has been expedited after an administrative error.

Judy Roberts manages the Warrego Riverside Tourist Park three kilometres outside of Cunnamulla and said she has had up to 300 kangaroos on the 32 acre site on multiple occasions over the last year.

According to Mrs Roberts, the kangaroos are destroying property, posing a health and safety risk to residents and children, eating valuable stock feed in the drought stricken area and also put landholders at risk of being sued if

someone is injured by a kangaroo on their property.

"They are destroying the property as they uproot all the grass, but the worst part is that I’m losing sleep at night because I have elderly people staying here and I’m genuinely worried about one of them getting hurt," she said.

Mrs Roberts is also concerned about the kangaroos suffering as they gradually starve to death.

She said the humane and common sense option would be to cull the kangaroos on a regular basis to reduce the numbers until there is more feed for them outside of town, but said she kept on hitting brick walls after contacting several different bodies and governments with her request for a cull.

Mrs Roberts contacted the Shire of Paroo, RSPCA

Kangaroos present at the Warrego Riverside Tourist Park. PHOTO: Rob Smart.

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GRAZIER & FARMER 5

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 westernstarnews.com.au

FROM PAGE 4

Queensland and Queensland Police Service asking for an immediate cull but got little to no action before finally applying to DEHP for a mitigation permit.

She believes this is because no one wants to be in the firing line of the animal protection or green lobby groups which consistently decry culling.

"They are everywhere out here, they’re in the cemetery, the schoolyard and taking over the town, but no one wants to actually shoot them because they were all scared by the public outrage when Charleville culled last time," she said.

Charleville and Quilpie both come under fire in the last three years after announcing kangaroo culls.

Councillor Lindsay Godfrey is Paroo Shire Council Mayor and also a landholder outside of Cunnamulla.

Cr Godfrey said in a statement that while responsibility for issuing permits to cull kangaroos lay with the State Government he had personally raised Mrs Roberts’ issue with members of Parliament.

"Unfortunately, the issue is managed by state government authorities and council has no jurisdiction over the issue, other than a supportive role where appropriate," he said.

Mrs Roberts said there are many sides to the story but that the kangaroo shooters aren’t able to keep up with the culling because they aren’t paid for shooting female

kangaroos which leads to an unsustainable population.

"Because the numbers are out of control and there’s no feed, they are in such poor condition that the shooters probably wouldn’t even be able to sell them so there’s a lot less incentive for them to be shooting them at the moment," Mrs Roberts said.

"If the greenies came out here and saw them they would realise that they aren’t having a good life and they need to be culled for their own sake as much as for the people who live in or visit the area."

She had not heard from DEHP at the time of going to press, but said even if she was allowed to organise a one off cull, that the kangaroos would return as they are in plague proportions and that it was all too little, too late.

DEHP has issued 300 mitigation permits to cull kangaroos across Queensland from January 1 until the end of November.

Mrs Roberts equates the problem to the euthanasia debate.

"We have people wanting euthanasia because they don’t want to suffer and really the roos shouldn’t suffer either," she said.

"A good farmer looks at a dog or a cow when they’re really old and says "Mate, life is not good for you" and puts them down and puts them out of their suffering and we should do the same."

News Regional Media will be following up this story in the Charleville, Roma and St George newspapers.

Cr Godfrey said in a statement that while responsibility for issuing permits to cull kangaroos lay with the State Government he had personally raised Mrs Roberts’ issue with members of Parliament.

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6 GRAZIER & FARMER

westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Garden a work of art Joe Whittington Karen McLennan is the face behind Sommariva Station and its truly captivating garden.

Karen and her family moved to Sommariva (40km east of Charleville) about 24 years ago and in that time, they have turned the gardens around the beautiful homestead into a stunning oasis with old-world French styled gardens that reflect Karen’s personal taste.

The gardens are divided into sections and there are numerous water fountains and archways which give a relaxing and cooling break from the harsh summer heat.

While most of the ornamental features are French-inspired, there is one that has a special story behind it.

When purchasing the adjoining property “Merrigang” Station, Karen and her husband Bill found an old steel boat in one of the creeks.

The boat is called “Dolly” and has now been given its own special place in the garden at Sommariva.

Karen has chosen all the plant varieties herself except one – the old purple Bougainvillea that once grew up the front veranda of the original Sommariva homestead.

