Best in the business

Australian rice farmers produce more rice per hectare than anyone else in the world and industry leaders are Josh and Emily Small. Their dedication to best practice saw them recently recognised as the 2024 SunRice Growers of the Year. It is a dedication that incorporates holistic management and the continued pursuit of improved water efficiency.

“The beauty of rice is its adaptability to the environment,” Josh says.

“It is a crop that can be grown or not grown depending on seasonal conditions, so we are not taking water from environmental requirements.”

When water is not available, rice is not grown.

For the Small family, who have been growing rice since the 1950s, rice is one cog in their holistic wheel.

Through the cooler months, wheat, barley and canola are grown. When these are harvested the paddocks are sown with vetch, a nitrogen-fixing legume that reduces the need for artificial fertilisers. Onto the vetch go Merino ewes and lambs, to fatten before October.

It is a crop that can be grown or not grown depending on seasonal conditions, so we are not taking water from environmental requirements.

Then it is time for rice.

Rice is either conventionally sown with direct drilling into heavy clay soils, which minimises water seepage, or aerially sown into paddocks flooded with water.

Then, using water gravity-fed along channels from the Murray Irrigation Scheme, the paddocks are saturated and the wetlands are created.

“Once the water is on, it becomes a daily task to monitor levels morning and night because rice needs permanent water,” Emily says.

Water flow between rice bays is adjusted, according to crop requirements, by manually operating concrete stops.

It is a labour-intensive time and “a lot of wives don’t really like rice over summer because they can’t go anywhere,” Emily says.

The Smalls are sowing four rice varieties this year: the medium-grained Sherpa, VO71 and Illabong that are used in everyday cooking, and the short-grained Opus that is used in sushi.

Carbo-hydrate

Reusing the water used to grown rice underpins the Small’s operation.

“Growing rice gives us a soil moisture profile for the winter crops but because we also recycle water used on rice, capturing it in one of three dams, it is also used for pre-irrigation,” Josh says.

“We get a double hit of the moisture.”

You can have done everything right but at the end of the day Mother Nature pulls the trigger.

Apart from the water component, growing rice is similar to growing other grains and as in all farming is weather dependant.

“The biggest challenge we face is the huge climatic variability,” Josh says.

“The last few years have been quite difficult going from either too wet to too dry, and that leads to an emotional rollercoaster, which can be hard on family life. You can have done everything right but at the end of the day Mother Nature pulls the trigger.”

Working with, not against, Mother Nature is one of the reasons Josh and Emily were awarded Rice Growers of the Year.

In addition to reduced fertiliser and water use, the Smalls use natural grades for their rice paddocks to assist water flow, keep tree corridors for drainage and as wildlife attractants, and support research and development initiatives.

It’s beautiful, especially in the evenings, to come here and see the brolgas and other birds and hear the frogs.

“SunRice is doing a lot of work tagging and monitoring Bitterns in rice paddocks and we are taking part in an automation trial,” Emily says of two research projects.

“That might mean families may be able to get away over summer in the future,” she adds with a laugh.

Despite the summer challenges, the Smalls find solace in their wetlands.

“It’s beautiful, especially in the evenings, to come here and see the brolgas and other birds and hear the frogs and know that rice is a flexible crop we can use in our holistic program when times are right,” Emily says.

“We love growing rice.”

The post Rice growers reuse water, win gold appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Best of both worlds

The Marshes are also home to Garry and Leanne Hall who run 800 Angus breeding cows, supplying steers to domestic and export markets, on their 6400ha property The Mole. It may seem contradictory to have a commercial farming operation in such a sensitive environment, but the Halls are inextricably tied to the health of the wetlands and are, perhaps, their biggest advocate. As Garry says: “Fat ducks equal fat cattle”.

Mustering on The Mole is a wet business as horses and cattle plunge through head-high reed-beds as endangered bird species wing overhead. Children Jet (19) and Teague (22), who represent the fifth generation of Halls here, are often on-hand saddling one of 20 horses that the property breeds.

“The cattle will happily feed in the water,” Leanne says, “but moving them between paddocks and the yards involves swimming cattle and horses across channels and the river. You couldn’t do what we do on a bike.”

Fat ducks equal fat cattle.

