Australian Farmers has been a wonderful vessel to share farmers’ stories since 2016. But after a decade, it’s time to turn a new leaf.

We still have the same purpose – sharing stories from paddock to plate. But, we’ll be doing it under the National Agriculture Day and National Farmers’ Federation banners instead.

We’re so grateful for your support of Australian Farmers, and we hope you’ll keep sharing your enthusiasm for Aussie ag in the future.

National Agriculture Day

National Ag Day is already a huge celebration, but we want to expand our horizons even more.

We’ve got big dreams for National Agriculture Day.

Although National Ag Day culminates in a special day in November (this year it’s Friday, November 21), we’re now going to tell its stories all year round.

Our monthly newsletter will now fall under the National Ag Day umbrella.

We want everyone who eats, drinks, and wears Australian produce to celebrate its amazing journey all the time.

National Farmers’ Federation

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is the peak national body representing farmers, and was the birthplace of Australian Farmers.

The NFF’s social media accounts will now be the go-to place to keep up with life on the land.

Check out NFF’s Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Thank you

Thank you for your support of Australian Farmers over the last decade.

Every story click, conversation, comment, share, and email has meant so much.

So, it’s just as well this isn’t goodbye – it’s see you soon on a different channel!

The post Change has sprung at Australian Farmers appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

What it lacks in size, this farm gains in heart. It all comes down to forging a very deliberate and considered impact on the agriculture industry. A place to talk, research, demonstrate and showcase different methods. This working property on the Southern Tablelands of NSW has an open door agri-tourism venture bringing this little biodynamic business to a much broader audience.

Murray Prior of Nguurruu Farm says the name was gifted to them by the local indigenous people, and the word means ‘camp’.

“The inspiration for it was from the early settler diaries that talked about the nighttime, when the whole landscape was twinkling with fires from camps of Indigenous people,” Murray explains.

Nguurruu is a little pocket of 220-acres north of Gundaroo. In addition to making a living from producing cattle and agri-tourism, Murray says there’s a big focus on land care.

“We fell into all of this as a result of me feeling a bit unfulfilled in my professional life.”

I was spending too many weekends away from my family.

Murray sought guidance from well-known regenerative farmer Charles Massy who helped him learn to run a farm for the first time.

“He helped us form a master plan, essentially for people who’ve never farmed before, to grapple with how to do it in a way that can be fulfilling for the family, can be economically worthwhile but also without flogging country.” One of the first things Murray did following that chat was to invite local Indigenous people onto the farm.

Bringing First Nations culture onto the farm and allowing that to flourish is obviously good for them, but we get so much from it.

That doesn’t mean to say it’s all been easy. Murray describes the land as undulating and having issues with water drainage after heavy rain, as well as fertility and over-clearing challenges. First Nations cool burn fire management has helped tremendously. Murray’s also building up the land’s fertility using biodynamics.

But to pay the bills, he produces rare breed cattle, Belted Galloways, as registered stud stock.

“Which means, that we’re selling 100% full bloodline cattle, mostly as live animals to other farms who have their own studs.”

“That means, we can run a small business that achieves a premium price, certainly over trade in cattle yards.”

It’s not lost on Murray that it also fits perfectly with the agritourism side of things, because everyone loves looking at cute cows.

The accommodation is called The Barn, a converted stable that has been architecturally designed as a boutique farm-stay.

“If you think about a farm as an opportunity to have a range of enterprises, it can more easily suit a landscape where you’re trying to have a focus on land care at the same time.”

Murray says most of his customers come from Sydney, but what’s surprised him is the wonderful conversations that are coming from the visitors.

“People want to know more about their food, wanting to get closer to the source of their food.”

Murray’s most unexpected take away since moving to the country, is the realisation that he’s just passing through.

“I guess it’s a shift from land ownership to land custodianship. And it kind of changes you.”

