prospect summer 2013

ProspectFOR FARMERS IN THE KNOW

IN THIS ISSUE:

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InterestHistoric woolsheds captured ViewpointAdvice from industry experts

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Cover Story Master craftsman cracking the whip

Master Farmer The O’Brien family’s growing legacy

NOW AVAILABLE

FOR GRAIN BROKERAGE

deltaag.com.au

Bellata 0267937416BurrenJunction 0267961428Caragabal 0458475358Coolamon 0269273189Harden 0263862118Lockhart 0269204666Narrabri 0267926488Quandialla 0263471140Temora 0269771122WaggaWagga 0269717100Yass 0262262622Young 0263826622YerongCreek 0269203557

Cowra 0263421844Grenfell 0263431276

Young 0263825800

NorthernNSW 0267750057SouthernNSW 0263862118CentralQueensland 0414347330

LIVESTOCK

DeltaAgbranches AlllocationsCootamundra 0269421866WaggaWaggaHLB 0269219099

JJATrangie 0268887122

2 www.deltaag.com.au

WelcometothefirsteditionofProspectfor2013.Hopefullyallreadershavehadasafeandrelaxingfestiveseason and are looking forward to the coming year.Our

thoughtsandbestwishesgotothoseunfortunatepeoplewhowereaffected in the bushfires which have been so widespread. Whilewe are being conditioned to the heat of a normal summerwith aprolongeddryspell,wecanalsotaketimetoreflectontheeffortsofthelast12months.

Theharvest,whilevariablewasbuoyedbygoodpricesformanyofthecommoditiesgrown.Livestock,wool,cattleandotherindustrieshaveseenpricereductionsonthebackofdiminishingfeedandsomemarket uncertainty but in general these industries have positiveoutlooks.January2013haspersistedwithhotdryweatherwithmostareashopefulthatagoodrainisnotfaraway.Thisisparticularlythecaseforthoseinsummercropregionsorwherelivestockfodderisrapidlydisappearing.Wearehopefulthattheforecastfor“average”rainfallacrosstheEasternstatesatthetimeofprintingprovetobecorrectforthecomingseason.

DeltaAgwasagainrecognisedintheBRWFast100Awardlistforthe fourthyear insuccession,which is testimony to thededicationofourstaffandtremendoussupportfromclients.Thisawardcouldalsobeseenasaresultofourcommitmenttokeepbothstaffandcustomersatthecuttingedgeofruraltechnologywhichwillrewardthefarmerwithincreasedproductionandprofit.

WealsotaketheopportunitytowelcomeournewclientsatYerongCreek and its surrounding district, having recently acquired theYerongCreekRuralCentrefromMiltonandBevKennedywhohadsuccessfullyownedandoperatedthebusinessfor30years.WearepleasedthatMiltonwillbemakingthetransitionwithusfor12monthstoassistbranchmanagerDanKimberand thewidermanagementteamwithintegratingthisnewcentreintotheDeltagroup.

ThiseditionofProspectwillagaindemonstratethehugevariationoffarmingenterprises,farmingpersonalitiesandlifestyles.Thereisanarticledemonstratingthehistoryofalargewellrungrainfarm,anothershowinghowevenwithinonefarmbusinessotheropportunitiescanpresent themselves…There isan insight intocagedbirdmedicineproduction,agreatarticleonthepowerofhope,plusanumberofotherfeaturesdiscussingindustrynewsanddevelopments.Membersof theDeltaadvisoryteamwillagainpresent informationonwhatiscurrentlyhappeninginthepaddockandhowbesttodealwithsomeoftheissuesdiscussed.

Wewouldliketowishyouallwellfor2013andforallourclients,maythecomingyearprovetobeasafeandprosperousone.

John Fisher DirectorandKeyaccountManager

Weinviteyourideas,commentsandfeedbacktoeditorRosieO’[email protected]

Prospect|Welcome

DeltaAgribusinessproudlysupports

02 6295 9514www.swelldesign.com.au

30.08.11 BRANDING DESIGN DELTA GRAINS UPDATE

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upon the representations and warranties of the authors of the articles and without our knowledge of any infringement of any third party’s copyright. The views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the editor or the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publishers accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in the publication. Neon Media Group Pty Ltd takes no responsibility for advertising content. Neon Media Group Pty Ltd (including its employees, agents or

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OUTLOOK 4 Hot Topics Newsfromacrosstheagriculturallandscape

6 In Focus CatherineDeVrye Theauthorandmotivationalspeakersharesher adviceandhopeforaprosperous2013

FARMING FEATURES 8 Cover Story Master Craftsman Murringofarmerandleatherworker RichardTaubmantellshisstory

13 Interest AndrewChapmanshareshisjourney photographingwoolsheds

18 Master Farmer Walgett’sJimO’Brientellsushowhecontinues todiversifyamidachallengingclimate

24 Interest HowWaggabusinessVetafarmprovidesfeed andpharmaceuticalsforexoticbirdsandother animalspeciesaroundtheglobe

26 Insight TeamDeltacyclestoraisemoneyforacancer treatmentcentre

Neon Media Group Pty LtdA.B.N.9113333910737MainStreet,YoungNSW2594p:(02)63827763e:[email protected]:www.neonmediagroup.com.au

ProspectFOR FARMERS IN THE KNOW

Prospect|Contents

DELTA DIRECT

30 On the Rail Kim “Spanner” Pattison DeltaAgSalesManager,BurrenJunction VIEWPOINT 32 Landscape James Ingrey LachlanFertilizersRuralGrenfellAgronomist/ Consultant

32 Taking Stock Andrew Adams DeltaAgLivestockSales,Cootamundra

33 Grain Watch Graham Martin-Dye DeltaGrainMarketing

33 Livestock Health Dr Paul Cusack AustralianLivestockProductionServices

Product Watch

34 Kevin Holt DeltaAgProcurementManager

TECHNO TALK

35 New Technology To4Gornotto4G

DELTA DIARY

38 Around the Traps Socialsnaps

39 On the radar Eventsontheagriculturalcalendar

PublisherNeonMediaGroupGeneral ManagerDeanKinlysideEditorRosieO’KeeffeArt DirectorDeanKinlysideContributors PamelaLawson,JustineMcGregor,ShannaRowlandsandRuthCaskeyCover PhotoJustineMcGregor

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedinwholeorpartwithoutpriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.Noresponsibilitytakenforunsolicitedmaterial.

Grants available to farmers affected by bushfires

Devastatingly,manyofourprimaryproducersenduredseverehardships and considerable property and stock losseswhenbushfires ripped through not only various parts of NSW, butacrossAustralia, asextremeweather conditions tookhold inJanuary.

Atthetimeofprinting,oneoftheblazesthathadcausedthemostdamagewastheCobblerRoadbushfirewhichsurroundedtheYassregion.Ithasbeenreportedthatforthisblazealone,more than 800 volunteers descended on the district to helpcontainthefire.

Inlightofthestockandpropertylossesfromthemanybushfiresacross the state, the NSW and federal governments havedeclaredmany local government districts as natural disasterareas which then trigger access to a number of disasterassistanceschemes.

These disaster assistance schemes are made available bytheNSWGovernment through theNSWDisasterAssistanceArrangementsandtheyaresupportedbytheCommonwealthGovernmentthroughtheNaturalDisasterReliefandRecoveryArrangements.

Arangeofassistancegrantsareintheprocessofbeingmadeavailableincluding:

•disasterreliefgrantstoeligibleindividualsandfamilieswhosehomesandessentialhouseholditemshavebeendestroyedordamaged;

Prospect|Hot Topics News

•transportfreightsubsidiesofupto50percentonthecarriageoflivestockandfoddertohelpprimaryproducerstoamaximumof$15,000perannum;

•loansofupto$130,000(subjecttocertaineligibilitycriteria),ataconcessionalinterestrate,forprimaryproducersandsmallbusinessesinurgentneed.

In addition, the NSWGovernment and NSW Farmers’ haveteamed up to establish a fodder donation register to assistfarmersaffectedbythebushfires.

“We have already had calls of support from country NSW(farmers) offering hay and grain to those left with little ornothingon theirproperties following thefires,”NSWMinisterforPrimaryIndustries,KatrinaHodgkinson,saidinJanuary.“At thispointauthoritiesestimatesome10,000stock,mostlysheep,haveperishedorhavehadtobeputdown.Intheworstcasespropertieshavebeenleftwithoutabladeofgrasstofeedlivestock–thisregisterisonewayofhelpingfarmingfamiliesrecoverfromthisdevastatingevent.”

NSWFarmers’PresidentFionaSimsonsaidthecentralfodderdonationregisterwillbelocatedontheDepartmentofPrimaryIndustries (DPI) website (www.dpi.nsw.gov.au). To registerfodder donations contact 1800 814 647. More informationabout natural disaster declarations can be found at www.attorneygeneral.gov.au.Continue to stay up to datewith thebushfiresituationbycheckingwww.rfs.nsw.gov.au,listeningtoyourlocalradiostationorbycallingtheNSWRFSBushFireInformationLineon1800679737.

IanBush&hisgrandsonJocktakestockofsomeofthedamagedonetotheirpropertyonChildowlaRoadatBookham.MrBushlostmorethan700sheeptothefire.Photo:OliverWatson,courtesyofYass Tribune

Hansie&GarryArmour,alsonearChildowlaRoad,managedtosavemostoftheirsheepbutlostmanyoftheiroutbuildings&mostoftheirpaddocksareblackened.Photo:KatharynBrine,courtesyofYass Tribune

AquickbriefingattheBookhamstagingarea,beforeheadingout.Photo:TiffanyGrange,courtesyofYass Tribune

DepictingtheseverelivestocklossesaspartofthefirewhichrippedthroughtheYassdistrictinJanuary.Photo:TiffanyGrange,courtesyofYass Tribune


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Canola harvest captured

PhotographerTravisWilsonsnappedthiscandidharvestimageonproperty“Wasley”which is located justeastofHenty inthesouthern Riverina area of NSW. The photo was taken of theCase7120headerbelongingtoENPAGContractors.EronandPennyThompsonandfamilyhavebeencommittedtoassistingfarmerswiththeirharvestforfiveyears.Thepaddockofcanolacapturedinthephotographyieldedanaverage2tonne/hectare.

2012 2011Wheat 6,384 7,353Barley 1,463 1,734Oats 489 638Triticale 326 382Canola 961 722Chickpea 278 173Fababean 121 63Fieldpea 56 59Lupin 75 108

In2010-11justoverhalf(55percent)ofAustralia’sfarmshadanestimatedvalueofagriculturaloperationsoflessthan$100,000and6percentoflargefarmshaveinexcessof$1millionwhichreflectsdiversityfromfamilyfarmstolargecorporateownership.A thirdof farmscover less than50haandasimilarproportionbetween 50 and 500ha, while 100 farms occupy more than500,000hawhichismorethantwicethelandareaoftheACT.In the three decades to 2010-11, the value ofAustralian farmexports increased from $8.2 to $32.5 billion – an averageincreaseof5percentperyear.

Ofthetotalvalueoffarmexportsin2010-11,54percentcamefromcropexportsincludingwheat(17percent)andwine(6percent)while46percentcamefromlivestockexportssuchasbeefand veal (13 per cent) andwool (9 per cent).Themajority ofAustralia’sfarmexportsgotocountriesinAsia.

Formoreinformationaboutthestudyandforotherfiguresvisitwww.abs.gov.au.

Dry conditions impact crops

TheNSWwintercropproductionisexpectedtobedownabout10percentonlastyear’scrop,accordingtotheDepartmentofPrimaryIndustries’(DPI)DecemberGrainsReport.

The report estimates production at 10.16 million tonnes withcanola the only crop expected to have an increased yield byaboutone-thirdonlastyear.

“Overall yields for all cropshavebeen variable,with cropsonwell-maintained fallows and those sown on time performingaboveexpectationsgiventhelackoflatewinterandspringrainfallformuchofthestate,”DPITechnicalSpecialistOilsandPulsesDonMcCafferysaid,alsoaddingthatlowproteinincerealswasuniversalacrossmuchofNSW.