The Bougainvillea has been trimmed back a bit but Karen says it is still her favourite plant.

The garden also includes a huge wood-fired pizza oven and an amazing set of bird aviaries which house the family’s collection of exotic parrots.

There are magnificent

Macaws, King Parrots, Princess Parrots, Sun Conures, Ringnecks and many other types of colourful feathered friends to enjoy.

Karen’s gardening skills are not just limited to the homestead though, she has an olive grove on the property and manufactures olive products which include flavoured oils, skin care and soaps which she sells through her business “Sommariva Olives”.

When considering the challenges they have faced in the construction and maintenance of the garden Karen said “I think the biggest challenge for any gardener in this region is the extreme weather conditions”.

She said she has learnt through trial and error and that you can still have the more delicate plants, it’s just a matter of choosing the correct area and creating the right environment.

While Karen does most of the maintenance work on the gardens herself she says that she is very lucky to have a patient husband who will even lend her some of his station workers to assist with some of the bigger projects, one person in particular has some very good landscaping skills and Karen says she could not have achieved all of this without their help.

Karen has some exciting plans ahead for Sommariva – they will be offering the Olive Grove, homestead gardens and facilities to the public for event venue hire.

There is a commercial kitchen and public toilet facilities available to make these events as convenient as possible and all guests will need to do is wander around and take it all in!

STUNNING: Impeccable lawns are par for the course in this breathtaking garden. PHOTOS: Joe Whittington

The olive grove on the property and manufactures olive products which include flavoured oils, skin care and soaps which she sells through her business “Sommariva Olives”

The front of the house is as welcoming as it is inspiring with stunning greenery flanking the entry-way and inciting relaxation from the outset

PRIDE OF PLACE:“Dolly” and has now been given its own special place in the garden at Sommariva.

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GRAZIER & FARMER 7

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 westernstarnews.com.au

If you want to finish strong, you must start stronger The most expensive machine in your operation should be your planter.

During the season, there are many factors out of your control, so it makes sense that to give your crop the best possible outcome the planting phase is critical.

If you can control and optimise depth, down force, seed spacing and population all at a speed that will make the most of your optimal planting window, then you have a chance at a great start.

The John Deere MaxEmerge Row Units, well known for providing accurate singulation, population, spacing and uniform depth at 8 km/h, have been offering great planting solutions for a while.

The new John Deere ExactEmerge models, however, offer the same accuracy but now at 16 km/h.

The ExactEmerge comes with a central commodity system that saves seed filling time and removes the variable weight characteristics of the individual hoppers.

In addition, Vanderfield now provide a smart suspension option from a new third party component supplier that we

have been working with, Dawn Industries.

The Dawn Reflex Active Suspension System provides both down and up force, giving you the added depth accuracy and press wheel pressure needed when your field conditions vary from one end to the other.

At the heart of the Exact Emerge is the row unit itself.

Two separate electric motors, one for the distributor and the other for the seed delivery conveyor, are monitored by a camera on the way down the brush conveyor chute.

If a seed has skipped at the distributor, the camera informs the conveyor to advance by one seed to exact the spacing, and ejects the seed at exactly the right trajectory into the trench.

Craig Saunders farms 1550 acres of irrigated cotton at St George and has used a MaxEmerge for over 7 years.

He recently moved to the ExactEmerge and found that, in its first season, it performed faultlessly to plant on average 350 acres per 12 hr day.

His is a 12-row machine on 40" spacing and hosted on a

John Deere 8245R, which handled it easily, Craig said.

Craig reports that the result, even given a lot of rain after the plant, was ‘striking’.

He highlights exact spacing, exemplary singulation with almost no skips, and precise seed soil contact, with the positive down force applied independently to each press wheel.

One feature that Craig really admired is that the planter senses ground conditions such as bounce and press wheel pressure in real time, to arrive at a ride quality factor which advises the operator to speed up or slow down for optimal planting results.

Additionally, in cab monitoring allows real time control of seed rate by the row, and down force is automated.

Craig adds: "The ExactEmerge allows me, across all soil types, to really open up the planting window, which is at its optimum around St George from early October to mid-November.

We do try to spread our plant out over that time to minimise hail damage risk and manage the pick operation."