NSW National Parks cover 12% of the Marshes with the remainder being managed by private landholders such as the Halls, who have part of The Mole managed under the Ramsar Convention.

Garry takes his environmental responsibilities seriously. “We graze our cattle in the Marshes under the wise use principal,” he says. “That means we sustainably use the wetlands for the benefit of humanity in a way that is compatible with maintenance of the natural properties of the ecosystem. It also means our farming is most productive when the landscape is at its best.”

The Halls have long fought for the Marshes. They challenge over-allocation of water upstream as it is released from Burrendong Dam and they champion sustained environmental flows of the same water.

They work with Professor Richard Kingsford, a river ecologist and conservation biologist from the University of NSW and they conduct government-backed research studies into the positive impacts of cattle grazing the Marshes. In recent times they have argued against the granting of an exploration licence that would see mineral drilling in this sensitive environment.

While droughts and fires have threatened the Marshes in the past, this year is a good season. “It looks absolutely stunning,” Leanne says. “It’s pretty unique going into spring with the Marshes saturated and with the expected September environmental water release I think the Marshes are poised for a significant breeding event.”

I think the Marshes are poised for a significant breeding event.

The Halls have added tourism to their farming operation with the purchase and rejuvenation of Willie Retreat, a campground set in the Marshes that attracts school and university groups, bird-watchers, star-gazers and all those looking for a place to reconnect to nature. Willie allows the Halls to share their love of the Marshes and its waterbirds with others.

Birds of a feather

“I have many favourites but I like the magpie geese because they are so photogenic and the brolgas with their eerily beautiful calls,” Leanne says. “But I am also excited to see the Painted Snipe this season. Snipes, and there are only about 300 of them in the country, have been tagged in Victoria and we hope to see them here on their way to Queensland.”

Garry’s favourite bird is the Glossy Ibis with its iridescent colours on black feathers and its petite green eggs. “They fly in formation and drop from the air as one and when they do it is like they are breaking the sound barrier. If you’re fortunate enough to experience one of these events, you’ll never forget it.”

The Hall family is passionate about their cattle and agriculture but equally passionate about their birds and the Macquarie Marshes. “We believe there is harmonious interaction to be had between grazing and landscape,” Leanne says.

The post Mustering in the Marshes appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Kirsty grew up on a beef property at Kingstown west of Armidale in NSW, and her first female agricultural role model was her mother.

“When Dad went away contracting it was Mum who ran the farm and raised myself and my two siblings.”

“Women are an integral part of the farming landscape and I see a similarity with the Matildas (women’s soccer team). Women have always played sport but are only now receiving the recognition. Women have always worked on farms but historically we’ve never really seen their pictures or heard their stories.”

Post school Kirsty moved away from agriculture, completing a Bachelor of Arts in Office Management and working as an electoral officer for politician John Anderson. But love intervened and in 2005 she married grazier Sam White and found herself at Bald Blair Angus Stud, 10km east of Guyra and a mere 100km from where she grew up. Bald Blair runs 750 head of stud and commercial cattle and 1200 sheep across 2300ha. It has also been in the White Family for over one hundred years.

“I found it’s one thing to grow up on a farm but another entirely to work on one.”

For guidance she found another female role model in ProAgtive succession planner Isobel Knight. “Isobel has been a phenomenal influence on me finding my role on a generational farm and she encouraged me to step up, get involved and take responsibility.”

A jill of all trades

Stepping up meant re-training in agriculture and Kirsty threw herself into the task attending courses as varied as pregnancy testing, low stress stock handling, dog and horse schools, grazing management and marketing. She is now, proudly, a jill of all trades.

Along the way she was inspired by yet more women in agriculture. “Rebel Black, of THE Rural Woman, has been important for my personal and professional development and Rebel is also our business mentor, which is absolutely exceptional,” Kirsty says.

“As is Al Mabin from AgriShots. She has been our photographer since she started her business 10 years ago and it has been amazing to watch her develop and share agriculture’s stories.”

Raising the next generation

Today Kirsty is the mother of two boys, Abbott (18) and Arthur (14), and runs Bald Blair in partnership with Sam. The highlight of the stud’s program is an annual bull sale in August but as with any farm, the workload is year-round and life-long learning is critical.