That knowledge informs much of what Murray does on the farm, and leads back to the name of the property, Nguurruu, the camp. As he welcomes visitors to come to the camp and learn.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

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If you’re a dog lover, you’d be no stranger to the impressive intelligence, agility and loyalty of working dogs. But these special animals gained a whole new fan club with the hit TV series Muster Dogs. One of the viewer favourites was pup ‘Gossip’, owned by Teesh Grey from Pilbara Working Dogs. Teesh is the first to admit, there is a lot to breeding these amazing canines that are so highly sought after on farms – that some are worth a small fortune. Happily, for those of us who don’t own one, she also photographs life on her station for us all to enjoy.

Teesh moved to the outback property when she was just 5 years old. While it was a traditional working farm, dogs never featured heavily in their operation. Teesh had the opportunity to do an advanced livestock and working dogs course in 2013 and hasn’t looked back since. She put together a team, which at times can be up to 20 dogs in her care.

Perhaps the most famous of them all is, Gossip, who had a starring role in Muster Dogs. “It was a lot of fun. How it’s been embraced by Australia has been amazing. She’s a celebrity and I’m the supporting act,” Teesh laughs. Gossip enjoys meeting new people, doing stock-work and has a huge personality.

“Gossip is still gossiping!

It has shone a light on the working dog industry as a whole. “I would not be on a property now without dogs. What they can contribute – helping with the mindset of the stock and replacing several staff. It’s massive. It’s also good on a mental health side because you always have a mate there,” Teesh shares.

The Australian record for the sale of a working dog is $49 000, sold in the NSW Central Tablelands. The vast majority are not worth anywhere near that, making them very cheap employees, if you put the time into training.

They love going to work. They get very upset if you leave them behind.

“You can’t teach a child to write an essay, if you’ve never taught them to spell. So, you do need to help them learn the basics and then get their natural instinct to come through,” Teesh cautions.

On farms around Australia, you’ll usually see Kelpies or Border Collies on the team. Teesh is team Kelpie all the way. “There’s just this draw to me. They both do the same job but it’s how they think and their independence,” she explains.

Teesh runs all the dogs every morning and night, and on a daily basis selects a smaller team to work on the farm for the day. The dogs are selected based on their skill set for the given day with jobs ranging from clearing a yard, to doing a meal run, checking water and moving cattle. She always has a dog or two with her, no matter the job.

When Teesh isn’t working the farm or dogs, she’s taking beautiful photos. It started with a smartphone to show-off what the dogs can do and has grown into a professional side-hustle with prints available for sale.

The Pilbara is harsh but beautiful.

If Teesh is a little quiet on the dog content on social media currently, it’s because she’s busy raising a little human baby as well as her dogs. Safe to say, it’s cuteness overload at Pilbara Working Dogs.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

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The humble orange finds its way into most fruit bowls at some stage during the year. We know it’s a powerhouse for immune boosting Vitamin C. But there’s so much more to citrus than many of us know. What better way to find out than with a farmer who grows 14 different varieties. And for a fruit that is usually purchased for its flesh, not its skin, why then is preventing blemishes such a big investment?

Michael Arnold from South Australia’s Pyap Produce wasn’t always a citrus guru. The family background is in dairy. “This block came up. It was rundown but it was fairly sizeable and it had a fair bit of water with some existing citrus plantings. Dad saw the opportunity, bit the bullet and had three young sons who were fit and ready to go,” Michael recalls. That was 20 years ago. The family currently grows 7 types of oranges, 5 varieties of mandarins and 2 lemon varieties.

We do have a lot of balls up in the air.

Depth in the orchard affords the farm a longer growing season and diversification of income streams. It also offers some more boutique options to consumers. New varieties offer a range of colours from pink to deep red. “Compared to corporate growers, we’re not that big, so we need a point of difference. The climate near South Australia’s Loxton lends itself to beautiful citrus. “We need really cold nights and warm days. That fluctuation helps them stress and that’s why it turns the ruby gene on. We seem to have a good spot here in the Riverland for those blood oranges.”

It’s an advantage. It’s a niche. We can do it better than nearly anyone in Australia.