FAULTLESS: Craig Saunders recently moved to the ExactEmerge and found that, in its first season, it performed faultlessly to plant on average 350 acres per 12 hr day.

"We also had a special adaption developed by Mick Kennedy, from Vanderfield St George, to allow us to apply APP zinc to the leading edge of the seed trench precisely.

It’s this sort of partnership that has allowed me to keep great men and inspire them to excel in their work.

Mick really takes the time to

understand our business and is very often on farm with us, even engaging with the team sometimes daily.

Vanderfield has a huge talent bank to call on, and Mick has many of those talents on speed dial."

Craig has found that moving from the MaxEmerge on to the ExactEmerge has significantly

reduced the need for making adjustments and made management easier, with easier set up and faster planting time, and is "just better" overall.

To explore simpler and better planter solutions that work for you, contact your local Vanderfield dealership.

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8 GRAZIER & FARMER

westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Aeromedical tiltrotor trial set to take flight from Wellcamp in remote areas because this is where service level gaps exist due to funding and geographic constraints.

"Everyone deserves quick access to urgent healthcare, and any delay to adoption might be the difference between life and death."

Tiltrotors not only allow better and quicker access, but they can also reduce the number of parties needed for patient transport.

In a current scenario the patient would normally be taken to a local airstrip, fly to an airport near the destination hospital and then be driven from the airport to the hospital in an ambulance.

Instead, the tiltrotor can take a patient straight to the helipad of a major hospital.

"We are currently making a documentary about a helicopter pilot who sustained severe head injuries after a crash whilst mustering in the Northern Territory" Dr Adams said.

"It took three aircraft and 10.5 hours to get him to where he needed to be, yet in future the tiltrotor will do it in half that time."

Dr Adams admits the aviation industry may be slow to adopt tiltrotors until the way is paved overseas, but he believes the benefits it offers are too attractive to ignore.

"Whenever a new technology comes along, people want to see it work before they use it, but the reality is there will always be a risk.

"There is a risk with helicopters and airplanes, but their use is common place because of careful necessary implementation."

Dr Adams approached director of Wellcamp Airport John Wagner in 2016 about hosting a tiltrotor trial to service south western Queensland out of Wellcamp and Mr Wagner agreed to this.

Mr Wagner said Wellcamp is an excellent location because of Toowoomba’s medical centre and facilities.

"Wellcamp doesn’t have the

REVOLUTIONARY: The AW609 Tiltrotor which will be used if AIA is able to conduct a trial from Wellcamp Airport. PHOTO:Supplied. curfews which apply to larger airports, our runways can take a Boeing 747 and it is uncontrolled airspace class G, so we are not constrained with air traffic control and we can easily train people there," he said.

Mr Wagner flies an Augusta helicopter and after hearing about AIA's project last year visited the Augusta Westland facility in Philadelphia which produces the Leonardo AW609, the first commercial tiltrotor aircraft.

The AW609 will be used in the Wellcamp trial if it proceeds.

"Paul is a young doctor who is passionate about making a difference and he and his team have done a very good job to get this to where it is,"

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WHEN Dr Paul Adams' family moved to Mount Isa and his two-year-old daughter fell critically ill, Paul was confronted by a stark reality facing rural and remote Queenslanders every day.

There simply isn’t the timely access to the intensive care unit (ICU) that city folk have.

"My daughter was fortunately stabilised in Mount Isa, but as a doctor it really hit home that if she needed specialist paediatric intensive care, there’s no quick solution and we’d have had a nervous wait," Dr Adams said.

Dr Adams’ father was a flight engineer so he grew up around aviation, and having worked as a paramedic in rural Queensland whilst training as a doctor, it was only a matter of time before he saw the need for Project Thunderbird, a potential tiltrotor trial based out of Wellcamp Airport.

He established Aeromedical Innovation Australasia (AIA) in 2015 to enable Thunderbird, aiming to increase speed and improve accessibility to the best aeromedical care for remote patients by using tiltrotor aircraft.

A tiltrotor is an aircraft which can tilt its rotors vertically to take off and land in a confined space like a helicopter.

When it is in the air, the rotors are moved to a horizontal position to increase the tiltrotor’s speed of travel similar to that of an aeroplane.

The technology was looked into as far back as World War II, but it was only successfully adopted by the American military in 2007.

