The Farmer March-April 2022

Produce & products

Biodiversity schemes

White gold across the ditch

Farming Innovations

Strengthening our supply chains

Farmers taking care of the land

A dive into NZ’s dairy industry

A big new era in ag trends

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MAR – APR 2022 / $ 9.95

Handing over the reigns Meet the new generation of the Snows from Woomargama

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Contents THE MUSTER NEWS AND VIEWS

The federal election, and supercharging opportunities in regional Australia; Meet the Chair of NSW Farmers’ oyster and grains committees; Young Farmer Joanna Treasure teaches ag students; The Rural Women’s Gathering in Forbes goes ahead; Budget requests from NSW Farmers; Meet members Ian and Trudy Edson ������ 10

INDUSTRY

ENVIRONMENT

SUNNY SIDE UP

TAKING CARE OF THE LAND

The insta-worthy radiant sunflower has the potential to become a hot commodity in Australia ��������������������������������������������� 42

Farmers should take note of the rewards available from the Federal Government for on-farm biodiversity initiatives ��������� 68

GET YOUR GOATS

The future is bright for the NSW goat industry, with rangeland goats in the spotlight ������������������������������������������� 46

SPECIAL REPORT: WATER OUR PRECIOUS RESOURCE

THE BIG PICTURE COVID-19 VERSUS INPUTS

What is being done to remedy the disruptions to supply chains affecting both farmers and consumers? ������������������������� 20

THE BIG ISSUE

TRADE NATIVE AUSSIE FLORA: CASH CROPS OR CASH HOLES?

Looking into the commercial viability of three well-known native flora species for alternative income streams �������������������� 54

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE WHITE GOLD, GREEN RIVERS

BUSINESS

PUTTING WORDS INTO ACTION

Has any action been taken on the key recommendations from the ACCC inquiry into unfair competition in the perishable goods sector? ������������������������������������������ 30

As La Niña turns into El Niño, there is more urgency than ever to move on critical water projects ����������������������������������������� 74

New Zealand’s dairy industry is the richest in the world, but that comes at a high price �������������������������������������������� 78

JUICING IT

Successful family-run Narromine business, Mumble Peg Citrus, is set to expand its export markets ��������������������������������������� 58

COMMUNITY NEW GENERATION: THE SNOW FAMILY

START-UP

SPECIAL REPORT: FARMING TRENDS

THE BUZZ ABOUT STINGLESS BEES

An 18-year-old farmer believes that stingless bees are a new and exciting player in the farming game �������������������� 34

INNOVATION CELLING MEAT

Cell-based meat production – aka cultivated meat – may soon be commonplace on supermarket shelves ������������������������������� 38

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INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE

Big data, the Internet of Things, automation and robotics is creating a movement greater than anything ever seen in agriculture ���������������������������������� 62

Meet a family who are ready to hand over the reigns to the next generation ������������ 82 MARKETPLACE: SALEYARDS

Some great new products that we’ve rounded up for spring ����������������������������� 87 MEET A MEMBER

A profile on NSW Farmers’ member and egg producer Cassie Sutcliffe ����������������� 88 FARM DOGS

Meet Forrest – a pooch with a penchant for fresh kangaroo and chicken ������������������� 89 JOIN US – SUBSCRIBE

Become a NSW Farmer member ������������ 90

www.activ8me.net.

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From the editor

THE MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER James Wells EDITOR Michelle Hespe ART DIREC TOR Ryan Vizcarra

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EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES

Michelle Hespe Email: mhespe@intermedia.com.au

–ADVERTISING

SALES DIRECTOR

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

–CONTRIBUTORS Bethany Plint Darcy Watt Darren Baguley Emily Simpson Ian Llyod Neubauer Jeanette Severs Michael Burt Rachael Lenehan Sarah Croft Sheree Young Susan Gough Henly Sue Wallace Tony Blackie NSW FARMERS

CEO Pete Arkle MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER Michael Burt MAGAZINE CONTENT TEAM

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

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

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

@NSWFarmers THE INTERMEDIA GROUP

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ou might notice that there are quite a few policy-driven features in this issue, highlighting all of the hard advocacy work that goes on behind the scenes by NSW Farmers and its many members.

From ensuring that opportunities in regional Australia are front and centre stage in the upcoming federal election, to state budget requests on behalf of farmers and regional Australia, there’s a lot going on. NSW Farmers is also following up on the recommendations made by the ACCC after its inquiry into the perishable goods sector. These stories highlight the fact that farming and politics are and always will be inextricably entwined.

It can’t all be about politics however, and we know our readers love stories about what other farmers are doing, and so in this issue we’ve also covered some sectors that are far from commonplace.

Young farmer Jeremy Higgins is doing something completely different – focussing on stingless bees for a new type of honey that has low GI sugar. The unusual sugar is not found as a major component in any other food. “They are small but they are overflowing with potential,” Jeremy says.

“Their foraging behaviour and small size has made them very effective pollinators, particularly for smaller flowers such as macadamias, blueberries and avocados.”

We’ve also delved into rangeland goat farming, looked into the picture-perfect sunflower industry and how native flora can be used to create an alternative revenue stream for some savvy farmers. Speaking of which, there are now grants available for farmers interested in setting up biodiversity schemes on their properties.

The story that will no doubt cause much debate around the dinner table or office, is our piece on cultivating meat. I recently attended a Future Alternative breakfast round table, and the conversation and talks around creating any type of meat for consumption – dugong nuggets anyone? – was utterly fascinating. This sector is not out to bring down the production of other meats, but rather to find another sustainable way of producing foods that people love.

No creature is off limits as they are basically growing meat from cells. Like it or loathe it, it’s apparent that this type of food production is now a part of our future.

Enjoy this issue, and drop us a line anytime – we love hearing from you.

T

MICHELLE HESPE

Editor

MANAGING DIREC TOR Simon Grover GM OF OPERATIONS Chris Baker FINANCE MANAGER Mina Vranistas PRODUC TION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper HEAD OF DIGITAL Jordan Guiao HEAD OF EVENTS Beth Tobin The Farmer magazine is published for the NSW Farmers Association (ABN: 31 000 004 651) by The Intermedia Group (ABN: 94 002 583 682) 41 Bridge Rd, Glebe NSW 2037. All rights reserved. Printed by IVE Group. Getty Images were used throughout the magazine.

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.

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Photo by Rachael Lenehan

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.

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Copyright © 2022 – The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd

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Cag.Support@waternsw.com.au

www.waternsw.com.au/cag

www.waternsw.com.au

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l NEWS

NSW Farm Safety Advisory Program expands The free Farm Safety Advisory Program is expanding in 2022 through a new ‘one-stop-shop’ website and a second Farm Safety Advisor.

NSW Farmers and Safework NSW are expanding access to the Farm Safety Advisory Program, including the addition of a new ‘one-stop-shop’ farm safety website for farmers in NSW. The program launched last year with the primary aim of reducing injuries in the state’s farming sector through free advice and practical tools tailored to individual farms’ businesses.

NSW Farmers’ CEO Pete Arkle said on-farm safety was an important issue and encouraged everyone working in or around the sector to refresh their knowledge of the risks involved in agriculture.

Mr Arkle said the new ‘one-stop shop’ has made it easier than ever to stay up to date on safety. “The website provides access to dedicated farm safety advisors, a free service delivered by NSW Farmers,” Mr Arkle says.

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MAR - APR 2022

“With new workplace, health and safety information and resources becoming available relatively frequently, it’s important farmers stay abreast of the changes.

“NSW Farmers has been able to expand its offering to farming businesses through the Farm Safety Advisory Program, made possible by funding from the NSW Government.”

Central West farmer Ian Porch and Forbes farmer Charles Laverty have joined the NSW Farmers team as Farm Safety Advisors to spearhead the delivery of the Farm Safety Advisory program through farm visits, webinars, workshops and field days. They will provide advice tailored to individual farms to help other farmers improve Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) on farm.

To find out more visit nswfarmsafety.org.au

A HOME AT SCHOOL Come and see us at the Boarding Schools Expo Dubbo - Friday 13 - Saturday 14 May Wagga - Friday 3 - Saturday 4 June Tamworth - Friday 22 - Saturday 23 July We are also available to visit families in rural NSW to answer any questions about Boarding at Knox - please get in touch.

Find out more about Knox Next Generation Boarding Contact Martin Gooding, Head of Enrolments, on 02 9473 9768 or email goodingm@knox.nsw.edu.au.

WWW.KNOX.NSW.EDU.AU

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l ELEC TION REP ORT

Regions must star in the federal election It’s prime time to supercharge opportunities in regional Australia. That’s the key message the National Farmers Federation (NFF) will impress on candidates vying for seats in the looming federal election.

“Throughout COVID-19 our regions have shone bright.

Buffering Australia from economic headwinds, and showcasing an enviable lifestyle sought after by those fleeing our major cities,” says NFF President Fiona Simson.

“This election, we’re calling on voters to back the momentum of our regions.

Choose parties and candidates that support a strong and sustainable future for rural industries such as agriculture, that make our regions tick.

“By planning vibrant regional centres, partnering

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with landholders to improve the health of our environment, investing in telecommunications infrastructure, and welcoming new workers, Australia’s next federal government can supercharge opportunities in regional Australia, while maintaining its world-class lifestyle.”

Through its member organisations like NSW Farmers, the NFF has developed five key themes as pillars for a strong regionalisation agenda in the lead up to the federal election.

MAR - APR 2022

IN THE REGION

Top to bottom: Farming and urban sprawl meet in Bathurst; NFF President Fiona Simson.

1. SUPPORT SMARTER GROWTH IN REGIONAL CENTRES.

2. PARTNER WITH FARMERS TO SUSTAIN OUR NATURAL

IDENTIFY 20 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRECINCTS, AND

ENVIRONMENT. ALLOCATE $500 MILLION ANNUALLY TO

PARTNER WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO PLAN

REWARD LAND MANAGERS WHO TAKE STEPS TO IMPROVE

AND CO-INVEST IN THEIR GROWTH.

THE HEALTH OF THEIR LAND.

Australia is one of the most urbanised nations on Earth – with 64 per cent of Australians living in centres with more than one million people.

The negative aspects of big city living speak for themselves: congestion and choking infrastructure; lack of affordability; and vulnerability to shocks such as COVID-19.

It’s time to reassess the untapped potential of our regions, and focus on creating new jobs outside of our major cities.

But regionalisation won’t happen by chance. Governments need to plan for the future. This starts with identifying those centres with the greatest potential and coordinating smart investments with state and local governments.

By planning for smart growth, Regional Growth Centres can avoid the pitfalls of population growth – ensuring local communities retain their character and lifestyle, and managing pressures on affordability.

Farmers manage more than 50 per cent of our continent – working to manage soil health, pests and weeds, and to protect Australia’s biodiversity. They do what they can with their own resources, but it’s a job they do on behalf of all Australians.

The world is trending towards a market-based system for valuing ‘natural capital’ and rewarding this work by land managers. More must be done to fast-track this approach, which directly empowers farmers to sustain and enhance their natural and agricultural landscapes.

Australia is leading the world in understanding and measuring environmental outcomes, positioning us well as an early mover in these emerging markets.

The Craik Review recommended the establishment of a federal government fund to kickstart this market-based approach. We need our next federal government to seize this opportunity to enhance our natural environment.

3. EXTEND HIGH QUALITY CONNECTIVITY TO EVERY AUSTRALIAN. ESTABLISH A $1 BILLION RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS FUND TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY FOR REMOTE AUSTRALIANS.

Australia’s farm sector has a vision to be Australia’s next $100 billion industry by 2030.

Achieving this vision requires significant innovation – including digital adoption and connected farming technologies. Economic modelling has found that adoption of digital agriculture can add an estimated $20.3 billion to farm output, and lift the Australian economy by an estimated 1.5 per cent ($24.6 billion) by 2030.

Realising this potential requires adequate connectivity for farms – regardless of how remote they are. Advances in network technologies are making this possible, however ongoing government support is needed to push these technologies further into rural and remote areas.

The benefits of improved connectivity aren’t just limited to agriculture. All regional Australians need connectivity similar to that in metropolitan Australia for work, safety, education and social connection.

4. SECURE AUSTRALIA’S FARM WORKFORCE. COMMIT TO

5. GIVE FARMERS A FAIR GO FROM COMPETITION LAWS.

FAST-TRACKING AG VISA DISCUSSIONS WITH 10 PARTNER

REFORM AUSTRALIA’S COMPETITION LAWS TO PROTECT

NATIONS.

FARMERS FROM UNFAIR PRACTICES.

Farmers face longstanding difficulties securing workers for physically demanding seasonal work. These challenges have been compounded by COVID-19, and border restrictions which have severed access to overseas workers.

Industry has for many years sought the establishment of a dedicated visa pathway for agricultural workers. This would simplify the complex visa system by creating a fit-forpurpose pathway for these critical workers. It would also help ensure a positive on-farm experience for workers, by requiring appropriate standards be upheld.

The Coalition Government recently established this visa.

However, to be effective, the government must now work with foreign governments to solidify partnership arrangements to secure workers under this visa.

We’re calling on all parties to commit to maintaining the dedicated Ag Visa, and strengthening it through supporting partnerships with at least 10 partner countries.

Current competition laws have proven ineffective at protecting farmers from harmful behaviour and forced them to accept commercial terms that transfer risks and responsibilities that should be held elsewhere. In some cases, this leaves farmers unable to operate profitable businesses.

Simple changes to competition laws, including strengthening unfair contract prohibitions, considering mandatory codes of conduct for all agricultural commodities, and clarifying unconscionable conduct would all help level the playing field for farmers.

In addition, we’re calling for the introduction of a Perishable Agricultural Goods Advocate – sitting independent from the ACCC to advise on policies which would enhance fairness for growers, and also investigate potential breaches of competition laws.

MAR - APR 2022

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l COMMITTEE PROFILE

From the punt office Name: Todd Graham Committee: Oyster Farm location: Macleay River Local branch: Northern Rivers Oyster Branch

1. WHAT DOES YOUR FARM BUSINESS PRODUCE?

In partnership with my wife Jane, we grow Sydney Rock Oysters in the Macleay River.

We use a combination of wild caught and hatchery stock on the farm.

2. HOW DID YOU BECOME A FARMER?

5. WHY IS ADVOCACY IMPORTANT FOR

8. WHAT ARE THE COMMITTEE’S PRIORITIES

While I was working at Kempsey Council I had a mate who did oyster farming on the weekend. I started giving him a hand and discovered I liked oyster farming more than my council job, so I bought my own farm. At first, I was only doing it part-time and then eight years ago I decided to move into full-time farming.

AGRICULTURE IN NSW?

FOR 2022?

The oyster industry is relatively small, so it is vital to have the backing of NSW Farmers. The voice that NSW Farmers has given the oyster industry when dealing with the different levels of government across a wide range of issues is immeasurable. It also allows oyster farmers to engage with land farmers about common issues.

Our biggest priority over the summer was trying to boost supply of disease-resistant juvenile oyster stock into industry. We helped facilitate the fair distribution of this limited stock to areas at risk of QX disease.

Supporting the industry’s ongoing recovery from recent events and disasters will continue as a key priority but we also want to look into competition issues in the oyster supply chain and reduce regulatory impediments stifling business growth.

We also want to increase the size and satisfaction of our oyster membership.

3. WHAT IS IT ABOUT BEING A FARMER THAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING?

The oyster industry is going through a big technical change in the way that oysters are farmed, which is exciting. We now use a lot of floating gear to grow the oysters in, and hatchery stock is starting to be used more. I’ve been playing around with hatchery stock for about five years and found I can reduce oyster growing time by 12 to 18 months. And there are not too many offices where you can have dolphins swimming around your desk (or in my case, a punt), not to mention all the rest of the marine and bird life that you see.

4. WHY DID YOU BECOME A MEMBER OF NSW FARMERS?

It was about the same time I went fulltime into farming. I went to the NSW oyster industry conference at Port Stephens where I spoke with Michael Burt from NSW Farmers, and he convinced me to join. I have always been interested in helping the industry where I can and that’s what NSW Farmers does.

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6. WHY DID YOU TAKE ON THE ROLE OF OYSTER COMMITTEE CHAIR?

I’d been on the committee for about six years when I was asked by a couple of the other committee members to apply for the role. I had been thinking about applying anyway, but when they asked, that made up my mind.

7. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OYSTER COMMITTEE’S RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS?

Unfortunately, my year and a bit as Chair has coincided with a pretty tumultuous time for the industry, with flooding, COVID-19 and some pretty serious biosecurity events. This has meant we have spent a lot of time responding to emerging issues. However, we’ve been able to secure some vital government assistance for impacted growers during this time and have also put forward a number of industry recovery projects that have been successfully funded through ‘sector development grants’.

9. IF YOU AREN’T ON YOUR FARM, WHERE WOULD YOU BE?

At the moment my daughter is into swimming, so most days I have to take her to the pool for training and most weekends she has a carnival. When I can I like to go to the beach, fish or go hunting and camping.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE STORY (BOOK, MOVIE OR TELEVISION SHOW) ABOUT FARMING/AGRICULTURE?

It would be very easy to say The Oyster Farmer, which was a good movie, but it’s not my favourite. My favourite would have to be a TV show called Yukon Men – about a small town and people living a sustainable life from fishing, hunting and gathering depending on the season.

l COMMITTEE PROFILE

Creating better outcomes for the industry Name: Justin Everitt Committee: Grains Committee Farm location: Brocklesby Local branch: Brocklesby/Corowa

1. WHAT DOES YOUR FARM BUSINESS PRODUCE?

Wheat, canola, barley, lupins, sheep and cattle.

2. HOW DID YOU BECOME A FARMER?

I am a third generation farmer. Farming is in my blood, and I just really enjoy watching things grow over time.

3. WHAT IS IT ABOUT BEING A FARMER THAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING?

No two days are the same. Every day there is a different challenge.

with the media played a key role in securing a $150 million mouse plague support package. The Grains Committee played a key role in ensuring the package was practical and accessible. We were involved in securing increased funding for biosecurity to keep exotic plant pests and diseases out of our grains sector and supported the Business Economic and Trade (BEAT) Committee’s bid for simplified administration and movements of oversize, over-mass vehicles across and within state borders.

4. WHY DID YOU BECOME AN NSW FARMERS MEMBER?

8. WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES

Individually, farmers can control what happens on our farms. Collectively, we can better our industry as a whole and protect it's future. That's what NSW Farmers' does.

FOR 2022?

5. WHY IS ADVOCACY IMPORTANT FOR AGRICULTURE IN NSW?

So that we can be farmers, and not be swamped with the burdens that others outside our industry would like to place on us.

6. WHY DID YOU TAKE ON THE ROLE OF GRAINS COMMITTEE CHAIR?

To help create better outcomes for grain farmers and hopefully encourage the next generation to actively help shape the future of the grains industry.

7. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE

The Grains Committee has four priority issues. The first one centres on farm business protection, which is about leading the dialogue with State and Federal Government, State farming organisations, and peak bodies to develop farm protection and business continuity solutions that are affordable and readily available. The other priorities include working towards supply chain efficiency to lower costs and ensuring supply security and encouraging the investigation of diverse markets for Australian broadacre products.

9. IF YOU AREN’T ON YOUR FARM, WHERE WOULD YOU BE?

Caravanning with my wife and two young children.

GRAINS COMMITTEE’S RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS?

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE

The key achievement was garnering support for government assistance with the mouse plague, which was horrific for many growers. Feedback from our Members and the sharing of their stories

STORY (BOOK, MOVIE OR TELEVISION SHOW) ABOUT FARMING/AGRICULTURE?

ABC TV’s Landline is number one. I really like seeing how other farmers do things across all parts of the country.