Pyap Produce is producing about 3000 tonnes of fruit a year. As well as Vitamin C, they are rich in other antioxidants like Lycopene and flavonoids. “It’s a real selling point. People are starting to realise that food is medicine, as much as pharmaceuticals,” says Michael.

Most of those nutrients are consumed by eating citrus flesh. On occasion, consumers may use some rind in cooking but it’s not the primary reason for purchasing citrus. Interestingly, the Arnold family has invested heavily in measure to protect their fruit from blemishes. “That’s what pays the bills. Our fruit might normally be worth $1.50 per kilo. With a blemish, maybe 30 or 40 cents.” To get around that, the business has invested in 6-metre-high nets to cover the orchard, protecting it from hail damage and occasional pests. They were among the first citrus growers in South Australia to make the investment.

We’re just blown away with how clean the fruit looks.

In addition to the aesthetics, Michael has noticed higher yields and bigger fruit, believed to be because the trees are hugging under the canopy. “It does bump the profits up a lot,” he explains. The truth though is a blemished piece of citrus has no bearing whatsoever on the quality or taste of the flesh.

People buy with their eye. First appearances last.

Citrus is also hand-picked and it’s quite an artform. Oranges have to be twisted gently enough to keep the calyx intact, while mandarins are cut with clippers. “Super time consuming. So, again if the fruit is small, you need to pick twice as many. It just slows things down.”

Pyap Produce are conventional growers – not organic or biodynamic. But Michael believes consumers overestimate how much pesticides and weedicides are used. “We watch what the good bugs and bad bugs are doing and only spray if we need to, if it’s out of control. If we did have to use a control, it is so specialised and targeted with the softest agent possible.”

They do residue testing on the fruit so if you did have to use some sort of agent, it would be tested to make sure it’s not present at harvest.

So, what’s the best way to enjoy an orange? Michael, says you can’t go past picking it fresh, peeling it, and eating it on the spot. But for those up for something different, he says some customers swear by eating them in the shower, so the steam unlocks the citrus oils. He’s also partial to peeling one and throwing it in the blender with a scoop of protein powder for a quick meal.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

The post Citrus for Days appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Victoria’s Strathbogie Ranges offer a rugged landscape, breathtaking views and an unforgiving climate. It’s a backdrop that has resulted in award-winning wine. Fowles Wine aims to farm with the utmost respect for the natural environment. It’s a commitment that has transplanted the owner from a chance to work as a New York lawyer to an expert in cold-climate wine, 90 minutes outside Melbourne.

Matt Fowles does have a family history in farming, but like so many others, over successive generations, the land was whittled down. That meant Matt grew up in the city and chose to study commercial law. “We dreamed of going to London or New York like a lot of professional couples might. But really, with mum and dad as sheep farmers, I was very focussed on trying to find a way into ag,” he explains.

He found a winery that had gone broke and called his wife to see if they could ditch the big international city plans and move to Avenel. “She was like, ‘What? Where?’. Avenel isn’t London or New York. It was a population of about 700 people at the time. And frankly, I think it’s a lot better than either. As it turns out, the legal training has helped the business and his wife’s background as a graphic designer is making for some spectacular wine labels.

This was the first foray into wine for me. I happen to love wine. It’s a genuine passion.

Rest assured, the vineyard is no longer broke, but Matt says Mother Nature
tormented them for the first few years. Between drought, smoke and record heat, the challenges were coming thick and fast. “I remember having a conversation with my wife saying, ‘Darling, I think I’ve buggered it up’. We were looking at basically very empty dams and the product was difficult to sell,” Matt shares.

Then came the vintage of 2010. Matt describes it as – The Vintage from Heaven. “It was the most, still probably my favourite vintage.” Thankfully, Matt has a healthy respect for nature, and it shows in the way the farm is managed. The climate has helped immensely with the prevention of disease, thanks to very little frost and a constant breeze.

“The advocacy side of things is definitely something that I’ve been surrounded with growing up.”