It is set to be approved for civilian use in America next year and Dr Adams wants to lay the foundations for a speedy transition to Australia.

"Existing essential services are designed to supply the most number of residents," DrAdams said.

"I’m proposing to use tiltrotors for increased access

Mr Wagner said.

However Mr Wagner said there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve the trial, citing the initial costs of the tiltrotors as the biggest challenge AIA will have to overcome.

"This (proposed trial) is not revolutionary, it's common sense to look at all the available options and then make a decision from that information (trial outcomes).

"Wellcamp will provide the site, but it’s up to Paul and his team to secure funding and the logistics so I hope they are successful."

To increase awareness and hopefully secure support for the tiltrotor, Dr Adams wants to get a mobile simulator.

This will consist of a tiltrotor

fuselage towed behind a truck which he already has.

Dr Adams is travelled to America in October with seven other AIA delegates to attend the Air Medical Transport Conference in Texas, one of the biggest aeromedical conferences in the world.

This will raise awareness about AIA and its project at the conference before the delegates tour the AW609 factory for two days.

AIA will then host a two day seminar in Brisbane in November on the potential tiltrotors have for Australian aeromedical services.

Up to 200 participants from the aviation and medical industries, government bodies and regulators such as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

(CASA) together with investors, developers and media are expected to attend.

Dr Adams said the seminar could be the difference between the trial going ahead or not.

"We need a lot of money for the trial, but with the right backers and knowledge, I’m confident we can make this happen.

"Our three biggest challenges are comprehension, credibility and capability which means we have to articulate our vision well and then follow through with delivery.

"It won’t be easy, but it could make the world of difference in achieving improved healthcare for people in the country."

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GRAZIER & FARMER 9

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 westernstarnews.com.au

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10 GRAZIER & FARMER

westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Agribusiness leaders gather for ANZ report

REPORT DELIVERED: Nathan McNamara, ANZ corporate agribusiness manager.

PHOTO: ALEXIA AUSTIN

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DEMAND for lamb and beef was the high point of agribusiness in Australia during 2017, ANZ clients heard this week.

Bank customers were told lamb demand was 54 per cent higher than this time last year and cattle prices had increased 64 percent over a five year period.

The ANZ welcomed members of the south-west agribusiness community to an end-of-year celebration at the Roma on Bungil Gallery on Tuesday evening.

They gathered in the gallery for drinks and canapes, before the presentation of the ANZ quarterly Agribusiness Insights paper, which analysed the beef, wheat and sheep markets in the region.

ANZ corporate agribusiness manager Nathan McNamara presented the findings to the

forty strong crowd.

"Beef, sugar and cotton all appear headed for a stable year – however all are impacted to some degree by factors such as strong global supply, herd numbers and local seasonal conditions," Mr McNamara said.

"However the pick-up in beef prices in recent months also suggests that higher prices for Australian cattle have been embedded in the market and may now represent a permanent shift."

"Nationally, lamb slaughter levels have continued to increase and are sitting 8 per cent higher than the same time last year.

"A major part of the strong demand and prices story is very strong export demand for lamb, which while subdued for the first part of 2017 now sits 54 percent higher than this

time last year."

The report predicted the upward trend of beef prices would remain for the longer-term, fuelled by global demand and competition from key importers.

Continued international demand strengthened the feedlot sector, which saw a record 1.1 million head on feed in the June 2017 quarter.

The report also noted the stark shift in cattle prices in the second half of this decade, with prices from 2015-17 averaging about 64 percent higher compared with 2010-14.

At the close of his presentation, Mr McNamara thanked the agribusiness community for its loyalty.

"Most importantly we want to say thank you, and let you know that we at ANZ value your business," he said.

ABN: 45 608 369 562 ARC No: L118142 Licence No: 79791 ANYWHERE INDUSTRIAL RURAL DOMESTIC RURAL – DOMESTIC – INDUSTRIAL – ROMA AND SURROUNDS

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ELECTRICAL REPAIRS

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AIR CONDITIONING

GRAZIER & FARMER 11

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 westernstarnews.com.au

Saleyard success There was a yarding of 5961 head at Roma store sale on December, 8, prices increased.

All buyers were in attendance and operating in wet conditions.

Yearling steers made to 424.2c to average 359c/kg.