MrMcCafferysaidgood rainfall isneeded toallow thebulkoftheforecastsorghumcroptobesownandforfurthersowingsofsunflowers andmungbeans, and early summer crop plantingsstrugglingundermoisturestressalsoneedrelief.

CurrentestimatesfortheNSWsummercropareforthesowingof534,700hectares,notincludingrice,whichisdown4percentontheOctoberforecast–and12percentdownonlastyear’sharvestareaof606,794ha.

“AnydrylandcropssowninlateSeptemberandearlyOctoberhavecontinued to struggle,withmany having patchy establishmentandnowlowerthanidealplantpopulations,”hesaid.

“Drylandcottonareaisdown76percentonthe2011/12crop.”

DPI’sNSWwintercropproductionestimates(‘000tonnes)Stats show fewer farmers but longer hours…

ThenumberofAustralianfarmershasfallen40percent inthelast30years.

FiguresrecentlyreleasedbytheAustralianBureauofStatistics(ABS)showsthatbetween1981and2011thenumberoffarmersdecreasedby100,000.

Therewere 19,700 fewer farmers inAustralia in 2011 than in2006,afallof11percentoverfiveyears.Thestatisticswhichhavebeendiscoveredusing2011CensusdataalsoshowedthathalfofAustralianfarmersworklonghoursof49hoursormoreaweekwiththemedianageoffarmersstandingat53,and1in4farmersaged65ormore.


Catherine DeVrye gives her advice for prospering in 2013 and shares some of her strategies for keys to success. Catherine is the author of the #1 best seller Good Service is

Good Business, Hot Lemon & Honey, Who Says I Can’t? A memoir and Hope Happens! She is a past winner of the Australian Executive Woman of the Year Award, and whilst she lives in Sydney she speaks internationally on managing change, customer service and turning obstacles to opportunities. For more information visit www.greatmotivation.com

Words of wisdomto give hope for prosperity

“Aleaderisadealerinhope.”SosaidNapoleonBonapartebeforehisdeathin1821.

Nearlytwocenturieslater,weneedhopemorethaneverinourworkandourhomelivesasweembracethestartofanewyear.

Haveyouever lostan importantbusinessdeal?Or,moreimportantly – lost a lovedoneor friend?Are youworriedbylosthealthorwealth;lossofjoborlossofperspective?Whetherthatlossistemporaryorpermanent,youneedtodigdeepforcouragetogetonwithgettingon,tofindhopeinseeminglyhopelesssituations.

When you’ve lost whatever is important in your life, it’simportant tofindhopeandtohelpothersfindhopewithinthemselves.

MyfatherwasawheatfarmerinCanadaandInevercouldhave imagined that I would move toAustralia and yearslater,address theWorldAirlineEntertainmentAssociationinBrisbaneon11September,2001.Ifeltsickenedbyglobalevents and also by bronchitis, when a friend phoned tosayhermotherhaddiedofcancer.Certainly, shesharedcompassionwiththousandsofpeopleontheothersideoftheglobe,butthelossofonelifeweighedfarheavieronhermind.Toher,talkofthe“worldchanging”wasmorethanamediacliché–theworldalwayschanges–butherownlife

Prospect|In Focus

had tumbledandchanged irrevocablywith thedeathof theonepersonwhohadalwaysbeencentraltoherworld.

AsIsatdespondentlyattheairport,Icouldn’thelpbutthinkthat,undoubtedly,globaltragedyimpactsonusallinvariousways,fromthepersonal to theeconomic.Yet,ultimately, theeveryday,non-publicised tragedies cause the greatest grief, wherever we livearoundtheglobe.

My thoughts were interrupted when a vibrant young womanintroducedherselfandsaidshehadbeen inspiredbyoneofmypresentations,hadsincemovedtoLondonandtookonlysixbooks,includingHope Happens.

“WheneverI’mfeelingdown,Idelveintothatbookandmagicallyfind just the rightwords of inspiration and encouragement,” sheenthused.

“Oh, what chapter was that? I could do with a little inspirationmyselfatthemoment!”Iasked,beforesmilingattheirony.

More recently, a senior executive, one of my corporate clients,called–ostensiblyjusttosayhello.“How’sthings,Bill?”

“Oh I’m fine,” he replied but something in the tone of his voiceimpliedthathewasn’t.

“Hmm.Youdon’tsoundyournormalself.”Iventured.

“Well,uh,myfatherdiedthisafternoonandI’mfeelingkindaflat.”

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The following is a modified excerpt from Hope Happens! words of encouragement in tough times

• Hope is what happens when you first see a lightJust a distant, small star in the darkest of night.

• Hope is what happens with the first buds of spring When dawn touches the sky or a bird spreads its wings.

• Hope is what happens when a burn starts to healWhether skin deep or soul deep, you begin to feel real.

• Hope is what happens when you’re poor but not brokenThere’s a goldmine of dreams -- just not yet awoken

• Hope is what happens with the smell of fresh rainWhen your long drought of dreams is renewed yet again

• Hope is what happens long after the painHope is what happens -- again and again.

Oneshouldnever feel tooproud toask forhelp fromotherswho have walked that rocky road. People often ask how IcopedwhenmyfolksdiedwhenIwas21.WhatchoicedidIhave?Copeorcrumble--and,Ihadnointentionofcrumbling.

Sincethoseearlydarkdays,I’vebeenprivilegedtomeetworldleaders, sports stars andmusic icons and was surprised todiscoverthat,attimes,theyallsharethesamesenseoflossanduncertaintyasmynext-doorneighbourorastrangeronaplane.Behindthefacade,nolifeisperfectandthegrassisn’talways greener on the other side of the fence. It never hasbeen.Itneverwillbe.

But today,andeveryday,weneedtokeepourdreamsaliveandnotbeswampedbynightmaresofnegativityanddespair.Hopehelpsuscopewithtoughtimes.

Help…others,andneverbetooproudtoaskforhelpyourself.

Optimize… opportunities. In every business or personalproblem,thereisalwaysanopportunity,soremainoptimistic.

Persist… nomatterwhat.Tough times don’t last and toughpeopledo,sonevergiveupinordertomovefromavictimofchangetoavictorofchange.

Empower… others and give yourself permission to beempoweredtotaketimeoutforyourself,asyoucan’ttakecareofothersifyoudon’ttakecareofyourself.

There’s no better time to get some hope happening in yourlife.Whetherit’sthebeginningofthecalendaryearorfinancialyear…todayisstillthefirstdayoftherestofyourlife!

“You could lose 50% of your production due to the impact of worms. To combat against resistance, you have to rotate your drenches. I will be using ZOLVIX in my rotation with confidence.

We tested fourteen days after using ZOLVIX onto this new country and it was zero zero all the way, it was very good. With ZOLVIX you get better production, more cut per head, it’s all plus, plus! We are very happy with it and it’s money well spent. ZOLVIX definitely works.”

zEro rEsistancE zolvix®. worms don’t stand a chancE.

tim BowEr

“i usE zolvix BEcausE it Prolongs thE lifE of

all thE othEr drEnchEs on this ProPErty”.

Bleed lineEvEry flock, EvEry yEarwww.zolvix.com

• Kills ›99.9% of worms,1 even resistant worms.

• Prolongs the lifespan of older drenches.2

• Boosts farm productivity.3

• Revolutionary, easy to use drenching system.

• Impressive safety profile.

ZOLX

AV25

809A

US07

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kills>99.9%

of worms1

References1. Kills >99.9% of barbers pole, small brown stomach and black scour worms. A pooled analysis of the efficacy of monepantel, an amino-acetonitrile derivative against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep. Hosking et al., Parasitol Res (2010), 106: 529-532. 2. Minimising the development of anthelmintic resistance, and optimising the use of the novel anthelmintic monepantel, for the sustainable control of nematode parasites in Australian sheep grazing systems. R.J. Dobson et al., AVJ (2011), Vol. 89, No 5. 3. The production costs of anthelmintic resistance in sheep managed within a monthly preventive drench programme. Sutherland et al., Vet Para(2010), 171:300-304. ZOLVIX contains 25 g/L monepantel, a member of the Amino-Acetonitrile Derivative (AAD) class of anthelmintics. ZOLVIX® is a registered trademark and OPTIMUM™ is a trademark of Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland. For full product details contact NOVARTIS CUSTOMER ADVISORY LINE on 1800 633 768 TOLL FREE between 8.30am and 5.30pm E.S.T. Monday to Friday. Novartis Animal Health Australasia Pty Limited, ACN 076 745 198, 54 Waterloo Road, North Ryde NSW 2113.

Prospect|Cover Story


Richard Taubman has had many successes, not just in running his farming enterprise near the township of Young in southwest NSW, his talents at making leather stockmen’s goods has meant he has been invited to plait for the Queen of England and the King of Tonga along with various other dignitaries over the years. But instead of just accepting praise for his own fortunes, Richard continues to pay tribute to the late Syd Bayliss, a man who despite having been 60 years’ Richard’s senior, taught him a lot more than leatherwork skills, through plenty of yarns shared. Article |Rosie O’Keeffe Photography|Justine McGregor

IthoughtI’donlywanttomakeonewhipbutI’vemadearound7000whipssincethen.

Richard Taubman,Murringo farmer and leather worker

“

”

A MASTER CRAFTSMAN

With one crack of Richard Taubman’s handcrafted66-footwhip,stockmenstandupandtakenotice.

TheMurringofarmerandtalentedleatherworkerhashadawealthof“onceinalifetime”opportunitiesfrommusteringcattle in stock camps on horseback and in helicopters in theoutbacktofishingintuckedawaywaterholes,tonewfriendshipsmadewithstockmenoncattlestations,totravellingextensivelyamongst theearthinessof ruggedAustralianbushland–allofwhichhavecomeaboutfromauniquemarketingpitch(crackinghis giantwhip at the gate) to sell his collection of handmadeleather stockwhips,belts,pockknifepouches,hats, saddlerygear,andevenplaitedwalkingsticks.

It was through Richard’s desire to create his own stockwhipasanimpressionableyoungteenager–agedjust13–thathecame across SydBayliss.And after 40 years since their firstmeeting,Richardstillfeelsheowesallofwhatheknowsabouthiscrafttothis“burlybushman”fromTumut.

“BeingbroughtuponthelandI’vealwaysbeenkeenonbushgear,that’swhatstartedit.SomeoftheblokesonthepropertyhadwhipsandIdecidedtoordersomeleatherfromashopinCowraandIreadabookabouthowtodoit,whichtheninspiredMum and Dad to get Syd (who they had employed to shootkangaroosontheirpreviouspropertyatBatlow)tocomedownfromTumuttoshowthelocalschoolkidsandmesomeplaitingduring the school holidays… I thought I’d only want tomakeonewhipbutI’vemadearound7000whipssincethen,”Richardmarvelsoneeveningafterfinishingwithhisfarmwork.

“Syd had a big influence onme and I justwanted to try anddoasmuchashehaddoneandthose10yearsafterourfirstmeetingIspentasmuchtimeasIcouldwithhimandhetaughtmeeverything fromrooshooting tocutting thewattlebark, thetanningprocessandtheplaiting.AndthenIwentandworkedon

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cattle stationsandwasahawker selling thegear. It’sagreatindustrytobeinvolvedwithandI’vebeenveryfortunatetohavebeenshowntheprocessesfromstarttofinish.”

Richard certainly hasn’t looked back and although admittingthere are many talented whip makers around, he can’t keepup with orders for his products, which is also a good thingconsideringhespendsthemajorityofhis“spare”timecreatinghisleatherproducts,revealinghehashookshanginginseveralrooms ready for his next project, evenquipping that after ourinterview (late in the evening) he would be returning to hisleatherwork.AndallcraftedintheexactsamewaySydtaughthimallthoseyearsago.“Itakealittlebitofprideintryingtodoeverythingtheoldway,mytoolsareallmademyselfthewaySydtaughtme–cuttingoutwith a thumbnail or a pocket knife, using a piece of pinetimberasagauge,andanawlorfidforsplicing,”hetellsme.

Richard reveals that most of the kangaroo skins used in themakingofhisleathergoodscomesfromeitherrooshootersorprocessors,orheorderstheskinsinapickledstate(de-fleshedandpickledinamixtureofvariouschemicalsincludingsulphuricacid)sotheycanbethentannedwithwattlebark.