Breeze strips moisture. Moisture is the vector of disease. So, we don’t have a lot of disease pressure.

Bees are also a feature on the farm, which help with pollination. There are insectariums that also house pollinator and predator insects, to foster balance. Perhaps what Fowles is best known for, is their microbats. These insect-eating bats can be as small as a thumbnail, and it’s hoped will have a significant impact on reducing predatory moths. “If we can get that going across the industry, there’s the potential to save $50 million dollars a year in spray.” The bats can consume 30 to 100% of their body weight a day, that could be up to a kilo each day.

“It’s very exciting research and we are right at the front edge.”

One of Matt’s mantras is to, farm in nature’s image, and their recent vintage Fieldsong certainly does that. “It’s like the bees. They fly around and forage all sorts of different flowers, then they come back to the hive and make honey. Fieldsong is a bit like that,” he explains. “We go out, graze all the different grape varieties from red to white and blend them. It’s called a field blend.”

Visitors are welcome to sample the wines and some local produce at the farm restaurant which is proud of its zero food waste philosophy whereby chickens eat the scraps, and the eggs are available for guests to collect. “It’s nice to sort of close the loop, if you like.”

Matt says, the most common misconception about working in wine, is that everyone thinks he swans around drinking it all day. He confirms, it’s actually very hard work, but he certainly encourages all his customers to do as much swanning as they see fit!

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

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Public phones provide a crucial connection to the outside world.

Two small towns in New South Wales and Queensland are now waiting for a call – to see if their public phones will become a nationally-recognised icon.

Doomadgee dial

More than 1000 kilometres from the nearest major city, Doomadgee is about as remote as it gets.

The Far North Queensland town is very fond of their public phone on Goodeedawa Road.

Over the past year, the phone box has facilitated around 1400 calls – roughly one for every person in town.

The phone box isn’t just well-loved, it’s well made too.

It’s been built to withstand the extremes of the wet and dry seasons, when the internal phone booth temperature can swelter near 60°C.

Narooma in natural disaster

The coastal New South Wales town of Narooma was battered by the brutal bushfires of 2020.

The public phone on the Princess Highway became a makeshift community hub, as power and mobile signal dropped in and out.

Over a two-month period, nearly 1000 outgoing calls were made from the phone box.

Locals queued for long periods, desperate to share with their loved ones they were safe.

Historian Dr Naomi Parry Duncan was on the South Coast when the bushfires hit.

“There was no mobile coverage, or power, or internet, or ways to get cash or coins,” Dr Duncan said.

“When we heard Telstra had made the payphones free, people queued for hours to contact the outside world.”

Dr Duncan is now writing the heritage listing submissions for consideration by the National Trust of Australia.

“Telstra public phones remain a critical means of connection across the country.”

“Even in the age of the smartphone, the iconic silhouette stands as a beacon of connection – often for those most in need,” Dr Duncan said.

Story search

Telstra is encouraging Aussies to give them a buzz and share their phone box stories.

You can call 1800 007 403, dial #STORY from any Telstra public phone, or visit here.

The post Life line for life on the land appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

As a fifth-generation grain grower from north-east Victoria, James Russell has a lot of hands-on experience. Despite that, furthering his formal education has helped him take his farm and career to the next level. He’s recently finished a dual degree in agribusiness and farm management and even briefly ventured into the corporate banking sector. As the worlds of farming and banking collide, James has plenty of insights. He uses his skills to advocate for other growers. Whilst his own operation is a shining light of successful succession planning with a sister-business to the on-farm income, in the form of seed cleaning.

James Russell from Lilliput Ag describes the family property as very flat, with just one hill, that affords the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The farm is a special place for James, being where he was born and raised.

“My mum said that I was about two years old when she lost me, because that’s when I found out dad was the one who drove the tractors,” he laughs.

From that day on, I wanted to spend every waking minute with Dad out on the farm.

Instead of allowing James to return to the farm straight after school, his parents encouraged him to go to university. The family wanted him to question everything they thought they knew and in doing so, explore better ways of achieving the same outcome.