Trade steers made to372.2c, to average 310c/kg.

Yearling heifers topped at

350c to average 295c/kg.

Grown steers topped at 300c, to average 272c/kg.

Heavy bulls over 450kg topped at 292 to average 275c/kg.

Medium weight cows made to 240c to average 213c, while heavy weight cows made to 245c, averaging 227c/kg.

Cows with calves at foot topped at $1420/unit.

Shirley Ayers and Keith Crouch from Elders Roma.

Bianca Bordis and Kylie Edwards from AAM Roma in the saleyards

Coben Ayers and Hayden Crouch from Roma.

Lexi and Kacey White with Gordon Johnston and John Auld.

DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA TO LOOK AFTER THE LAND?

Landholders, Landcare groups, Traditional Owner groups, industry groups, community organisations and other interested parties within southern Queensland are invited to submit project concepts for funding under the National Landcare Program - Phase 2 across priority investment areas.

THREATENED SPECIES SERVICES Improve the trajectory of Threatened Species Strategy priority species, for example by culling feral cats controlling pest animals removing weed infestations revegetating habitat managing fire regimes managing grazing regimes constructing fencing to protect habitat from pest animals establishing and maintaining feral free enclosures Establish and maintain exsitu breeding sites and/or populations of threatened species Undertake emergency interventions to prevent extinctions of threatened species RAMSAR SERVICES Improve or maintain the ecological character of Ramsar sites, for example by controlling pest animals removing pest weeds remediating riparian areas supporting pp g management g ppractice change g on properties abutting water bodies

Successful projects will be supported by Condamine Alliance and South West NRM through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program

THREATENED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES SERVICES Improve the condition of nationally threatened ecological communities on private land, for example by controlling pest animals removing pest weeds managing diseases constructing fences and controlling access to restore habitat, exclude pest animals and protect functional species removing barriers to water flow and other activities to restore hydrology implementing fire and/or grazing regimes to restore structure and diversity revegetating habitat or encouraging natural regeneration SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS TO ADAPT TO CHANGE SERVICES Deliver projects that assist agricultural industries to adapt to growing market preferences for products with demonstrable traceability and sustainability increase land managers' awareness and undderstanding of changes in climate, weaather and markets so that they can adaapt effective response strategies that maintain farm productivity and natural resource conditions

SOIL, BIODIVERSITY AND VEGETATION SERVICES Encourage land managers to implement activities that use practices that maintain good stubble and pasture cover avoid set stocking and manage total grazing pressure reduce tillage frequency use strip cropping, contour planting, intercropping, agroforestry and other management practices that reduce runoff use riparian buffers, buffer strips, wetlands, water harvesting and cover crops to minimise the export of soil particles monitor soil acidity and minimising surface and sub-surface soil acidity by using proper amendments (such as lime, gypsum and clean ash) balance fertiliser and organic amendment applications to manage acidity increase biomass production by increasing water availability for plants using methods such as irrigation with drippers, irrigation scheduling, monitoring of soil moisture increase organic carbon content through practices such as managing crop residues, using forage by grazing rather than harvesting, applying soil manure, using compost etc

avoid fire management practices on productive paddocks, which will destroy organic carbon content, where possible make optimum use of all sources of organic inputs, such as animal manure use management practices that ensure sufficient organic cover, such as no tillage practices implementing crop rotations, planting legumes and/or improving crop mix identify and ameliorate soil, biodiversity and vegetation degradation sites (public or private) that will have significant public benefits increase knowledge of evidence based soil, biodiversity and vegetation management practices amongst agricultural land managers increase rates of monitoring changes in the condition of soil, biodiversity and vegetation on private land.

MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT A PROJECT CONCEPT IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.CONDAMINEALLIANCE.COM.AU/CONCEPTS OR PHONE TO DISCUSS YOUR IDEA (07) 4620 0111 OR (07) 4656 8500

12 GRAZIER & FARMER

westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Fashion takes centre stage at Charleville Cup 2017 Clear skies welcomed Charleville’s premier race day on Tuesday, November, 7, as punters made their way to the Central Warrego Race Club for a day of folly.

The Charleville Cup, which ran in conjunction with Melbourne Cup frivolities taking place at Flemington, boasted a five race line-up and a competitive fashions on the field competition.