“Sam and I are responsible for our own professional and personal development,” Kirsty says. “We’ve got two young men who are growing up and we need to be the best versions of ourselves so they can be they can be the best versions of themselves.”

And so, the education continues, but Kirsty is drawn to education that is female-focussed. She is involved with the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services initiative Ladies in Livestock, which recently collaborated with THE Rural Woman to host a digital technologies workshop, is supporting a female-only MLA BredWell FedWell workshop in the district and, if not for family commitments, would be attending a female-only dog training school in April.

“Sometimes it can be intimidating being in a training session that is full of men and I feel more comfortable learning in an all-female environment.”

Though Kirsty admits finding her place and confidence in agriculture has, at times, been challenging, she now finds enjoyment in sharing her own stories through Bald Blair’s blog: The Boundary Rider’s Report.

“I share all the different things that are happening on the farm and what events, research and resources are available for others,” she says. “I love the sense of space in agriculture, the variety of work on a day-to-day basis, and the flexibility that allows me time to chase after two boys and build a profitable business with a happy and healthy family.”

Just as the Matildas have brought female sport to the masses, rural women are telling their stories wide and far.

The post The Matildas of rural Australia appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Among the canes, from May to December, you will find small trains carting the harvested product to mills. This is Australia’s sugarcane industry, comprised of over 4000 farms, and in its heart you will find Proserpine and 32-year-old Justin Blair.

Sugarcane farming

Justin is a fourth-generation farmer, working alongside his father and younger brother, and manager of the family’s 300ha property and, even if you know nothing about cane-growing, he is happy to share.

“Sugarcane is grown using vegetative propagation,” he says. “Small sections of stalk, called billets, are planted into the ground and new cane sprouts from these.

“After approximately 12 months, when the sugar content is high, the plants are harvested, and then commence to grow again. The plants are then called ratoons and can continue to be harvested from three to six years before replanting of new, clean and disease-free billets is required.”

It may sound deceptively simple but like any farming cane growing is complex. In a good year, when rainfall meets the crop’s needs, Justin’s farm can harvest 24,000 tonnes of sugarcane. In a dry year this can drop to 15,000.

“Around 20,000 is our average and that’s what people aim for to be a sustainable business,” he says.

Environmentally conscious

Being close to the Great Barrier Reef means Justin is especially mindful of his fertiliser and herbicide regimes, making sure to match his use to what is required by the growing plants to mitigate harmful run-off.

Farming here also means cyclones. “We dodged one recently, but we copped it from Cyclone Debbie in 2017,” he says. “Sheds were destroyed, and we got 50% of our harvest, but it’s not just the immediate effects. The cyclone damaged ratoons and we have only recently finished replacing them and are finally back to full production.”

Justin had been working on the farm most of his life but by 2013 “I got sick of being told what to do and I wanted to know why I was doing things and how it all ran” so he completed a Diploma of Agriculture and returned to the farm to assume management responsibilities. 

“It would be a walk in the park if there was a guaranteed high sugar price and perfect weather.”

“Sometimes there is an oversupply of sugar and you don’t get paid enough to cover your growing costs and sometimes your crop gets beaten up by the weather or your sheds get blown to bits, but it’s all part of the job and you need to trust your judgement and plan for what you can.”

Leadership to inspire the next generation

Taking on leadership on the farm has been reflected by also taking on leadership roles in industry. In 2019 Justin was a founding member of Proserpine Young Farmers. He sits on the boards of Canegrowers Proserpine Co-op and Sugar Services Proserpine and in 2024 is part of the CANEGROWERS Next Ratoon Program designed for industry’s emerging leaders.

“Farming is a big part of the world and people put a lot of importance on their food and how their environment is treated and so it is important we, as the younger generation, are involved,” he says. “By connecting we learn together.”

This connection has led to innovative practices. In 2007 the Blairs joined forces with two neighbours to purchase a planter, cane-harvester and two trailers for billets. All share the use and contract the machinery out to cover costs. In 2017 Justin and his father investigated the emerging industry of finger limes and planted 500 trees, which adds diversification to the bottom line. 

But sugarcane will remain the farm’s core business for the foreseeable future.

“It is a brilliant crop, it uses hardly any fertiliser or chemical, you only replant a portion of the crop every year and it can make food, fuel and even plastics from the fibrous waste-product.”