MAR - APR 2022

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The Muster l YOUNG FARMERS

Hands-on ag learning at Cowra High School NSW Young Farmers member and Cowra farmer Joanna Treasure is heading back to high school to continue an engaging livestock management project for year 9 and year 10 agriculture students.

Words MICHAEL BURT

The lamb feeding project kicked off at Cowra High School last year through a cooperative effort between local farmers, rural stores, fabricators, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), and stock and station agents.

Students were involved in researching and developing a ration for the lambs, tracking their growth and caring for them during their stay at the ‘Ag Plot’.

The 10-week project aimed to give students a realistic insight into the ethical, monetary and physical costs of animal agriculture, while equipping them with skills related to animal husbandry, ruminant nutrition, wool processing and handling.

Joanna was also motivated to dispel myths about animal welfare on farms.

“Misinformation related to farming practises can be rife, so it’s critical to equip our future spokespeople with accurate information,” she says.

“I thought about my brother having to educate a friend – who had recently boycotted lamb – that lambs were not raised in small pens.”

With a rich supply of resources, knowledge and community spirit at her disposal in Cowra through

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other initiatives, Joanna set to work on organising a lamb raising project for year 9 and 10 students with Cowra High School Agriculture teacher Clint Cole.

“Country kids, even if they don’t grow up on farms, tend to become spokespeople for animal agriculture when they move off into cities,” she says.

“I was originally apprehensive about asking local businesspeople to donate. Whatever I asked for was always willingly given – normally followed by a ‘let me know if there is anything else I can do to help’.”

Joanna’s dad Brett and another local farmer, Ross Graham, donated eight lambs each. The Treasures also provided hay and a location for farm visits for the students throughout the year.

“Breakout River Meats in Cowra purchased the lambs when they were finished, which allowed us to reimburse the farmers for their generosity, though both parties donated the animals under the assumption that they would not be paid,” says Dan. “Peter Boyd of Boyd Metal Works donated a sheep feeder to the value of around $2,000.

Young Farmer Alex Webster supplied over a tonne of barley and lupins for the trial, which was cracked by Cowra Seed

MAR - APR 2022

ABOVE: Brett Treasure and local Cowra farmer, Ross Graham donated eight lambs each.

LEFT: Boyd Metal Works generously donated a $2,000 sheep feeder.

and Grain for free,” he says.

“Lachlan Fertilisers Rural supplied additives and buffers, while Coprice also reached out to offer their support.

Measuring the animals’ growth also posed an issue as the school did not own a functioning set of scales, until the Watt Family gave the school a set to keep on site.”

Nutritional advice was provided by NSW DPI’s Dr. Gordon Refshauge.

“COVID-19 interrupted many of the plans we had for farm visits and seminars.”

Local wool broker, Wayne Beecher, offered to join students on one of their Farm Visits to discuss wool processing in a hands-on

setting and Bill Cummins from Breakout River Meats was to join the students in class and share his wealth of knowledge on buying, processing and marketing lamb.

“It hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm for this year.

There is infinite potential for this little project, including a friendly competition between another high school in neighbouring Canowindra this year and a small scholarship for students who have shown commitment to their studies throughout the trial.”

Joanna, Clint Cole and the Cowra community ‘team’ are planning to start the next high school livestock management project in June. l

l EVENTS

Forbes to host visionary Rural Women’s Gathering event After a long wait, the Rural Women’s Gathering will go ahead this year at the iconic Forbes Town Hall from 1-3 April.

TIME TO SHINE IN FORBES

Top to bottom: Cressida Cains from Pecora Dairy; View of Forbes Town Hall from Victoria Park.

Aptly themed Amazing Women with Vision, the event has been three years in the making due to pandemic restrictions.

The organising committee, which includes NSW Farmers Regional Service Managers Catriona McAuliffe and Caron Chester, has secured an impressive line up of speakers to help celebrate rural women from all walks of life. And that is just the starting point for three days of exciting, cultural activities.

Author, comedian and television and radio personality Jean Kittson is one of the headline guests, consolidating her popularity in the region following a successful International Women’s Day event there in 2018.

2020 NSW/ACT AgriFutures Australia Rural Woman of the Year Winner, Cressida Cains, will share her experiences at the gathering as a successful businesswoman, cheesemaker and farmer.

Melinda Schneider will be a special speaker and performer as Ambassador for the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, a major sponsor of the gathering alongside NSW Farmers, while ABC Radio host Kia Handley will perform emcee duties.

Each Rural Women’s Gathering aims to mirror the unique cross-section of cultures, industries, environment, and tourism of the host region. A collaboration between key community proponents including the Forbes Shire Council, Forbes Business Chamber, NSW Farmers and Central West Lachlan Landcare means this event will be no exception.

The eclectic workshop program includes everything from music and dancing to meditation, soap and cheese making, upcycling, fishing and power tool demontrations. Local Forbes creatives have also promised to reveal some of the secrets of their crafts, while a dressin-red themed gala dinner on Saturday night will provide guests an opportunity to dress up and let their hair down.

Organising Committee chair Di Gill is ideally placed to host the 2022 Rural Women’s Gathering, which has been running for more than two decades.

“Fantastic Forbes is a central location for many of us in NSW and the local council has been a huge support,” Di said.

“We originally chose Forbes three years ago as one of the regional areas impacted by drought, but of course we have since had floods and a COVID-19 Pandemic.

“Like our farmers, our committee has been resilient in overcoming a few starts and stops for this event.”

Di said the aim is to have attendees leave the gathering with a ‘warm, fuzzy feeling’ after being inspired by guest speakers, learning new ideas to improve lifestyle and wellbeing and making new connections.

“We have also organised a program for attendees’ partners, with a day out touring local farmers and the HE Silos facility.”

The advent of the latest COVID-19 outbreak means attendance may not reach expected levels, however the gathering still promises to be a fun, informative (and COVID-safe) event. To register and for more information, visit the event page: forbes2021nswruralwomensgathering.com l MAR - APR 2022

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NSW Farmers Budget asks for the year ahead Words EMILY SIMPSON

N

SW Farmers has completed its funding priorities for the 2022-2023 state budget, with immediate economic recovery ideas balanced with longer term strategic investments for farmers and regional NSW. According to NSW Farmers CEO Pete Arkle, ‘engine’ industries such as agriculture will continue to play an elevated role in recouping the state’s economic losses as we enter the third year of COVID-19. Meanwhile, significant changes such as the shift to renewable energy generation, supply chain and competition issues, workforce challenges, and a growing impetus to meet carbon reduction targets will heighten the need for investment in growth and change enablers.

WORKFORCE

Workforce uncertainty has been an unwavering reality for the agriculture sector over the pandemic. But Mr Arkle said workforce challenges have been simmering for years, having finally come to a head with the halt to international travel.

“This might catalyse action from the sector and government to find new ways of promoting opportunities in agriculture, which will only grow more dynamic with innovation and technology advancements,” Mr Arkle said. The diversity of career paths and volume of agricultural positions present an investment opportunity for the NSW Government as it focuses on a job-driven recovery from COVID-19.

NSW FARMERS IS CALLING FOR:

• $17 million to improve attraction and retention across agriculture, including by reattracting working holiday visa holders to horticulture and addressing accommodation barriers for harvest workers.

• $9 million for an Agriculture Careers Strategy to increase visibility of career opportunities and fund vocational training for the current and future needs of the workforce.

LAND USE IN REGIONAL NSW

Population growth and the shift to renewable energy generation will be significant issues for agriculture and regional NSW over coming decades. Space will become an even hotter commodity as regional towns bulge and new energy infrastructure is installed. Mr Arkle says agricultural land cannot be viewed as a default zone to accommodate these competing interests and stresses the importance of a forward-thinking planning system that balances different land uses. “Establishing an effective planning system now will eliminate or minimise conflict in the future, as well as protect our most productive and strategic agricultural land,” he said.

NSW FARMERS IS CALLING FOR:

• $15 million for a legislated Agriculture Commission to aid the independent identification and resolution of issues affecting agriculture, particularly in land use planning.

• $6 million for new rural land-use officers as a trusted source of independent information and a ‘shopfront’ for questions around energy developments and land-use.

16

THE FARMER

MAR - APR 2022

You may need to comply with the new rules for non-urban water metering in your area.

Whether you have a meter or not, visit water.nsw.gov.au/metering to ensure you're compliant.

The Muster PRODUCTIVITY AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT

A growing global population means a larger consumer base for the state’s farmers. It also means expanding production whilst simultaneously navigating new technology, higher consumer discernment, environmental targets, and globalisation. Mr Arkle says innovation, competitive markets, and community trust will be central to managing these changes.

COMPETITIVE MARKETS

A key advocacy priority for NSW Farmers has been to promote fairness and sustainability in supply chains. Mr Arkle said a lack of competition in the processing and supermarket landscape has negatively impacted farmers’ bargaining power in some fresh food industries. “This trend must be corrected to encourage long-term investment in at-risk industries and prevent an exodus of farmers.”

NSW FARMERS IS CALLING FOR:

• $1 million for a dedicated task group to lead the harmonisation of state and territory legislation relating to unfair contract and trading terms.

• $29 million for vertebrate pest management and mitigation.

• $10 million for weed management and compliance.

COMMUNITY TRUST

For many living in urban environments, agriculture and farming practices are shrouded in mystery. NSW Farmers is pushing for stronger community engagement to help dispel myths and confusion around headline issues such as environmental sustainability and animal welfare. “Community trust is important for the sector, and will grow even more so as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials influence private sector decision-making,” Mr Arkle said.

NSW FARMERS IS CALLING FOR:

• $3 million to foster engagement and connections between farmers and the community to build understanding of our industry and practices.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

A record-breaking run has placed the NSW agriculture sector within reach of its $30 billion by 2030 productivity target. Mr Arkle believes now is the time to invest in growth enablers such as research and development to consolidate on this positive trend.

“Agriculture is ripe with potential, and the NSW Government’s growing focus on innovation to fast-track COVID-19 economic recovery bodes well for the sector.”

NSW FARMERS IS CALLING FOR:

• $87 million to prevent potentially disastrous biosecurity incursions through improved systems for testing and diagnostics, as training and outreach.

• $40 million for research and development through DPI and additional LLS outreach and extension.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: RESILIENCE AND PREPAREDNESS

Farm businesses can only thrive if they are sustainable, and the rising cost of inputs can derail future investment. The cost of electricity has tripled over the last decade – a troubling reality for regional and rural users who already pay 25 per cent more than urban users, and a particularly concerning trend for high energy users such as dairy and intensive livestock farmers.

NSW FARMERS IS CALLING FOR:

• $30 million for financial assistance, such as grants and low interest loans, to help farmers and communities install renewable energy generation and storage to diversify their energy sources.

Advocacy and industry representation are critical in an ever-changing world, and Mr Arkle says some industries need reform to safeguard their future. NSW Farmers is calling for the NSW Government to invest $6 million to implement the Dairy Industry Action Plan, which outlines key actions and projects that will drive productivity and growth for the dairy industry.

18

THE FARMER

MAR - APR 2022

STOCKYARDS AREN’T JUST OUR BUSINESS

THEY’RE OUR PASSION

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PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN FAMILY OWNED

COVID-19 VERSUS FARM INPUTS Whether you’re a farmer, manufacturer or consumer, disruptions to supply chains has been hard to miss over the past six months.

But what is being done to remedy the situation?

–

Words IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER

20

THE FARMER

MAR - APR 2022

THE BIG ISSUE AUSSIE SUPPLY CHAINS

DEMAND WITH SHORT SUPPLY

Although farmers are experiencing good conditions for growing crops, shortages and inflation in price has put constraints on production levels.

A

s the Omicron variant ripped through the eastern seaboard at the start of this year, images of empty shelves in grocery stores made headlines once again, highlighting the pandemic’s ability to wreak havoc with Australia’s supply chains.

The cause of the occasion was mass absenteeism that pushed the workforces of transport and retail businesses to breaking point – a bottleneck that was cleared a few weeks after infection numbers peaked.

But behind the scenes of Australia’s otherwise robust farming and food production sectors lies a far more intractable problem in the form of COVID-19related pressures that have shaken the three main elements of global supply chains upside down: a surge in demand by businesses ordering and hoarding more inventory; a dip in supply caused by factories working below peak capacity; and transport fails, specifically, lack of availability of container ships.

These issues, coupled with the hollowing of Australia’s manufacturing base over the past two decades, is a perfect economic storm that has resulted in significant shortages and price hikes for farm inputs from overseas.

“The price of everything has gone up,” says the NSW Farmers Grains Committee chair Justin Everitt, who grows wheat, canola, lupin and barley at his 2,500-acre property in Brocklesby in the Riverina region of NSW. “Roundup has gone from $4 a litre to nearly $14 a litre in 12 months.”

Fertiliser has gone from $600 a tonne to $1,500 a tonne in 12 months – if you can ever get any. For chemicals, you are looking at two to three weeks from the time you order to the time you actually get them.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” he adds. “We finally have ideal conditions for growing crops, good sub-soil moisture, and here we are facing different kinds of constraints getting crops to reach their full potential.

It’s made me question why I even do this.”

STEELING SUPPLY

A survey by accounting network Grant Thornton shows lead times for gathering construction materials have blown out during the pandemic. Whereas previously it took one week to source timber and steel for concrete slabs, now it takes three. Planning raw materials for frames and trusses used to take three weeks. Now it takes four months.

“Builders are still at risk that suppliers, facing their own supply-chain issues, may fail to deliver the full ordered quantity on the scheduled time,” Cameron Crichton, financial planner at Grant Thornton, wrote in a blog on supply chain delays.

“This is forcing them to order whatever stock they can get hold of from the suppliers, but still their facility is operating at only 75 per cent capacity of what they could be producing.” > MAR - APR 2022

THE FARMER

21

THE BIG ISSUE AUSSIE SUPPLY CHAINS

Shortages of structural pine were expected in NSW after the 2020 bushfire disaster that saw 40 per cent of the softwood plantation area in the South West Slopes and Bombala regions wiped out. Yet the shortage of structural steel took nearly everyone by surprise given Australia produces about two-thirds of the steel it consumes; but global steel markets have been dealing with the opposite problem for years: oversupply due to excess capacity in China.

The consensus is that China, which cut steel production 20 per cent between May and August last year to improve air quality in the lead up to the Winter Olympics and re-introduced strict lockdowns that hamstrung domestic logistics to contain the Delta outbreak, is to blame for the rut and for steel prices leapfrogging from a global average of $813 a tonne in 2020 to $1430 last year – a record high.

But CEO of the Australian Steel Association David Buchanan says China, which only supplied 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the steel in Australia before the pandemic, mostly widgets – your nuts and bolts, not structural beams and plates – is not to blame on this occasion. “When COVID-19 hit, so many steel mills around the world wound back production with the expectation that the pandemic was going to really slow things down,” Buchanan said. “But of course, what actually happened is that it sped things up.”

Australia’s largest steelmaker Bluescope has since reversed course, increasing production volumes by 15 per cent during the last financial year. But Buchanan says steel shortages are here to stay. “There is a hope that things will start to improve maybe in the first half of this year when the local mills start catching up with production demands,” he says. “But expect another six to 12 months of pain.”

TRACTORING IN DELAYS

When COVID-19 hit, shipping firms, which moved about a quarter of the global volume of traded goods, idled 11 per cent of the global fleet.

But at the start of last year, consumers in developed economies flush with cash they saved during lockdowns began spending big. Demand for cargo volumes in Asia and North America jumped 27 per cent, leaving Australia, a relatively small market that lies at the bottom of international sea routes, low on shipping firm’s priority list.

With heightened demand and restricted supply, the cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Shanghai to Sydney increased 400 per cent last year, while the average door-to-door shipping time increased from 41 to 70 days, according to the leading shipping owners association, BIMCO. Throw in availability issues for containers required to ship bulky goods like farm machinery, and one begins to understand why the average lead time for bespoke tractors is now twice as long as it was before the pandemic.

These backlogs would be significantly longer if dealers across the country had not predicted a boom in demand caused by good weather and near-record >

22

THE FARMER

MAR - APR 2022

LO O PAPER PANIC AND STEEL SHORTAGE

Top to bottom: Port Kembla Steelworks; In 2020, Australia experienced a national toilet paper panic; A woman confronted with shelves during a spate of panic buying.

How can farmers soften the blow?

There is an obvious need for the federal government to diversify our base of production. But what can farmers do to reduce their vulnerability to the kind of extreme price fluctuations and backlogs we’re experiencing?

“COVID-19 and the subsequent impact to supply chains globally is being felt by many of our customers, both pre- and post-farm gate,” says Todd Cleminson – NAB’s Executive, Supply Chain Finance NSW and ACT. “The effect has been two fold – firstly, timing delays in obtaining inventory or farm inputs which impacts productivity levels, and secondly a notable increase in supply chain costs that are subsequently being passed through to the end consumer.

“This in turn has seen many of our customers seeking additional levels of finance, with many farmers having to pre-order and pay upfront for farm inputs that won’t be delivered for another three to four months. In particular, in relation to NAB’s Trade Finance offering, many post farm gate businesses are seeking an extension to loan finance periods above the typical trade cycle funding requirement to cater for delays in sourcing and delivery of inventory.

“NAB works closely with our customers to understand these impacts and provide the necessary support required to allow them to have the confidence to continue to participate in their markets,” Cleminson says.

www.prismatech.com.au

info@prismatech.com.au

THE BIG ISSUE AUSSIE SUPPLY CHAINS

commodity prices in the first half of 2020, explains Gary Northover, CEO of the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia.

“In terms of supply, our dealers got on the boat with their orders pretty early, ordering at levels that built in a bit of a buffer when demand hit record levels in the second half of 2020,” Gary says. “But because demand remained strong through 2021, we are at a point now that if you order a new bespoke tractor, you have to wait 12 months to get it.

“There are other challenges, too,” he says.

“Getting stuff through Australian wharves is really problematic because of high-profile industrial disputes, COVID impacting manpower and the fact that agricultural machinery doesn’t get a priority in terms of quarantine, which slows things down by another couple more weeks.”

Deliveries of machinery parts are also being delayed due to well-documented problems with the global supply of everything from tyres to computer chips and wood pallets.

“If you think about a tractor manufacturer in Europe like Bosch,” Gary says, “their suppliers are struggling to keep up with deliveries of components.

And that is going to affect the whole industry. But most manufacturers have said parts come first and their priority is to serve the customers they already have. So, parts for tractors in Australia are still moving quite well, considering everything that’s going on.”

THE ADBLUE SOLUTION

To understand how vulnerable Australia’s food security has become to imported inputs during the pandemic, one has to look back no further than to October 2021, when China banned urea exports to put the brakes on skyrocketing domestic fertiliser prices.

Russia, the world’s second-biggest supplier of urea after China, followed suit in November, and global urea prices doubled as a result. In the same month, Incitec Pivot, the only local manufacturer of AdBlue, announced it would stop making the fluid at its Gibson Island plant in Brisbane after the company failed to secure a gas deal.

That spelled big trouble for Australia, which imports 80 per cent of its urea and uses it mainly for AdBlue, a fluid that helps modern diesel-powered engines reduce emissions and meet environmental regulations. About half of the country’s trucks and most late-model utes and four-wheel drives won’t start without AdBlue. Without a new supply, goods transport across the country would be severely compromised by February, the Australian Trucking Association warned.

“You just feel the government is focused on the here and now not thinking about the future,” says NSW Farmers Grains Committee Chair Justin Everitt.

“They need to make sure there is at least a six month supply of strategic inputs to mitigate these things.”