“I order two to three times a year and get up to 1000 skinsata time. It takesup to threemonths fromwhen theorder ismadeuntil it hits the tableso Ineed tohavean ideaofwhatthemarket is going to do not only in numbers but the typesofskinsand thecolours Iwill need.Thereare85varietiesofkangaroosandwallabiesinAustraliaandweonlycommerciallyshootthreetypesinlargequantities–theeasternandwesterngreykangaroowhichhavethebestleatherforbeltsandtheredkangaroowhichhasafinegrainwhichisbestforwhips,”Richardsays,alsorevealingthathenowsellsleatherandhisproductstomorethan20overseascountriesandacrossAustralia.u

Leatherworkondisplay-whips,belts&walkingsticks RichardTaubmancrackingthebigwhip


“Therearefarmorekangaroosthanthereeverhasbeensoit’sa veryunique industry, they’re everywhere, andwe shouldbeusingthem, it’safantasticproduct–notonlytheskinsbutthemeattoo.

“My gear either goes to stations, to those in country areas,peoplewhohavebeeninvolvedincountrylifeorwouldliketobeinvolvedinit.Wedon’tnecessarilytraveltodoalotofstationsanymore,we try to justkeep it toacoupleofbigeventseachyearintheNorthernTerritory–eventogostraightupandbackfrom there is around 6000km, it doesn’t take long to burn themilesup.”

OneofRichard’sproudestmomentswithSydwaswhenhewasable toshowhima50-footwhiphehadmade, just likeSyd’s,whichtookhim24hourstoplait.

“Thebigwhipwasaveryspecialthingformeanditwasaveryproudmoment toshowhimeven thoughhewasbedriddenatthatstage,hestillgottoseethebigwhipbeforehepassedon,”Richardrecalls.

RichardandhiswifeLeahliveat“SpringValley”,a2600-hectareproperty, predominantly breeding Hereford cattle and Merinosheep.“Dad had a Hereford stud after starting out in the SnowyMountains, and about four to five years ago we deregisteredthe stud,mainly because it was gettingmore difficult to keepupwiththerulesandregulationsthatgowithstuds.Sowearenowrunning350breedingcowsandallupthereisabout1000headofgrass-fedcattle,andwehaveabout5000Merinosontheplace,”Richardsays.

“Wegrowabitofoatsforourownuseandweputthatbackforthestockwhenneeded.Wemakealotofhayandmakesurewehaveacoupleofyears’worthonhand,somewealsosell.Wehadfloodsacoupleofyearsago,whichcarriedaway800roundbalesand40kmoffencing,sowe’reslowlygettingthingsbackupandrunningagain.Weareprettyluckytohavecreekfrontageandwehaveabout120haoflucernecountryontheplace.”

Richardhastriedtoincludesomenewwaysoffarmingintohisenterpriseincludingdirectdrilling,notoverworkingtheland,andthestubblesarenolongerburnedtotrytothenworkthatintothecountry.

“Withlucerneyoucan’tjustdirectdrillallthetime,you’vereallygot towork the country properly.With oats a lot of it is directdrilled.Wegetreasonablygoodresultsfromthecroppingsideofthingsforwhatourrequirementsare,”hesays.

Richard explains that with his own input and that of twolongstandingemployees,thefarmingenterpriseisrunsmoothly.

“Weoftengetcontractorsininsteadofusingourownequipment.Itseemstobeamorepracticalwayandeconomicwayofrunningthings,it’sateameffort.Yearsagowehaduptofiveemployeesbutthereturnsintheruralindustryjustaren’twhattheyusedtobe.”Richard expects that his and Leah’s children will eventuallyrun “SpringValley” but for now they are gaining their own lifeexperienceselsewhere.

Scottisworkingasamechanic,pilotandastockmanonalargecattle station in the middle of the Northern Territory.Adam isworkingforaheavymachinerypartscompanyinSydney.AmandawasagovernessonacattlestationinnorthernQueensland,andnowworksasadentalnurseinMtIsa,andAshleaismarriedwithLeahandRichard’sfirstgrandchild,Ruby,andnowliveswithherhusbandMatthewBerridgeonapropertyatMonteagle.

Richard&LeahTaubman

Richard&Poppycheckingthemail

I’mmakingsurethetradeisnotlostandasamatteroffactit’sreallygoingfromstrengthtostrength.

Richard Taubman, Murringo farmer and leather worker

“”

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NottobesoldshortofayarnabouttheTaubmanfamilyhistory,Richard reveals during our conversation that his grandfatherandgreatuncleestablished thebusinessTaubmansPaints inthe1920s.

“Itwasnotonlyasupplierofhouseholdpaints,varnishesandlacquers,butindustrialpaintstoo,alotofwhichwasusedbythemilitaryinWorldWarII.AfterthewarthecompanywasboughtoutandTaubmansmovedon,butmyuncleandhismate(thechemistsworking forTaubmans)wentouton theirown in themid-1960sand inventedwater-basedpaint.Sowhenyoubuypaint thatcanwashout inwatermyuncleandhismatewerethechemistswhoinventedthat.Itwasasidelineforthembutitturnedintosomethingthatisstillwidelyusedtoday.Theyhaveall since passedawayandTaubmansare not involved in thepaintinggameanymorethough.Infact,Ican’tstandpainting,”hechuckles.

Richardhimselfisnotonlywidelyrenownedforhisleatherwork,heactuallypublishedabookintheearly1980sOne of the LastasatributetothelateSydandtheincredibleinfluencehehadonRichard.ThecollectionoftalesofRichardandSyd’smateshipisnowcominguptoitseightheditionwithmorethan8000copieshavingbeensold.

“I’mstillpayinghimbackforwhathe’sdoneformeandthebookwascertainlydonesohisstoryisrecordedandnotforgotten.IhavealsobeenabletogethimintotheStockmen’sHallofFameandStanCosterwhowrotealotofsongsforSlimDustyrecordedasongIwrote,calledSydthePlaiter,”hetellsme.

Richard’slatesttributetoSydiscomingviahiswifeLeahwhois

busy developing a museum to house memorabilia throughrestoringtheoldstoreatMurringowhichisbelievedtohavebeenbuiltinthelate1850s.Themuseumisexpectedtobeopenedinlate2013.

Richardalsoexplains that a couple of timesa year at least herunswhipmakingschoolsat“SpringValley”ashe’skeentopassonhisknowledge,andalreadyhehasput150peoplethroughhiscourseswithparticipantsranginginagefrom12to73years.“I’mmakingsurethetradeisnotlostandasamatteroffactit’sreallygoingfromstrengthtostrength.I’mmorethanhappytopassitontowhoeverwantstolearn.BackinSyd’sdayandintheearly1900sduringtheDepression,whipmakingandothercraftswereverymuchaguardedsecretbecause(thecraftsmen)neededtosurviveandtheydidn’twantanyoneelsetolearnthetricksofthetradesotospeakbecausetheymayhavethenlostthatincome.Timeshavechangednowthough,andjustaboutanywhipmakerIthinkishappytotellpeoplehowtheydotheirjobtohelpanybody.”

Hisnextwhipmakingschoolwill beatEaster time,andwill beaspecialthree-daycoursewithparticipantstomakeakangaroohidestockwhip,plaitedbeltandkeyrings.

JustprovinghewillstillbepayingtributetoSydinhisownspecialwayformanymoreyearstocome,andthere’snochanceRichardwillbeleavinghismuchlovedruralcountrysideforsometimeyeteither.

“It’sabeautifulspottobeouthere,andIthinktobeinvolvedinruralindustry,issomethingeveryoneonthelandunderstandsandhasaspecialfeelfor,it’scertainlyanenjoyableandsatisfyingwayoflife.”

IfyouwouldliketogetintouchwithRichardorpurchaseacopyofhisbookOne of the Last,[email protected]

BAY9873EvergolPrimeSowingGuideFA.indd 1 22/01/13 5:35 PM


Prospect| Interest

Historic woolsheds through the lensPhotography|Andrew Chapman

Whetherbustlingwiththehiveofactivityasshearerstaketothestandandroustaboutsrusharoundasfleecehitsthetable,orasdarkandsilentbuildings,thedurableconstructionandeverydayworkingsofthewoolshedhavebecomesynonymouswithlifeinruralAustralia.Rosie O’KeeffespeakstophotographerandauthorAndrewChapmanabouthislatestbookAround the Shedswhichshowcasesthefacesandrichhistoryofsomeourmosticonicstructures.u

Imagesreprintedwiththekindpermissionoftheauthorandpublisher


It’snotveryoftenthatshearingiscomparedtothatofawell-choreographed ballet, but that’s how photographerAndrewChapman sees the somewhat ordered chaos of a workingwoolshed.

Andheshouldunderstandtheinnerworkingsofthewoolindustryhavingtravelledmorethan25,000kmbyroadinlessthanayeartophotographimagesforhisrecentlyreleasedglossyphotographicbookAround the Sheds,afollow-uptohisbest-sellingpublicationWoolsheds.

Herevealsthatahighlightofhisjourneyincludedcampinginfrontofcracklingbonfiresandsleepinginswags,allwhilehecapturedtheessenceoftheseoftenisolatedoutbackshearingshedsfromthetoolsandstructures,totheshearers,farmhands,woolgrowers,roustabouts,stockagentsandcooks,whoallhavemanyataletotell…andeventhetrustyworkingdoggetsamention.

“Ifoundalotofnewfriends.It’sabitofaclichétosaycountrypeoplearehospitablebut it’ssotrueandI think ifyoucomeinandaredoingsomethingotherthanfarmingthentheywanttotalktoyoubecauseotherwisealltheytalkaboutisfarming.They’rereallyinterestedinwhatI’mdoingandthey’reveryproudtoshowtheirpatchofdirtofftoo,”Chapmansays.

“It’sarealodysseywhatIdo,towanderthroughthelandscapeand just pick thingsupalong theway.There’s no suspicionofwhatI’mdoing,(thepropertyowners)haveallgotadeeprespectfor the wool industry and its place in history in Australia andthey’reonlytoohappytohelpwhichisgreat.

“Ijustwantedtodocumenttheshedsandthewayitwas,Ididn’treally thinkaboutanaudienceoranything like that. I justdid itbecauseIwasinterestedinitandifsomeoneelsewasinterestedinittoothenthatwasgreat,butIguessasI’vegonethroughitI’vediscoveredwhotheaudienceisandit’sbeenveryinterestingtofindthatsomanywomenreactedstronglytoit.Ijustthoughtit’sreallysuchablokes’subjectandwhenIhadwomensaying‘oh,Ireadyourbookandjustlovedit’itwasabigsurpriseforme.”

Chapman admits he was amazed at the workmanship of thesheds,especially thosebuilt in the late1800sandearly1900sthatarestillwithstandingdespiteextremeweatherconditions.

“You are seeing these old timbers that have just been shapedwithanaxe,it’sroughbutincrediblysturdybushconstructionandthere’snonails,oftenthere’sjustwoodenpegsthroughtheholes.They’rebeautifulbuildingsandIhaveasayingIuseallthe

time,‘theyshowthemarkoftime’,”Chapmansays.

“Eventhroughfloods,droughtsandviolentwindsthathavecomeupagainstthem,they’vemostlystoodthetestoftime,butthingshavehappenedtosomesheds…andanumberofthemhaven’tbeen photographed and have since disappeared which justreinforceswhyyoudosomething–totryandprovidearecordforthenationandwhatwasanimportantpartoflifeintheearlypartofthepreviouscentury.

“Woolshedsarelikelivingmuseums.”

Chapman believes the wool industry itself has been the mostsignificantinAustralia’shistoryprovidingyarnsforclothesinEuropeandtheUnitedStatesduringtheIndustrialRevolution,uniformsforwars,andwhileotherindustrieslikegoldandsyntheticsarenowbooming,hesaysthatwouldn’thavehappenedwithoutwool.

“Thepast30yearshavebeenthehardestintheAustralianwoolindustry’s two centuries of existence… yet many farmers havehungon,justasapunch-drunkboxeralwaysmanagestogetoffthefloorandgoanotherround,”heenthuses.