Justin says. “It’s a very versatile crop and we do our very best to grow it for everyone.”

The post The sweet life farming sugar appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

The Oak Grove Alpaca stud is situated near Candelo on a portion of what was the historic Kameruka Estate. Settled in 1834 Kameruka was famous for its dairies and cheese but in 1850 moves were made to import alpacas from Peru to produce the fine, luxurious fibre for which they were famous.

The idea did not eventuate but fast forward 150 years to 2001 and the McClens began to fulfil the prophecy. Today, in lieu of Merinos and eucalypts, 40 to 50 alpacas graze beneath 100-year-old English elms and oaks.

“We grew up in western Sydney and had bred show dogs, so had an understanding of animal husbandry, but eventually we wanted to move to a rural area,” Julie says of the impetus that brought them to 10 hectares on the Sapphire Coast. “Then we had to work out what we were going to do with it.”

Alpacas appealed to us because they were a new and emerging industry and that gave us the opportunity to make a difference.”

The McClens breed a mix of white to brown Huacaya alpacas that have a crimping fleece, and Peter and Julie have embarked upon a mission to produce animals with ultrafine wool, which in the alpaca world is defined as less than 18 microns.

Like Merinos, ultrafine alpaca wool attracts premium prices around the globe but alpaca fibres tend to thicken, or “blow out”, with age. To overcome this problem the McClens endeavour to breed genetically fine alpacas whose fleece resists micron blow out, hence the Oak Grove tag – Ultrafine, Stay Fine.

Producing some of Australia’s finest fleece

To promote ultrafine wool Julie and Peter were among a group of breeders who established Alpaca Ultimate and in 2006 the organisation produced Australia’s first bale of less than 18 microns. “That was cutting edge,” Julie says. Now Oak Grove consistently produces ultrafine wool, which sells for the premium price of $60/kg. For every two micron increment the price drops by $10/kg.

The finest wool the stud has produced was from a two-year-old female that averaged 11.7 microns (with a 2.8 standard deviation). “I’ve always been interested in pushing the envelope and now we are breeding alpacas that produce some of the finest alpaca fleece in Australia,” Julie says.

Learning the lingo

Getting to know alpacas requires a whole new vocabulary. The young are called cria, the males orgle (a guttural vocal sound) when mating to induce ovulation and birth is called unpacking. Though many people are attracted to these camelids for the “cuteness” factor and their reputation as guard animals Julie cites environmental benefits to keeping alpacas.

“A study [presented at the International Farm Management Congress 2003] has shown they have less pounds-per-square-inch impact on the earth than a kangaroo.

They don’t have hooves; they have padded feet with toe-nails, so they don’t impact the soil like cattle or horses.”

“They don’t have hooves; they have padded feet with toenails, so they don’t impact the soil like cattle or horses. They don’t pull grass out by the roots, they don’t ringbark trees and they use a communal dung heap, which minimises waterway contamination and worm burden,” she says.

Long pregnancy

“They are also low maintenance. The amount of regular husbandry we do per animal – drenching, shearing, nail trimming etc – would not equate to one day per year and they don’t tend to test fences like other livestock.”

Yet, a 340-day gestation period can be one of the downsides to raising alpacas.

You have to wait nearly a year for a cria. You won’t breed alpacas quickly, it’s a slow process.”

Oak Grove sells alpaca fleece, guard and pet animals but its strength is breeding quality stud stock for the production of fine wool. “We are in the pioneering days of the alpaca industry and most of our buyers are looking to improve the fineness of their herd,” Julie says. “We breed for genetically fine alpacas whose fleece will stay fine over time.”

Move over Merinos, the alpacas are unpacking.

The post Unpacking the world of alpacas appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

“It is magical, especially today, to walk amongst these beautiful plants, which can grow to 6m tall, and feel the temperature drop,” she says. “The trees shoot for the sun and they’re fairly wild and take a bit to maintain.”

In fact, avocado growers have been described as horticultural zookeepers because it looks like we’re trying to tame a wild beast.

Avocados were imported to Australia and grown in the Botanic Gardens in Sydney in 1840 but it took over a century for commercialisation to occur. Now the popular fruit, of which the Hass and Shepard varieties are the most well-known, are grown all over the country, allowing for year-round availability.

