But that’s exactly what organic beef producers Rob and Melinee Leather are doing – and so much more. 

One of the most rewarding aspects of their work is to enhance their natural environment and systems. Based at Barfield, near Banana in Queensland, they use a range of innovative tools to measure, monitor and forecast eco-system health. It is a holistic approach encompassing soil, water, trees, plants, animals, people and indigenous culture and heritage. 

“Collaboration is valuable for the health of regional communities. Producer groups are important for peer-to-peer learning and these are supported by government groups, tertiary institutions and private enterprise,” Melinee says.  

“I love working with scientists on improving how we manage our landscape and animals. It’s exciting to discover an endangered species or measure where practice change has improved biodiversity. I don’t mind identifying the gaps either; then we can work towards fixing it.” 

The Leathers are passionate about producing organic beef in a natural grass-fed system, across three properties in central Queensland with a focus on human health, biosecurity and traceability. For the Leathers, food security and food safety are critical – not just for Australians but for overseas consumers as well.  

Keeping abreast of technology and scientific developments to improve management decisions and operational efficiencies is an ongoing commitment. This involves converting to renewable energy for water pumping systems and using remote technology to monitor water levels for their livestock. A remote weather station provides key updates on soil moisture and temperature. 

To enhance their grazing management and mineral cycle, the Leathers use satellite technology to measure pasture and vegetation groundcover and biomass, on a daily and long-term basis. With live data available, they can monitor the health of pasture remotely and access information for external auditing.  

In addition, the Queensland Herbarium conduct baseline measurements of the properties’ flora and fauna to document changes in biodiversity.  

“That gives us an indication if our practice changes have made improvements,” Melinee adds. 

Work with Accounting for Nature allows the Leathers to have a globally recognised eco-system metric. From this, they make improvements to eco-system health including introducing legumes and biodiversity. The family is also part of a Soil Carbon Project through the Emissions Reduction Fund to help reach their 2030 carbon neutral aspiration.  

The innovation doesn’t stop at a landscape level. Information is gathered for each individual animal on the property, and includes pregnancy scanning and laboratory analysis of nutrition. 

“The recording we do on our herd is important because it shows us how they are performing for one, but it also monitors their health and welfare. It also helps us with biosecurity issues and traceability,” she says.  

They recently participated in the Northern Genomics Research project which enables key performance traits to be genetically identified from a DNA sample.  

Collaboration and innovation within the beef industry is creating an increasingly diverse skillset and contributes to environmental, social and governance objectives.  

“The Australian beef industry offers so much opportunity for people in all aspects. It’s increasingly complex but we have so many tools, technology and expertise available to us. Australia’s red meat industry is leading the world in climate action, animal welfare, traceability, food safety and security,” Melinee says. 

Barfield Station is just one of the many Australian agricultural businesses at the forefront of innovation and technology. To learn more about the backstories of Australian farming, check out The Backstory Series.

The post Innovation in Red Meat | Barfield Station appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

But behind the scenes, the proud family business is working hard to ensure they are using the most advanced and environmentally-friendly technology to get the food they grow onto supermarket shelves.

From innovative glasshouses to tiny “warrior” bugs working away to combat pests, head grower Will Millis says it is an exciting time to be in the industry and he is keen to educate people about how to get the ultimate flavour experience from produce.

For example, did you know Flavorite tomatoes are vine-ripened to perfection and that we should be eating the tomato at the top of the truss first as it was the first to ripen, giving us potentially an extra five days shelf-life for others on the truss?

Or that tomatoes really are best left out of the fridge to maintain their flavour?

Will is happy to chat all day about Flavorite’s tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers and blueberries.

 And there is a lot to know, but perhaps some of the most exciting is what most of us do not see – the technological advances that are continually being made to the way their produce is grown and the varieties they grow.

Things have come a long way since Will’s father Mark established the business with Warren Nichol in 1993, when Will was just 18-years-old.

“It has changed massively over that time, and the actual physical structures and technology is now far superior,” Will said.

With a huge 65-hectares of glasshouses – 650,000 square metres – Flavorite has some of the most progressive growing systems available.

“In the glasshouses where we’re growing the produce, it’s all climate-controlled and throughout the whole glasshouse we’re measuring humidity, temperature and able to control everything about the growing environment.