In mid-December 2021, Canberra secured 5,000 tonnes of refined urea from Indonesia – a Band-Aid that provided just enough of the fertiliser to make

24

THE FARMER

MAR - APR 2022

THE CUE FOR ADBLUE

NSW Farmers Grains Committee Chair, Justin Everitt wants the government to ensure a six month supply (at least) to mitigate supply chain issues with products such as AdBlue, used in diesel trucks and farming machinery.

another month's worth of AdBlue. But the real breakthrough came a week later when Energy Minister Angus Taylor announced a $29 million government subsidy to help Incitec increase AdBlue production by 800 per cent – part of a broader government strategy to build supply chain resilience and bolster local manufacturing capability.

Incitec is also building a new plant near Geelong in Victoria where it will develop and supply a new kind of sustainable fertiliser for farmers that combines torrefied organic waste with carbon and fertiliser products. Scheduled to come online in mid-2023, the plant will produce 75,000 tonnes of this new product per annum.

“The pandemic has shown us the importance of domestic supply chain security,” says Incitec CEO Jeanne Johns. “Projects such as this help ensure Australian companies can continue to service our critical agricultural industry and support Australian farmers.”

But as Dr Medo Pournader, a senior lecturer in management and marketing at Melbourne University, explains – “There isn’t one solution that can fix all the disruptions to supply, demand and logistics of global supply chains at present.”

Delays and supply chain disruptions should gradually start easing at the end of this year, Medo advises. But if one thing is for certain, it’s that there are no guarantees during a once-in-a-century global pandemic. l

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The Muster

l THE TWO OF US

Three decades of the Edsons A 30-year partnership between a third-generation farmer and a nurse from Sydney has forged a profitable sheep and cattle grazing operation on a ‘small’ 32,000-hectare farm near Ivanhoe.

Words MICHAEL BURT Photography RACHAEL LENEHAN

IAN EDSON’S STORY

Ian Edson has been connected to the outback soils of the Ivanhoe district since he was born. His grandfather and World War I veteran, Charlie, was granted a 11,000-hectare Returned Soldiers Block west of Ivanhoe and called it Stirling Vale Station.

Ian grew up on nearby Orana Station with parents Charles and Neta, and inherited Stirling Vale at the young age of 12, after the passing of his grandfather.

“The inheritance came with all the bills and probate that still needed to be paid, so it was not an easy start,” Ian says. “My father was made guardian to help guide me through things until I was 21. That was 1978 and I went deep into the red to purchase my brother’s and sister’s share of the property.

By this stage, Ian’s grandfather and his father had already started cutting the property up into two-mile by two-mile paddocks. “They constructed ground tanks so the sheep had less travel to get to water, and we could have smaller flocks,” he explains.

“Some of the neighbours thought they were crazy putting in the ground tanks, but the idea was to reduce the dust load in the wool. It helps to preserve natural ground cover when you reduce the distance sheep walk to water.”

Ian explains that the location of the ground tanks, which are 8,000 to 9,000 cubic metres in size, were carefully selected based on topography and

26

THE FARMER

surface water movement. Each tank has a smaller ‘catch tank’, which captures the surface water first.

Stirling Vale now has 22 ground water tanks to capture the maximum amount of water from an annual rainfall of 220mm. Solar pumps, which have replaced most of the farm’s windmills, pump water into rainwater tanks for gravity feeding into 22 water troughs for the farm’s 6,000 Merino sheep and 300 cattle.

“I prefer to stay on the ground these days and the solar pumps have proven ideal for moving water out here,” Ian says. “We can pump the water for miles now, and we couldn’t have done any of it without the old yellow Cats.”

Ian is referring to his father’s progression to Caterpillar D6 and D8 dozers to construct all of the tanks, one of which he still operates to this day – a 1962 Caterpillar D8 that has notched up 25,000 hours.

“In my grandfather’s day it used to take six months to do a ground tank. It takes about 222 hours on a D6 and 54 hours with a D8. They also enable you to clean out and desilt the dams on a regular basis,” he explains.

“My grandfather started out contracting using horse drawn scoops and Dad continued the contracting business for most of our younger lives with the Cats. At the time, the farm was too small to make a living off, so Dad got into big earthmoving equipment.”

MAR - APR 2022

Ian says the drought proofing strategy started by his grandfather has worked.

“Stirling Vale has only been out of water twice, 1944 and 1968. We do have one bore, but that has only been used twice in 30 years.”

Ian adds that the ground tanks also have environmental benefits. “They attract a huge array of birdlife, including ducks and sometimes swans. It saves them flying to the river, which is 100 miles away. The wildlife just moves around from tank to tank.”

Ian has enhanced drought resilience through rotational grazing, which enables paddocks to rest and revitalises the natural pastures that drive the farm’s Merino wool and beef production.

“We’ve used water to grow the farm business, and what was 27,000 acres is now 79,000. I have not had to do any contracting for 15 years because we can now make a good consistent living off the property,” Ian says with pride.

TRUDY EDSON’S STORY

Ian’s wife Trudy – who has inspired much of Ian’s business and personal growth over the last 30 years – has a vastly different background from her husband’s outback upbringing.

Trudy grew up in the southern suburbs of Sydney and trained to be a nurse, eventually working in a number of hospitals in Sydney and surrounds.

>

STIRLING VALE STATION

Above then clockwise: Ian and Trudy Edson own and manage the Stirling Vale Station. In order to provide water to the property's 6,000 Merino sheep, the station is equipped with 22 ground water tanks that feed into the property's 22 water troughs.

MAR - APR 2022

THE FARMER

27

The Muster

DIRT IN HIS VEINS

Above and right: Ian Edson inherited Stirling Vale Station at the young age of 12.

Far right: Trudy, a Sydney nurse, moved to Ivanhoe to pursue a job at the Ivanhoe hospital, where she met her husband Ian.

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THE FARMER

Their two worlds collided thanks to a chance sighting of a newspaper advertisement for a remote area nurse at Ivanhoe.

“I had a friend working out there and I had always been intrigued by far western NSW, so out I went to Ivanhoe on a nursing adventure in 1988. I have kept that advert all these years,” Trudy says.

Trudy worked at the Ivanhoe hospital and first met Ian while caring for his father who had become ill.

“Ian was pretty persistent in getting to know me, and a nursing colleague convinced me to go on a date. Ian invited me out to Stirling Vale for dinner. He was an absolute gentleman and cooked a beautiful baked lamb dinner with all the trimmings.”

“It was the day before my birthday, and I had planned four days off. Ian wasted no time and showed me around the property, and six months later we were married.”

Trudy continued nursing and provided St John Ambulance first aid training to more than 250 Ivanhoe locals.

MAR - APR 2022

“I am very proud of the first aid training,” Trudy says. “I know that some of those people have gone on to save other people’s lives.”

Now she has retired from nursing, but life remains busy supporting Ian, the farm business and the Ivanhoe community.

“I had never done anything with sheep or farming before I met Ian, and he is a great teacher. He had a way of explaining how things that I was learning could be applied to the farm.”

“I say that Ian has dirt running through his veins.

His grandfather bestowed upon him the skills of reading Mother Nature and her seasonal

changes as well as how native animals behave.”

Ian joined Trudy in attending courses on topics such as wool classing, welding, using drones and cell grazing.

“We have done everything as a team, except for computer training and accounting,” says Trudy. “Ian wasn’t too keen on that!”

Trudy wanted to help Ian by understanding what he had been learning for all of his life.

“I learned quickly that what he had achieved while supporting his family meant the world to him. And I could tell he has great pride in caring for his sheep and producing quality wool,” she says.

Trudy convinced Ian to complete a Diploma of Agriculture at Rural Skills Australia in Adelaide to validate his lifetime of hands-on knowledge.

“I was so proud of him when he finished that,” she says. “He did not need to do it because he had already achieved so much on the farm. But we would go to a lot of meetings, and I could tell that people who were not farmers would look at Ian and think he could not contribute much. They were wrong, and Ian proved it.”

Ian’s confidence to contribute at meetings and assist with local issues grew with Trudy’s encouragement.

He became Chair of the NSW Farmers Ivanhoe Branch and joined Trudy as Branch Secretary every year at the NSW Farmers Annual Conference.

The Ivanhoe community has also benefited from Trudy’s outback

nursing adventure. “Ian has always encouraged me to do what I love, which is arts and crafts and supporting the Ivanhoe community,” she says.

Ivanhoe, population 200, is not known for its arts and culture, but Trudy found solace through supporting the Ivanhoe Outback Arts & Craft shop, the Ivanhoe Patchwork group and a Pink Crafters Outback Crafts fundraiser for the McGrath Foundation.

Trudy has also notched up countless volunteer hours supporting the Ivanhoe Hospital Auxiliary, the community run Ivanhoe RSL Club, and the local NSW Farmers branch.

Her volunteer work was recognised in 2018 with an Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award. l

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The Big Picture

Putting words into action Farmers across the nation held high hopes for action following the ACCC’s Perishable Agricultural Goods (PAG) Inquiry into unfair competition in the perishable goods sector. But has any action been taken on the key recommendations?

–

Words MICHAEL BURT

R

ecommendations like an economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading practices and strengthening the Food and Grocery code was music to the ears of poultry, dairy, fruit and vegetable farmers.

In a statement issued after the inquiry report’s release, ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said the dominance of markets for agricultural goods by just a few processors or wholesalers, and even fewer major retailers, made farmers especially vulnerable.

That vulnerability was highlighted during the submissions process. Only 35 of the more than 80 written and oral submissions have been made public, and the rest are being kept confidential to protect farmers and suppliers from being punished for speaking out.

But has there been any action since the release of the ACCC’s Perishable Agricultural Goods (PAG) Inquiry Report in December 2020? The ACCC and the Federal Government would say yes.

NSW Farmers would say not enough.

The state’s peak farming body has penned a letter to Federal Treasurer, The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, to get answers on the Government’s plan to implement the report’s recommendations.

NSW Farmers President James Jackson said there is an immediate need for the Government to progress the recommendations to improve competition within agricultural supply chains.

“Farmers in fresh food supply chains are being bullied by bigger players, and the ACCC’s 2020 inquiry confirmed as much.”

“Australians might not know it, but competition in our grocery and supply chains has gradually eroded over the last few decades and that is partly to blame for current shortages and price hikes,” Mr Jackson says.

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THE FARMER

MAR - APR 2022

A CONCENTRATED SUPERMARKET SECTOR

According to an IBISWorld industry Report, the four largest operators of the supermarket landscape accounted for more than 80 per cent of industry revenue last year.

Far right: The Partridge family on their poultry farm, which they have been fighting to keep.

“The problem has finally reached boiling point with a bulge in COVID-19 cases sending major supermarkets into a tailspin. Australia has one of the most concentrated supermarket sectors in the world, leaving it susceptible to disruption in the event of a crisis.”

“It is high time the Australian Government wakes up to the need for lasting change.”

Mr Jackson says the ACCC inquiry outcomes offer a window of hope to farmers in industries such as dairy, horticulture and poultry meat.

He said NSW Farmers acknowledges the progress to strengthen the unfair contract terms legislation.

“Reform is sorely needed. However, strengthening the protections around unfair contract terms will not be effective unless broader reforms are made.”

There was no response from the Treasurer at the time of writing, but The Farmer looked into the progress on each of the ACCC’s four recommendations to the federal government and the three ‘action items’ for the ACCC to undertake.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATION 1 : The business-to-business unfair

contract terms framework should be strengthened in the ways agreed to by the Legislative and Governance Forum on Consumer Affairs.

NSW Farmers has continued to engage with the process to strengthen the unfair contract terms (UCTs) protections, including a submission in

The resilient Partridge family

September 2021 on Exposure Draft Legislation.

The Federal Government introduced the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Tax Integrity and Supporting Business Investment) Bill 2022 on February 9. It includes penalties for the use of unfair terms in standard form contracts, which NSW Farmers supports.

R E C O M M E N D AT I O N 2 : An economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading practices should be introduced into the Australian Competition law.

There has been no tangible progress.

The National Farmers Federation (NFF) understands there is a conversation progressing at an inter-governmental level, with states holding the primary responsibility for fair trading.

“NSW Farmers strongly urges the Government to act on this recommendation immediately,” says NSW Farmers President James Jackson.

NSW Farmers is also seeking a NSW Budget commitment from the NSW Government to take the lead in harmonising legislative practices that would help resolve competition issues in agriculture.

RECOMMENDATION 3 : The Food and Grocery Code should be strengthened, including making it mandatory for retailers and wholesalers, as well as introducing significant penalties for contraventions.

There has been no tangible progress.

“Commodity specific work is being progressed by the Department of Agriculture Price Transparency >

A lack of competition in the chicken meat processing sector has profoundly impacted Phil and Sam Partridge’s financial and mental wellbeing. But in true farmer resilience style, they are hanging onto a family farm business with a pivot to pasture-raised chickens for local markets.

The Partridge family featured in the July-August 2020 edition of The Farmer as one of 13 families in the Northern Rivers region left with empty sheds and bank debts after losing their growing contract.

Their processor, Inghams, decided it was too expensive to freight birds from the Northern Rivers to its Brisbane plant. The duopoly that exists at the retail supermarket level is mirrored at the processor level, with Ingham Enterprises and Baiada Poultry supplying 70 per cent of the nation’s meat chickens.

“My mental state has been all over the place in the last 12 months,” Phil told The Farmer. “We had to sell almost two thirds of the farm and that still hasn’t really kept the hounds at bay. We are just keeping our head above water at the moment.”

Phil said there were times when easing the burden of $2 million in bank debts seemed insurmountable. “We are looking forward now and looking to expand the production of our pasture raised chickens.”

The family currently sells 250 to 300 birds a week at local farmer markets and a chicken shop in Byron Bay. It’s a lot less than the 210,000 chickens sold every eight weeks under their Inghams growing contract, but more rewarding says Phil.

The Partridge’s chooks graze on oats and millet-based pastures in winter months and summer grass pastures in warmer months and the finished free range product is sold under the Richmond Valley Pastures brand name.

“We are wanting to expand to 600 birds per week, which means we have to look at reducing our input costs for things like grain. The banks are not interested,” Phil says.

Phil and Sam are looking into milling their own grain and hatching their own birds instead of buying in one-day old chicks and a mobile processing unit.

Sam says that the feedback from returning customers at the local Farmers Markets has been inspiring. “People keep saying how good the chicken tastes, and that it takes them to back to how a good roast chicken used to taste.

“There certainly have been some dark days. It’s been really tough for Phil, but the dream of passing our farm onto our children could still be a reality.”

MAR - APR 2022

THE FARMER

31

THE BIG PICTURE

“fund education and training, technologies, products and processes.”

NSW Farmers will submit a project proposal to improve transparency and increase competition across the poultry meat supply chain.

ACCC ACTIONS ACTION 1 : Investigate the potential unfair contract

Project, and we commend the department for this work,” says NFF Chief Economist Ash Salardini.

“We would love to see Treasury, the portfolio responsible for competition policy, step up and take a more proactive role in implementing recommendations from an inquiry they established.”

The federal government appointed Independent Reviewer of the Food and Grocery Code, Chris Leptos, did release his first annual report last year.

A survey of suppliers found around 30 per cent of Woolworths and Coles respondents identified ‘fear of retribution’ as a key impediment to raising an issue under the Code. This level of retribution was feared by 17 per cent of Metcash respondents, and 11 per cent for Aldi respondents.

R E C O M M E N D AT I O N 4 : Governments and industries should explore measures to increase price transparency in PAG industries, in order to increase competition in those industries.

The Australian Government has committed $5.4 million for projects to improve price and market transparency in Perishable Agricultural Goods (PAG) supply chains.

Applications for a $5 million industry grants program closed on 22 February and are designed to

IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY & INCREASE COMPETITION

NSW Farmers will submit a project proposal to improve transparency and increase competition across the poultry meat supply chain

terms identified in the chicken meat industry.

Following the PAG Inquiry, the ACCC commenced an investigation into potential unfair contract terms in chicken meat agreements between processors and growers.

This investigation is ongoing.

ACTION 2: Investigate reports that horticulture wholesalers are trading without Horticulture Produce Agreements.

During 2021, the ACCC undertook compliance audits on several horticulture traders to check compliance with the Horticulture Code. These audits sought copies of documents required to be kept under the Code including copies of signed Horticulture Produce Agreements and Grower Statements required to be given to growers.

The ACCC is also looking at compliance with the requirement to publish a trader’s terms of trade. The ACCC is assessing responses received from traders and intends to provide an update to the industry in 2022.

ACTION 3: Engage directly with agricultural industry associations in 2021 to explain how the ACCC’s new small business collective bargaining class exemption may be beneficial and how businesses can access the regime.

In June 2021, the ACCC made the first-class exemption for small businesses, meaning small businesses who meet the threshold can now use the ACCC’s class exemption for collective bargaining without first having to seek ACCC approval.

The ACCC has produced guidance material on class exemptions and have engaged with industry groups via the ACCC’s Agriculture Consultative Committee, Agriculture Information Network and directly with some industry groups. l

ACCC's Perishable Agricultural Goods (PAG) Inquiry Timeline 28 June 2020:

7 Aug 2020:

26 Aug 2020:

3 Sept 2020:

10 Dec 2020:

NSW Farmers calls for a Treasury directed ACCC inquiry into the poultry meat industry.

ACCC commences review of chicken meat industry in Australia.

Treasurer, the Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, directs the ACCC to commence a three-month inquiry into bargaining power imbalances in supply chains for Perishable Agricultural Goods (PAG) in Australia. The chicken meat review was merged into this inquiry.

The ACCC invites submissions in response to the terms of reference.

The inquiry examined markets for meat products, eggs, seafood, dairy products and horticultural goods.

NSW Farmers provides a submission.

The ACCC’s report was publicly released.

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09 Feb 2022: A Bill to strengthen the existing Unfair Contract Terms legislation introduced to Parliament.

www.whitesrural.com.au

info@whitesrural.com.au

Start-up l INNOVATION

The big buzz about stingless bees Stingless bees are a new and exciting player in the farming game, and they have driven an 18-year-old macadamia farmer from the Mid North Coast to develop an agriculture start-up while simultaneously finishing his HSC. Words MICHAEL BURT

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WHAT'S ALL THE BUZZ?

There are eleven native species of stingless bees in Australia that make excellent pollinators. However, stingless bees are slow to produce honey, creating less than one litre per year.

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35

Start-up

for 1,800 trees on the 50-hectare farm that supplies local processor Nambucca Macnuts.

HOW IT ALL BEE-GAN

BEAUTY AND THE BEE

NUTS ABOUT BEES

“Native stingless bees pack a punch when it comes to pollinating macadamia orchards,” Jeremy Higgins says. “They are small but overflowing with potential. Their foraging behaviour and small size has made them very effective pollinators, particularly for smaller flowers such as macadamias, blueberries and avocados.”

He explains that stingless bees are opportunistic. “They can easily adapt to exotic crop species and their diet is certainly not limited to native plants.

“They thrive where honeybees don’t, and they are well adapted to the warm and tropical conditions of Eastern Australia.”

Jeremy’s buzz about stingless bees inspired him to launch an agriculture start-up company, StingLess, while completing his HSC last year. Sting-Less specialises in the use of stingless bees for crop pollination and the brokerage of colonies.

Jeremy is also experimenting with using stingless bees to cross-pollinate macadamia varieties to improve production.

The company is based on one of only a few certified organic macadamia farms in the region.

Along with parents, Jane and Charles, Jeremy cares

Top to bottom: The macadamia orchard of 1,800 trees used to supply Mid North Coast producer, Nambucca Macnuts.

Jeremy Higgins created Sting-Less, specialising in the brokerage of colonies and the pollination of crop by stingless bees.