“Shearingalso fostered thefiercecamaraderie thatgave rise toworkers’ unions, strikes and industrial labour reforms.And it isreallythelastofthephysicaljobs.Ican’tthinkofanotherjobwhereyou’reburningthatmanycaloriesperday,dayinanddayout,fitterthanever.(Shearers)makegoodmoneyandhaveaninterestinglifebutit’shardwork.”

Chapmansayswoolshedsfulfildifferentrolesfrombeingaworkingshed,tohousingoldwaresandtools,orbeingthelocalvenueforsocialgatheringsinthelocalcommunity.

Hesaysnotonlydotheshedscarrydistinctivesmellsofcountlessshearingseasonsand lingeringdust,dirt,oil,sweatand lanolin,buttherearevastdifferencesineachindividualstructuretoo.

“I’veseenbarnowlsflyingaroundinoldsheds,andtheoddmouseor rat, they’requietplaces,and the lightanddetailbecomessoimportantinthatshed,whereasifit’saworkingshedyou’relookingat thepeople, theworkgoingon, it’sadifferentskillsset in thephotography,”Chapmanexplains.

Andifonlythewallsofthesewoolshedscouldtalk,onecouldonlyimaginewhatinsightswewouldhave,andbeevenmoreabletoweavetherichtapestryofwhathascementedthesebushbuildingsintoourfarmingculturetoday.


Koerstzdouble-boxwoolpress,Urangelineshearingshed,LockhartNSW

OldshedatsunsetontheoutskirtsofMudgeeNSW


Itwasin1976thatAndrewChapmanvisitedhisfirstwoolshed,ashedescribes it,anondescript tinnie incentralVictoria,butits“dramatic”atmospherehadhimhookedasaphotographerfromthenon.

He’s since photographed countlesswoolsheds and theworkingsof farming properties also documented in his 2005 book The Shearers,soitprovesdifficultforhimtochooseafavourite,sayingallthestructureshavetheirownstories,andhenowhashisownanecdotestoshareafterforminghisownmemoriesfromvisits.Hedidhighlighttwostandoutstructuresthough.

“OneistheoldGolGolshedatLakeMungoinNSWwhichwasbuiltbyChineselabourersinthelate1960s.Anymembersofthepubliccancampwithin100metresofthatshedinthenationalpark.Itisveryprettybutverysmall.TheotheroneiswhatIcalltheweddingcake shed–DeeargeewoolshedatUralla also inNSW–whichis justbeautiful,built in threesectionswithonebeinganoriginalblade shedoriginally. (Theowner) has really got a great respectfor preserving the history of this unique building. Itwould take aconsiderableamountoftime,effortandmoneytomaintainittotheconditionhemaintainsitinandhe’sdonethatwithrespecttothearchitectureandtheindustry…”

Chapmanrevealsthatoneofthebiggestchallengeshehadwhenphotographingtheshedswasthefacthewasjustpassingthroughandneededtocapturetheshedsintherealisticformstheywereinwheneverhehappenedtobeatthelocation.

“Iworkedveryhardandlookedattheshedandwhereitsitsamongstthelandscape.Ilookedatwhethertherewereanycloudsaroundorthingsthatvettedagainstme,thewaythelightwascomingin,andgettingcertainobjectsthatwereintheshedtoseehowitalllooked.Idon’tuseanyartificiallighting,noflashoranything,whichisthestyleI’vedecidedtoadopt.Ijustusewhateverlightthereisontheday,”hesays.

“You’vegot to relyon luck, there’ssomesheds thataren’t in thebookthatwouldhavebeengreatbutthelightwasn’tgoodonthedayandIjustleftthemout.Andthereareothershedsthatarereallyquiteplainlittleshedsbutthelightwasgreatandtheylookfantasticbutyouwouldn’thaveexpectedthemtobeinthere.”

Chapmanrevealsthatthebooksaremorethanjustanopportunityto document the many historical woolsheds and colourful bushcharacters. There is also a heartfelt acknowledgement of themedical teamsatTheAustinHospital inMelbournewhoassistedhimwitha liver transplant just twoyearsagoandheencourageshisreaderstoregisterasorgandonors.Remarkably,hewasstillinintensivecarewhenhepennedthetextforWoolshedswhichwasreleasedlastyear.

“I was doingWoolsheds when I had catastrophic liver failure inDecember2010andIonlyhadacoupleofdaystolivewhentheyfoundmealiver…Ihadtolearntowalkagain,Icouldn’tstandoranything,Iwasveryweak…SodoingAround the Sheds wasreallyquiteaneffortandsomethingIreallydidn’tthinkIwouldbeabletodo,”Chapmanconfesses.

“IamreallyhappywiththephotographyinAround the Sheds though,it’sasgood,ifnotbetterthanmyotherwork,I’msoproud…IjustlovelivingandIamjustsogratefulthatIwasabletogetitdone.”

ChapmanwhoresidesinMelbourne,hashadsixsoloexhibitionstohisname,twoofthesein2012,andhasplentymoreprojectsinthepipeline.DespiteadmittinghehasprobablyonlyscratchedthesurfaceincapturingshearingshedsinWoolshedsandAround the Sheds,hehasdecidednot todoa thirdbook,althoughhedoesrevealhehas twoupcomingprojects thatwillalsoreflectcountrylife.Healsohasplansformoreroadtrips,andisalsocontributingtoabookonhot-airballooning.

Sincehehasphotographedeveryprimeminister sinceGoughWhitlam and is interested in photography during electioncampaigns,hewillnodoubtbeinvolvedinaprojectaspartofthefederalelectionduelaterthisyear.

“I like to live in towns fora fewmonthsata timeandworkonprojects, it’s the next best thing tomoving to the country andtherearesomanyplaces,wherewouldyouchoose?ButwearegoingtoliveinHayfortwomonthsthisyearandI’dlovetoliveincentralQueensland,Ijustneedtofindabookproject…

“Italltakesmymindoffeverythingelse,I’vegotnoplanstoretire,IlovebeingaphotographerandifIamluckyenoughtoliveuntilI’m85thenI’msureIwillstillhaveacameraaroundmyneck–orwhateverthetechnologyis,”hechuckles.

AndChapmansays,attheendoftheday,forhimit’sallaboutevokingtheemotionofhisaudience.

“Whenpeople in thecountrysay ‘that’s theway it is’, ‘youcanalmost smell the shed’, ‘you’ve really got it’, they’re the bestcomplimentsIcouldgetbecausethat’swhatIintendtodoandthat’swhenI’mtheproudestofwhatI’vedone.”

Around the Sheds and Woolsheds are available atwww.fivemile.com.au (RRP$39.95.)

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Prospect|Master Farmer

Allgrainthatgoesacrosstheweighbridgeandintostoragesisweighed,testedandrecordedsoweknowexactlyatanygiventimewhatisinourstoragesandwhathasgoneofffarm. Jim O’Brien, Walgett farmer ”

“

Through floods, hailstorms and dryseasons, Jim O’Brien’s passion fora lifeon the landhasn’twavered.Heexplainshowhehasdiversified,madeimprovements and built significantinfrastructureonhisproperty“Euroka”in north west NSW over the yearsdespite several climatic challengesalongtheway.

Article |Rosie O’Keeffe Photography|Shanna Rowlands, SKW Images

Walgett’sgrowing farming legacy

WalgettfarmerJimO’Brien jokeswithmethat ifhewasabletocontroltheweatherthereisthepotentialtogrowanythingonhisproperty,andtheresimplywouldbenostoppinghissuccess.

However,unfortunatelyit’sanalltoofamiliarchallengethatJimandothernorthwestNSWgrowersfaceeachandeveryseason–andthisyearwillbenodifferent.

“Wehaven’thaddecentrainsinceearly lastyear.WeonlyhadjustenoughraintogetsowingwithinApril/Mayandwe’vehadnothingthissummersoit’sverydryandtheoutlookforthisyear’scrop is lookingverygrim,” JimconcedesashetakesamuchearnedbreakinJanuaryafterahecticharvest.

“Thenexttwomonthsareverycriticalastowhathappensinthenextyear.Atthemomenttheprofileisverydryandifweonlygetaninchortwoinchesofrain,orstorms,it’sjustgoingtogrowweeds,notimprovethemoisture.Weneedfivetosixinchesoveraperiodoffiveto10daystostartbuildingtheprofileupandstartfilling in thebigdeepcrackswe’vegothereatthemoment.”

But despite the ongoing battles with extreme weatherconditionsinwhatisverymarginalcountry,Jimisdevelopingnewpractices, improving infrastructureanddiversifyingonhispatchofland,toremainaheadofthegame.

JimandhiswifeJanehavebeenfarmingat“Euroka”located16kmtothesouthwestofWalgettformorethan25years,raisingthreechildren,daughterCarolinenowaged27wholivesinSydney,andsonsPatrick,17andJack,14.Jim and his two brothers, Michael and Dennis grew upat “Kincora” in the renowned Come-By-Chance district.BrotherMichaelstilloverseeshisfarmingoperationfromthe“Kincora”base,whilstDennisfarmsintheCryondistrict.

Jimspenttimerunningsheepandcattleon“GoldenPlains”in theGoodoogaareabefore relocating in1989 tohistoric“Euroka”whichatthetimecomprised4046haoftheoriginalstation. “Euroka” iswell-knownas theoriginalhomeof theWolseleysheepshearingmachine.

Hehasgradually(whentheopportunityarose)boughtbacksome of the original holding, which combined with otheropportunisticadjoininglandpurchases,givesanapproximate12,000haaggregation.

Approximately 12 years ago Jim purchased “Peri” RockyCreek near Bingara where he runs around 1100 Angusbreedingcows.

JimandJaneareverymuchhandson in their enterprise,withJimmanagingthestockandfarmprograms,whileJanemanages the office, movement of freight trucks, and theweighbridgeoperationsduringharvest.Their childrenhelpoutduringschoolholidayswhichJimsays “is thegreatestopportunityforhiskidstolearnskillssuchasoperatingandmaintainingspray rigs, sowing rigs, loadingandunloadingtheirtrucksandstockwork”.

Thecouplealsooverseetwostaffmembersat“Euroka”andtwo at “Peri” and also employ seasonal staff as the needarises at sowing time, busy spraying periods, and duringharvest.

Jim runsamixedcroppingenterpriseandwas reasonablypleased overall with what he achieved during November/December’s harvest with last year’s crops consisting of4744ha of chickpeas, 1520ha of faba beans, 3240ha ofwheatvarieties,and408haofcanola.u


Chickpeasfromtherecentharvestat“Euroka”Walgett

JaneO’Brienmanagestheoffice


The2012farmharvestinactionat“Euroka”Walgett

BobCannon,Jane,Jim&JackO’Brien

“Weaveraged14bagsofwheat and9 anda half bagsofchickpeas,whichwasagreatresult,andabout8bagsinthefababeans,”Jimsays.“Wedirectheadfababeansinsteadofwindrowing themandwe’refindingwe’regettingamuchbetterresult.”

Jim, a conservation farmer, was amember of theWalgettSustainableAgricultureGroup(WSAG)whichinnovatedandinitiatednotillandcontrolledtrafficfarmingformanygrowersintheregionbeforedisbandingduetotherecentdryyears.Jimsaysithasbeeninstrumentalinallowinghimtodiversifyinhisownbusiness.

“It’scertainlyhelpedinourfarmingenterpriseinconservingwhatmoisturewedogetwithouttillingthesoil.Alsokeepingthe weeds under control with chemicals while keeping thetrafficoffthepaddock,”Jimexplains.

“Wefindwecanholdthemoisturebackinthesoilalotbetterthanelsewhere(otherareas)andwith the legumeprogramputtingnitrogenbackintothesoiloverthelast10to15years.Wedon’tuseanyfertilizer.”

“With our farming practices we’ve tried to better ourselveswith zero till and conserving our moistures. Most of ourmoisturefallsinthesummermonthsofcourseandthenwerelyonjustalittlebitofraintogetsowingwith.IfourprofileisfullweonlyneedaninchorsoendofApriltostartthecerealwintercrops.Andthenifwe’vegotafullprofilewereallydon’tneed any rain untilAugust/September and the grain is outthereandflowering,andthat’swhenweneedanothersurgeofmoisture.Lastyearwedidn’tgetthat,butthecropcamethroughit,withloweryieldsofcourse,”hesays.