Where it started

Forty years ago Mark and Dawn Boehm, saw potential for growth in the avocado industry and planted trees – some of which still bear fruit today – while working fulltime jobs off-farm. The business became Parkes Lane Produce and today also employs their son Aaron and his wife, Sarah, a city girl with a background in retail travel, who contributes corporate skills as office manager.

“We grow nine varieties of avocado,” Sarah says.

“Some, like Bacon, are grown because they attract the pollinating hover flies. Others such as Zutano make a hardy rootstock for grafts and then we have the eating varieties such as Hass, Lamb Hass, Gwen and Reed.

Avocado aficionados love our creamy Reeds. They are round avos the size of an emu egg and are ready right on Christmas.

Avocados are fussy trees

Yet, as with any form of farming, growing avocados comes with challenges. “They are fussy trees, and it is not easy to grow fruit,” Sarah says. “They need the right temperature and the right nutrients, and any stress will cause the trees to drop their fruit – and that could be lack of water, frost or high heat.”

Our biggest challenge is keeping them happy because they’re a rainforest plant growing in a desert environment.

As avocados ripen the Boehms conduct maturity tests to ensure high oil content and, once ready, the four to six month harvest begins, usually in August. Four to five people pick the fruit by hand from elevated work platforms and another dozen employees work in the packing shed before the avocados begin their final journey to market.

Making avocados a staple

Occasionally, this market swings and it becomes more expensive to grow horticultural produce than to sell it, resulting in gluts of discarded fruit that then are splashed across the six-o-clock news.

The Boehms have avoided these gluts by selling fruit cheaper, but realise marketing is the key to ensuring consistent price and demand. “There are emerging export markets into places like India and the UAE but fruit fly and the high cost of freight are currently causing problems,” Sarah says.

“What we really need is more people here in Australia eating avocados.”

I want to see avocados become a grocery staple alongside potatoes and tomatoes.

Sarah is doing her bit to increase domestic consumption by sharing her love of avocados and the horticultural industry. She does this through social media, particularly on her avo_farmers_wife Instagram page that has over 26,000 followers, where she can be seen dancing, singing and providing insights into the life of an avocado farmer.

“I earned the title of Avo Farmer’s Wife when I married Aaron who is a fourth-generation farmer,” she laughs. “But I consider myself a farmer in my own right now.”

I love that every day is different, that we are continually evolving and diversifying and that we wear so many hats.

We need to be across budgeting and risk mitigation and marketing and a hundred other facets of farming and business. Farmers have to be incredibly intelligent. When people think of farmers, I want them to forget the stereotypes and instead think of business leaders.”

The post The avo farmer gets a wife appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

In the rolling hills near Young, NSW, spring has sprung and greens shoots appear in winter-bitten paddocks. Lambs frolic. But not white lambs. These are lambs of autumnal tones, of russets and coffees, umbers and ambers, gradating to mottled greys and jet-blacks. These are the Corriedales of Quebon Coloured Sheep.

Melissa, by day a natural resource management officer with South East Local Land Services (LLS), was first captivated by coloured sheep at Richmond High School in Sydney’s west. In fact, so captivated was she that she purchased her favourites as founders of her fledgling stud. For 12 years the sheep lived on agisted properties until Melissa moved to Boorowa to take up her LLS position and then purchased, with husband Simon Maher, 25 acres at Young.

Buying Baabra’s Hill

“When we bought Baabra’s Hill it had nothing more than a boundary fence so it was a blank canvas,” Melissa said. “We’ve built a house and have implemented our own property plan and it’s nice to finally have the same address as the sheep.”

Drawing on her professional experience, which links her to local farmers and wool producers, Melissa operates in a regime she calls regenerative rotational grazing with a focus on keeping inputs low. “Managing costs is really important because we don’t want to be in debt because of the sheep,” Melissa says. “Quebon has to break even or make a small profit. It’s got to be more than just a hobby that gets heaps of money poured into it.”

Chasing colours

Twenty Corriedale ewes, with a lambing percentage between 175% and 200%, run alongside five rams. “Having that many rams is ridiculous, but we’re doing it for genetic diversity and we’re chasing different colours.”