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Jeremy’s foray into stingless bees started at the age of 14 through involvement in a local growers group.

“My first paid job was actually splitting stingless bee colonies in half for another local farmer,” Jeremy says.

“We are part of a local growers pool called the Nambucca Area Macadamia Growers Association.

One of the growers, Peter Ranking, is a very successful macadamia grower who was using stingless bees and we bought two colonies.

“I had to split the colonies and build my own boxes. Under Peter’s guidance, I expanded my family’s own collection of colonies. Peter was impressed with my boxes and asked if I would do his, so I made 20 as well.”

The Higgins family’s macadamia farm is one of only few that is certified organic in the Nambucca region.

“The grower group is a very sociable one and the word soon spread. My parents would always bring me along to meetings and I would make myself known. It was the first type of business networking that I had done.”

Sting-Less now has its first six clients and Jeremy has expanded his networking efforts to the local blueberry industry.

“My goal is for the potential of stingless bees and my business to be taken seriously and that’s happening, so it’s good news. It is seasonal work, so the cashflow aspect is hard.

“Stingless bees will also keep me involved in local food production. Farming is all I have known.

Before moving to the macadamia farm in 2005, our family had a beef grazing property at Nowendoc.”

LOW GI SUGAR FOUND IN STINGLESS BEE HONEY

An AgriFutures Australia research project has revealed a low GI sugar – trehalulose – is a major component of native stingless bee honey.

Australia has 11 native stingless bee species

and AgriFutures Australia is buzzing about their potential to be the basis for a rapidly growing emerging industry.

Stingless bees produce a sweet but tangy honey that is highly prized by consumers and has long been thought to have therapeutic properties.

A report on the project – Optimising Bioactive Content of Australian Stingless Bee Honey – released in October 2021, says the identification of trehalulose in these honeys has given further credence to these beneficial claims.

“This unusual sugar is not found as a major component in any other food, and serves as a distinctive marker of authenticity of stingless bee honeys,” the report states.

The research project also aimed to determine whether trehalulose is produced in the environment, in the bee or in the hive.

SEARCH FOR SUCROSE

The natural distribution of stingless bees in Australia ranges from the sub-tropical coastal regions of New South Wales and Queensland to the tropical coasts of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.

The project examined honey produced by different stingless bee species across wide-ranging environments throughout these regions, from suburban backyards to horticultural crops.

Feeding experiments conducted in the study established that the biological precursor of trehalulose is sucrose, a major component in some floral nectars. Stingless bees fed sucrose in experimental hives produced honey rich in trehalulose.

These research outcomes will support the Australian Native Bee Association in its quest for an Australian Food Standard for stingless bee honey.

BEST IN THE BUZZ-NES S

Right: Jeremy Higgins is the business owner of start-up company Sting-Less, specialising in pollination consultancy and hive brokerage of Australian Native Bees.

“Further research is required to expand knowledge of which plant species visited by stingless bees have floral nectar rich in sucrose,” the report says.

“Surprisingly, there is limited available knowledge of the sugar profiles of floral nectar of many Australian native plants, and also key commercial crops.

“Such knowledge would enable beekeepers to selectively site hives in locations close to sources of sucrose-rich nectar and thereby bolster the trehalulose content of stingless bee honey produced in their hives.” l

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· Dairy Farms · Piggeries · Chicken Farms · Crop Farming

· Feedlots · Abattoirs · Food Processing Facilities

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INNOVATION CELL-BASED MEAT PRODUCTION

Celling meat At first glance, cell-based meat production, or cultivated meat, seems like a far-off concept but it won’t be that long until we see these types of products on supermarket shelves.

–

M

Words SHEREE YOUNG

arinating animal cells in a cocktail of proteins, sugars, fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and then growing them inside industrial stainless-steel bioreactors isn’t the way many would imagine that their proteins

are made.

But with the world facing the challenge of feeding 10 billion people by 2050, cultivated cell-based meat production is set to grow as technology progresses, pricing decreases and consumer awareness grows.

To help future-proof global food supply, alternative protein producers are popping up everywhere with a growing number of cell-based cultivators among them.

In Australia there are nine cell-based agriculture start-ups growing meat, milk, cell media – a concoction of proteins, electrolytes, sugars and lipids which feed the cells, so they divide and multiply – plus scaffolds which turn mince-like products into three-dimensional pieces of meat. Even human breast milk is being grown using cellular technology in Victoria from mammary cells from mums who have given birth prematurely.

Overseas an abundance of cell-based production is happening. San Francisco-based Eat Just – an alternative protein producer – is selling cell-grown chicken nuggets in Singapore. In Israel, Aleph Farms, is perfecting a 3D constructed steak, while Singaporebased Shiok Meats has set its sights on shrimp paste.

MEAT BEING GROWN IN AUSTRALIA

Australia has two cell-based meat producers. One of them is Vow, a Sydney-based bio-tech start-up which has attracted nearly $20 million in venture capital. It is looking beyond recreating commodified meats which are already produced on huge scale and at premium quality in Australia.

Vow co-founder George Peppou says cell-based agriculture has huge potential as it’s not limited to the three-dimensional structure of farmed meat and can be creatively tailored.

“I am not for one second trying to make Australian beef or chicken breast or anything that exists today because frankly it is a fool’s errand,” George says.

“We all know every meat eater, including myself, is an expert in what a chicken breast tastes like. When you set the expectation by trying to match something that is well known, there is always nit-picking with all the problems with it.”

The other reason is this type of production is already well in hand.

“Australian farmers, particularly when you talk about beef and lamb and the extensive grazing process, are hands down the best from a sustainability and product quality perspective,” George says.

“I would say lean into the quality and sustainability of the products you already produce, not waste your energy worrying about us because this is going to happen. This is going to have a much more disruptive impact on global commodities coming from factory farms across the world, not on Australian cattle and sheep roaming around on Aussie fields.

“Don’t be afraid of cultured meat and plant-based meat that is happening in Australia because we have the potential to become huge customers of agricultural >

SUSTAINABLY IRRESISTABLE

Left: Plating up a prototype cultured meat dish at Vow Foods.

Above: Nicknamed Vowzers, staff at Sydney based bio-tech company Vow, care deeply about the work they do and are progressing rapidly in the early stages of businesss.

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INNOVATION CELL-BASED MEAT PRODUCTION

commodities. On the plant-based side there are things like yellow peas and on the cell-based side amino acids and sugar. We can become very premium paying customers of the Australian agriculture sector. We can do this and be one protein industry and one agriculture industry using both new and traditional technology.”

There are many reasons why George is passionate about Vow. Number one is the environmental and economic benefits of Vow’s compressed supply chain between commodity inputs (think sugar, salts, amino acids) and the value-added outputs – think crocodile nuggets and other exotic delights.

The other is the culinary wizardry it avails itself to – particularly exciting for George, a former chef who trained as a biochemist and later worked in the meat industry and ran ag-tech accelerator programs at Cicada Innovations.

“We are working across about 15 or 16 different species at any one time so we find elements of growing those cells and then we can explore how these elements can manifest into a new product and how that can serve markets and value propositions that isn’t a replica of what already exists,” he says.

“Alpaca muscle is fantastic. Crocodile connective tissue is amazing, and you can grow them and mix them together and they start to become ingredients. In meat today everything is locked in a three-dimensional structure, and you can’t break it apart and access individual parts but because we have this exclusive control of what we are growing we can start to see these as ingredients.”

BEHIND THE SCENES

Top to bottom: Staff at work at Vow; (L-R) Ben Leita and James Petrie, co-founders of Nourish Ingredients.

CONVERTING THE CARNIVORES

Replicating the taste of real meat has long dogged the alternative protein sector with the absence of fat being a continuous bugbear.

This is a problem that caught the attention of scientist James Petrie while he was working at CSIRO on projects that included building a canola variety with algal genes to create fish-free fish oil for Nuseed.

He launched Nourish Ingredients two years ago to create other animal-free fats by fermentation which would help fill this gap.

Nourish Ingredients has raised over $14 million in venture capital funding with more to come. It uses a similar process to beer fermentation, but instead of the yeast turning into alcohol it becomes fat.

The fats are still in development but are being tested by companies like Vow. “Taste is always the number one priority. When carnivores put these foods into their mouths, it has to be, in my view, over 100 per cent when compared with traditional meat products. When I bite into a steak, I want that taste and experience and you need to get that same sort of result if you are going to convert the carnivores,” James said.

“I think companies have done a good job trying to get people like vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians to eat plant protein foods, but I don’t think they are

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reaching through to the carnivores and that is what we need to do.”

The price for cell-based meat is currently around $100 per kilogram, but this is expected to dramatically decrease by 2030 when the products are tipped to hit Australian supermarkets.

Vow will commercially release its first product this year in Singapore, a popular launch pad for cellbased producers as it has a clear pathway to market.

That said there are no roadblocks to launching in Australia with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) confirming cell-based meats will be covered by existing guidelines when an application is received.

“To date, FSANZ has not received any applications to amend the Code to permit genetically grown or cellcultured meat. Under Australian and New Zealand food law, all food businesses must ensure food for retail sale is safe and suitable for human consumption. This includes complying with regulatory requirements,” a statement to The Farmer said.

“We are working across about 15 or 16 different species at any one time so we find elements of growing those cells and then we can explore how these elements can manifest into a new product and how that can serve markets and value propositions that isn’t a replica of what already exists.”

– GEORGE PEPPOU Vow Co-Founder & CEO

MIXING THINGS UP

Grace Wangari, Synthetic Biology Scientist, in the lab at Nourish Ingredients.

CHALLENGES FACED

Bianca Le, the founder of Cellular Agriculture Australia – a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and accelerating the research of cellular agriculture in Australia – says the sector can benefit from Australia’s strength in stem cell research, regenerative medicine and agriculture but government investment, education and career development and infrastructure are required.

“The majority of the investment that goes into it is from private investors so this means there is a lot of innovation happening but there is a lack of public knowledge of all of the research and innovation which makes it harder for such a new industry to grow,” Bianca says.

WHAT THE FARMERS SAY?

NSW Farmers’ Cattle Committee member and owner of Gundamain Pastoral Co., Tess Herbert, acknowledges the growing need for protein and understands that in a free market many types – cell-based, plant-based or manufactured – will be sold.

She is concerned about how these proteins will be labelled and marketed – an issue currently being examined in the Senate Inquiry into Definitions of Meat and Other Animal Products.

“It is really all about truth in labelling,” Tess says.

“These products are new and emerging, and we don’t really know what they will look like. How the red meat industry reacts depends on how these emerging protein industries will describe, market and label their products.

“Many of the submissions to the Senate Inquiry specifically mentioned the current FSANZ definition of meat – to call a product beef, lamb or even crocodile it has to be the flesh off a carcass of a slaughtered animal, so they can’t really make claims to be meat. It may be cell-based or plant-based or entirely manufactured but it is certainly not beef or lamb under this definition, and currently companies are labelling it as such.

“The red meat industry is by no means saying that cell-based proteins should not be part of the protein industry. We are just saying don’t call it meat – beef, goat, lamb etc.”

The other concern is any potential denigration of the red meat industry on environmental and animal welfare grounds that could result from this marketing. Tess added the red meat industry has done and continues to do a great deal of work on emission reductions (feed additives, genetics etc), welfare and product life cycle analyses.

“The discussions about cell-based, plant-based and manufactured proteins always miss the story about the role of ruminants in the landscape and its part in the natural carbon cycle. Less than eight per cent of the Australian land mass is suited to cropping but over half is used for running livestock, largely on native vegetation, or to a lesser extent on modified pastures. This land is ideally suited to livestock and red meat production. Ruminants have this amazing ability to convert low quality protein, like grasses, into high quality nutrient rich food. Nearly 90 per cent of livestock feed globally is made up of plant material that is not human edible,” she said.

“Ruminants are part of a natural carbon cycle; it is not like a fossil fuel or a manufactured meat where an emission is made and just remains. Cattle and sheep emit methane, which oxidises into carbon dioxide, through photosynthesis this is taken up by plants as carbohydrates, which are then consumed by ruminants, so completing the natural cycle. With a reasonably stable herd there are no more new emissions being made.” l MAR - APR 2022

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Sunny side up A poster child for versatility, the radiant sunflower has the potential to become a hot commodity in Australia. However, plateauing demand, reduced processing facilities and increasingly hostile growing conditions are all but sealing its fate as a niche market.

–

Words BETHANY PLINT

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INDUSTRY SUNFLOWERS

N

ative to North America, the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) was introduced to Australia in the late 1800s to be grown as a source of poultry feed. It wasn’t until the 1940s that its use as an oilseed crop became prevalent.

Over the past 10 years, the bright, yellow blooms covered up to 3,000 hectares of agricultural land across northern New South Wales, and Queensland.

The trend spread to the irrigation areas of southern NSW and Victoria, and to the west, particularly in the Ord River catchment area of Western Australia.

However, the ongoing challenges of drought and the closure of the largest sunflower oil processing facility have seen many growers drop sunflowers from their crop rotation. Only a handful of largescale producers remain – those with strong irrigation systems or farms located in areas where conditions have been favourable for rain-fed production.

The biggest challenge, according to Australian Sunflower Association Chairman Dennis Ward, has been the lack of a bulk oilseed market for sunflowers, and competition for land compared to other summer crops – particularly sorghum and cotton.

“Growers who include sunflowers in their rotation most years usually have established a strong relationship with a buyer or trader,” Dennis says, noting that seasonal conditions have not supported large plantings of the sunflower crop in the traditional growing areas for several years.

Dennis stresses the importance for growers to establish a relationship with potential buyers and negotiate a contract if possible before planting en masse. Currently, there are around 20 companies in Australia who buy sunflower seed either for direct sale or processing into various other products.

Prior to the 1980s, the majority of Australia’s sunflower crops were comprised of polyunsaturated oil varieties. When the market experienced a shift, triggered by increasingly health-conscious consumers, domestic production largely moved to monounsaturated varieties.

The sunflower has myriad uses – oil for cooking, kernels for snacking, seed for stockfeed. Sunflowers are even used to develop some paints and industrial lubricants. From commercial operations to backyard hobby farms, opportunities abound for growers in the sunflower game.

A HEALTHY SNACK ALTERNATIVE

Rather than reaching for a handful of nuts, Australians might soon be curbing their cravings with a serving of sunflower seeds. The phrase ‘split and spit’ may not be the most eloquent way to describe the common method of consumption, but it’s really no different to cracking open a pistachio. The edible part of the seed > MAR - APR 2022

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INDUSTRY SUNFLOWERS

– the sunflower kernel – is high in vitamin E, selenium, phenolic acids and flavonoids which function as antioxidants to protect your body’s cells against free radical damage. Sunflower kernels are also commonly used in breakfast cereals, bread and snack bars.

Edible sunflowers must be specially cultivated to ensure that a large enough seed is produced, and that it can easily be dehulled. While conventional sunflowers produce seeds maxing out at 14 millimetres long, edible sunflower seeds can grow up to 22 millimetres. Moisture stress during development can negatively impact the hull to kernel ratio, therefore edible sunflower seeds tend to grow best under irrigation.

The market for sunflower kernels in Australia is hot, but domestic growers are currently missing out.

“Sunflower seed kernels for human consumption are worth about USD $10 million but the bulk of this demand is currently met with imported products,” Dennis says.

COOKING UP A STORM

Of the approximately 5 million tonnes of oilseed grown in Australia each year, sunflower seed accounts for just 40,000 tonnes, while canola (4.2 million tonnes) and cottonseed (0.8 million tonnes) remain the heavy weights. However, there is a consistent demand for high oleic sunflower oil, the bulk of which is imported from overseas.

“Since the main crushing facilities in Australia ceased processing sunflowers in 2014, there have only been very small amounts of domestic sunflower oil produced,” Dennis says.

Australia currently imports around $100 million of sunflower oil, a market opportunity that some of the smaller vegetable oil processors in regional Australia are keen to tap into.

Polyunsaturated sunflower oil is high in linoleic acid and is primarily used in margarine and bottled oils. Conversely, monounsaturated sunflower oil is low in linoleic acid and high in oleic acid, making it the favourable option in terms of its superior deep frying qualities. Australian sunflower hybrid varieties produce monounsaturated oil that far outranks the imported products when it comes to quality.

SEED SNACKS

Edible sunflowers must be specifically cultivated to ensure that a large enough seed is produced, and that it can be easily dehulled.

Right: The humble sunflower seed is a popular health food snack in Australia.

Fast Facts

1

A single sunflower head can consist of more than 1,000 individual disc flowers.

The large yellow ‘petals’ of a sunflower are called ‘ray’ flowers and are very attractive to bees.

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2

Sunflower leaves can also be eaten. They work well in salads and stir frys with the thick centre vein removed.

MAR - APR 2022

3

Bee pollination is vital to the sunflower industry. The presence of bees results in higher seed yield, higher germination rates and even a slightly higher seed weight.

4

The seeds in a sunflower are arranged by a mathematical sequence common in nature called the Fibonacci sequence.

5

Jerusalem artichokes are part of the sunflower family, drawing their name from the Italian word for sunflower – ‘girasoli’.

“Australia currently imports around $100 million of sunflower oil, a market opportunity that some of the smaller vegetable oil processors in regional Australia are keen to tap into.”

While sunflower oil is enjoying consistent popularity, it is still competing with other oilseed crops such as palm oil, which remains cheaper across the board, and canola oil, which can be grown in cooler conditions over a longer season.

Uses for sunflowers

FEEDING THE FARM

Of all its end-uses, sunflower seed for pet birds, horses, poultry and dairy feed rations are the main uses for domestic crops. The demand has remained strong in the domestic market, and the Australian Sunflower Association is currently investigating the potential for export market development and opportunities as a feed for the burgeoning aquaculture industry.

This market requires consistent seed weight and size – something growers must consider when spacing out rows. Different markets have a preference between black or grey stripe types depending on the end use but on the whole, seeds are required to achieve a test weight of 38kg/hL or more. Sunflower seed is generally included in its whole form in the ration, providing energy, protein and fibre for livestock. Sunflower meal is a valuable by-product of the oilseed crushing process and an excellent feed for intensive livestock feeding.

FLORISTRY AND AGRITOURISM

A big bunch of sunflowers are bound to brighten anyone’s day, and while the retail market for freshly harvested sunflowers makes up a miniscule part of the country’s overall production, it is still a valuable crop for the floristry sector.

Ornamental varieties of sunflowers are specifically grown for use in the floristry industry, as are the seeds found at your local nursery or garden

Oil derived from sunflowers can be used for cooking Sunflower kernels offer a healthy snack alternative Freshly picked sunflowers make lovely gifts Seeds can be used in bird and livestock feed mixes ‘Pick your own’ sunflower fields provide great agritourism opportunities

centre. Over the last 18 months, florists have been in high demand as consumers opt to send flowers to their loved ones in lieu of visiting in person. The market is expected to stabilise as lockdowns ease, but new opportunities for agritourism will ultimately arise.

The ‘pick your own'’ phenomenon has been felt across various food production sectors as consumers express a desire to learn more about where their produce comes from. Yarramalong Turf Supplies on the NSW Central Coast provides the perfect example.

What started as a single post on their Facebook page has blossomed into a highly-sought after tourist activity, drawing visitors from all over the region.

Prior to Greater Sydney’s most recent lockdown, the business hosted several Central Coast Sunflower Harvest events, inviting visitors to explore the sunflower fields and pay only for what they picked.

The photos that were posted on social media after the first event spread like wildfire and every subsequent event led to sold out events, stripped-bare sunflower fields and very happy customers.

Beyond the crop’s end-uses, sunflowers also bring with them a range of benefits for growers.