“It allows me to give more value to my family business.”

Finance and farming collide

Something he didn’t think was on the cards, was a stint in corporate finance. But James found himself taking a job assisting farmers with financial advice.

“Rocking up to a job every day in an ironed shirt and pants was definitely something I wasn’t expecting.”

As James grew older his interest in farming became more analytical. He’d ask ‘why’ a lot as a child.  As an adult, he’s still asking all those questions. He’s recently graduated in the Australian Grain Leaders Program which built connections in the industry and helped him support others in finding opportunities, even if they don’t come from farming. That involved exploring the ideas of leasing, contracting and share farming. All important facets in the modern-look agriculture sector.

After his short sting in finance, James is now fulltime on the farm and in his element. Although he still finds time to use his knowledge to support others as a member of the National Farmers Federation and work with Grain Growers.

“The advocacy side of things is definitely something that I’ve been surrounded with growing up.”

Those dinner table conversations were quite often based on where the industry is at, rather than at a farm level.”

The day job at Lilliput Ag is very much a mixed enterprise with another arm to the business focused on seed cleaning, which was launched as part of the family’s impressive succession planning.

“They run as sister businesses now, and that was simply for the ease running two separate businesses alongside each other.”

The family decided instead of splitting the farm assets, the best thing to do was to create another opportunity.

My family’s succession planning is definitely something that is widely talked about. That is an enormous testament to my grandfather.

While the Russell family has been generous talking about that part of their business, they have also inadvertently become very open to conversations with activists. Having a shearing shed close to town has lead to some unwanted attention.

“For me, it comes from potentially a lack of understanding. We do certain practices simply because they are required,” he explains.

Having sheep with 15 kgs of wool on them on a 40-degree day is inhumane. We need to manage livestock as best we can. I’d love people to know that’s animal welfare.

James’ solution to this is to stay active and engaged in the community. They do this through involvement in the local sports clubs and civic groups. That’s all part of James’ long-term plan to challenge the status quo. In doing so, he’s open to change, whether it be using less synthetic fertiliser, or improving sustainability where possible. Ultimately, as the fifth generation he wants to make the environment better and his family proud.

And on a personal note, there are plans in the future to build a home atop that one hill and spend a little time enjoying the view.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

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Macadamia farming is their day job – saving Koalas is their passion. In a pocket of Northern NSW just west of Byron Bay, there is a healthy crop of trees producing delicious macadamia nuts on a commercial sale.

But there’s another forest on the same farm – and there – eucalyptus is king. And Koalas are loving it. The Viola family is part of a growing trend that’s seeing farmers dedicate some land to saving our adored marsupial.

Dale Viola’s husband is the farmer, she’s the wildlife warrior. It’s a partnership that works on their property. The couple decided to clear a steep block on the farm to plant eucalyptus trees. It was a departure from the way things had been done before. The Viola family was pioneering in the area, becoming the first to grow native bush nuts. Those trees are still on the farm to this day. However, their biggest success story is macadamia nuts, turning small market stalls into a commercial business.

Koalas climb on board

The koalas came later, when Dale’s son spotted one in 2003. The history of the area is that eucalyptus were planted as windbreaks on macadamia farms, which in turn brought the koalas to the area.

“Now they are here, we have a duty of care to continue to look after them.”

Dale has been supported by the World Wildlife Fund, who supplied the trees, and Bangalow Koalas, who facilitated the project and are maintaining the plantation. The trees took off, and to everyone’s surprise, became home to koalas, even when the trees were in their infancy. Bangalow Koalas has an aim to plant 500 000 trees by the end of 2025, with the tally already above 420 000.

“It’s my passion. I’m sure my children will think I’m a bit crazy. That’s fine. My husband probably does too!”

To achieve that goal, Dale wants to bring other farmers on board. “If they’ve got any land they can set aside that’s not useful for their farming, or even a corridor on the edge of the property, which can try and link up other habitat areas,” Dale explains.