“WhereweusecerealsandlegumesinnormalyearsIwouldleave a paddock untilled for four to five years following alegumecropandthenworkthecountry…Sothesoilistilledeveryfourtofiveyearsandwerunthematdifferentanglessowecrossoverthetramtracksandtillthesoilup,”hesays.

“Our legumecountrywehaven’tbeenable to till in thesummer forafewyearsbecauseit’sbeentoowet.In2010wehadtwoofthebiggestcropssittingtherethatIhadseeninmyfarminglifeandtoseeitgothewayitdidwithfloodingwasdisastrous.Andwegotthrough2011andthenthesamething,itrainedandwehadtodowngradetofeedvaluewithbarley.

“In2012,wedidn’thavemuchspringrainthroughAugust,September,October,whenweneededtofinishthecropandbringithomebutthemoistureunderneathwiththefloodsatthebeginningoftheyearhelped.”

Jimhasbeenproactiveinimprovinggrainstorageon“Euroka”withthecomplexincreasingfrom60to80tonnesilos,withtheconstructionofa92x38x8metre25000tcapacitycementandironshedcompletedin 2010.With a 25000t capacity this shed is used predominantly forlegumes, chickpeas and faba bean storage.Other sheds, 2500t and800t,andsilos,rangefrom50tto260ttoa1100tflatbottomsilo.Theentire complex has a 36000t storage capacity including two bunkers6000tand3500t.

Andduetotheincreasingcostoffreight,especiallyinaremotelocationlikeWalgett, during the past four years Jim purchased two trucks –B-doublestoaddtohisexistingroadtrain.“Mymainaim is toget (thegrain) off quicklyandput it into storage,principallyholdontoandmarketthefeedwheat,fababeanandpulsesmyself, and take other grain toGrainCorp orAWBsites, freighting itmyselfwithmyowntrucks,”Jimsays.

Alsoon-siteat“Euroka”isacertifiedweighbridgeandequipmenttotestgrain forprotein,screenings,moisture, testweightandoilcontent forcanola.

“Allgrainthatgoesacrosstheweighbridgeandintostoragesisweighed,testedandrecordedsoweknowexactlyatanygiventimewhat is inourstoragesandwhathasgoneofffarm.Thisprovesinvaluableasamarketingtoolknowingexactlywhatwehave,”Jimexplains.

Healsosays thatwhilstharvest iscompletedusingcontractors, theydotheirownsowingwithtwo12-metrerigstocompletethe11,800haoperation, complimented by two 36-metre spray rigs to undertakesprayingasrequired.

Overat“Peri”Jimisoverseeingthepreparationforhis10thannualon-farmweanersaleinMarch.HehasbeensolelyrunningAngusherdsforthepastfourtofiveyearsandhasalsobuiltacomplexwith48penstoenablethemtoyardupto1000to1100calvesonsaleday,foratotalclearance.

“We’veneverlookedbacksinceputtingthecomplexup,thisyearisnodifferentaswehopeforagoodsaleaverage,”Jimexplains.

Overrecentseasons,Jimhashadtocontendwithferocioushailstorms,floods and extreme dry conditions, which have all impacted on hiscrops,buthe remainspositiveabout the futureofagricultureandhisfarmingenterprise.

Withmanyevolvementstohisoperation,Jimhashadmanyachievementsalong the way, and he’smost proud of being able to slowly put theoriginal “Euroka”propertyback together,aside from4800hawhich isfarmedbyaneighbour.Othersignificantdevelopmentshaveincludedbuildingthegraininfrastructure,cappingandpipingtheartesianbasinremovingtheborewaterdrains,withwaternowusedforspraying,andnow,expandingintotruckstoreducefreightcharges.

“I’mproudofwhatwe’vedoneoverthelast25yearsorsoat“Euroka”coming from 1200ha to almost 11,800ha being farmed here now –buying twoblocksback to join theplace togetheragainandwhere itgoesandwhatwedonext,Idon’tknow…Theworld’sgottoeatsowehopetherewillbe(abrightfuturefortheagriculture industry)andwehopeourfarmingenterpriseisstilltherein20years’timeforthenextgenerationoffarmers.”

FarmmanagerBobCannoninstubblesfromoneofthe2012wheatcropsat“Euroka”


JimO’BrienwithsonJackwhoalongwithhisbrotherPatrickgainsalotofpracticalexperienceatthefarmduringschoolholidays

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WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN TO YOU?

2000SCIENTISTS

40 COUNTRIES

SECURING WORLD FOOD DEMANDS

GAME CHANGING PRODUCTS


Asafullyqualifiedveterinarian,DrTonyGestierbeganhisworkinglifeasamixedanimalpractitioner,primarilytending to the needs of production animals. But hedeveloped expertise in caged bird medicine and

management,andbeganVetafarm to initiallysupplyaviculturewithnewandinnovativeproducts.

“We began by designing suitable products as tools for themanagement of caged and aviary birds,” Tony says. “But asa practising veterinarian, I found there were few dedicatedmedicinessuitableformoreunusualorexoticpetsandcaptiveanimals – most products used were pulled from productionanimalsandwereoftennotinasuitableformatforuseinsmallbirdsorforsmallnumbersofanimals.

“Ourproduct range thereforeexpandedrapidly,andduring theearly2000’swebegana feedextrusionprocess for birdsandexotic animals. In addition to animal pharmaceutical products,wenowhaveawiderangeofspecialistfeeds,includingfeedsforbirds,ferrets,lizardsandrabbits.AnewfeedproductionfacilityhasbeenbuiltontheoutskirtsofWagga,whichwilleventuallyhousethepurposebuiltpharmaceuticalsuiteaswell.

“TheByeStreetVetafarmsite is licensedunder theAustralianPesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) tomanufacturepharmaceuticalsandnutraceuticalstotheexactingstandardsof the regulator.Wewill eventuallyhave this facilityoutatBomentoo,soallourproductionisononesiteandwecanutiliseskilledlabouracrossbothoperations.”

Prospect|Interest

PRIMARY PRODUCTSAccording to Tony, Vetafarm’s current ‘animal health’ productrangeofessentialmedicinesandspecialistfoodsaimstoenhancetheexperienceofanimalkeeping.

“Ourlargestturnoveritemsarestillrelatedtoouravianproducts,and include a ‘Parrot Maintenance Diet’ pellet feed product forcagedandaviaryparrotsand‘Psittavet’,anantibioticpowderusedtotreatadiseaseincagedbirds,”Tonyexplains.

“Butweprideourselvesinourabilitytomakespecialisedproducts.Allourproductshavestemmedfromusidentifyinganeedorgapin suitable product availability, orwehavebeenasked tomakeaspecialisedproductbyclients.Forinstance,wemaketheonlyferretfoodavailableinadry,pelletisedform.

“TheVetafarmteamisalsousedregularlybyAustralianzoos todevelopnewwaystohelpimprovezooanimalhealth.Theirvastknowledge of animal health needs, nutrition requirements andthetechnicalabilitytomakeuniqueproductsmakestheVetafarmteamavaluableresourceforzookeepers.ProductsVetafarmhasbeen asked tomanufacture for zoo animals have includedSeaBirdtablets,SealsupplementsandElephantlaxatives.”

A LOCAL FLAVOURTonychosetolocatehisbusinessinWagga,notonlytobecloseto family, but because the area offeredmany advantages for amanufacturingcompany.Themostimportantoftheseincludelandavailability,efficienttransportandanadequatelabourforce.

From local to global in one hopAn interest in the production of animal medicine and the care of avian and exotic species led innovative veterinarian Tony Gestier to begin his own veterinary pharmaceutical company, Vetafarm, in 1990. Based in Tony’s home town of Wagga Wagga, Vetafarm now produces nearly 400 specialist feed and pharmaceutical products, many of which are shipped worldwide. Tony gives an insight into how he became successful in this industry.

Article&Photography |Pamela LawsonTonyGestierlovesthechallengeofproducingspecialistfeed&pharmaceuticalproducts


“Vetafarm todayhasaworkforceofsome30people,”Tonysays.“This includes a quality control department of tertiary-educatedscientists, a dedicated research and development department, asalesandmarketinggroup,qualifiedaccountantsandhard-workingproductionteams.

“Wealsohaveadedicatedtestinglaboratorywithastate-of-the-artanalyticalmachinefortestingpharmaceuticals.Myrolethesedaysisastechnicaladvisortothesalesteam,directorofresearchanddevelopmentandstrategiccompanydevelopment.”All the Vetafarm products are manufactured in the two WaggaWagga factories.Muchof themachineryusedhasbeenadaptedasneededtoproducespecialisedproducts,andthereisafull-timeengineeronsite.

The company does all its own production, packaging and labelprintinginadedicatedprintroom,whichallowsmuchmoreflexibilityinthesizeofprintrunsandcreatingdistinguishingproductlabels.

SOURCING INGREDIENTSAccording toTony, all grains,meats and fibresare sourced fromlocalfarmerswherepossible.“ThesoybeansweusegenerallycomefromtheDarlingDownsasthetypegrownlocallyisnotsuitableforourprocessingneeds,buttherestofourrawfeedingredientscomefrom the Riverina,” Tony explains. “Pharmaceutical ingredientsare normally imported as there are very few chemical or drugmanufacturersremaininginAustralia.”

Although Vetafarm is fortunate to have so many of the rawingredients it requires grown locally, Tony says consistency ofsupplyistheirbiggestproblem.

“Wedonothave thecapacity tohold12-months-worthofgrains,whichmeanswebuyinaB-doubleloadofproductasneeded,andfindloadsvarysomewhat.Thepetindustryisremarkablydemandingofproduct,anychangeincolour,consistencyoraromaofourfeedswillinciteabarrageofcomplaints.Itisreallyhardtoconvincetheconsumer that although the colour of a feedmixmaybe slightlydifferenttoapreviousbatch,itisstillnutritionally‘spoton’.Althoughevery load is tested and formulas adjusted if necessary, it is theslightvarianceincolourthatgivesusthemostgrief!”

SPREADING THEIR WINGSTodayVetafarmsells their products inAustraliaprimarily to largedistributors.Thesecompaniesthenmovetheproductsthroughthepetindustryandveterinarianstothepetowner.

Vetafarmalsosuppliesproductsworldwideviaanextensivenetworkofdistributorsandresellers.

“Our largest overseas clients are in the Middle East (huntingfalcon product), Japan (extruded bird feed) and USA (small birdmedicine),” Tony says. “But we have a large number of clientsin many countries where we deliver product designed for theirparticular circumstances. These include singing bird pellets forSingapore,pigeon racingproduct for Indonesiaandcamel racingsupplementstoDubai.”

CHALLENGING TIMESAccording toTony, compliancewithgovernment regulationwouldbe the number one challenge for his business. “Because wemanufacture veterinary medicines, we have a constant battleto satisfy ever increasing, ever more demanding governmentregulation,”Tonycomments.“When20percentofyourworkforceistakenupfull-timewithcomplianceissues,thereisnoroomforerror.Thecompliancecostsarealsocrippling.

“The high Australian Dollar also makes exporting very difficult,notonlybyincreasingourproductpricesforoverseasclients,butalsobecause itencouragesproducts incompetition toours tobeimported.

“Thevery largeAmericanbirdfoodmanufacturersarecreatingadifficultmarketforusbothdomesticallyandinAsiaduetothevalueofthedollar.”

Tonyalsosayswagecostincreaseshavecutintothecompany’smargins severely. “We need good people for our specialisedproduction,butontopofwagesandsuperthereisPayrollTaxandWorkersCompensationInsurance,mandatorytrainingandOH&Scompliance–thesealladdtothecostofhavingpeopleonthefloor.”

Ingeneral,Tony’sattitudetobusinessinAustralia,inthecurrentclimate,isthatyouhaveto“value-add”.

“Thereisnopointinmakingproductthatisacommodity,noristhereanypoint inmanufacturingaproductandhopingpeoplewillbuyitbecausetheywon’t!”Tonysays.