The sunflower adds much-needed diversity to aid in pest, disease and weed management. Compared to other summer crops such as sorghum and maize, the sunflower’s deep taproot can also help to break up compacted layers of soil up to three metres below the surface, leaving the soil softer and more receptive to moisture. A new herbicide tolerant variety has also been released recently, strengthening the role of sunflowers in summer weed management.

Sunflowers are also being recognised as a valuable plant to include in mixed species cover crop plantings to improve soil structure and water infiltration deep into the soil profile. Such cover crops may be grazed before they are terminated as a green or brown manure to build organic matter in the soil and improve cycle nutrients.

With ongoing research into export potential, crop optimisation and alternative uses for the commodity, farmers shouldn’t dismiss the potential for this bright, versatile bloom. l MAR - APR 2022

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GET YOUR GOATS The future is bright for the NSW goat industry, with rangeland enterprises moving from harvesting to breeding operations, herds rebuilding from the drought and prices continuing to increase.

–

Words DARREN BAGULEY

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INDUSTRY GOATS

A

INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST

One of the main challenges when including goats into an enterprise mix is farm infrastructure will need upgrading, especially if all you have is sheep yards.

ccording to Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Australian goatmeat exports are booming despite the industry being in restocking mode.

As of mid-October 2021, year-to-date slaughter volumes of 234,000 head were 30 per cent stronger than 2020 levels, however, when compared to the fiveyear average, they were 30 per cent softer. This is an indicator the national goat herds rebuild from drought is progressing.

The rebuild is being positively supported by the strong average year-to-date over-the-hooks (OTH) price, which is 3 per cent, or 28c/kg cwt, stronger than the 2020 average in year-to-date prices.

Exporters continue to offer favourable prices to meet bulging order books and with producers increasingly looking to incorporate goats into their operations as a managed enterprise option, Australian goat exports are outperforming 2020 levels on the back of this slaughter volume strength.

As a result, overall goat exports for 2021 according to MLA date “are operating 20 per cent, or 1,696 tonnes, better than 2020 year-to-August levels, driven by continued growth in the US and explosive volume upticks from South Korea, with its exports rising 97 per cent this year. Annually, the US accounts for 67 per cent of total goatmeat export volumes, demonstrating its significance for Australian red meat producers as a market”.

RANGELAND GOAT PRICES BOOMING

Goat Industry Council of Australia (GICA) Vice President, Secretary and NSW Farmers representative, Katie Davies, confirmed that the NSW goat herd is in a restocker phase.

“The drought really put downward pressure on numbers, however, there has been a real change > MAR - APR 2022

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INDUSTRY GOATS

in the composition of the herd as producers move from opportunistic harvesting operations to semiopportunistic and managed production systems,” she says.

“This is happening because the goat meat market is burgeoning and demand has not backed off despite the rise in prices. Although demand is increasing in the domestic market, 70 per cent of goat meat is exported and Australia is the world’s biggest goat meat exporter.”

GICA Rangelands representative, Sam Beven, confirmed that the soaring prices are flowing on to producers. “Price wise, goats are going really well with prices still high. When we started mustering goats in 2015, we were excited by a carcase price of $4/kg and now we’re getting $4/kg liveweight and $10/kg carcase weight”.

Sam says that the situation is not entirely upside.

“Numbers are down due to the drought. In 2015 we were mustering 4,000 to 5,000 goats without any trouble, now we are only getting 1,000 to 2,000.

People who would previously not be bothered with a little herd of goats, would get them when drought hit and they had destocked their cattle and sheep,” she explains.

Sam says that rangeland goats have now been recognised as a separate breed and that more people are running rangeland goats as livestock.

“They’ve now got proper breeding and vet programs, and they’re putting them behind wire.

These animals are perfectly adapted to the conditions out here,” she says. “People have bought stud billies

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INDUSTRY STANDARD S

At the slaughter, goats attract a blanket price per goat, no matter the age or sex of the beast.

(usually Boer goat billies) but in a lot of cases if people see some good strong rangeland billy goats with a big heavy front, they will draft them off and either sell them as breeders or use them as sires themselves.”

HUGE ADVANTAGES IN GOATS FOR WESTERN NSW GRAZIERS

For Sam, the advantages of goats in Western NSW are clear and many.

“They are cheap to get started on, as usually you can just go and muster a herd, put them behind wire and start managing them. Goats do not get fly strike or skin cancer like Merinos and you don’t have to shear them. The only input costs are the cost of tagging and providing drinking water and feed. Even there they have an advantage as they eat a wider variety of feed.”

Sam also explains that compared to sheep, goats are a lot simpler at sale time.

“If you’re sending them straight to slaughter there is a blanket price per goat whether it is a billy goat or a nanny goat, or whether it is 10 years, or six months old. There is just the one price at a certain amount per kilo.

“Abattoirs will also take goats down to a carcase weight of six kilos but with sheep, they will not take anything less than 16 kilos carcass weight. If it gets over a certain amount, that drops the price, if the age is over a certain number, it will drop the price. With goats, you get a number and you just put them on the truck, they go, and you get paid.”

Beef Central reported that according to David Russell from Landmark Cobar, “There is no doubt

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INDUSTRY GOATS

that goats have played a major role in improving profit margins for graziers throughout Western NSW over the past five to ten years. Producers who used to take a box trailer load of goats to town, get the cash and spend it at the supermarket have now turned it into a business. Properties have been improved with fencing and infrastructure and producers are making serious money.”

ORGANIC GOATS

Goats are effectively organically raised, partly because chemicals sheep producers use are not available.

INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES NEEDED

While there are numerous advantages to including goats into the enterprise mix, there are some challenges – the main one being infrastructure.

“Goats need better infrastructure than sheep. If all you have is sheep yards, goats will jump over them or go through them,” says Katie. “Merino four wire fencing will not hold goats either – fences need to be taller and need a line of barbed wire at the bottom to stop them pushing under. What most rangeland goat producers are doing is starting with one paddock close to the yards and then moving outwards.”

Sam adds that goats are slightly different to sheep when it comes to handling. “They’re stubborn. You will try to move them and they will just stand and stare at you.”

Goats in Western NSW are effectively organically raised, partly because the drenches and other chemicals that sheep producers take for granted are not available. “Chemical registration is virtually non-existent and what we are able to use is off-label so we need to regularly renew the minor use permit,” says

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GOATISH FACTS

There are

$3.9 billion worth of goats in western NSW rangelands

Australia is the largest goat exporter in the world and the trade is booming Careful management is essential due to goats’ tendency to browse as well as graze

Katie. “Because of this, the industry has had to spend a lot of money on parasite management, particularly for Barbers’ Pole.”

WESTERN NSW GOATS REWARD CAREFUL MANAGEMENT

Goats have been accused of degrading large swathes of Western NSW due to their habit of browsing as well as grazing. In his book Managing Pasture, Dale Strickler writes “…goats prefer – and to some extent – require – a diet rich in forbs and the leaves of woody species, which are higher in protein and minerals than grasses.

“Grasses may be a portion of the pasture composition, but it is important that forbs, legumes and woody species compose a large portion. Because… goats are capable of very close grazing they can easily eliminate many legumes and forbs from a pasture with uncontrolled grazing. Use of rotational [or adaptive multi-paddock] grazing with frequent animal moves makes the maintenance of legumes… forbs [and woody species] much easier.”

While acknowledging that goats do need to browse, both Katie and Sam argue that goats have had a bad rap. “Graziers in Western NSW are much more aware of the need for management of total grazing pressure. Where previously we relied on ground tanks, we have transitioned to tanks, poly pipe and troughs.

By being able to turn water off, we can manage total grazing pressures and we can lock country up when it needs a spell. As a result, the landscape is healing.

That’s our role and responsibility as landholders.” l

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THE FARMER

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TRADE FLORA

Native Aussie Flora:

CASH CROPS OR CASH HOLES? From finger limes, to native millet and the flower on our state emblem, here we assess the commercial viability of three emerging and priority native flora species in NSW.

–

Words IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER

A

RED FINGER LIMES

Botanically classified as Citrus Australasica, red finger limes are very small, uniquely-shaped fruits that are classified as microcitrus and belong to the Rutaceae family.

ustralia accounts for around 10 per cent of the world’s biodiversity, but farms very few native species.

Fresh cut flowers generate about $350 million of farm gate value per year, while only one edible species – the macadamia – is cultivated on scale. Four decades of agronomic research has failed to expand the selection, with farmers still focusing on high-yielding species from the Northern Hemisphere instead.

But a recent University of Sydney study recognised as the most extensive paddock-to-plate study to date on the feasibility of turning native plants into modern food products has invigorated hopes for a rich and diverse native horticultural industry.

“We spend so much time killing plants that want to grow and then spend an enormous amount of money trying to grow plants that don’t want to grow in Australia. Let’s grow Australian plants,” says Indigenous foods expert Bruce Pascoe, who was consulted for the study.

Three emerging and priority species within the great pantheon of native Australian flora could see farmers turning a dime by cultivating them.

THE PRICKLY FINGER LIME

René Redzepi, chef-owner of the world-famous restaurant Noma in Denmark, described Australian finger limes – a pickle-shaped fruit filled with tiny vesicles or caviars that pop like jewels of acidic > MAR - APR 2022

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juice on the tongue – as one of the most versatile cooking ingredients on the planet. But 20 years after it emerged, the sector is still in its infancy, with a farm gate value of only $3.1 million, according to the University of Sydney.

“The problem with growing finger limes is genetic stock. You buy a clone from a grafter, plant it and then you spend five years nurturing them until you find out if your soil will produce fruit with shelf stability or fruit that rots within a few days of harvest,” says Lee Etherington of the Wild Hibiscus Flower Company, who has 1,500 finger lime trees at his property at Kurrajong Heights on the edge of the Blue Mountains.

“I’ve experimented with seven different varieties but only two of them have taken off. Ten years of torture went into growing my trees.”

Commercialising finger limes took him even longer. The farm gate price of $25 to $40 per kilogram is insufficient to justify occupying Lee’s land, which lies 80km from Sydney with views of the Harbour Bridge.

Value-adding, he realised, was the only viable option.

One of Lee’s earlier solutions was finger lime marmalade. He invested $400,000 on a machine from Spain that cooks the delicate citric caviars without heat. The process worked but the packaging failed and Lee had to recall his stock.

He had more luck with Finger Lime Gin, which took four years to perfect. Launched a little over a year ago, it retails for $150 and has increased the profitability of his harvest by up to a factor of 20.

“Farming feeds off peoples’ passions. But if you want to be an early adopter of a native crop, you have to break the mould in terms of value-adding,” Lee says.

“Because if you just do what everyone else is doing, you probably won’t do very well.”

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AUS SIE FLORA

THE STATELY WARATAH

Clockwise from top left: A range of finger lime varieties, native millet and the iconic waratah plant.

Since the mid-1990s, there have been large commercial plantings of waratahs on the coast and coastal highlands of NSW. But as many growers are part-time or businesses with other farming interests, reliable industry statistics are unknown.

The waratah flower’s unique structure, texture, colour and good vase life makes it highly suitable for export as a fresh-cut flower, with the most popular variants exhibiting a crimson bloom, followed by white and pink. Agrifutures Australia estimates around 75 per cent of waratahs grown are sold overseas.

TRADE FLORA

Brian’s journey to commercialising his waratahs makes Lee’s look like a walk in the park. “I started 30 years ago and only now is it coming to fruition. Until last year I was still doing all the tube stock propagation myself,” he says. “Now I receive royalties from a management company that handles all my waratahs here and overseas.”

Brian also hosts two annual open days to add value to his harvest. At the last one in October, about 400 people visited his property on a sunny Sunday to learn how waratahs are grown, buy fresh-cut flowers and have picnics in the garden.

“There is huge demand for waratahs. The industry is on a roll,” he says. “But it’s quite a specialist field and they don’t grow anywhere. To become a commercial grower, it’s a 10-year cycle at the very least.”

NATIVE MILLET POTENTIAL

Once established, waratah plants can remain productive for up to 30 years. But they are notoriously difficult to nurture – they are a highrisk crop that requires specialist knowledge, an extraordinary amount of labour to grow, and passion by the truckload.

“I started breeding waratahs out of interest more than anything else,” says Brian Fitzpatrick of Waratah Australis in Batlow. “People had become used to the big red NSW Waratahs, so I crossed a rare Tasmanian yellow form to get a variety of colours thinking it would be an asset to the industry. My waratahs are also smaller, which as a fresh-cut flower, makes them more versatile in mixed flower arrangements.”

MARKETING OUR BUSH

“I do think there is a role for native Australian plants in modern agriculture,” says Ed Colless, Walgett grain farmer.

“Even with current pricing regimes and initial low consumer demand, our modelling showed that in some circumstances, native grain cropping is economically viable.”

– DR SHAUNA PHILLIPS Agricultural Economist

Of the 25 edible plants included in the University of Sydney’s feasibility study, panicum – or native millet – was the most promising. It can be turned into glutenfree flour and is more nutritious than wheat. And it can survive bushfires.

“Even with current pricing regimes and initial low consumer demand, our modelling showed that in some circumstances, native grain cropping is economically viable,” said agricultural economist and study participant Dr Shauna Phillips.

But the report also highlighted R&D is needed to reduce cultivation costs. That, says Ed Colless, a grain farmer in Walgett who advises government on agriculture policy, is the understatement of the century.

“The wheat I grow to scale has the benefit of 10,000 years of genetic selection that began the day someone first stuck it in the ground and noticed some grew better,” he says. “It has nothing to do with being Euro-centric. Eastern cultures did the same thing with maize, rice and corn. We take the crops we can use, and our ability to grow large amounts of them efficiently has allowed our civilisations and cities to grow.”

Even if we could grow native millet on a scale, who is going to eat it? “Since most of the grain grown in Australia is exported to Asia and the Middle East, you are going to have to convince consumers in countries like Vietnam and Iraq to buy it, and telling them it’s healthier or Australia-made is not going to cut it,” Ed explains.

“I do think there is a role for native Australian plants in modern agriculture – everything from lemon myrtle to quan dong – they’re wonderful things that improve our culinary culture. We should be doing the same thing with them as the French do with their cheeses.

“But native millet is a bit like sesame seed,” he says. “It’s great to use as a high-end garnish on a loaf of bread. But you can’t make the loaf with it given the cost of growing it and the small yields.

It’s an economic crock of sh*t.” l MAR - APR 2022

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BUSINESS MUMBLE PEG CITRUS

Juicing it Family-run Narromine business – Mumble Peg Citrus – is set to expand its export markets as demand for its outstanding produce grows.

–

Words SUE WALLACE

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M

SIZE MATTERS

Left to right: The Mumble Peg Citrus orchards; Trevor and Margo Roberts with Mumble Peg branding.

umble Peg Citrus is not only a catchy name but it’s steeped in history, according to owner and General Manager, Trevor Roberts senior. He is the third generation to grow citrus on his historic property at Narromine in NSW’s Great Western Plains region.

His grandparents, Samuel and Katherine Roberts, who had 15 children, purchased the original plot on the Macquarie River in 1910.

Legend has it that the property was named following an incident with a wealthy squatter who discovered his workers – boundary riders and burr cutters – were shirking work by playing a game of mumble the peg that dates back to the 17th Century.

“Mumble the peg was a game of skill played with a pocketknife and the area became known as Mumble Peg after the incident – we think it’s a name people remember when they are buying our fresh juice and table oranges,” says Trevor Sr., aged 72.

Trevor and wife Margo have four adult children: daughters Takita and Jasmin, and sons Trevor junior and Lachlan.

Their sons are involved in the family business, including running the 50-hectare orchard with 250,000 trees that yield 30 tonnes of fruit per hectare and other farming operations.

The orchard produces high-quality table oranges that are picked, processed and sorted into various sizes and grades. First-grade oranges are sold as table fruit in cartons while second-grade fruit is sold in bulk bins or made into fresh orange juice in their onsite juice processing factory. > MAR - APR 2022

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BUSINESS MUMBLE PEG CITRUS

Peel from the juice is then used to feed the Black Angus cattle and Merino sheep they run on the 5000-hectare property and other parcels of nearby farming land where they also crop wheat, canola and beans.

Trevor Sr., who recalls picking oranges and putting them in a milk crate from the age of eight, says he and his wife, Margo are very pleased that their sons – the fourth generation – are working in the business.

Trevor Jr.’s wife Maggie and Lachlan’s partner Lesley-Anne are also involved in the family business working in accounts and management.

“Trevor Jr. manages the citrus side of the business while Lachlan manages the farming and cropping – it’s a good system. Like all family businesses, it is not without challenges at times, but we welcomed the decision for them to come into the business and feel very privileged,” Trevor Sr. says.

“I am very proud of the family history and the legacy previous generations have left us – looking back over the years of how it has all fitted together and how the business has grown is very satisfying.”

The first orange tree was planted by one of Samuel Roberts’ older sons in 1923 and by 1930 the trees were producing fruit.

At that time, the oranges were picked and packed into wooden crates and each week Samuel delivered the oranges by horse and cart 20 kilometres into Narromine.

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PRODUCING THE BEST

Clockwise from left: Lachlan with partner Lesley-Anne and their child; Juice range: 300ml, 2L and 500ml; Top of the range Mumble Peg oranges for table fruit.

Mumble Peg Orange Juice was born when Trevor Sr. decided to value add to the citrus operation in 2015. “It seemed a logical progression and has paid off over the years,” he says.

The juice is now sold throughout NSW and ACT in cafes, takeaway shops and supermarkets while table oranges are exported to Japan, Canada, China, Vietnam and sold at the Sydney Flemington Markets and Brisbane Rocklea Markets.

The family business received a welcome boost last year with a $200,000 NSW Government Regional Job Creation Fund grant to upgrade facilities, increase productivity and create new jobs.

The grant will allow the Roberts family to install new equipment, including a colour vision grader and automated packer. This will help boost their capabilities to produce premium quality fruit juices and compete in international markets.

“The upgrades will improve quality assurance and allow Mumble Peg to tap into higher quality export markets, while also increasing productivity, and enabling staff to take up more supervisory roles in the business,” Trevor Sr. says.

“This project will not only upskill existing employees, but also create more than 37 jobs over the next three years, including extra packers, additions to the sales team and a grading line operator.”

Asked what sets their fresh juice apart from other brands, Trevor Sr. says it is the meticulous attention they pay to their produce and the processing system.

“We are a nil chemical and nil insecticide business.

Our aim in producing the orange juice is to have a

PRODUCTION LINE

Lachlan, Trevor Sr. and Trevor Jr.

“Mumble Peg fresh juice has been well supported by Coles and IGA supermarkets throughout the ACT and NSW over the pandemic, but supply has been greater than demand.”

– TREVOR ROBERTS SENIOR Owner and General Manager

healthy, tasty product that’s as fresh and flavoursome as if you squeezed it in your own kitchen,” he says.

Narromine has the perfect climate for growing sweet juicy oranges because of the cool winters and hot summers. “It’s an ideal climate to grow citrus here with lots of sunshine and rain – the temperate climate controls disease. That’s why the citrus does so well here,” he says.

Mumble Peg is among a small number of NSW citrus growers who are also engaged in juice production.

While still considered a boutique business, it has expanded to accommodate the growing domestic and export fruit markets.

It is busy all year according to Trevor Sr. from May to October, they harvest delicious, sweet Navels including Washington Navel, Leng Navel, Late Lane and Navelena varieties. From November to April, they harvest fresh-flavoured Valencias.

“There’s never a quiet time, especially with the fresh juice market,” says Trevor Sr., who joined the family business as soon as he finished school.