I get excited about coloured sheep because you’re playing with the genetics of colour but also colour patterns.

Melissa is president of the NSW Black and Coloured Sheep Breeders Association and actively promotes her multi-hued wool, most recently winning Champion Coloured Ram Lamb at the national sheep and wool show at Bendigo.

“In earlier years at Bendigo we were in a little shed down the back but now we’re in the big shed with all the other sheep,” she said of the acceptance that is gradually growing for coloured wool.

Melissa sells sheep across NSW and into Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria and fleeces, selling for up to $25/kg, go to hand-spinners and felters across the country. Quebon is gaining a reputation for quality and colour and fostering a community of hand-spinners and felters who cherish the unique qualities of her flock.

Telling a story

Each skein of yarn tells a story, showcasing the unique characteristics of coloured wool and the artisanal craftsmanship of those who create woollen garments. Feedback is effusive. “I am over the moon. The 8.5kg of fleece arrived today and it is beautiful; long staples, rich colour,” says one purchaser. “Absolutely glorious, wonderful fleece,” says another.

For Melissa, running a small-scale operation means she finds independence in handling the animal husbandry and transport herself and she employs principles learnt through her career in natural resource management. “I like to practice what I preach and I think my sheep work well with my LLS career. It doesn’t matter if you have 10 or 1000 sheep, the same management applies and I find the challenge incredibly rewarding.”

For others inspired to embrace their own niche in a commercial world Melissa has valuable advice. “Know what your end-product looks like and work backwards, spend time on your marketing and understand that land stewardship underpins it all. Looking after our soil and vegetation impacts the welfare of all animals, whether they be livestock or wildlife.”

With dedication and passion Melissa is proving that being the black sheep can reveal your true colours.

The post True colours: the art of breeding coloured sheep appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Imagine, too, the good times when the grass is green, cattle are shiny and even a crowbar will fatten in the rich black soils. Imagine loving land and keeping it for future generations. This is the story of the Walker family of Coolootai Station in northern NSW.

The Walkers became owners of Coolootai in 1890. Just over a decade later the family faced their first test when, on the heels of the Federation Drought (the worst drought in Australia’s history), larger stations were acquired by the government as part of Closer Settlement Schemes to be redistributed as smaller blocks. Overnight the Walkers’ investment went from 100,000 acres to 7,500, and has remained this size ever since.

Five generations and going strong

Today the property is run by the fifth generation of Walkers: siblings Stewart Walker and Angela Stewart and their families: Stewart’s wife Kat (and young children Thomas and Charlie) and Angela’s husband Scott (and children Angus and Emily).

“Dad still owns the land but is not involved so Ang and I have the opportunity to run it and we are generally on the same page in regards to management,” Stewart explains.

This successful transfer over five generations is only possible through succession planning. “There’s a fairly chequered history with succession in that it was probably done pretty badly in prior generations so we started formal talks around 2011,” Ang said.

“That was Mum’s legacy. She’d been diagnosed with cancer and she wanted some sort of a plan for the future.

The Walkers were ahead of their time because the females were always considered in estate planning.

“Is our situation perfect? Probably not, but it’s better than some. And the Walkers were ahead of their time because the females were always considered in estate planning.”

Diversity the key in farming

Retaining Coolootai for a sixth generation will depend on it being run as a profitable business and this is where diversity plays a key. The Walkers graze cattle and grow a variety of crops dependent on the season. “We keep our options open so we are not solely reliant on one income stream,” Stewart says.

In addition Stewart and Scott supplement the income with off-farm contracting such as planting and truck driving, Kat is acting principal at Yetman School and Ang works fulltime as a bookkeeper and agricultural trainer.

“The (latest) drought really proved why our off-farm income is important. It would have been a diet of rice without it,” Ang admits.

Deciding to buy a pub

Which brings us to the pub. Coolootai Station is 7km from the village of Coolatai (population 30 if everybody is at home), between Inverell and Goondiwindi. The lifeblood of the community is its only commercial outlet – the Wallaroo Hotel – and the Walkers can now add publicans to their resumes.

For Ang the decision to buy their local came from the heart: “If we lost that pub, we’d lose our community. Yes, it’s an off-farm investment, but it’s keeping a community alive.”