You don’t have to set aside a good patch of land. It can be just something that’s not good for anything else. Steep hills are perfect for that.

Dale has observed tagged koalas that have travelled 4 or 5 kilometres through these corridors.

“If you read the tag number, you can recognise where they were originally rescued, treated and released again.”

She’s found older koalas, younger koalas, koalas that had been hit by a car and are now thriving, and she has personally saved others from chlamydia and urinary tract infections.

She says the most resistance to this work is the fear the plantations increase the fire risk, which she gets around by planting in strategic areas.

“The gullies, the ridges, the slopes is where you plant your koala food trees.”

“Every tiny bit. Every tree counts.”

The future of both the farm and the koalas is uncertain with none of the Viola’s five children wanting to continue the family legacy.

“The children have all gone their own ways. My husband and brother still work the farm. I do all the book work for the business. The rest is up in the air. We don’t really know where it’s going to go,” Dale shares.

She also says the macadamia industry is not in great shape. “We just keep going day by day. We don’t look that far ahead.”

Dale wants her grandchildren to know the joy of looking up and seeing koalas. And that’s enough to keep her inspired for now.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

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It’s one thing to love feeding people – it’s another entirely to care so much about what they eat, that you grow the produce yourself.

Such was her passion for food, that’s exactly what the owner of beloved Thai restaurant Chat Thai has done. It’s changed the ethos of the business, which first opened in Sydney in 1989. Today, there are five eateries, and if you dine at one of those venues, you might be lucky enough to taste the gorgeous organic produce farmed in the Byron Bay hinterland.

To learn more about her desire to feed her own family and her customers with food grown with care, Palisa Anderson of Boon Luck Farm shares her story.

Palisa’s mother started the Chat Thai business, but the family certainly did it tough, working long hours, often living in small confines. As a result, Palisa was always drawn to open spaces and gardens.

“As soon as I’d come home from school, I’d throw my bag in the house and I’d be out there talking to my chrysanthemum,” she laughs.

Palisa often helped her mum pick herbs and learnt how to store them properly. It wasn’t until she was in her late 20s that she came back to join the family business, after living abroad, but she says, once you grow up in that world, it never truly leaves you.

It’s a rabbit hole. Love drives you there first. Then, it’s the constant curiosity of refining your practice.

Feeding the world

The restaurateur turned farmer is driven to grow sustainable food that is good for the soil, and a nutritional powerhouse for her family and customers.

“This whole misconception about how we feed our population on earth if we don’t farm in big ag ways. I believe that’s a misconception,” she shares.

Palisa admits the work is physically demanding. Just before this interview she describes being covered in sweat, down to her socks. That is a challenge, as is the mental load. But in her opinion, that’s what makes it so rewarding and meaningful.

You need to be strong. You need such grit and backbone.

Growing their own produce has really elevated the Chat Thai restaurants. Palisa and her children choose to eat there a lot, and she’s proud of that.

“I see it being plated and there is such a grounded sense of – I grew that, we grew that.”

“I have found meaning in the process. It’s what drives us. It’s really our why.”

Growing their own ingredients has also opened access to specialty Asian vegetable varieties. Boon Luck Farm is proud to produce, spray-free, sustainable, no-till produce.

She’s faced weather extremes and weed explosions but has stuck with her preferred methods. It’s taken many seasons of adding organic matter, planting perennials, along with inter-rows and layers of trees among the vegetables to achieve adequate yields.

Then, there’s the “igloo”. A purpose-built structure to grow food perennially. Palisa finds it allows crops like African Horn Basil, Beetle Leaf and Cumin Leaf to thrive. The structure has sensors that control how much light and heat the plants are exposed to. The igloo being such a carefully controlled environment offers ideal conditions for seedling propagation. The crops are now safe from weather extremes, rats and even snakes hiding in the beetle leaves.

You live, you learn, you practise, you learn. And you try to do better next season.

Farming is relatively new to Palisa, but she says despite all the books and the courses out there, she mostly learns from being out on the farm.