With a champagne in hand, guests relaxed and soaked up

the atmosphere, idling over to place bets or hitting the dance floor as the live band played.

Georgia Knight was awarded the senior student fashion prize, Terri Ann Eckel won top honours in the classic ladies category and Biz Mayo won best contemporary outfit.

Mick Kressibucher won best dressed gentleman and April Smith was crowned the overall lady of the day.

All in all, the 2017 cup was a resouing success.

Lizzy Mahon, Holly Kajewski and Darcie Ross.

Fred Goodman, Hannah Carrol, Geena Lawn and Brooke Chapman.

A group of girls enjoying the Charleville race day

Lady of the day winner April Smith with sponsors of the award.

Alan Johnstone and Sarah Hermann.

Maney Transport has grown to become the trusted transport company for guaranteed next day deliveries along the Western Corridor, and we don’t compromise on standards, when it comes to you.

Visit our website www.maneytransport.com.au.

It’s the easy way to organise a quote, make a booking, and get an extensive overview of the services we offer.

Did you know, freight booked with us will be delivered to Roma and Charleville the next morning?

Not just that, we deliver to Roma 6 days a week and to Charleville 5 days a week. Our Charleville service is timed to meet connections to Quilpie, Cunnamulla, Augathella, Tambo and Blackall.

Not only will we move your goods for you – we can also store them too. Our secure warehouse facilities are available for short and long-term storage for pallets, cartons – or whatever else you need. We have three convenient locations in Brisbane, Toowoomba and Roma, all of which are covered by 24-hour camera monitoring.

Do you require your freight at specific time? Not a problem, let us know at the time of booking and we will strive to deliver your freight within your time requirements.

Have a query or any other questions, our staff will help you to ease your worries and ensure all your questions are answered and looked after.

Call 1300 462 639 to make a booking or send us an email to bookings@maneytransport.com.au

Jayden Sullivan and Faith Parker.

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Biz Mayo and Michelle Cameron.

GRAZIER & FARMER 13

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 westernstarnews.com.au

The rise of the outback blueberry THE thought of growing blueberries probably brings to mind deciduous forests, or in the very least, a colder climate.

However, St George local Richard Lomman is turning this concept on it’s head, entering the market as the second blueberry producer in the south-west Queensland region, under his company name Black Knight Berries.

Having run a property on the outskirts of St George since 1989, this is Mr Lomman’s second season producing blueberries .

"A friend of mine that was involved in a bigger property said blueberries were a good thing and that I should have a go - so I did," Mr Lomman explained.

"It’s been a good season, we’ve had good yield of good quality berries, we’re happy with the way they are producing.

"Because our soil type isn't conducive to blueberry growth, they like an acid soil, we grow them in plastic bag pots with a special medium from Toowoomba.

"The good thing about this is if the bush has any disease we can just pull it out, which means we don’t have the spread of root disease.

"It’s been harder to set up this system, but the blueberries grow a lot better in

the bag than in the ground."

Mr Lomman supplies his berries exclusively to Lemon Grove Produce in Roma and Feed and Sprout in St George, supporting the ‘buy local’ chain.

"We decided to give two stores exclusivity. There’s no point having my berries at Woolworths, because then they would be in direct competition with Emma [owner of Lemon Grove Produce.

"With this, she gets to stock the best quality blueberries in Roma.

"It’s a two sided street, I’m supporting Lemon Grove and Feed and Sprout and in turn they are supporting me."

Owner of Lemon Grove Produce, Emma Ashley, says the blueberries are an asset to her business.

"Local businesses need to empower local businesses," Ms Ashley said.

"If you don’t support locals you can’t expect them to go any further. This is great for the region and for outback Queensland.

"The taste of the Black Knight berries are very unique, they are delicious, If you haven’t tried them I would highly recommend giving them a go, you won’t look back."

Black Knight Berries doesn’t stop at blueberries, they also supply a range of grapes that can be found at local stores.

Lemon Grove Produce owner Emma Ashley holds Black Knight's blueberry produce.

O’CONNOR’ RURAL EARTHMOVING

PHOTO: ALEXIA AUSTIN

FOR SALE

COMMERCIAL PREMISES PLUS RESIDENCE

ST GEORGE NEWSAGENCY

11 HENRY STREET, ST GEORGE, QLD

• Stick Raking • Scrub Pulling • Cutter Bar • Contouring & More

A freehold commercial building occupied by a busy, long established newsagency plus an upstairs apartment.