“They are constructed from diffused glass, which allows the light to spread through the glasshouse, taking away some of the intensity but enabling better penetration.

“The glass is also anti-reflective coated which ensures that 97 per cent of usable light is transmitted into the glasshouse, making a massive difference to production.” 

This means they need less ground space to produce well above what could be achieved three decades ago.

Water efficiency is also vital, and at Flavorite’s Warragul site, they have storage for more than 200 megalitres of rainwater collected off the roof and 100 per cent – “every drop” – of water put onto their tomato plants is either taken up by the plant or recycled.

Those tiny bugs mentioned earlier are like little armies of workers. These naturally-occurring insects are being used in the glasshouses to combat pests, and in some instances eradicate the need to use chemicals or at the very least, significantly reduce usage.

Further advances in technology means Flavorite – also one of Australia’s biggest seedling producers – already has its sights set on taking its environmental responsibilities even further.

“There are new products becoming available overseas now with biodegradable equipment, so at the end of a plant’s life our crop waste could be recycled into compost or similar in the future,” Will said.

One thing that has not changed in the past 30 years is the family’s commitment to providing premium, delicious produce.

“Every little thing we do creates a better tomato or a better tasting tomato,” Will said.

“Flavour was what drove my father to establish this business, and our focus is always on taste.

“The name is Flavorite, and it’s really important that we’re not just looking for high-yielding varieties, but they need to taste fantastic.”

The Millis family is just one of the many Australian agricultural businesses at the forefront of innovation and technology. To learn more about the backstories of Australian farming, check out The Backstory Series.

The post Innovation in Food | Tomato growers Flavorite appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Noel and Lyndsay Henderson are the names behind Avington Merino, one of Australia’s leading growers of luxury merino wool. Their farm is located in the central Victorian Macedon Ranges and has been operating for 26 years.

Avington Merino produces two luxurious wool lines – extra ultrafine and superfine. Because of the high quality and standard of their fibre, they supply wool to designer fashion houses in Italy, where it has gone on to feature on the catwalk in many fashion shows. 

For Noel, he continues to be amazed by the international scale of Avington’s fleece. “We’ve been to Italy a number of times and we’ve seen beautiful products made with our wool. It’s mind-boggling.” 

The Hendersons pride themselves on sustainable and innovative practices in their business, while always putting animal welfare first. As first-generation farmers, there’s no family traditions to follow, giving them freedom to pave their own way. A cornerstone for them is using innovative technologies. 

One of these innovations is their traceability system. 

“Quality control is important – before there really was none in the industry.” Noel said. “So, we developed a traceability system. We wanted to capture data right through the shearing process, and into the wool classing system.”

Every bale of wool is tracked from start to end of production. The process involves tagging each sheep, using a Bluetooth wand to scan the sheep, then uploading their data to a central database system for accurate tracing.

“We can give assurance to anyone that buys our product that we can verify what exactly is in that bale of wool.”

Along with innovation, sustainability is at the core of everything the Hendersons do on their property. Some of their environmental farming practices include careful grazing management, fencing off streams and planting native vegetation. The team plant 8,000 native trees every year and preserve 15 per cent of their land solely for native flora and fauna habitats. 

Avington Merino is also committed to ethical farming and animal welfare. It is the first wool-growing property in Australia to be certified under the international sheep and wool welfare program – the Responsible Wool Standard.

Noel and Lyndsay are passionate about the future of the wool industry, and this includes educating the next generation. They have a Jackaroo program to train young people to enter the industry and have well-established links to the University of Melbourne Veterinary School. 

Avington Merino is just one of the many Australian agricultural businesses at the forefront of innovation and technology. To learn more about the backstories of Australian farming, check out The Backstory Series.

The post Innovation in Wool | Avington Merino appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Here’s four actions being taken by the industry:

1. Perfecting pastures to combat climate change
   Pastures with lower fibre and higher soluble carbohydrates can reduce methane production in dairy cows. Ways to improve pasture quality include through plant breeding or by switching from tropical (C4) to temperate (C3) grasses that use different pathways to capture carbon dioxide and contribute to reducing methane emissions.