“Nature shows you. And the lesson that gets repeated is, the land wants to take over, but it will also throw some gifts to you.”

One recent gift Palisa recalls is her inability to grow tomatoes that culminated in an unseasonable, and unexpected spontaneous crops of Cherokee Rose tomatoes.

Palisa is constantly trying to replicate the specific flavours of native Asian vegetables, grown in Australia. The chillies are spicier, and the herbs have more bite. That’s why seed is so important to the success of the farm and the restaurants.

“In a way, by going forward, we are going back in time.”

While Boon Luck Farm looks idyllic and perfect, Palisa says it’s not glamorous and she’d love to see governments recognise the work of small farmers.

She wants others to be drawn to this truly special lifestyle if we are to find a solution to feeding the world.

Hear more stories like this by subscribing to the Telling Our Story podcast on iTunes (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and follow podcast host Angie Asimus on Instagram for more updates.

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A relatively new plant to Australia called Carinata is changing the biofuels industry, and trials are happening now west of the Great Dividing Range.  

Cotton growers have been giving it a go as a rotation crop.

The results are pretty golden so far.

Carinata oil, when refined, is considered a ‘drop-in’ replacement for existing fossil fuels: the biofuel can be used without updating or retrofitting current machines, and blends with existing fossil fuels.

Biofuels: replacement fossil fuels, usually bioethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels, made out of sustainable biogenic resources. Everything from wood offcuts, to agricultural by-products, used cooking oil or beef tallow and even algae can be turned into biofuels.

Queensland Government’s definition of Biofuels

Cream of the Crop

Carinata looks similar to canola; bright yellow flowers on towering green stems.  

It’s grown in winter and suits drier soil types. 

It boasts lower water needs than Canola, due to a longer rootstock.  

The crop is being pitched as an emerging option for broadacre farmers over winter.  

Having a ‘cover crop’ is being adopted by many growers looking to reduce topsoil losses, in between their traditional cropping seasons.  

The oil from the Brassica family plant is classed as non-food: unlike Canola, it can’t be consumed by humans.  

Harvest and crushing

Currently, once matured and harvested, Carinata is shipped to Europe for processing. There are no operational processing facilities in Australia yet.

The grain is processed into two products: biofuel, and high protein plant feed for stock. 

Biofuel use has already been written into EU’s aviation fuel regulations, and Asia has indicated it will follow.

In Australia, Qantas has committed to using 10% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in its overall fuel mix by 2030.  

Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Produced from sustainable feedstocks and is very similar in its chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel. 

BP’s definition of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

The aviation industry has shown serious interest in Carinata-derived biofuel.  

Plant Power

The plant’s pre-commercial trials in Australia are being overseen by Nufarm.

Rachel Palumbo is Nufarm’s Global General Manager for seeds, and is hopeful Australia could become a world-leader.

“Australia has the land, resources, and expertise to lead in renewable fuels, sustainable agriculture, and homegrown manufacturing,” she said.  

“In South America, farmers already produce low-carbon fuel at scale. With the right support Australian growers can do the same. 

Growers benefit from having a profitable break crop that improves soil health

Government support needed

Earlier this year, the Australian Government announced it would invest $250 million into low-carbon liquid fuels. 

“This funding will drive innovation and open new opportunities for farmers to supply feedstocks like Carinata,” Ms Palumbo said.  

The Queensland Government has also shown interest in the blooming industry, recently commissioning Deloitte to review global SAF markets.

The 2024 report found: 

“Australia’s SAF industry is still in its infancy and this is unlikely to change on the scale needed to support decarbonisation without government intervention and a proactive industry.” 

Ms Palumbo also pointed to government-driven SAF mandates as a crucial step to fostering a local biofuels industry. 

“We need a clear policy framework so Australian-grown biofuels can support local industries, just as Australian-grown canola already does for European biofuels.” 

“This is a proven, sustainable, and scalable option for securing our fuel future while supporting growers and cutting emissions,” Ms Palumbo said.

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