“Vetafarm aims to identify and supply niche markets wheretherearecurrentlyproductgaps.Wealsotryveryhardtosupplyproduct,informationandservicetoallourclientsviaanymeansavailable,includingdirectcontact,print,digitalandvideomedia.Our teamiscommitted tobeing thebestatwhatwedo–ALLTHETIME.”

QUIRKS AND PERKSDespiteallthechallenges,Tonyclearlyloveshiscompanyandthislineofwork.Hisenthusiasmforbeinganinnovatorandthrillatcreatingtotallyuniqueproductsisalsoclearlyevident.

Whenaskedwhichproductshehadfoundmostchallengingtodevelop,Tony lists successfully creatingelephant laxatives forTaronga Zoo inhabitants, quail-flavoured rehabilitation powderfor hunting falcons and designing extruded food for beardeddragonsassomeofhismostsatisfyingmoments.

“Formulating a food for newly hatched baby parrots was alsomuchmoredifficultthanwethought,andasuitablefoodforpetferretsthatdidn’tcausediarrhoeawasnoteasytomanufacture,”Tonysays.“ButIhaveneverhadajob–Ijustdothingsthatarefunandgetpaidforit!”

Vetafarmsourcesallgrain,meat&fibreingredientslocallywherepossible&keepsexoticanimalsintheWaggashopfronttosampleproducts


Prospect| Insight

They came, they saw, they conquered… Team Delta cycles all in the name of cancer research

Article |Rosie O’Keeffe

TeamDelta–DarylGehrig,JohnFox,KevinHolt&DavidCorcoran

DarylGehrigwithtwoofhissonsCharlie&Elliotwhosurprisedhimatthefinishline


NotevenroughsteeproadsandSydneytrafficcouldstopTeamDeltafromcompletingagruellingtwo-day200kmbikeridetoraisefundsaspartoftheRidetoConquerCancereventinOctober.

Insucceedingintheirmission,DarylGehrig,JohnFox,KevinHoltandDavidCorcoranraisedastaggering$16,500betweenthemtogotowardsresearchattheRoyalPrinceAlfredHospital’scancertreatmentfacility–theChrisO’BrienLifehouse.

The four men were overwhelmed and appreciative of thesponsorship and donations received from across the Deltabranches, family, friends, suppliers, other businesses and thewiderlocalcommunity,tosupportthemintheirquest.Throughthisgenerositytheywellexceededtheirinitialfundraisinggoal.

“Thefourofuslikedthechallengeandafterallbeingaffectedbycancer in someway,we thoughtwewould like to helpmake adifference,” Kevin Holt explained the reasons behind forming ateamfortheevent,whichsawmorethan1600ridersofallagestakepartandatotalof$5.7millionwasraised.

Asacancersurvivor,DarylGehrigsaidherelishedtheopportunitytobeabletoparticipateintheeventandisthankfulheiscapableofundertakingtheride.

“With 1 in 2Australians diagnosedwith cancer in their lifetime,it is the second leading cause ofAustralian deaths and affectsalmost20percentofthepopulation.That’swhyIwasriding,todosomethingBIGaboutcancer,”headded.

TeamDeltasaidat times the journeywasachallenge;howevertheyspurredeachotheron,motivatedbytheirpersonalreasonsofenduringtherideandthebenefitstheirparticipationwouldhaveforotherstouchedbycancerinsomeway.

“Theatmospherewas thebestpart. It’samazingwhathappenswhenyouget1600strangerstogethertofightforacommoncause.Therewerecancersurvivorstakingpartwhowereidentifiedbyaflagontheirbikeandtheywereexceptionallystrongtobeabletocompletetheride.Therewasalsoaguywithahandpedalbikewhowouldhavedoneittougherthananyone!”Kevinrecalled.

“At times itwasveryemotional,whenwewereatcampandyouseesomanypeoplegatheredtogetheritreallyhitshomehowmanyareaffectedbycancer.Everyonewas there forareasonandwiththeirownstory.”

David Corcoran added “The ride was amazing. It was wellorganised,andtough,but itwasahugesatisfactiontocrossthelineatHomebushallinalineasone.WewerenotCathyFreemanbutforamomentitfeltasgood.”

Noneof themembersofTeamDeltahad takenpart insucha ride before and admitted that whilst they succeeded incompletingthischallenge,theyperhapscouldhavebenefittedwithevenmorepreparation.

“The training varied between us. Some of us ride togethereveryweekandothersonly juststartedintheleaduptotheevent…”theysaid.

“(As part of the ride)we travelled on highways, bike tracks,backroads,andinthemiddleoftheSydneytraffic.Wefoundthehot-mix surfacegreat to rideon, it’s very smooth.Therewere some very steep hills and long, slow climbs, and alsosome quick sections aswell. The ride included stops about30km apart with food and drinks to keep you going. Thevolunteerswhoattendedthesestopsdidanamazingjobandmadetherideevenbetter.”

Team Delta revealed they are not ready to hang up theirhelmetsyet,witheachmembernowenthusiasticallyridingatleastonceaweek,andapparentlythere’salonglistoffriendswhowanttojoininthenextchallenge–sowe’llallstaytuned!

But fornow,despiteahumorous littlemishapalong thewaywhenastheleadriderofabout100othercyclistsstoppedatabusySydneyintersection,JohnFoxfelloffhisbiketryingtocliphisshoesintohispedals;heistheonewiththefinalword:

“Inregardtoemotionalandinspirationalcircumstancesinmylifetime,itiscertainlyinthetop5!Itwasafantasticexperiencetosharewiththreeterrificfellas,andamemoryIcherish.Astheysay,‘thisonewentstraighttothepoolroom’!”

CyclistsgatherfortheRidetoConquerCancerfundraiserinSydney

Thefourofuslikedthechallengeandafterallbeingaffectedbycancerinsomeway,wethoughtwewouldliketohelpmakeadifference.

Kevin Holt, participant in the Ride to Conquer Cancer

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Ibelieve you were born, raised and lived in Narrabri for 44 years, what do you think has attracted you to stay in the region?Mywife…

Iworkedintheareafor35yearswithGrainCorp.Imetmywife,alocalgirlwhoworkedformeduringharvestin1998.Wemarriedin2000andsettledinthearea.Ienjoytheserenityandopenspacelivingoutoftown,andclosetotherivertosneakdownforafisheverynowandagain.

Having spent more than three decades with GrainCorp, tell us about the roles you had with the company over the years… Istarted in1975asa labourerandprogressedtorunningasiloassitemanager.Idealtwithandworkedinallareasofrunningawheatsilo–grainsampling,weighbridge,loaderdriver,outrailing,staffing…Iworkedinmanyoftheregion’ssilos,Narrabri,Bellata,MerahNorth,Cryon,Merrywinebone,WalgettandofcoursemainlyatBurrenJunction.Iwasthemanagerhere(BurrenJunction)foreight years until Imoved across to themerchandise side –AGPlus.IstayedwithAGPlusforfiveyearsuntiltheyclosed,andwasofferedmycurrentpositionassalesmanagerwithDeltawhentheytookoverinApril2010.

There would have been no doubt a lot of progression in the industry, tell us about major evolvements you have noticed. Therehavebeenalotofchangesovertheyearswithmachinery,notill farminganddevelopments inOH&Swhichhasbeenfairlysignificant.

The lengthof time it takes todoanything thesedays isshorter.Theharvestwhichwe’vejusthadisbeingcompletedinamatterofweeks–threeweeksthebulkofit–whereaswhenIfirststarteditwasalwaysthreemonthsorlonger.ThedifferentOH&Srulesthathavebeenimplementedhavemadethingssafer.Themassivesizeoftheheaderstheyusethesedaysandupdatesto

Prospect|Delta Direct

ONTHERAILWITHKim “Spanner” PattisonDeltaAgsalesmanager,BurrenJunction

QuestionsI

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handlingandstoragehasmeantthatnow50tarebeingbroughtinlegallyandunloading400to600tanhour,whereasyearsagoyouwouldgettruckscominginandthey’donlybecarrying8to10tofwheateachtruck.

You touched on it earlier, but I believe you met your wife Jane through working with GrainCorp. Tell us about how you met and your family today. I employed Jane as aweighbridge clerk for harvest and shestarted turningupbringing incakes…Things justprogressedfromthereandIgottoknowherandtherestishistory.We’vegottwoboys,13-year-oldTomwhoattendshighschoolatWeeWaa, andHarry, 11, goes to school here inBurren Junction.Theybothenjoyandplaylotsofsportandofcoursefishing.

Tell us about your role with Delta Ag. Iworkassalesmanager.It’sallaboutrelationshipbuildingandlisteningtowhatthegrowerswantandneed,IhaveknownalotofthegrowersforalongtimethroughGrainCorp,andsocially–whichhelps.Italsohelpstoknowtheareaandwhatisbeingfarmedandgrazedhere.It’srewardingbeingabletosocialisewiththegrowersinasmalltownlikeBurrenJunction.

What is the community of Burren Junction like, and what farming industries are there in the region? Burren Junction itself is only a small town. It’s got the RSL/sportingclub,ahotel,primaryschool,apostoffice(whichonlyoperatestwohalfdayseachweek).Thereismainlybroadacrefarming in the surrounding area nowadays. There is someirrigated farmingwith cotton–notasmuchas theWeeWaaarea.Yearsagoitusedtobemainlygrazingwithalotofsheepandcattleinthedistrict,butnowwhilethereisstillquiteafewthereisnowherenearthenumberthereusedtobe.Cattlearestill strong but the five-year drought we had, meant a lot offarmersandgrazierssoldalotoftheirstockanddidn’tre-stock.

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FRIENDLY


I believe you are a very keen fisherman. Tell us about your favourite spots and how often you escape… Notasoftenthesedays,beforeIwasmarried(laughs).

IusedtogoforovernighttripsandsometimesI’dgoforaweekoutpastWalgettandIusedtolovefishingupinQueensland,butthesedaysit’sjustadayandsometimesanighthereandtherecampingwiththefamily.TheNamoiRiverisonly20kmfromwherewearesowegodownthere.Theboysloveit,theylovetheirfishing…Idefinitelydon’tdoitasmuchasI’dliketo,butwhenyouhaveweekendsfilledwithkids’sportandanhourand20minutestraveltogetthere,youdon’tgetasmuchtimetodoanythingelse.

What’s been the most memorable moment you’ve had, or biggest fish you have caught?Iwentup toQueensland,back in1986,witha family friendwhowasthesameageasmyparentsandlivedbehindusinNarrabri,(SammyHardman)hewasamadfisherman…Wewentupthereforthreenightsandonthesecondnighttherewecaughtan84-poundMurrayCodinabout3-footofwaterwhichwascrazy.Itwashardworkgettinghimintheboatbutafterabout10to15minutesofstrugglingwemanagedtogetitinthere.I’vecaughtnumerousbigfishovertheyears,manytalestotell.

We got caught once, Iwent fishingwith a fewmates for aweekandweweretherethefirstnightanditstartedtorain,we just decided to stay the night, but by the nextmorningitwas raining even heavier, and it rained and rained…Weboggedall threeofthefour-wheel-driveswehad,sowesatthereunderneathapieceoftarpforanothertwodaysuntilwedecided that theriverwasrising tooquickly.Westarted thewalktoafarm,about4milesforhelp.Thefarmercamedowninhis tractorand tried to towusoutandwegot the tractorbogged too!We thenwalked about 6miles to the highwayandrangsomefriendsfromNarrabritocomeandpickusupon thebitumen.Weeventuallygotbackabout threeweekslatertopickupourvehiclesandallourgear- itwasn’tverypleasant.

Buttherearenumerousfishingtales.Icouldgoonforever…

And lastly, I have to ask… how did your nickname “Spanner” come about?

ItcamefromSammy(thefamily friend Icaught theCod with). There wasnever a fence betweenouryardandhisyard.Hetold me I used to pinchthe spanners out of histoolboxandgotwodoorsup to where my unclelived and smash theheadlightsofhiscarwiththe spanners… Thankgod he was a panelbeater.Sothat’showIgotthe nickname Spannerand it’sstuck. Iwasonlyabout twoor three yearsold they said. Everyoneknows me as Spannernow. I rarely get calledKim except from Mum…If you ask someone thathasknownme foryears,andaskedwhatmynameis,thereisachancetheydon’tknowitisKim!