» Outcome: Improving the quality of pastures results in reduced levels of fibre and greater levels of carbohydrates in the plant. Methane emissions are greater in higher fibre pastures so these improvements towards higher pasture quality,
increase animal performance, milk yield responses and also reduce overall methane production in the rumen.

2. Focus on fertilisers
Nitrogen (N) is critical for pasture growth and many farmers rely on synthetic N fertilisers to get additional nutrients into the soil, but these fertilisers can cause nitrous oxide emissions (a powerful greenhouse gas). To help farmers use nitrogen fertilisers more efficiently, Dairy Australia (DA) established the ‘Fert$mart’ program that aids farmers in developing a strategic, accurate plan for fertiliser use and soil management. Similarly, the ‘More Profit from Nitrogen’ project, part
funded by DA, is also seeking to increase nitrogen use efficiency by validating best practices on-farm that reduce GHG emissions while optimising nitrogen use for pastures.

» Outcome: Farmers are avoiding nitrous oxide emissions by minimising N loss through more efficient fertiliser application and usage. Soil testing on-farm is also helping farmers ensure they are using fertilisers at the right rate, in the right place, and at the right time

3. Reaching for renewables
Australia’s dairy farmers are already adopting renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind, in a bid to reduce energy costs, promote energy security and reduce GHG emissions. Support for these activities is being made available through various government initiatives and other investors including low-cost loans for energy equipment through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

» Outcome: According to Dairy Australia’s latest farm survey, 71% of farmers have at least one renewable energy installation on their property. Dairy farmers are looking to use renewable energy technologies which is helping to reduce GHG emissions.

4. Glass bottles are back!
Victoria’s Schulz Organic Dairy has been selling its milk in glass bottles since April 2019, reducing the need for plastic and making its milk packaging better for the environment. The bottles include a refundable deposit that aims to have bottles returned, further minimising waste and creating a circular economy. The company also supplies the food service industry with milk in 10L bladders made of soft plastic that are recyclable through RedCycle, and milk in 20L stainless steel milk pails.

» Outcome: By looking at alternative packaging for milk, including the use of glass bottles that are returnable and refillable, tonnes of plastic is being diverted from landfill and recycling systems.

Discover more climate action stories and initiatives from the industry, at Dairy Australia and hear directly from dairy farmer Tess Butler on Australian Farms: Where REAL Climate Action Happens.

The post 4 ways Aus dairy is tackling climate change head on appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Over the past 20 years Australian farmers have redefined conventional farming methods, with an over-riding focus on soil health allowing farmers to store and sequester large amounts of carbon in their land.

The shift towards healthier soils, combined with ground-breaking innovation enabling lower fuel and synthetic fertiliser use, means Australian farmers are leading the way in tackling climate change.

Dan Fox is a fifth generation cropping farmer based in the Riverina region of south-west NSW.

Dan and his family are implementing a number of regenerative practices into their operation, the main one being the focus on planting crop varieties which are capable of sequestering large amounts of carbon in the soil.

In 2018 he was named Kondinin Group ‘Innovation Farmer of the Year’, recognising more than a decade’s work inhelping move the family farm from a traditional mixed-sheep and cropping property to a continuous cropping enterprise using regenerative agriculture.

His approach is underpinned by the pursuit of “doing more with less” and striving to grow more grain using less water and chemicals, while looking after the land.

“From my perspective, we want to continually improve our practices and improve our soils.

“If we look after our soil, then in turn mother nature will look after us.

We are custodians of the land and endeavour to leave the land better than what we received it.

Changes made on the Fox farm in recent years include the purchase of new machinery which has enabled practice changes to retain more soil moisture and build carbon levels below the ground.

“Our mothers and grandmothers taught us to put straw mulch on the home gardens to protect the soil from the sun, keep the weeds out and keep the moisture in,” Dan said.

“That’s exactly what we are aiming to do with our system, except our garden is the big paddocks on the outside of the house yard.

“With minimal disturbance and the ability to sow a crop in one pass of a paddock whilst retaining our stubble from previous seasons, we can look after the biology in the soil which helps build organic carbon levels in our soils.”

The Foxs have also transitioned to organic-based liquid fertiliser, a ‘companion cropping’ program which reduces pesticide use by attracting insects and pests to the companion crop, and experiments with chaff lining and cover cropping which also build and retain soil cover.