Fresh orange juice is sold in 1 and 2 litres plus 500ml and 300ml. They also sell 500ml orange passionfruit drink and orange mango drink, along with 3 litre orange passionfruit drink and 300ml orange mango drink. “Growing citrus is in my blood and it’s very satisfying when you walk into a supermarket and see your fruit for sale and the juice in the refrigerators,” he says.

“Customers have a growing desire to buy products that are produced locally and are free from chemicals and pesticides.”

Trevor Sr. says it’s been a challenging few years with COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns which reduced the number of backpackers in the country, who previously made up most of the seasonal pickers.

“It’s had a huge impact and we have all had to work longer hours and rely on locals to help, as well find pickers where we can – we really don’t know when things will pick up again,’’ he says.

“Mumble Peg fresh juice has been well supported

by Coles and IGA supermarkets throughout the ACT and NSW over the pandemic, but supply has been greater than demand.

“This is due to less exporting to countries struggling with COVID-19, plus less sales from the lockdown of Greater Sydney, Central Coast to Wollongong, and the current labour shortage situation, but we are hoping it will pick up.”

Trevor is hoping the next generation will also become involved as the years pass. “Our grandsons Judah, 18 months, and Ezra, 8 months are pretty young so we will have to wait a while,” he says.

As for tasting his own produce, Trevor says he’s addicted to the fresh orange juice.

“I love it and can’t drink enough – it’s got such a great taste with so much freshness and so many health qualities which are the most important things. I am very proud of our citrus and its history,” he says. l MAR - APR 2022

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YOU HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

Complex agronomic and environmental monitoring is used in high value crops, especially in irrigation cropping like this vineyard.

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Innovation in agriculture Australian farmers have always been an innovative lot, but the wave of innovation leveraging big data, the Internet of Things, automation and robotics is creating a movement greater than anything ever seen in this sector.

–

J

Words DARREN BAGULEY

ohn Harvey, CEO of AgriFutures Australia – formerly known as the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), says “I have never seen such an explosion of new technology and the opportunities it is creating for Australian farmers”.

Innovation is at the heart of what Agrifutures does, and the Australian arm of the organization – the Research & Development Corporation (RDC) is for established industries that do not have their own RDC. It supports R&D to accelerate the establishment and expansion of new rural industries.

As well as operating as an industry RDC, its responsibilities include conducting long-term research and analysis to understand and address important issues on the horizon for Australian agriculture.

DIGITISATION OF EVERYTHING NOT JUST FARMS

In some ways, the big innovation trends in agriculture are similar to those in other sectors. They are based on new technology made available because of digitisation such as the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

“The opportunity this big change offers in the whole digital space is huge,” says John. “Take automation for example – it has the potential to allow farmers to develop entirely new production methods.

Even for farmers that are seeking to maintain existing production systems, there is the opportunity to develop high value markets and easily provide consumers with the information they crave about the food they eat and the fibre they wear.”

Just as importantly, John argues the current wave of technology will help future-proof Australian farmers against trends in the global market such as carbonbased tariffs.

“The vast majority of Australian farmers want to leave their land better and see themselves as custodians of that land,” he says.

“However, it is not enough for Australian agriculture to say we’re clean and green. Places like the European Union (EU) are saying ‘prove it’, so now the challenge is how to collect data. Exactly how do you measure the carbon footprint of beef?

Collecting data manually is hard but when the EU and other markets start putting on tariffs based on carbon, Australian farmers will need to find a way.

The current wave of innovation in agtech can help them do this and it will be vital.”

Luca Palermo, Farmdeck’s IoT Technology Lead, echoes John’s views. Founded in Australia in 2016 by a team of farmers and engineers coming from Outcomex, it is now a successful technology company that has been operating in Australia since 2006.

Farmdeck provides an all-in-one offering that includes sensors, network connectivity and the Farmdeck application available online or downloadable on any Android and iOS devices.

Luca sees three main trends in agtech. Firstly – sensor technology, which enables farmers to remotely track assets whether it is a water trough, cow or tractor. Second – satellite sensing, which has advanced to the point where it can tell how a paddock is performing, as well as its soil carbon measurement.

“The sensor technology is driven quite simply by the time savings. A farmer up near Tamworth with about 2,000 head of cattle used to take two days to do a trough run,” Luca explains. “Now he can see it on a dashboard and can track water usage to find problems. Farmdeck manufactures its own sensors for tanks, troughs and fences that all integrate directly to our software. It is virtually plug and play.”

He adds that remote sensing at the next level is about farmers looking after the land which is their main source of income by being better grazing planners, using the land more efficiently and moving animals around to avoid overgrazing.

“But it is also about being able to pull up an app and see that the cows are where they are supposed > MAR - APR 2022

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SPECIAL REPORT THE FUTURE OF FARMING

to be,” he says. “The sensors are a GPS unit but they also have an inertial measurement unit (IMU) which tells you whether the animal is running, resting or grazing. There are companies developing hardware that is trying to detect vitals such as heart rate and temperature.

“Indirectly, climate change is affecting farmers, but there is also an opportunity for farmers with soil carbon, and there is a lot of innovation going on with the aim of helping farmers to prove they can store carbon more cheaply and efficiently.”

STATE GOVERNMENT INCUBATING AGTECH SECTOR

Governments have identified the potential of the agtech sector both as an industry in its own right, and for its ability to drive agricultural productivity.

The dedicated Digital Ag team within the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has identified focus areas for innovations around automation, climate change, carbon and waste, biosecurity, resilience and social licence.

According to a NSW DPI spokesperson – “DPI has identified trends for on-farm and whole-farm activity including connectivity to allow live fieldbased data to stream to the cloud and allow producers access to insights and decision support information in the paddock.

“Furthermore, we have seen a trend in confidence about accessibility to innovative technology. The creation of the Farms of the Future program by DPI is an example of this, it can fast track adoption through showcasing technology available and proving supporting loans for farmers to invest in agtech today.”

Speak to anyone in the agtech space and the problems these innovation trends are trying to solve are near universal.

“Farmers need to remain competitive and sustainable while meeting increased demand from the supply chain and customers for more information, for example provenance systems,” says the DPI spokesperson. “They are looking to use technology to address the shortage of skill farm labour.”

Droughts such as the Millennium Drought and the drought of the late twenty teens has driven the importance of better water management.

“Better management takes time as well as resources, and there is an innovation trend towards real time remote monitoring of water on farm from livestock management through to intensive irrigation,” they added. “Coupled with this, farmers are looking to capture in field level agronomic and environmental data to stream into support tool to aid more timely and accurate decision making.”

The DPI further identified the continuing trend of improving farm safety for workers, animal welfare and security monitoring of farm resources. It is also putting government money into solving these problems. For the past four years the DPI Global Ag-Tech Ecosystem (GATE) program has been

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ALL ABOUT AGTECH

Above: What the water sensors/resources look like on the Farmdeck App. Right: To provide connectivity across larger areas of cropping or livestock, connectivity networks can be set up on existing farm infrastructure.

“I have never seen such an explosion of new technology and the opportunities it is creating for Australian farmers.”

– JOHN HARVEY CEO of AgriFutures Australia

fostering start-ups to develop targeted products for farmers with support and insights from DPI researchers and experts.

The GATE program and its partners cover a variety of services and offerings, and have supported over 70 agriculture start-ups, generating over 100 jobs in NSW and over $150 million in investment.

INNOVATING FOR ON-FARM ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

Finn Biogas is a wholly Australian-owned company focused on delivering realistic, sustainable solutions for businesses within the Australian waste to energy sector. The company has designed and built biogas solutions for customers throughout Australia and Asia, however, its key strengths are in the adaption of technology for the Australian market, including concept development and feasibility studies, detailed design and planning, procurement, construction management and commissioning of biogas plants.

Marketing Manager Renata Einhaus notes that at their core, the innovation trends – including automation, sensors and drones – are driving hightech farms aimed at allowing farmers to concentrate on the bigger things such as soil carbon and animal welfare. Hand in hand with these trends is the move towards energy independence. Farmers a century ago produced their own energy as feed for horses.

“Now there is growing interest in sustainable practices and part of that is energy independence, and a big part of that is biogas,” says Renata. “Biogas plants are very popular and well utilised in Europe but not in Australia, although that is slowly changing.

KEEPING TAB S ON WATER

Clockwise from left: Water monitoring sensor; Data from field devices can feed into complex agronomic modelling and provide growers near real crop growth updates remotely; Tour of one of the DPI implemented Farms of the Future Pilot program farms at Blayney.

“On top that, farmers are being affected by the cost of labour, the cost of energy and increasingly nutrient costs. Farmers, like all businesses, are looking for ways to reduce their overall cost and electricity can be an excruciatingly high cost for some farmers. Desire to reduce those costs and the quest for energy independence is driving farmers to look at alternatives and biogas is one of the few forms of renewable energy that can provide energy 24/7/365.”

Renata says that for farmers, “having control over their own decentralised energy generation asset provides a shield from increasing energy prices, > MAR - APR 2022

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network stability issues and access to energy. The sale of by-products from the biogas plant’s digestion process – fertilisers – can also provide valuable revenue streams as well as drive down input costs.”

BEWARE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR TECHNOLOGY’S SAKE

Agtech is booming and AgriFutures’ John Harvey hopes it will follow a similar trajectory to Australia’s Mining, Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector, which is a $92 billion industry, according to Industry Growth Centre, METS Ignited.

John cautions, however, that technologists need to make sure they do not fall into the technology for technology’s sake trap. “Farmers have to be across so many different things. Agtech needs to make farming easier not harder,” he says.

THE FUTURE OF DRONES IN AGRICULTURE

Prisma Technologies is an Australian tech company that focuses on the supply of drones and robotics solutions across multiple industries. Many of their solutions are at the leading-edge of Australia’s AgTech revolution.

According to Rav Phull, CEO and Co-founder of Prisma Technologies, the use of drones has permeated nearly every industry, and agriculture is no exception.

Growers, pastoral farmers, and agronomists are now using drones to promote safer, more precise, and efficient farming practices that minimise wastage and maximise productivity. Drones are now more accessible than ever as the technology has sufficiently evolved to allow smaller, cheaper consumer drones to offer capabilities that were once only available on larger, more expensive commercial systems.

To further encourage the use of safer farming practices, and to make drones more affordable,

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DRONING AWAY

Top, left to right: Drones are now more accessible than ever as the technology has sufficiently evolved to allow smaller, cheaper consumer drones to offer capabilities that were once only available on larger, more expensive commercial systems.

Above: Thermal sensors on drones help to identify livestock at any time of the day, even overcoming natural camouflages.

NSW SafeWork now offers a rebate towards a drone purchase if you own or work on a NSW farm and own a quad bike or SSV. “The main applications in which we are seeing drones being used in agriculture includes livestock management, chemical spraying, seed spreading, crop health monitoring, field mapping, and routine farm inspection work,” says Rav. “In addition to inspecting irrigation equipment, fencing, and crops, drones can also be used for monitoring and mustering livestock over long distances.

Farmers have found the use of thermal sensors on drones to be abundantly helpful when locating livestock through their thermal signatures which can be detected at any time of the day, overcoming the natural camouflage of some animals, especially those that prefer to rest in shade,” he explains.

“When drones are used for crop health monitoring, they are typically equipped with a multispectral camera payload that can acquire images in discrete electromagnetic frequencies, which include near-infrared, and red-edge bands of light,” he adds.

“Early signs of deteriorating crop health are detected first in near-infrared or red-edge light before they can be observed in visible light, which allows for a far more proactive crop health management approach. The drone can autonomously follow a flight path over an area of interest using mission planning software and capture multiple images with predefined overlap, height, and speed settings, while also applying accurate geotags and time stamp data for each image. This allows photogrammetry software to effectively produce crop health maps that agronomists can carefully assess.”

He further adds that “spraying drones are used to conduct precision crop spraying, and many of them can easily be swapped into seed spreading mode. They are also highly effective for targeted spot spraying in hard-to-access environments.”

When combined with multispectral crop health maps, spraying drones can be used to precisely target only the problematic areas, significantly reducing material wastage, environmental run-off, and time.

“This is precision agriculture at its finest,” says Rav. WHAT 2022 MEANS FOR GOAT AND SHEEP FARMERS

Fencing and Stockyard company, Clipex – which announced a suite of new products and updated models in 2021 – is not positioned to deliver more industry improvements, with their new range of goat tailored products.

UP, UP AND AWAY

The use of drone technology has permeated nearly every industry, and agriculture is no exception.

Following farm trends of safety matched with increased access to recording and capturing data, the Clipex R&D team are excited to be launching new goat technology designed to keep the handling of goats safer and easier.

As stated by MLA, goat production is at its highest level in two and a half years (an 81 per cent increase on last year) with no indications of production slowing down. This creates a gap in the market of needing suitable equipment to handle goats, which is often substituted with sheep equipment requiring home-engineered customisations.

Clipex Marketing Manager Louise Olsson says that animal safety is a significant driving factor in these innovations.

“Animal safety and welfare is one of the primary drivers in all our designs,” she says. “We’re proud to have produced a product range that can achieve this goal whilst also increasing the efficiency of farming operations.”

This drive also led to the development of the Clipex Lamb Box, which makes recording lamb data incredibly easy and efficient. By using the Lamb Box, producers can now collect data early, tracking the performance of lambs from birth and therefore future proofing their investments.

Match that with a high quality steel construction with the latest engineering techniques and lamb handling becomes stress free and simplified.

As we weather bushfires, drought, seasons and a pandemic, promising farm trends like increasing the ability to record data better and using equipment that improves farmer and animal longevity will only continue to set up 2022 to be a bright future in farming. l MAR - APR 2022

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Taking care of the land Farmers need to ensure they are aware of the rewards from the federal government for on-farm biodiversity initiatives.

–

Words SUSAN GOUGH HENLY

MANAGERS OF THE LAND

Recognising that agricultural land managers are responsible for managing 58 per cent of the Australian landmass, the federal government has budgeted $66.1 million for its Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Package.

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ENVIRONMENT BIODIVERSITY SCHEMES

T

here’s been a lot of talk in the media, from various government spokespeople, and on tractors and utes around the country, about how farmers might be able earn additional income from planting trees both for biodiversity outcomes as well as carbon credits.

While it may be difficult to see the forest for those trees, one thing is crystal clear: Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud is on a mission to reward Australian farmers for their agricultural stewardship of the land with a world-first scheme that measures and rewards biodiversity improvements alongside carbon abatement.

Recognising that agricultural land managers are responsible for managing 58 per cent of the Australian landmass, the federal government has budgeted $66.1 million for its Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Package, which it is developing in partnership with the Australian National University (ANU), the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) and Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations to trial pilot projects, develop market arrangements, and kick start private investment in farm biodiversity.

It’s a tightrope act to create an environment policy that’s appealing and accessible to farmers while not aggravating Coalition MPs that have generally been opposed to emissions-reduction initiatives.

However, the Minister believes that farmers have already done the heavy lifting because they know their profit and loss is tied to the health of their land.

“It’s not about locking up productive land but about rewarding farmers for the management and rejuvenation of unproductive land,” says Littleproud.

He believes this is an opportunity for farmers to make additional money that could be paid by big corporations, which are increasingly focused not only on reducing their carbon emissions but also on augmenting their social license through good news stories about investment in biodiversity and natural capital. To that end, the Minister has been in discussions with the Business Council of Australia about the viability of creating a biodiversity market similar to the carbon market.

His Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship legislation was tabled in parliament in February. It’s been a very tight turnaround in this election year and there are some concerns that mistakes will be made, however there is clearly a lot of momentum to make things happen.

“It’s really important for farmers to look at the legislative framework being constructed by the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE),” says Warwick Ragg, General Manager Natural Resource Management at the NFF and the key NFF negotiator on this legislation.

“Minister Littleproud is driving this initiative and there are some exciting opportunities on the horizon. Everybody involved in agriculture should understand the issues and start thinking about getting engaged.

“At the same time, it’s worth noting what the Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship Package is and what it is not. The program is completely voluntary, not compulsory, and it’s nothing to be scared about. It’s not an additional compliance program and farmers will not have to unwillingly expose their process to the world,” says Ragg.

“The government is doing good work here. It’s not perfect, but things are moving in the right direction. It has arranged for consultants to go out and talk to the community, identify the problems, and test potential solutions with various trials.

Obviously, some things get lost in the bureaucratic process, but the government is at least being transparent about how it’s going about fostering biodiversity.”

In their approach to the legislation, the NFF is taking a big-picture view to seek to ensure that Australian agriculture on a national level is verifiably sustainable both to minimise lending restrictions from financial institutions and to minimise export risks if Australian farmers have not complied with increasingly stringent international market requirements for clean, green products.

“In five years, these sorts of agricultural environmental standards are likely to be de rigueur,” says Ragg. “This is a rapidly changing landscape and, although this may be difficult to process, it’s worth being ahead of the curve.” >

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THE STEWARD SHIP

THE STEWARDSHIP PACKAGE IN A NUTSHELL

PACKAGE

The package, which is a multi-stage process being developed by experts from the College of Law and Fenner School of Environment and Society at ANU, is complex with lots of moving parts. To get an understanding of the current state of play, here is a snapshot of each element.

There are two rounds of Carbon + Biodiversity Pilots in six different National Resource Management (NRM) regions around the country. For NSW, Round One took place in the Central West. Round Two is currently underway in the Riverina.

This world-first program offers farmers two revenue streams: biodiversity payments up front and the opportunity to earn income down the track by selling Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

Essentially, farmers offer to deliver long-term biodiversity improvements through plantings (for which they are paid in two instalments) in conjunction with specific ERF environmental plantings of native trees and shrubs on land that has been clear of forest for at least five years in order to store carbon (and generate ACCUs). Farmers must maintain both planting projects for 25 years.

The Carbon + Biodiversity component of the package means that for the first time farmers will benefit from biodiversity initiatives and carbon abatement on the same land.

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“This is important stuff,” says Ragg, “because it’s essential to understand the challenges of measuring biodiversity on its own as well as its carbon abatement potential. The ANU team has been developing the specific biodiversity metrics using improved habitat as a surrogate for environmental outcomes.”

Enhancing Remnant Vegetation Pilot was run in the same six NRM regions as Round One of the C+B pilot (in the Central West of NSW) with the goal of improving existing native vegetation on farms and testing the locally adapted biodiversity protocols developed

by ANU. Farmers enter contractual agreements with the Australian Government and receive regular payments to manage and enhance remnant native vegetation by installing fencing, weeding, pest control and replanting.

“The goal is to develop consistency on a national level as the current incentives differ across the states,” says ANU environmental law and policy expert, Professor Andrew Macintosh, who is one of the scheme’s architects.

The voluntary Australian Farm Biodiversity Certification Scheme Trial (part of the Carbon +

can meet. Ideally, the marketplace will help kick-start private sector biodiversity markets as well.”

Essentially, the marketplace will be a way to find project partners with confidence. It will help farmers monetise their biodiversity and carbon services by connecting them directly with private buyers and it will help private buyers find potential on-farm biodiversity and carbon projects that could be purchased or co-funded. Both parties can search the marketplace or create their own project listings for environmental services they’re looking to buy or sell.

Initially, the marketplace will list biodiversityenhanced carbon credits but eventually the goal is to also create straight biodiversity credits once a tradable biodiversity unit has been established. Negotiations between farmers and buyers will occur privately, independent of the NSTP. FARMING PERSPECTIVES

Biodiversity Pilot) to showcase farmers’ best practice natural resource management to sustain, build, and report on-farm biodiversity and enable consumers to identify Australian produce from farms that sustain biodiversity. This certification could help increase farm profitability by supporting access to markets, creating price premiums, and improving land management practices.