For Stewart, the decision came from the head: “We bought real estate and a business for the same price some houses here sell for and I think we could sell it again tomorrow and get our money back.”

We’re not going to make millions but we have the potential to grow the business and give back to the community.

And for Scott, who bears the title of licensee, it was an opportunity. “I’m the social butterfly,” he jokes. “But I can see improvements to be made, especially with attracting the travelling public.

“We’re probably not going to make millions but we have the potential to grow the business and give back to the community.”

With the hotel adding to their income stream the Walker siblings are on the way to ensuring Coolootai remains in the family.

“Succession for the next generation is not a set and forget sort of thing,” Ang says. “It’s a work in progress and we’re conscious of building that asset base.”

Imagine another 130 years of family ownership.

The post We bought a pub… The story of why the Walkers bought a pub to keep the family farm appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

“I’m a first generation Australian-born Chinese. My Mum is from Hong Kong with Macanese heritage and Dad is Chinese Malaysian. I’m the eldest of two and from Blacktown, 35kms west of the Sydney CBD,” Sam explains.

Sam might not have had exposure to agriculture at home but in high school a passion was ignited when “a great teacher, keen classmates and a mixed bunch of black Corriedales opened up the world of ag shows, sheep classes and junior judging”.

Hooked on wool and sheep, Sam studied agriculture and wool science at university and on completion in 2012 was accepted into the Elders Trainee Program. She hasn’t looked back.

“Wool broker doesn’t quite make the top three careers your Chinese child should be – doctor, lawyer and accountant – so it’s a good thing my parents didn’t fall into stereotypes,” Sam says of the leap of faith her parents made in setting their first-born off into the unknown. But it was a world she soon made her own, moving to Melbourne to auction wool.

Success came quickly. In 2018 Sam was named the Elders Employee of the Year and in 2019 she was awarded the prestigious Wool Broker of the Year title. Then, came COVID. Yet the lengthy Melbourne lockdowns gave time for Sam, and husband Tom, to reflect.

Creating a life on farm

“Tom and I had dreamt of land of our own and COVID brought that dream closer. After the lockdowns we were really looking for more space and to reconnect with life.”

In November 2021 they settled on a 16ha block at Millbrook and while most hobby farmers tend to stock their places with cattle or wool-shedding sheep Sam, who has auctioned some of the finest fleeces in the country, could only choose Merinos.

I don’t think I would be able to live it down if I got Dorpers from the start!

With a broad knowledge of the wool industry and plenty of support Sam and Tom sourced 50 Merino ewes from Pendarra Merino Stud at Benambra and Dave the Ram from Munro-based stud Mace Hill Merinos. “We thought about running wethers but breeding allows us to see the whole life-cycle, to watch them grow, to shear them and to ultimately have a bale of wool to sell at auction.”

Sam is taking time to learn about her new venture and leans on mentors and colleagues for advice, and while much of her time is spent renewing fences, resting and rejuvenating paddocks and preparing for rotational grazing her greatest joy comes from realising her dream and sharing it with others.

Imagine a kid from the suburbs being able to sell her own wool! Don’t wake me if I’m dreaming.

“This tree-change was for us – to take stock of where we were, what we were doing and to learn and grow together. Our ‘why’ is the enjoyment of open sky, rainbows and constellation-spotting at night, collecting fresh eggs, apples and tomatoes, hatching our first chickens, waking up to new lambs and being able to share all of it with friends and family.

“Three of my aunties came to visit recently and they’re amazed we’ve got chooks and eggs, and I went to a cousin’s wedding and they couldn’t believe we had 50 sheep. Even owning land is something different for my family.”

Celebrating Australian wool

Sharing her love for the sheep industry has been a signature of Sam’s career. She regularly goes into schools with The Archibull Prize to speak with students and has created her own website and blog celebrating Australian wool.

“The teachers and mentors in my life didn’t just give a suburban kid a glimpse of a world outside the city. They enriched my life. From them I drew direction into an incredibly rewarding, constantly evolving industry.

“If by sharing my story I’m able to convey my passion for an industry that adopted such a black sheep, it might open the eyes of someone who didn’t think agriculture was the place for them.”

The post Dare to dream: How wool captured city girl Sam Wan’s imagination appeared first on AustralianFarmers.