Dan said he believes farming practices must, and are, changing to accommodate climate variability. This includes changes to planting schedules and varying crop varieties, he said.

Australian farmers are some of the most innovative in the world.

“This stems from the climatic challenges faced with farming in some of the driest and most variable agricultural regions in the world.

“We are constantly innovating and improving our farming practices to increase our resilience in both dry and wet seasons, which – in the face of very inconsistent weather patterns – gives stability to our businesses and to food production.”

Dan is one of three farmers featured in the Australian Farms: Where REAL Climate Action Happens initiative, which looks to highlight the fantastic work done by farmers who play a critical part in Australia’s response to climate change.

For more information about the Australian Farms: Where REAL Climate Action Happens campaign, click here.

The post Grain grower Dan’s goal to leave a legacy for future generations appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Australian Farms – Where REAL Climate Action Happens tells the stories of our farmers, who take seriously their responsibility as environmental stewards of 51% of the Australian landscape.

Through research, innovation and on-farm management, Australian farmers are world leaders in carbon abatement. In fact, agriculture is one large carbon cycle: generating emissions but also taking a significant amount of carbon from the atmosphere.

In the coming weeks, starting today, the stories of several Aussie farmers will be showcased to show the overwhelmingly positive story of Australian agriculture, giving Australians the peace of mind to continue to enjoy Aussie grown food and fibre, while confident farmers are a part of the climate solution.

Wilmot Cattle Co: Where REAL Climate Action Happens

Stuart Austin, General Manager of Wilmot Cattle Company, notes subtle changes in the landscape each time he shifts cattle to fresh pasture at the 1854-hectare-property on the Ebor Plateau of Northern NSW. Native plants are emerging and the pasture biomass and ground cover continue to flourish, following a shift in grazing management nine-years-ago.

Since switching to a soil health focus in 2012, soil carbon results have increased from 2.5 percent to 4.7 percent at Wilmot.

Stuart, 39, demonstrates the importance of farmers in restoring ecological function alongside building a profitable and robust business. The Wilmot Cattle Company team take a regenerative approach across three properties Wilmot, Woodburn and Morocco – spanning 5,665-hectares in the New England region – to produce grass-fed beef and sequester soil carbon.

“Our role is to provide food and fibre for the world but also to preserve the environment we manage,” Stuart says.  

As farmers we manage so much of this landscape on a percentage basis and a full ecological system includes animals. If we manage those animals in a positive way that benefits the environment, then we can have a huge positive impact on the landscape, which is what’s required for us to have a really significant impact on the climate.

Grazing management is the primary tool used to increase biodiversity, soil health, animal performance and profitability. Feed budgeting, continual monitoring and recording means stocking rate is matched to carrying capacity and animal density combined with frequent shifts, improves the mineral cycle and allows pasture recovery.

Data from every aspect of the business is recorded to assist with decision making.

The introduction of these low-cost grazing principles has dramatically transformed Wilmot from the set-stocked, high-input monoculture of just a decade ago.

Stuart says the first steps to regenerate are accepting that our landscapes have become degraded to some extent, along with challenging paradigms about the way we farm.

“We had blurred the lines a little bit over the past few decades where in a quest to make a solid return, have become focused on higher production which included high inputs and higher costs at the detriment to our ecology. In the cropping sector, we have largely removed animals from the landscape and over-used chemicals and synthetic fertilisers over decades. We need to take a step back and look from the outside and reconsider our management practices and whether we are in fact improving the ecology or whether we are just focused on production and profits.”

Stuart refers to the Resource Consulting Services analogy of a three-legged pot with the environment, animals and financials, underpinned by people. If one of the legs is unstable, the other functions are at risk.

At an operational level, we are continuing to challenge the parameters within the business and have a strong continuous improvement philosophy. We look at production, graze yield, animal performance and business performance. How our people are going and what further skills they need to improve.

Wilmot Cattle Company has a goal to reach soil carbon of six percent by 2023 at Wilmot, while at Woodburn they are aiming for four percent and three percent at Morocco.

The landmark sale of 41,000 carbon credits with Microsoft has sparked a larger conversation.