“The Certification Scheme aims to provide farmers with tools to prove sustainability across five parameters: carbon sequestration, biodiversity, tree and land cover, and drought resilience,” according to Professor Macintosh. The National Stewardship Trading Platform (NSTP) is a single platform (https://agsteward.com.au) to help farmers participate in emerging environmental markets by: •Providing planning tools to evaluate biodiversity and carbon projects •Providing easy-to-use portals to apply to the pilot programs; and connecting them with potential buyers of biodiversity and carbon services.

“We’ve got to make this process easier for farmers,” says Macintosh. “The online marketplace is designed to function like a sort of eBay where buyers and sellers

SHE'LL BE APPLES MATE

“It's not about locking up productive land but about rewarding farmers for the management and rejuvenation of unproductive land,” said David Littleproud (above), Minister for Agriculture.

Oscar Pearse is a mixed cropping farmer from Moree and a former agricultural policy consultant with the NFF and other farming organisations. He says the Carbon + Biodiversity component of the Stewardship Package is a step in the right direction because this is the first time that farmers will be able to benefit from both biodiversity initiatives and carbon abatement on the same land.

“In the past, we effectively had to give away the hay when we sold the wheat. Farmers could essentially only choose between being paid for biodiversity outcomes or carbon, but never both,” he explains.

“However, despite this positive precedent, farmers who are already good land managers will still struggle to benefit from the Stewardship Package because everything that’s been done in the past is not credited.

This sends the wrong signal because it rewards the worst farm managers.”

NFF’s Warwick Ragg offers some context. “The carbon market was constructed on the principle of doing something additional to standard practice.

However, this shouldn’t mean that every natural capital indicator, in this case biodiversity, must also be additional. Past quality management practices should legitimately have a value and be recognised.

“Of course, biodiversity must be identifiable and measurable. However, the government could focus on reimbursing new biodiversity plantings and let the markets decide on the value of existing biodiversity projects that have taken land out of production, if they so choose,” says Ragg. “Different biodiversity buyers, such as banks, corporations, developers and philanthropic organisations, have varying needs/goals and different biodiversity projects could be valued accordingly. To that effect, the NFF is lobbying the government to ensure the legislation does not require additional or only ‘new’ biodiversity as this could be determined by the market.”

Pearse has several other concerns with the current state of affairs. Firstly, he says, “Farmers, not the carbon aggregators, carry all the risks involved. They still have to comply with the make-good clause in most > MAR - APR 2022

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ALL NATURAL

Above, left to right: Land being returned to its former state; Mixedcropping farmer Oscar Pearse is an advocate for protecting soils, pasture and key natural areas.

ERF contracts if trees they’ve planted don’t survive because of bushfires, drought or some other reason.”

He also believes that the government has missed a valuable opportunity to facilitate the potential and benefits of carbon stacking, whereby multiple emissions reduction projects, such as plantings for biodiversity and carbon abatement, soil carbon sequestration, and methane reduction, are undertaken on the same property with a single, aggregated offsets report incorporating all the individual components.

TOOLS TO HELP FARMERS IN THIS NEW WORLD

While the National Stewardship Trading Platform provides on-line planning tools to evaluate biodiversity and carbon projects, NFF’s Warwick Ragg believes many farmers will need a range of trusted sources to navigate this new commodity market.

“Farmers need to be able to cost effectively establish baseline measurements and have access to an array of decision support tools to make informed choices about their best options to reduce emissions and make money in the process. Carbon brokers do not necessarily operate in the best interest of farmers,” says Ragg.

“The NFF is working on a few things to move this along. We’re talking to Agricultural Innovation Australia about an investment proposal to resource farmers with decision support tools and we’re talking to various levels of government about the best ways to develop trusted advisors. Independent sources of truth and/or advisors for these ‘new commodities’ will be critical to gaining farmer confidence.”

One new player in this space is the recently launched Regen Farmers Mutual (https://regenfarmersmutual. com) created by a group of farmers, conservationists and land carers who have designed a farmer-owned brokerage to help farmers cost-effectively access environmental markets. Each member has one vote so that smaller farms are as powerful as large farms while all members benefit from the collective power of the mutual group.

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The brainchild of Andrew Ward, a cotton-grower’s son from Moree, Regen Farmers Mutual started in the cooperative farming community with farmers receiving fee support from the Co-operative Farming Program to attend co-design sessions. It has since spread to Land Care groups and regional farming groups, such as wine growers in the Riverland, and Ward is confident that the model will also appeal to mainstream farmers.

Their first product, the Environmental Farm Assessment, which costs $1,000 for members, will enable farmers to create their farm’s digital twin to get an indicative assessment of the value of all their environmental assets.

“We aim to align our on-farm environmental services (such as carbon abatement, biodiversity outcomes, species, habitat or water restoration) with what each buyer wants and, when they buy, 80 per cent of the revenue will go to the farmer, 10 per cent to the relevant farm group and just 10 per cent will go to Regen Farmers Mutual to cover overheads. This will ensure that farmers get a fair deal for their land stewardship,” says Ward.

“One of our key insights in co-designing the mutual with farmers was that they most wanted to hear from other farmers and least wanted to hear from the government and corporate brokers,” says Ward.

“Eventually, every farmer will need to reduce their emissions. Our goal is for farmers to work together to design environmental solutions and not get shafted in the process.

“There’s still a real mismatch between the level of carbon abatement that can be produced on a typical family farm and the market appetite for large-scale offsets,” explains Ward.

“Regen Farmers Mutual can partner with existing farmer and member organisations to supply a range of offsets at scale, which is much more extensive than what individual farms can do. In this way, the Mutual can maximise returns for its farmer members while leveraging the networks they belong to. This is where things get really exciting.” l

Protecting you, your family & your business

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SPECIAL REPORT WATER

WATCHING WATER As much of NSW still suffers from drought, and as we prepare for El Niño to follow on from La Niña, more focus needs to be placed on one of our most precious resources: water.

–

Words TONY BLACKIE

F

or most farmers a rain gauge is one of the most important tools, and these days they are quite sophisticated.

They are not just a container nailed to the fence post but rather an electronic device operating on Bluetooth which provides progressive rainfall read-outs, humidity levels, dew concentration, wind speeds and temperatures.

They have been working hard of recent time. Rain gauges which had stood dry for years in some cases, were overflowing. There were days when areas of NSW had up to 200mm in one day, and in many parts, more rain than we have had in years.

It has been a time to celebrate.

However, we can’t forget that we live on the driest continent on Earth. Two years of La Niña weather patterns and climate change have brought the east coast of Australia drenching rains but there is no room for complacency. We know that the spectre of drought is not far away.

A spokesperson for NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) explains the severity of the drought in some regions: “The 2017-2020 drought was the worst on record for most of the state’s key rural valleys.

“During the drought, many regional towns faced severe water restrictions, with some coming dangerously close to running out of water entirely. Dams were at record lows and farmers and irrigators saw some of the lowest allocations ever.

“The town of Walgett was among the worst hit, recording no flows for 364 days,

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marking the longest cease-to-flow period ever recorded in the Barwon Darling River.

“Water sources across the state hit record lows, with Wyangala Dam falling to just 8 per cent capacity, Burrendong Dam dropping to 1.5 per cent capacity and the Menindee Lakes left virtually empty with only 1 per cent capacity.”

PREPARING FOR EL NIÑO

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts changes in rainfall patterns with a steady decline in summer, winter and spring rains, but with a rise for autumn falls.

New strategies are needed to safeguard the resource.

A lot of work is going into solving the problem which will inevitably arise as La Niña turns into El Niño and the abundant rain patterns ease. The fact is, without water there will be no food from the farms and therefore the equitable sharing of this precious resource has to be high on the agenda for both regulators and government.

The jury has been out on some of the past water management policies on our major rivers and catchment areas which have highlighted some questionable practices in distribution.

That is history and now is the time to review and revitalise where necessary.

A FRESH NEW STRATEGY

In September 2021 the NSW Government launched the NSW Water Strategy – a 20-year blueprint to deliver resilient and sustainable water resources to communities across the State.

As part of that plan the NSW Department

DURING DROUGHT

Wyangala Dam with less than 50% water level.

DROUGHT STATISTICS

February 2020: Wyangala Dam reached its lowest level during the drought at

8 per cent

In early February 2020 Burrendong Dam was at its second lowest level ever at

1.5 per cent July 2019 Menindee Lakes was effectively empty at

1 per cent capacity

By June 2019, there were 364 days of no flows recorded at Walgett. This was the longest cease to flow period on record for the Barwon-Darling River.

of Planning, Industry and Environment is focussing on 12 regional areas including Greater Hunter, Macquarie-Castlereagh, Lachlan, Gwydir, far North Coast, Border Rivers, North Coast, South Coast, Namoi, Western, Murrumbidgee and Murray.

Strategic investments are being made to upgrade the water capacity in these areas and therefore supply it to farmers and residents.

The review will look at the latest climate evidence, and work with stakeholders like farmers, water service providers, Aboriginal communities, local councils, and other interested communities across NSW to plan and manage the water needs in each NSW region over the next 20 to 40 years.

Kevin Anderson, NSW Minister for Lands and Water, said the importance of upgrading the State’s water management ahead of a potential dry period could not be overstated.

“I know the importance of water to regional communities, for everything from farming and agriculture, secure town water and the environment,” he says.

“Since I have taken up the responsibility as Minister for Lands and Water, I have been pushing hard to fast-track critical water infrastructure in NSW. This includes the Dungowan Dam, which I have been working hard to get moving, to get shovels in the ground and I believe we have made significant progress.

“It is very important that we get the balance right when it comes to water and making sure our farmers are treated fairly and equitably.”

All States and Territories are working to develop water programs that deliver an equitable distribution of water to farmers and city dwellers alike. The inevitability of a future drought is now spurring all administrations along.

In NSW, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment is leading the charge.The Department is exploring new storage and pipeline options, desalination, water efficiency, additional groundwater schemes and recycled water options, among many other diverse and innovative solutions.

“These strategies will help us prepare for future extreme events to manage the risk to communities and industry,” the spokesperson said. The strategy is underpinned by climate modelling working towards improved water efficiency. The department also believes the implementation of the consulting work and the development of a strategic direction will guide how, where and when future investment is made in water infrastructure. > MAR - APR 2022

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SPECIAL REPORT WATER

METERING OUR PRECIOUS RESOURCE

IN WITH THE NEW

Strong lobbying from many farmers has resulted in better metering systems providing for smart, robust, accurate and consistent measurement.

The non-urban metering rollout is based on national non-urban metering standards, agreed by all Australian states and territories in 2009 and reaffirmed in 2018. The roll out has been underpinned by investment from NSW government including $18 million rebate to encourage users to adopt the telemetry program.

It is important to know that the non-urban metering reforms will be enforceable from December 1, 2022 in the Southern Inland and from December 1, 2023 in Coastal NSW. Telemetry technology allows near-real-time monitoring of water use. These metering systems upload and transmit water use data, including extraction, flow and storage readings to the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR), WaterNSW and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE).

All this means water users can get instant access to their water information via a personal dashboard, NRAR can ensure water is being used according to the rules, and the NSW Government can make sure everyone’s water rights are being protected and water users and the environment are getting their fair share.

Clockwise from top left: A water user in Bendemeer discussing their metering requirements; A Herd of cows being led to water; Oldschool irrigation.

New Telemetry technolgy allows near-real-time monitoring of water use.

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There are a range of support programs farmers can access around the purchasing of metering equipment, including instant tax write-offs, as well as the NSW and Commonwealth Government’s telemetry rebate of $975 for telemetry units.

Irrigation Australia has been ramping up its training and certification program for meter installers, with the number of meter installers growing from around 30 in 2018 to around 160 today, with another 40 undergoing training.

“Whether you use a little or a lot of water, every drop needs to be measured,” the DPE spokesperson says.

“If you can’t measure it and monitor it, you can’t manage it, which is why we’ve committed to rolling out a modern, transparent and consistent metering policy across NSW. “Metering also provides farmers and irrigators with vital, up-to-date information on their water usage.”

The Government has made changes to its water management regulations to give legal effect to its Floodplain Harvesting Policy.

The amended regulation has created an enforceable regulatory framework for floodplain harvesting which will allow accurate measurement of the amount of overland flow taken by licensed floodplain harvesting water users, and ensure it remains within sustainable limits.

Recent investments during the drought • $500 million strategy to secure Broken Hill’s water supplies, including construction of the pipeline from the Murray River.

• $39 million for the construction of Stage One of the 55km Dungowan pipeline from the Calala Water Treatment Plant to the New Dungowan Dam. • $47.4 million for a range of drought infrastructure projects to secure water supplies for Nyngan, Cobar, Warren, Narromine, Coonabarabran, Orange and Bathurst.

• $30 million for the expansion of the Dubbo bore field.

• $20 million to Lachlan Shire Council to construct a pipeline connecting bores to the Condobolin town water supply.

• $13 million for the construction of the pipeline from Glenbawn Dam to Murrurundi via Scone. The pipeline was completed in May 2020, securing Murrurundi’s supply.

• $8.25 million for the Walgett Weir and Fishway project and $1 million for an additional bore and a temporary reverse osmosis plant at Walgett.

“Our floodplain harvesting policy is an Australian first, allowing us to measure this historically legitimate form of water take and ensure it remains within the legal limits,” the spokesperson said.

“This reform offers significant benefits to both water users and the environment. By licensing floodplain harvesting and returning the water drawn from floodplains to legal limits, we are returning water to rivers and floodplains.

“Water is our most precious resource, and the NSW Government is ensuring northern basin water users, downstream communities and the environment continue to benefit from our river systems in a sustainable way.

“The reform will also provide certainty to farmers and communities who rely on floodplain flows.”

DELIVERY OF CRITICAL WATER PROJECTS

A key element in the upgrade of NSW’s water management and retention programme is Water Infrastructure NSW (WINSW)– an organisation established in November 2020 to lead the development and delivery of key water infrastructure projects and programs across the state.

Since its formation, Water Infrastructure NSW has secured around $500 million in Australian Government funding to accelerate the delivery of critical water projects.

Some key projects in planning or currently

IN THE PIPELINE

Water Infrastructure NSW has secured $500 million in funding to deliver critical water projects rapidly.

underway include, the Belubula Water Security Project, a new pipeline to transfer water between Lake Rowlands Dam to Carcoar Dam when storage is full or spilling to improve water security for the Belubula Valley, as well as the option to increase the height of the Lake Rowlands dam by 2.2 metres.

WINSW is also working on options to improve water security for the Macquarie-Wambuul and as part of this is investigating storage to replace the existing Gin Gin Weir near Dubbo which is now more than 120 years old and currently restricts native fish species from moving along the river.

One of the options being considered has the potential to hold an extra six gigalitres, and increase water availability by up to 17 gigalitres a year in the Macquarie-Wambuul region.

A significant amount of development work being carried out to progress the Wyangala Dam Wall Raising Project, which is expected to increase storage capacity from 1,217 gigalitres to 1,867 gigalitres and will significantly improve water security across the Lachlan Valley.

Construction has begun on the first stage of the new 55km underground Dungowan Dam Pipeline which will deliver greater water security to residents in Tamworth and the Peel Valley.

Stage one of the Dungowan pipeline construction is starting early February and is expected to take up to 18 months to complete. l MAR - APR 2022

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WHITE GOLD ACROSS THE DITCH New Zealand’s dairy industry is one of the richest in the world. But is it coming at a high price for the health of the country’s waterways?

–

Words IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER

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INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE DAIRY

T

he one-time target of crude across-the-ditch jokes for having 20 times more sheep than people, New Zealand now sees cows ruling the roost.

Driven by an insatiable Chinese demand, the value of New Zealand’s dairy exports has increased tenfold since 1990, reaching $17 billion last year – five times the value of Australia’s dairy exports in the same period. Dairy’s total contribution to the economy this financial year is expected to reach $44 billion, up from $34.5 billion in the previous year, according to projections by Fonterra, the country’s largest dairy cooperative.

The runaway success has made New Zealand the number one dairy exporter in the world and produced a class of farmers known as ‘gumboot millionaires’.

White gold has transformed New Zealand’s countryside, production techniques and economy, and spurred immigration.

More than 300,000 hectares of farming and forestry land have been transferred to dairy use, sending the median price of farmland to $32,400 per hectare.

Australia’s, by comparison, is $5,900. The country also boasts the world’s largest and most advanced dairy plants, including a spray dryer that can produce an astounding 30 tonnes of milk powder per hour.

“The knock-on impact of the boom in dairy is being felt from the expansion of trucking fleets down to the need for bigger and more efficient ships to dock at new ports,” Phil O’Reilly, CEO of lobby group Business NZ, told the UK’s Financial Times newspaper, adding that nearly every sector of the economy has profited from white gold.

EMISSIONS POLE VAULT

Ninety-five per cent of New Zealand’s dairy products are sold overseas. But the country still has to deal with 100 per cent of the environmental blowback that has put in peril the clean and green image of the country’s agriculture sector.

Cracks in the ceiling began appearing in 2013 when Dr Jan Wright – then New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment – released a report showing the dairy industry was causing widespread environmental carnage. “Our single biggest industry is the dairy industry. The environmental issue is largely at odds with that, and that’s a very big problem,” she warned.

Then, in 2017, an environmental performance review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found New Zealand’s agricultural growth model was approaching a tipping point: “Greenhouse gas emissions are increasing and the country’s biodiversity is under threat”. >

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INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE DAIRY

Between 1990 and 2018, New Zealand’s total industry and household carbon emissions rose 57 per cent, the second greatest increase of all industrialised countries, and increased by another 3.2 per cent in 2019. In 2020 emissions fell 4.5 per cent as a result of economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the upwards trend continued in 2021, hitting a record 4.8 per cent in the second quarter.

Agriculture was responsible for more than half of New Zealand’s total industry and household carbon emissions, according to Stats NZ, with most of that attributed to dairy, sheep and beef farming. And that figure is understated as it does not take into account emissions from transport, palm kernel imported for food, and coal power used to dehydrate milk into powder.

A FILM OF FACADE THE NITRATE BOTTOM LINE

While carbon emissions remain a theoretical problem for New Zealanders, the effect of dairy farming on the country’s waterways is in the spotlight now.

A 2020 government report shows that nearly 60 per cent of the length of the country’s rivers – rising to 95 per cent in farming, urban and non-native forested areas – are unsafe for swimming. Cow urine and faeces have played a part, along with over-extraction by irrigators, though nutrient run-off from fertilisers is claimed to be the primary offender.

“In just 40 years… we’ve more than doubled the stocking rates of dairy,” says Mike Joy, a freshwater ecologist at Victoria University of Wellington. “We’ve way more than doubled the amount of nitrate and pollution that’s lost from the systems.”

In response, the government slashed the DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen, the legal limit of nitrogen in the water) to 2.4mg/L, a figure that brings New Zealand in line with the European Union and China. But conservation groups are demanding it be slashed even further to 1mg/L. NZ DAIRY’S RED LINE

New Zealand also recently passed multi-partisan climate legislation. It set a net-zero target for carbon

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Hidden behind idyllic images of crystalline lakes and rivers is the fact that New Zealand’s freshwater is severely polluted.

dioxide emissions by 2050, and established a Climate Change Commission to map out a pathway to get there.

It found methane emissions could be reduced by a two-pronged approach. First, by reducing the size of the country’s cow population by 10 to 15 per cent. And second, by breeding animals that produce less methane.

DairyNZ is on the same page. “There is no silver bullet to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the context of the New Zealand farm system. Our farmers need to be supported by good policy, new technology and R&D, and a transitional approach as change on-farm takes time,” strategy and investment leader for responsible dairy David Burger told The Farmer.