Taking StockAndrewAdams,LivestockSales,DeltaAgCootamundra

Hope for strong domesticand export markets

PenningthisduringsillyseasongivesnopredictabilityastohowthingsareshapingupintheNewYear,but

wewillattempttomakesomesenseofwhatmaylieahead.

Farmers in our area had a dream run with harvest andhave nowprobably utilisedmost of their clean stubbles,and are looking at feed/sale options for all their excesslivestockandfeedingtheirbreedingstocktoenableewesespecially, to be successfully joined in the near future.Afterawinterandspringthatwererelativelydry,wehavefacedasummerwithlimitedfeed.Althoughgrainismoreexpensivethanintherecentpast,stockownersmayneedto feed their animals for some time yet, to capitalise onwhat we hopemay be a return to a stronger lamb andsheepmarket.

Themarketforlambandsheepseemstohavebottomedoutrecently,butthecattlemarketisonabitofaslideatthis point.We have had two and a half very good feedyearssinceChristmas2009,andthishaskeptsupplyandhencepricesrelativelystableuntilthisrecentdry(withtheexceptionoflambsintheautumn-anotherstory!).

If we ignore the uncertainty of global finance and creditmarkets,ourlambandsheepmarketcouldimprovealittlegoingintoautumn,especiallygoodshornheavytradeandexportweight lambs.Webelievethiscomingautumnwillnotrecycleasmanyspringlambsaslastyearandsoaswegointowinter,lambpricesmaybeontheup.Wemustrememberthoughthatthegoodrecentseasonshasmeanthigherlambingpercentagesandsohasincreasedsupplyalittle.

Inmyopinionthecattlemarkethasbeenveryconsistentfor a lot longer than I would have foreseen (given thestrength of the $A)… It seems to have defied greatpressures from our overvalued dollar, and may have todosoforquitea lot longeryet.Economically things lookokay inAustraliaat themomentcompared to the restoftheworld,butwetoowillfindproblemsgoingforward.Thegreatestofthesecouldbethemuchlarger,morepowerfuleconomiesfighting tokeeptheirowncurrencies lowandcompetitive,hencekeepingoursartificiallyhigh.Inaworldwithlessdisposableincomeanduswithahighdollar,wecouldbelivingwithuncertainmarketsforsometime.Ourjobthoughremainsclear;wemustkeepourselvesrelevantinthesetimesbyhelpingourclientswiththerightadvicetoassistthemintheirendeavourstoreducethecostoftheirproduction, hence driving their profitability, and offeringthemclearanddecisivemarketingoptions.

All things being equal, and the season remaining good,a return to stronger lamb and mutton markets and thecontinuing of a reasonably stable cattlemarket are realpossibilities for the foreseeable future.Manypartsof theworldenjoyourredmeatproductsasmuchaswedo,sohopefullymaintainingstrongdomesticandexportmarketsisnotbeyondourcapabilities.

Prospect|Viewpoint

LandscapeJamesIngrey,LFRGrenfellAgronomist/Consultant

Delta Agronomy and Farm Consultancyteam ready to assist farmers for the2013 season

It goes without saying that agricultural production is acontinuallyevolvingprocess,witheveryseasonpresentingnew exciting and challenging developments in technology,marketing, cultural practices, pesticides and machinery.Additionally,withthevagariesofagriculture,eachyearwearepresentedwithadifferentsetofchallengesthatwemustallrecognise,analyseandrespondtoinatimelymanner.

The Delta/LFR farm consultancy team comprises a totalof 20 advisors across the network with around 350 yearsof combined agricultural experience across all facets ofagriculturalproduction.Meetingonaregularbasis,thegroupis able to consistently share experiences and observationsacross the entire advisory teamwhich can then be passedontoourclientsforapplicationintheirfarmingprogramsinanaccurateandtimelymanner.Theseadvisorymeetingswhichtakeplace every sixweeks throughout the year enable thegrouptofocusoneachadvisor’sareaofexpertiseandallowfor the dissemination of relevant and accurate informationthroughoutthenetworkofconsultants.

In an endeavour to keep abreast of the rapidly changinglandscape in which we are operating, as well as theseasonal influences we are consistently faced with, theDeltaAgribusiness Group commits significant resources toenabletheadvisoryteamtocontinuallyundergoprofessionaldevelopment programs on an ongoing basis. In the last 12months the group has undergone training in a number offieldsincludingcommunicationandextension,farmbusinessanalysis,planning,wholefarmbudgeting,andcerealdiseasemanagement, just tonamea few.Additionally,onememberoftheconsultancygroupwasoneofonly8advisorsfromtheGRDC Southern Region selected to undertake the GRDCAdoptionandExtensionprogramin2012.Thissmallexampleoftrainingwhichhasbeenundertakenbythegroupcoversadiverserangeofareasofexpertise.Thisisaclearreflectionof the significance of the role of the advisor in the farmingprocess. Be it explaining a complex or sensitive concept,analysinganewbusinessproposal,identifyingandmanaginga pest or disease or determining a total farm nutritionalprogram,yourDelta/LFRadvisormustnotonlyhaveaclearunderstandingofeachoftheseconcepts,theymustalsohavetheability tosuccessfullycommunicate this informationwiththeirclient.

The Delta Group considers a focused and consistentprofessional development policy an essential componentofensuring thequalityand relevanceof informationutilisedby the advisory group. The challenge faced by agriculturein regards to the shortage of graduates being available foradvisory services is well recognised, and it is through thelevel of professional development that theadvisory team iscontinuallykeepingabreastofallaspectsof theagriculturalproductionprocessandthewaybywhich it isdisseminatedtotheclients, inatimelyandefficientmanner.Withthefateof government-based advisory services now having someclarity,thisstrongdevelopmentalfocusisevenmorepertinentandwillhavean increasedbearingas thissituationunfoldsfurther.


Grain WatchGrahamMartin-Dye,DeltaGrainMarketing

Marketing tips for post-harvest

WhenImadethemovefromthecitytothebushacoupleyearsagoIwasa littleunsureastohowIwouldfit intocountry life

socially.Although IhadbeenvisitingHardenand theYoung regionfor thepast10years Ihadnever livedandworked thereso itwassomewhat a tad daunting.OnceDelta gaveme the opportunity toworkasagrainmarketer,and I settled intoahouse, I knew Ihadmadetherightchoice.

Not only has Delta welcomed me, but growers themselves haveacceptedme,whichmakesitextremelyrewardingwhenworkinghardforthefarmerandtryingtoachievethebestresult.

Ihadbeenworkinginvarioussalesandmarketingrolesforthelast15 years, but grainmarketing is quite unique in that there are somanyvariablesinfluencingthepriceofgrainsuchasforeignmarkets,weather, and supply and demand.Themost common thing that issimilartoallothermarketingrolesIhaveworkedinis“communication”.Asamarketer Ihave theability tobring thegrowerandnumerousbuyers closer together as well as the opportunity to build strongworkingrelationshipsbuiltonhighservicelevelsandtrust.

Asmarketerswehavetheabilityofkeepingtabsonthedailypriceswhich can spike or fall at any time.This iswhere someofDelta’sservicesreallyhelpthegrowerstocapturethebestresultontheday.Anotherharvesthasnowcomeandgone,andproducershavestoredgrainon-farmor inwarehouse,soherearesomemarketing tips toconsiderwhendecidingwhattodopost-harvest:

• Set Target Price Orders–nowharvesthasfinishedyouprobablyhavemanyotherjobstomoveonto,oryoumaybeplanningtotakesometimeout.SetrealisticTargetPriceOrdersforanyofyourgraininwarehousewithyourDeltagrainmarketer.BuyershaveatendencytoincreasetheirpricesatmomentswhenyouwouldleastexpectitsoDeltacanbookyourparcelinbeforethebidismissedenablingyoutocaptureoptimumpricingopportunities.Deltaalsohastheabilitytobulkuptonnesandofferfirmtothebuyersovertheirbid.

• Deferred payment -buyersareaware thatsomegrowers like tospreadtheirpaymentsfortaxpurposesortospreadtheircashflowthroughouttheyear.Somebuyersoffertobuyyourgrainattoday’svalueandwithholdpaymentuntilthenextfinancialyearplusmonthlycarry.Thisalsoreduceswarehousingcosts.

• Delivered/ex-farm - ifyouhavestoredgrainonyourfarmpleasemake sure that you are regularly treating and testing the grain forinsects.Theonusisonthefarmerifthegrainisrejectedwhenpickedup or delivered to an end user, due to insects.Washout fees andcarrier fees are then incurred by the seller which can be a costlyexercise.

• Next season’s crop - It is a good idea to start thinking aboutyourmarketingplanfornextyear.Whendecidingwhetherornottokeepoldseasongrain incaseofpricespikes,youcanalwaysusethesepricingopportunitiesto lock insomeofnextseason’scrop.Itisrecommendedthatyouonlyevercommitasmallpercentageofaconservativeyieldintonextyear’sprices,forexample10-20percentofaconservativeyield.

DeltaGrainMarketingprovidesapersonalisedandindividuallytailoredmarketservicetoclientsthatgoeswellbeyondmerelyidentifyingthestrongpricesinthemarketeachday.Anincreasingnumberofgrainproducerswhoareseekingatrustedbusinesspartnerwhocanguidethemwithallaspectsofmarketingareutilising theservicebenefitsthatwecanprovide.

Livestock HealthDrPaulCusack(BSc.BVSc.(hons)MVSt.MACVSc.PhD)AustralianLivestockProductionServices

Exploring the benefits of grazinglivestock early on stubble paddocks

Withharvestingcompleted,livestockwillnowbemovingintocerealstubblepaddocks.

It appears likely that we will have a “conventional” drysummer,andinthiscase,stockwillonlygrowormaintainweight and condition until they have consumed themorenutrientdensecropresiduessuchasmissedheads,spilledgrain,andpastureonthebordersor inaccessibleportionsofpaddocks.Inmostcasesthebetterqualityresiduesareconsumedwithin days of the introduction of stock, ratherthanweeks,and theirdepletion iseasilyassessedwithaquickdrivearound thepaddock.The remainingstubble isverylowinnutrientdensitywhichhastwoeffectsonrumenfermentation.

Firstly,thefibrousnatureofdryresiduesincreasesthetimetheyresideintherumennecessaryfortherumenmicrobesto break them down. Secondly, they provide less energyandprotein/nitrogentofeedtherumenmicrobepopulation.Together,thisresultsinslowerpassageandthereforelowerintake of feed already low in energy and protein, whichobviously results in the ruminantbeingunable tomeet itsenergyandproteinrequirements.

However, if we provide a modest amount of fuel to themicrobes in the formofenergyandnitrogen,we increasetherumenpopulationsandtheirabilitytobreakdownfibrousfeeds.Thisinturnleadstohigherintakeoffibrousfeedsandtheirmorerapidpassagethroughthedigestivetractwithacorresponding improvement in animal production. This isthephilosophybehindalldryfeedsupplements,whetherintheformofliquids,blocks,ordrylicks.Mostliquidandblockdry feed supplements are composed of urea-molasses,although someby-products suchas corn steep liquorwillperformthesamefunction.

WithureamolassesmixesIhaveroutinelymeasuredgrowthratesof0.6to0.7kg/hd/dinweanercattleonstubbleordrypastures,butonlywitha10percentureamixandthiscanonlybefedthroughlickerdrumstopreventdeathsduetoureapoisoning.Mostdrylicksarebasedonproteinmealswithorwithouturea.Thebulkoftheeffectwiththeseisfromtherumendegradablecomponentofthemealandtheurea,buttheyfrequentlyprovideinadequateenergytomatchthenitrogensupplyforoptimumrumenefficiency.

Rememberthatmaturephalarisisnotmuchhigherinenergyandproteinthanstraw,sothesameprinciplesofsupplyingenergyandnitrogentotherumenmicrobestodriveintakeofstubblesandmaintainproductionalsoapplytodryphalarisandothergrassessuchasfescue.