“The carbon piece has become a big focus and in my role as General Manager I am looking to build on this at an industry level. It’s actually encouraging producers to focus on natural capital and the rewards and opportunities that may be there.”

“One of my fundamental goals in life is to help other people which is why I have never been shy about sharing what we do, without claiming to have all the answers. We have learnt so much and will continue to learn every year for the benefit of the business and landscape. I like to think in 20-30 years’ time, we’ll be able to look back and because we were open and willing to share, others have implemented things on their land and so had an impact across a much bigger landscape, rather than just the ones we manage.”

Click here to find out more about the Real Climate Action campaign.

The post Australian Farms: Where REAL Climate Action Happens appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

As the leader of Australian agriculture, the National Farmers’ Federation is committed to telling agriculture’s story. A great story based on the shared values of farmers and all Australians.

Australians report to be increasingly disconnected with how their food and fibre is produced. And while they are are overwhelmingly supportive of our farmers – they’d like to know a more about how and why we do what we do.

Every day on behalf of our nation our farmers care for 51% of the Australian landscape – sustainably producing food and fibre to feed our nation and the world. On average, each Australian farmer produces enough food to feed 600 people every year. More than a quarter of a million Australians are employed directly in Australian agriculture. Our farmers and food and fibre production are the lifeblood of Australia’s regional communities.  

The faces in the We Are Australian Farmers film include the following farmers: Jamie, Andrew, Jonty and Isabella Ingle, Maree Anstee, Andrew Julian, Duncan Trethowan, Christopher Reid, Brad Hulme, Jordan Hunt, Georgia Cluff, Corey McCarthy, Tom Bull, James Finlay, Sam Pincott, Tim Glass, Andrew Fraser and Katie Wills.

We Are Australian Farmers is the first step by the NFF, in partnership with Meat and Livestock Australia, in a long term commitment to narrow the divide between our farmers and the community.

The post We Are Australian Farmers appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the popular weed killer RoundUp, and about 500 other herbicide products. It’s widely used by farmers, gardeners and other land managers. When applied, glyphosate prevents weeds from making the proteins they need to grow.

Why is glyphosate important?

Glyphosate allows farmers to control weeds from above the ground – doing away with the need to plough or till the soil. Reducing tillage maintains soil nutrients and improves water use efficiency.

Healthier soils mean higher yielding crops – a win for farmers and the environment.

Glyphosate is also used to control aggressive, noxious weeds such as serrated tussock and African lovegrass. If not controlled, these weeds can rapidly take over a landscape – at the expense of native pastures and biodiversity.

Why is glyphosate under pressure?

In September, a Californian jury found in favour of a plaintiff who alleged exposure to RoundUp, manufactured by Monsanto, had resulted in terminal non-Hodgkinson Lymphoma.

The jury drew on a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which identified exposure to glyphosate, as well as activities such as drinking hot drinks, frying food, and hairdressing, as ‘probable carcinogenic’ activities.

In 2016, the APVMA evaluated the IARC report and other contemporary scientific assessments as part of an established chemical review nomination process. The APVMA concluded that glyphosate did not pose a carcinogenic risk to humans and that there were no grounds to place it under formal reconsideration. The APVMA is a globally recognised, science-based regulator.

What does the science say?

No other agricultural chemical has been tested to the extent that glyphosate has.  The scientific evidence supporting glyphosate’s safety is clear and overwhelming.

In the past three years alone, regulatory authorities in the European Union, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States have publicly reaffirmed that exposure to glyphosate does not cause cancer.

More than 800 scientific studies and reviews, including numerous independent regulatory safety assessments, have informed and confirmed these regulators’ stance.

A recent longitudinal study by the United States’ National Institute of Agriculture followed  57,000 farmers and registered applicators of glyphosate for more than 20 years. The study found no connection between cancer and glyphosate.

Farmers take these issues seriously

Australian farmers are renowned across the world for producing high quality, safe, sustainable produce. It is a role they take very seriously.

Farmers put their faith in the regulator (the APVMA) to only approve for use products that are are safe for the environment and human health.

Farmers care about their own health and that of their families, farm workers, communities and consumers.

Busting the myths on glyphosate.

The post What you need to know about glyphosate appeared first on AustralianFarmers.