The industry’s peak body is putting its money where its mouth is, investing $930,000 a year in emissions reduction research. Projects include the development of a vaccine that forms antibodies to attack methane-producing microbes that is theorised to reduce emissions by 30 per cent; the exploration of methanogen inhibitors like seaweed that has been shown in overseas trials to reduce methane by 20 per cent; research into selective breeding of low methane animals that could result in methane reduction of between 3 per cent and 8 per cent; and exploring the potential methane reduction from forages like plantains. “The aim is to find practical, cost-effective farmer-friendly solutions,” David says.

Australian dairy’s sustainability efforts The Australian dairy industry has developed an entire supply-chain sustainability framework, under the auspices of the Australian Dairy Industry Council, supported by Dairy Australia.

Since its launch in 2012, the framework has been continually reviewed to ensure it keeps pace with stakeholders, community and market expectations.

The Australian dairy industry’s sustainability promise is to provide nutritious food for a healthier world.

This promise is underpinned by four commitments: • Creating a vibrant industry that rewards dairy workers and their families, communities, business and investors • Providing nutritious, safe, quality dairy foods • Striving for best health, welfare and best care for our animals throughout their lives • Meeting the challenges of climate change and providing good stewardship of our natural resources

FO OD IS A MUST HAVE

Third-generation farmer John Sunckell believes New Zealand’s net-zero target for carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 is impossible to achieve.

But DairyNZ is at odds with the government’s nitrate bottom line and says attempts to slash it even further would have massive impacts on the industry.

“The new nitrate bottom-line of 2.4 mg/L corresponds to a 95 per cent protection level for aquatic organisms. This is already a very high nitrate threshold for modified landscapes and based on the current science, we believe reducing it further would not deliver better ecosystem health,” David says. “But what it would do is significantly constrain farming.”

The peak body, which is investing an additional $17 million every year into researching new ways to reduce water nutrient levels, also disagrees with the science behind the new law.

“We fundamentally disagree with the use of the DIN as a measure of ecosystem health because DIN concentrations are generally poor predictors of ecosystem health attributes,” David says. “There are other superior measures available such as Macroinvertebrate Community Index and focusing on DIN alone may miss other ecosystem attributes that are more meaningful for healthy waterways.

He adds: “Farmers know they need to be part of the solution. It’s about ensuring that we get the modelling and science underpinning emissions and water quality targets right. Both areas are incredibly complex.”

The dairy industry, and especially dairy farmers, understand the important role they play as stewards of our natural resources.

They actively contribute to our environmental goals around improving land management (including nutrient and effluent management), increasing water use efficiency, reducing GHG emissions intensity and reducing waste.

For more information on Australian dairy’s sustainability efforts, visit: https://www.dairy. com.au/sustainability/australian-dairysustainability-framework Source: Dairy Australia

Complexities aside, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to clean up the country’s rivers within a generation at the last election. But the nitrate bottom line is proving a tough nut to crack. Her government will need to revisit the issue this year and the impacts of their decision will have far-reaching consequences.

“It will impact all types of farming that support many other businesses and jobs in regional communities and New Zealand as a whole,” David says. “And it may result in many farmers being unable to keep farming, which would have a significant impact on these communities.

“At the end of the day, farmers in this country share the same goals as everyone else – to reduce our footprints, reduce our emissions, have healthy waterways, jobs and strong communities.” l MAR - APR 2022

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Five generations of Snows

The Snow family are fifth generation farmers who love a challenge – from the vagaries of the weather to rollercoaster livestock and commodity prices, their passion for farming has never waned. They are now ready to hand over the family property to the next generation.

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Words SUE WALLACE Photography RACHAEL LENEHAN

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COMMUNITY NEW GENERATIONS

“It’s been challenging at times for both of us but the key to multi-generational farming and succession planning is communication – both generations have to be prepared to listen and learn new ways.”

Jamie Snow, NSW Farmers Member

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“Lachie brought changes to our farming business with new technology and innovative ideas which was so good for us.”

Janie Snow

J

amie and Janie Snow are content knowing that their farm Dunraven is in good hands as it passes to the next generation at a time when farming is booming and has never seen such heady returns.

“I think previous generations would be very happy with the way things have worked out,” says Jamie, who was 16 when he moved to the family property at Woomargama near Albury with parents Peter and Annie and sister, Susan.

It’s where he’s worked for nearly 50 years coping with the challenges of farming, but he says he’s never once considered doing anything else. Farming is in his blood.

THE FIRST GENERATION

It all started with his grandfather Frank Snow – who owned Snows Menswear in Melbourne – moving to Ballarat in the 1900s and purchasing Elm Park at Jindera near Albury.

Next he moved to Cuppacumbalong near Tharwa (south of Canberra) and established the Cuppa Hereford Stud in 1932 which his son, Peter – known as PJ – inevitably took over.

The government resumed the Tharwa land in 1968 and the family went their own ways with Peter and Annie purchasing Dunraven from the Minister for Defence, David Fairbairn.

Jamie recalls PJ standing on a hill watching the creek run through the middle of Dunraven and declaring it’s a done deal because of the water.

“We bought 3,480 acres for $119.50 an acre in 1969,” Jamie says. “It was very balanced undulating land, 85 per cent arable with beautiful loam and red clay soils and underground water, but it was the creek that sealed the deal for dad. He didn’t even look at the homestead, he left that to mum.”

CURRENT DAY SNOWS

Today the Snows farm 2005 hectares at Dunraven and nearby Jillamatong which they purchased after the RTA acquired 283 hectares for the Hume Freeway expansion in 2009.

They crop 700 hectares of canola, wheat, barley and oats with the rest under pasture and annually trade from 2000 to 3000 steers, depending on the season.

Although the Cuppa Hereford Stud was disbanded in the mid 1990s in favour of commercial cattle operations, Jamie continued to judge at many Royal Agricultural Shows which he and Janie enjoyed.

But it’s now time for change, and Jamie, now 66, says he’s very proud the farming tradition will remain in the family.

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He’s enjoyed working with only son, Lachie, who has brought new technology and innovation to the business.

“It’s been challenging at times for both of us but the key to multi-generational farming and succession planning is communication, he says.

“Both generations have to be prepared to listen and learn new ways. We are looking forward to our next move.

We have had a fantastic journey and had great employees over the years, but it’s time to move on. Although we won’t be far away.”

JANIE FROM BARRINGTON TOPS

Mustering on horseback with her father and four siblings was a way of life for Janie Snow, who grew up on an isolated farm in Barrington Tops.

“Our life was all about horses, cattle and farming and mum took care of our education via correspondence before we went to boarding school,” Janie says.

“I loved every minute of it, and we spent our holidays working on the farm and often helping on our Queensland property.”

After marrying Jamie and moving to Woomargama, Janie worked as a preschool director and helping on the property, where decision making was a team effort.

Their children, Lachlan 37, Penny 34, and Katie 30, loved farm life and riding horses and motorbikes.

“Now, I love watching our grandchildren learning valuable lessons and getting their hands dirty – you learn a lot of common sense in the country,” she says.

Janie says it was no surprise when Lachie wanted to return to the family farm.

“Lachie brought changes to our farming business with new technology and innovative ideas which was so good for us,” she says.

“I love to see Lachie’s commitment to farming. There’s a tenacity about him – a passion and enthusiasm and we are so pleased to see the continuation of Dunraven.

“For years I watched sons who wanted to return to farming unable to because it wasn’t viable, but things have turned around and it’s great to see younger generations returning.”

A passionate gardener, Janie has built on the work of Annie Snow, who created a magnificent garden around the sprawling 70-square homestead built by the Fairbairns.

For years the garden was part of the Open Garden Scheme that raised money for charity.

Although a little sad to leave the garden with 500 plants and 250 roses, Janie is excited about moving to a smaller property near Albury, where she is already working on the garden. >

COMMUNITY NEW GENERATIONS

The Dunraven homestead was originally purchased for $119.50 an acre.

LEFT: Seven year-old Jimmy Snow out in the paddocks with his Grandfather and mentor, Jamie Snow.

ABOVE:

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COMMUNITY NEW GENERATIONS

“I am very excited about the future of agriculture and extremely grateful for the trust my parents and sisters have in me.”

Lachie Snow

“We have so many wonderful memories of special family times at Dunraven with Penny and partner Scott Marshall and their baby son Edward and the recent wedding of Katie and husband Geoff Hunt – even six inches of rain didn’t dampen the celebrations – but it is time for the next journey,” says Janie.

THE NEXT GENERATION

While excited about taking over the family property and continuing the farming tradition, Lachie Snow is prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.

“We feel very fortunate to be given this opportunity,” says Lachie, who spent three years at Brunette Downs Station in the Northern Territory and one year at Marcus Oldham College.

“I think the years at Brunette prepared me for taking on the management and I learnt a lot about the financial side at Marcus, so it was great preparation.”

As head stockman in his final year at Brunette, Lachie was tempted to stay on but came home for 12 months before going to Marcus. He then took a job as an assistant manager at Inverell on a cattle trading and cropping operation before returning to Dunraven in 2009.

“It was a difficult time, dad had been dealing with the RTA for six years and we had had a few dry seasons, but when it was settled, we were in a position to expand and purchased the property Jillamatong, eight kilometres from Dunraven,” he says.

“We saw it as an opportunity to expand the business which allowed us to increase the cropping area and run more cattle numbers. We graze cattle on the grazing crops – canola, wheat, barley and grass seeds – which has allowed us to increase livestock

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numbers through the winter months and that allows our pasture country to recover.”

Lachie says the challenges include the high cost of land and production prices which make it difficult to expand.

“Land prices are so high, and that has encouraged us to look at ways to increase our income by utilising high performance pastures and looking at different grazing crops to increase cattle production.”

Two programs that prepared them for taking the business to the next level include Edge Management that works to create a more profitable and sustainable business and Agripath Benchmarking which looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the business from year to year.

“I am very excited about the future of agriculture and extremely grateful for the trust my parents and sisters have in me,” he says.

A CREATIVE SNOW

Country life is something Jacqui Snow has always been passionate about. She grew up with her younger brother on a mixed farm at Booroorban between Deniliquin and Hay. “I always hoped I would end up living in the country – it’s such a great place to raise children,” says Jacqui, who met Lachie at a ball in Albury and they now have three children, Jimmy, 7, Poppy 5 and Sybil, 9 months.

The family is set to move into the Dunraven homestead in April.

Jacqui says she is very grateful the family has embraced multi-generational farming at Dunraven.

“It is so special to be keeping the farming tradition in the family and I hope we can do the same for our children one day,” she says.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to be the next generation of Snows to live at Dunraven and I will have big shoes to fill to keep the garden as spectacular as Annie and Janie have for the past 50 years.”

Jacqui, 37, who has always been creative, established her flower business SnowBloom in early 2019.

“I always loved arranging flowers and a friend asked me to do a few bunches for the Booroorban market and they sold quickly, then I did some wedding posies for another friend, and it just grew from there,” she says.

“I enjoy doing smaller weddings and special orders and use home grown flowers where possible – Lachie is a great support and has encouraged me in the off-farm venture.”

THE YOUNGEST GENERATION

Ask Jimmy Snow what he wants to be when he grows up and he doesn’t hesitate. “I want to be a farmer, just like my dad,” says Jimmy, aged seven, who loves mustering and riding his motor bike.

He attends Holbrook Public School, and according to his parents. is obsessed with all things farming.

“He loves helping with cattle and the cropping and has an amazing memory when it comes to everything farming,” Lachie says. “We can be driving along, and he will say something like: ‘That farmer has left the lid off the field bin’. He is farming mad.”

Jimmy also shares a love of fishing with his dad and grandfather.

Poppy 5, who has just started school, says she loves living on a farm and helping out in the cattle yards, while Sybil, aged 9 months, loves watching all the action. l

MARKETPLACE

The saleyards From swags to sunnies, we’ve rounded up some awesome Aussie-made products.

Compiled by MICHELLE HESPE

SLEEP UNDER THE STARS

For a quality, traditional Australian swag, head to Murchison River Swags & Bags. Each heavy-duty product is handmade with care by a husband-and-wife team in Geraldton, WA using local materials. From $630. murchisonriverswags.com

ART YOU CAN WEAR

Magpie Goose is an Aboriginalowned business that partners with Aboriginal artists to create beautiful clothing for adults and kids. With bold, unique designs, they tell stories of people, place and culture. Neon Reef collection, $89-$279. magpiegoose.com

SALT OF THE EARTH

From regional Victoria, Saltbush Kitchen showcases native ingredients in their stunning range of salts, rubs and premium Australian spices, designed to compliment every cook’s kitchen. This trio of spice rubs is $29.90. saltbushkitchen.com.au

BREW IT BETTER

Proudly Aboriginal-owned, Sobah is Australia’s first non-alcoholic craft beer company. Infused with native ingredients and with a crisp, light taste, these beers will be sure to quench your thirst – without the headache. A 4-pack is $18. sobah.com.au

GIFTS FROM THE HEART

The Murrays, the family behind Buttonworks Australia, craft beautiful timber puzzles, homewares and gifts in a range of sustainably sourced Australian timbers. These botanical coasters are $33. buttonworks.com.au

FIRE IT UP

BE A GOOD CITIZEN

Good Citizens are aiming to “untrash the planet” with their 100% recycled sunglasses.

Each pair is made from exactly one recycled plastic bottle. From $99. goodcitizens.com.au

Alton Goods creates high-quality, lightweight and practical adventure gear to withstand the rugged Australian terrain. You’ll be sure to cook up a storm over any campfire on your next trip!

The Ultralight Grill Set is $122.98. altongoods.com

BOMBS AWAY

Mallee Belle’s botanical soaps and bath bombs look good enough to eat! All products are handmade in the South Australian Coorong, and feature local ingredients, sustainable packaging and gentle formulas. $5.95-$45.95. malleebelle.com.au

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COMMUNITY MEET A MEMBER

Name: Cassie Sutcliffe Farm Name: Churchill Park Branch: Hume Years as a Member: One

Why am I a Small Farms Member?

Happy hens help to produce a rising star A flock of happy hens has helped Small Farms Member Cassie Sutcliffe crack the goal of being a business owner and a farmer.

WORDS MICHAEL BURT

C

assie and Ryan Sutcliffe’s Happy Hens live in three purpose-built chicken caravans on their eighthectare farm – Churchill Park at Jindera – 15 minutes’ drive from Albury-Wodonga.

The thousand or so hens share the farm with some Highland cattle, some overly excited Border Collies, and a couple of lazy cats. They are free to roam as they please throughout the day and enjoy the comfort and safety of their chicken caravan stay at night.

Their free-range eggs are sold to local butchers, cafés and retail outlets in AlburyWodonga and surrounding towns and villages, with the apt branding of Happy Hens Eggs.

“We started off in 2018 with Plymouth Rocks and Araucanas, which produced coloured eggs and inspired the pink branding. We needed a point of difference at the time as there were a few other freerange egg farms about,” Cassie says.

“The coloured eggs were great for engagement with our customers, but we soon found that we could not keep up

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with demand and needed more regular production. Hence the move to Isa Browns and Hy-Lines, which lay every day.

“We’ve retained the pink branding though as it has proven popular with our customers.”

Ryan and Cassie are both born and bred locals to the Albury-Wodonga region with strong farming backgrounds.

Ryan works off-farm as a grain store manager, while Cassie has left her career as a veterinary nurse to be a full-time farmer, business owner and mum to four-year-old Elouise and 18-month-old Hugh.

“I still help out at a local vet if they need me, but I wanted to be a business owner and farmer. To take that leap, it needed to be a farm with a regular weekly income.

“Dan Brear (NSW Farmers Regional Services Manager) was buying our eggs and introduced me to NSW Farmers and explained what it was all about. Our small business has been so well supported, and we like to give something back. We are both passionate about agriculture and I am passionate about inspiring young women to get into agriculture, so joining the local NSW Farmers branch was the right choice.”

“My father is a fencing contractor and was working on a free-range chicken farm.

He rang me and said you have got to come and check this out. I did and I thought ‘I can do that’, even though I had never had much to do with chickens.”

The social media savvy 30-year-old has used novel concepts to increase brand awareness through Facebook and Instagram, including styling Elouise as the CEO and Hugh as the apprentice.

“It has really helped with connecting with our customers. Our CEO loves her hens, and the apprentice is learning. They are good at promoting the local businesses we supply, and people are always asking how the CEO and apprentice going.”

Two Highland cattle steers – Hamish and Douglas – are the latest additions to the Happy Hens Eggs social media marketing arm.

“They’ve been a great marketing tool for Happy Hens Eggs. Posting images of them on Instagram gets lots of engagement and has helped to build up our following,” says Cassie. l

Cassie has been selected as one of 12 local business Rising Stars for the Cancer Council’s Stars of the Border dance competition – a local spin on the Dancing With the Stars TV show. Cassie will join 11 other business and local community leaders to learn to dance in eight weeks with talented dance teachers. Their new dance skills will then be put on show on May 2022 at the Albury Entertainment Centre.

Money raised from this event will go towards Cancer Council NSW and their worldclass cancer research, prevention programs, advocacy, and support services.

COMMUNITY FARM DOGS

Meet Forrest-amore, Conquistadore Hailing from Bathurst, Forrest is no Wolfhound. But what he lacks in size he makes up for with puppy dog eyes and fierce loyalty.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY DARCY WATT

REAL NAME AND NICKNAMES

IS THERE SOMETHING THAT DRIVES

Forrest is my real name but sometimes they call me Forrest-amore Conquistadore – the greatest of them all.

YOUR PARENTS MAD?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO ON THE FARM?

Sniff around in the sheds for mice!

I was catching so many last year, then they all disappeared after the rain. I’m not sure what happened to them but I want them to come back.

HAVE YOU EVER DONE SOMETHING REALLY NAUGHTY?

I don’t like to talk about this often. I was just a puppy. But the neighbours’ chickens came over to play with me in my yard, and that’s all it started as, I swear!

My Mum told me my only bad habit is when I whine. I wait outside of the sliding doors usually around 5PM and I don’t start crying until 5:05PM just for a little reminder it’s my dinner time.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANOTHER ANIMAL AS A FRIEND, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

The new chickens next door. Dad told me I’m not allowed to play with them after what happened as a puppy. But I give them a bark to say hi every now and then! I think they say hi back when they flap their wings quickly and squawk.

FAVOURITE TOY OR THING TO PLAY WITH?

WHAT IS YOUR WORST HABIT?

I like to play dead in the morning.

Sometimes I keep it going long enough to really trick my parents and they always fall for it. When they’re least expecting it, BAM!…

I’m up and ready.

Shorty, my girlfriend. She’s a Patterdale Terrier and she’s just the feistiest thing. When we run around together, she nips at my ankles and snarls because I always beat her in our races.

WHAT DOES EVERYONE LOVE

WHAT IS YOUR

ABOUT YOU?

FAVOURITE FOOD?

I listen and I’m loyal. I would protect my family at all costs, and I come to my name. They always seem impressed by that one…

Well sometimes fresh kangaroo gets delivered on the side of the road out the front of my property. I like to sneak over and enjoy that before I start work in the morning. But it has to be ripe.

IF YOU BECAME FAMOUS FOR ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

That would have to be because of my Mum, FiFi. She was famous in the Central West for always catching big pigs around the farm with Dad. I have big paws to fill!

ANY LAST WORDS?

No, I’m not a Wolfhound. I’m a Stumpy-tail cattle dog crossed with Ridgeback. Maybe a few other bits in there – we really aren’t sure.

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JOIN US

Produce & products

Biodiversity schemes

White gold across the ditch

Farming Innovations

Strengthening our supply chains

Farmers taking care of the land

A dive into NZ’s dairy industry

A big new era in ag trends

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MAR – APR 2021 / $ 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.

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Handing over the reigns Meet the new generation of the Snows from Woomargama

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.

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