The following table (over page) shows that stubble andphalarisareclearlyinadequatetomaintainproduction,butalso that the inclusion of a legume in the understory canperformthesamefunctionasadryfeedsupplement.Driedclovermaintainsmuchof itsenergyandprotein (standinghay) until rain, when it rapidly deteriorates. Similarly,senescedgrassesandstubbledecreaseinenergy,proteinandpalatabilitywhenexposedtorainthroughtheactionoffungi.


Product WatchKevinHolt,DeltaAgProcurementManager

New seed treatments on the horizon

GrowerswillreaptherewardsfromSyngenta’snewinnovativeseed treatments which are set to deliver significant yield

benefits.

VibranceandCruiserOptiaretheresultofsixyears’ofresearchanddevelopment,accordingtoTerritoryHeadAustraliaandNewZealandPaulLuxton.

Vibrancebuildson theperformanceofSyngenta’sbenchmark-settingDividend,withanewactiveingredienttoprovideprotectionfor cereal crops against Pythium root rot, Rhizoctonia, smuts,buntsandseed-borneblotches.Vibrancecombinesthreeactiveingredientstoprotecttheroothairsfromtheyieldrobbingeffectsofthesecommonsoildiseases.“Theendresultisimprovedcropemergenceandrootdevelopment, leading to improvedyields,”Paulsaid.

CruiserOptiisthefirsteverseedtreatmenttoprotectagainstthethreekeypests incanolaandcerealcrops– red leggedearthmites, lucerne flea and aphids. With two modes of action forcontrolofsyntheticpyrethroid(SP)-resistantstrains,CruiserOptideliverssignificantyieldbenefits.

“It’snotuntilyouseethecuttingedgeresearchanddevelopmentin action that you can fully appreciate the effort it takes tobring products such as Vibrance and Cruiser Opti tomarket,”Paul, who recently visited Syngenta’s largest research anddevelopmentcentrenearSteininSwitzerland,comments.Stein’sglasshousefacilitiesallowscientiststosimulateawiderangeofclimaticconditions–suchasrainfall–forgrowingaselectionofcrops.Cropprotectionmoleculesshowingpromisingactivitythenundergointensiveglobalfieldtesting.

“As a company, we aim to think like a grower, and thatmeans finding solutions to potential issues right from the cropestablishment phase. It’s exciting seeing our research anddevelopmentcometofruitionwithproductssuchasVibranceandCruiserOptithatmakearealdifferencetogrowersbyprotectingtheircropsrightfromthestartoftheirlifecycle.”

Vibrance is a newgeneration seed treatment that lifts the barevenfurtherinproviding“allinone”protectionagainstthemosteconomically important seed-borne and soil-borne diseases incerealcrops.

Seed treatments, such asVibrance andDividend, have beenproven to significantly improve seedling emergence, cropestablishment and ultimately yields. They protect fine roothairs fromdisease,enabling theplant toaccessmoistureandnutrientsmorereadily.Inturn,thisimprovedvigourhelpsplantstoovercometheeffectsofothersoil-bornepathogens,suchasRhizoctonia.

ReplicatedtrialsconductedthroughoutAustraliahaveconfirmedthat Vibrance delivers a significant yield advantage overuntreatedcrops,eveninpaddocksthathavealowincidenceofdisease,andamoreconsistentyieldadvantagethanDividend.In thesetrials,Vibrancedeliveredanaverageyieldadvantageofmore than3 per centwhenapplied at 36mL/100 kg seedandmorethan2percentwhenappliedat180mL/100kgseedcomparedtountreatedcropsintheabsenceofknowndisease.

OthertrialshaveconfirmedVibranceisanimportanttoolinanintegratedapproachtomanagingRhizoctonia.

InonereplicatedtrialconductedinapaddockseverelyaffectedbyRhizoctonia,plotssownwithseedtreatedwithVibrancehadlowerseverityofdiseaseandhada6.4percentyieldadvantageinbarleyand6.3percentyieldadvantageinwheatcomparedtountreatedseed.

Vibrance is registered for the control of Pythium and a widerange of smuts and bunts in wheat, triticale, barley and oatswhenappliedat180mLper100kgofseed.ItisalsoregisteredforthesuppressionofRhizoctoniainwheat,triticale,barleyandoatswhenappliedat360mLper100kgofseed.

Vibrance is compatible with Cruiser Opti and Emerge forcompletemanagementoffungaldiseaseandinsectpestsduringthecropestablishmentstage.These treatmentscaneasilybeappliedon-farm,givinggrowerstheflexibilitytoselectandtreatthemostappropriateseedvarietyjustbeforesowing.

Newseedtreatmentshelpgrowersbudgetinadvanceagainstsoildiseaseandpests.

TerritoryheadAustraliaandNewZealandPaulLuxton.

Pasture

Species

Metabolisable Energy,

MJ/kg

Crude Protein,

%

Mature phalaris

6.7

4.6

Wheat stubble 6 3.6

Flowering

lucerne

8.5 16

Flowering clover 9.2 17

Prospect|Techno TalkSeanSampsonLicenseeTelstrastoresYoung,ParkesandMacquarieStreet,Dubbo

To 4G or not to 4G

IhavebeenoverhearingcustomerstalkingtostaffinourTelstrashopssayingtheydon’twanta4Gmobilephoneastheydon’thave4Gcoveragewheretheyliveorwork.4GisthelatesttechnologyforhighspeedmobiledevicesandTelstrahasrolledthisouttothecapitalcitiesandsomemajorregionalcentresalongwithheavyadvertisingwhichmaybewheretheconfusionarises.

Firstly,somebackground:Gmeansgenerationandthephonecompaniesusethe“G”tomarketthelatesttechnologyrollouts.Thefirstmobilesfrom the1980sare deemed to be1G– first generationand were analogue. 2G came about with Digital andCDMAwithenhancecapabilitiessuchasSMSandsomedata.Thenextbigleapwas3G–whereearlybroadbandspeeds became available and allowed for video callingbetween mobiles. Telstra launched NEXT G – which isthemarketingtermfortheirnationalmobilenetworkthatisdeemedtobe3.5G–thishasadramaticallyhigherspeedfor internetapplicationswith the latestHSDPA+devicescapableofarealworld15megabitspersecond.

Allthesenetworksalsocarryvoicetraffic.Andnow,wehave4G–which isalsopartof theNEXTGnetwork–anditraisesthebarforspeedevenfurtherwith realworlddownloadspeedsofbetween20and40megabits per second and the network is data only atthis stage with reduced congestion. However 4G is notavailablefromeveryNextGtower–it’sintheCBDofthecapital cities and some regional areas such as Dubbo,whichmeanscountrymobilephoneusersareconcernedthat4Gmobilephoneswon’tgivethecoveragetheyarecurrentlygettingwiththeirexisting3.5GNextGhandset.

Soshouldyougo4G?Mostdefinitely.

AlltheTelstra4Ghandsets–liketheexcellentHTCOneandSamsungGalaxyIII4Garewhatiscalleddualmode4G/3.5Gand thereforeuse thebestavailableserviceatthe time based on your location.Regardless of 4G and3.5Gthephonesstilluse3.5Gforvoicecallsandwilluse3.5Gfordataif4Gisnotavailable.Buyinga4Gphoneisfutureproofingyour investment (fora littlebit longer)asthe4Gnetworkisexpanded.Andifyoutraveltothecitiesormajorregionalcentresyouwillbenefitfromthespeedof4Gwhenaccessingtheinternetfromyourhandset.

Insummary,anyTelstra4Ghandsetwillworkasa3.5GNext G handset for voice calls, but if you have anyconcerns we recommend contacting one of our storesfor yourpurchase,whereour staff haveexperienceandcangive feedbackabout coverageanddevices suitableforregionalandruralareasincludingYoung,ParkesandDubbo.

Ph:(02)[email protected]


HTC One

Samsung Galaxy III 4G

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Independent Brokers. Smart Advice. www.deltaagribusiness.com.au

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QuadBikePromotionalDraw

BurrenJunction

14 December 2012 Photography:RuthCaskey

Around the Traps

KimPattison,BruceO’Hara,HadleySevil,AshCarolan&SkyeBack BeauBrummell,GabrielleDonald,BelindaHindle,CarolMayoh,TimCameron&PetaCameron

KateSlack-Smith,FelicityCarolan&GenevieveSendall

JohnHarriswithhisyoungsonJock&DaleSmith

RichardMarshall&MickMarshall

PeterHolcombe,CameronHolcombe&JamesGardner EliWhite,LizHolcombe,Annie&MichaelMcMahon,&SamPowell

RichardSlack-Smith,MurrayHolcombe,HeatherSimshauser&EricaShorter

RobCarolan,DaveShorter&DougaldBurke CharlieConstable,RogerSendall&RodneySlack-Smith


On the RadarProspect|DELTA DIARY

12 March Grain Gain On-Farm Condobolin GrainGaincoursesprovidecuttingedgeinformationaboutwheatvarietyperformance,marketopportunities,GMfuture:droughtandfrosttolerantvarietyinthepipeline.Growerswilllearnhowwheatvarietieshaveperformedlocally,regionallyandnationally,howtomaximisereturnsbymanaginggrainquality,knowwhichmarketsarebesttotargetandtheywillhavetheopportunitytotalktoleadingresearchersaboutfuturepossibilities.www.graingrowers.com.au

13 MarchLocal Grain Farmer ForumJunee and Lockhart GrainGrowersinviteslocalgrainproducerstojointhemforafreeinformationsessiontodiscusskeylocalissues,receiveanupdateonGrainGrowerslatestnews,currentactivitiesandstrategicprioritiesincludingareviewoftheresultsoftheGrainGrowersnationalWheatQualityandVarietyReport.Inaddition,GrainGrowerswillprovideanupdateonthedevelopmentandoutcomesoftheNationalFarmers’Federation(NFF)GrainsPolicyCouncil.www.graingrowers.com.au

21 MarchGRDC Farm Business Update for Growers Lockhart AbroadrangeoftopicswillbepresentedsuchasmanagingthemodernAustraliangrainfarm,makingeffectivebusinessdecisions,transitionsinfarmingbusinesses,thefutureofgrainmarketingandinvestinginAustralianagriculture.www.orm.com.au

15-16 AprilMurray Grey National Show and Sale 2013Wodonga The2013MurrayGreyNationalShowandSaleisthe47thannualeventwhichshowscommercialandstudcattlebreedersawiderangeofbreedgenetics.www.murraygrey.com.au

23 AprilQuad Bike Handling PROfarm course TrangieAcourseforthosewantingtodeveloptheirskillsinthesafeuseoffour-wheelmotorbikes.Thecoursewillassistparticipantstosafelyandeffectivelyoperatefour-wheeledmotorbikesandtocarryoutroutinechecksandmaintenance.www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

14 MayWeed Movement – Machinery Inspection and Cleaning PROfarm course NarrabriTheworkshophasbeendevelopedtoincreasetheawarenessofhowweedsandotherpestscanspreadthroughcontaminatedmachineryandwhatcanbedonetoreducetherisksofthisoccurring.www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Note: While Flame™ has taken great care in preparing this artwork responsibility for the printed artwork and copy accuracy lies with the client. The printer is responsible for checking artwork before plates are made, accuracy in measurements, plates tolerance requirements, registration and construction detailing. Any questions please contact flame before proceeding with the job. Copyright 2012 Flame.

Luigi Pagnozzi (account service) | [email protected]

+61 2 9887 8500 | flame.com.au

Name: FLAME_SYCR391 Cereals Range Project

Date: 21.09.12 | Round: FSize: 210Hmm x 148Wmm

everything under the Cereal Suneverything under the Cereal Sun

der

For further information please call the Syngenta Technical Product Advice Line on 1800 067 108 or visit our website at www.syngenta.com.au.

The information contained in this brochure is believed to be accurate. No responsibility is accepted in respect of this information, save those non-excludable conditions implied by any Federal or State legislation or law of a Territory. ® Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. *Trademark. Cruiser Opti, Vibrance, Cogito and Moddus Evo are not currently registered. Registration is pending from the APVMA. AD12/522

Syngenta

prospect summer 2013

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