The only newsagency in this busy country town, St George Newsagency offers excellent cashflow with a 2016 net return of $180,000 (after notional business premises lease of $35,000 – no rental income from residence included).

Ph.0438888737

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oconnorsruralearthmoving@gmail.com

• 2 freehold blocks with commercial premises plus residence • 2.5 bedroom residence – can generate $250 per week or owner occupy • Newsagency established for over 60 years • Owned and operated by the current owners since 2000 • Excellent reputation plus regular, loyal clientele • Business turnover around $900,000 • Golden Casket Commissions $71,000 • Only Gold Lotto agency for 200 klms • Largest range of magazines, books and stationery in the area • Dry cleaning service + agencies + other products • The business has 7 sub-agencies servicing St George and outlying towns • Fully computerised and easy to operate with bar-coding of all stock • Financial statements available for serious buyers.

Whether you are seeking a Super investment, or strong family business, this one is well worth further investigation. A great opportunity to experience a true country lifestyle with an excellent business showing good returns.

St George is a thriving Western Darling Downs service centre, offering great infrastructure, plus a variety of education and health services.

Future growth in the area will offer great potential for this already successful enterprise.

Price Negotiable - Please contact Richard Marsh Serious Vendors Seeking Retirement All Offers Considered Owners: Richard and Glenda Marsh

Ph: Mob 0409 692 299 (Richard)

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Alexia Austin

14 GRAZIER & FARMER

westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Queensland plays big role in ag industry QUEENSLAND’S integral role in our nation’s agricultural story was highlighted by the Queensland Farmers’ Federation as part of the inaugural National Agriculture Day on November 21.

National Ag Day is a chance to reflect on the pivotal role agriculture has played in our history, celebrate its successes and get excited about its bright future.

QFF president Stuart Armitage said there was a lot for Queenslanders to be proud of when celebrating our state’s agriculture sector and farmers who produce high quality food, fibre and foliage.

“Queensland now accountsfor about 24% of Australia’s overall production value,making it the number one agricultural state in the country,” Mr Armitage said.

“This really should not come as a surprise with the 26,000 farm businesses operating across 84% (144 million hectares) of the state.

“The sector is worth nearly $20 billion and employs over 315,000 Queenslanders across the whole food supply chain, supporting rural,

regional and metropolitan economies.

“I think many Queenslanders acknowledge that our farmers are essential, however few would truly understand the scale and quality of the food, fibre and foliage they produce.

“For example, how many people would know that one Queensland dairy farm on average produces enough milk for over 12,000 people a year?

“Or that nurseries produce over 636 million plants for food, fibre and foliage every year?

“With over 85% of Australians living in urban areas, we are one of the most urbanised countries in the world.

“National Ag Day provides an opportunity to not only celebrate, but also educate the broader public about the critical role farmers play in sustaining our everyday life.

“The National Farmers Federation should be commended for their work in advocating, establishing, and promoting this important day of recognition.”

Queensland agriculture facts: ❚ Queensland is Australia’s largest agricultural state or territory accounting for 24% of the national production value. ❚ About 26,000 farm businesses across the state, directly employ 60,608 Queenslanders and underpin many regional and rural communities. ❚ 315,000 Queenslanders are employed across the whole food supply chain. ❚ 84% of the state (144 million hectares) is used for agricultural production. ❚ Queensland’s agriculture has a farm gate value of ‘$19.95 billion.

RECOGNISING EFFORT: National Ag Day is a chance to reflect on the pivotal role agriculture has played in our history, celebrate its successes and get excited about its bright future PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

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Tuesday, December 19, 2017 westernstarnews.com.au

GRAZIER & FARMER 15

Tillage, Seeding, Harvesting, Hay Making Equipment, Service, Repair of Trucks, Tractors & Farm Equipment

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Cnr Raglan & Linton Sts, Roma

Ph: 07 4578 8000

www.mountsmachinery.com.au Email: info@mountsmachinery.com.au

16 GRAZIER & FARMER

westernstarnews.com.au Tuesday, December 19, 2017

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New Tiguan.

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