The Farmer Magazine • 11th March 2021

From little things big things grow

Farming co-ops have operated for around 140 years, but a new wave of talent and a fresh way of looking at how they are run has led to many more being established that will continue to grow.

The Farmer Magazine • 1st March 2021

Upturning the power of perishables

An ACCC inquiry has recognised the power imbalance between farmers and major processors and retailers, recommending new laws to address unfair contracts and other harmful trading practices.

TurfBreed • 23rd February 2021

Turf as a living fire break

The bushland surrounding its coastal communities is one of the major attractions of the Noosa area on Queensland’s popular Sunshine Coast. But after being evacuated with 7000 others as a wall of flames bore down on Peregian Beach in spring 2019, The Retreat operators Dan and Nora Gleeson vowed to take action to better protect the resort against future bushfires.

The Farmer Magazine • 17th February 2021

Pests and weeds – how to remove unwanted guests

Every year, weeds are estimated to cost almost $5 billion in chemical control and production losses – including yield, environmental damage and grain contamination. Similar data is not readily available for insect pest control, which varies from year to year depending on seasonal conditions.

The Farmer Magazine • 15th January 2021

Date time

The coronavirus pandemic shut down Australian fresh fruit exports in January 2020, leaving produce valued at millions of dollars sitting on pallets in cool rooms at the Sydney wholesale markets. Among the casualties was 5000 kilograms of fresh jujubes, also known as Chinese red dates, from the Duffell family who operate at Coleambally.

The Farmer Magazine • 11th January 2021

Grains of hope after harvest

There’s been a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of New South Wales grain growers, with the 2020 harvest pouring rivers of gold into storages across the state. The record-breaking numbers of the grains harvest – the latest forecast is 17.6 million tonnes – led to headaches for some.

Groundcover • 6th January 2021

Legumes a winner for Wimmera farming family

If you had to pick the perfect spot to grow legumes, Wimmera grower Tim Rethus reckons he has found it. With his brother Luke, their father Geoff, and farmhands Glenn Pietsch and Dale Sluggett, Tim farms 5000 hectares spread across properties at Vectis, Jung and Noradjuha, in the central and southern Wimmera.

The Farmer Magazine • 12th November 2020

Health star rating for juice to be slashed, devastating many farmers

We know Australians don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables – countless studies have confirmed it and they show it’s getting worse, not better, as consumer waistlines continue to expand. The finger is being pointed at sugary foods and drinks as one of the major culprits, and the Health Star Rating for juice is being targeted.

Groundcover • 3rd November 2020

Mindset shift makes ‘radical’ possible

People tend to be naturally resistant to change, struggling with the uncertainty that comes with letting go of established routines and ideas. This is why Victorian grower Lachlan McDougall concedes that reducing or eliminating insecticides is a big psychological hurdle.

TurfBreed • 30th October 2020

COVID-19 - taking a look at the whole picture and turf farming

Consumer behaviour is changing as Australian authorities continue the battle to control the COVID-19 pandemic with a range of travel bans, business restrictions, stay at home orders and on-again-off-again lockdowns.

Groundcover • 5th October 2020

Versatile vetch a winner for Murray Plains mixed farmer

Sanderston farmer Adrian Bormann was looking for an alternative break crop 10 years ago when a neighbour suggested he try vetch. Adrian operates a mixed farming enterprise growing dryland crops, with a flock of 550 Merino ewes producing Merino and first-cross lambs.

Birchip Cropping Group • 3rd September 2020

Integrated Pest Management – A Case Study

It’s spring 2019 and Normanville grain grower Bronwyn Hunt is marching up and down the rows of Hurricane lentils and Scepter wheat, vigorously swinging a sweep net in search of insects. Every so often Bronwyn stops to peer into the net to see what she’s caught.

Groundcover • 29th June 2020

On-farm pulse push at Pyramid Hill in north-central Victoria

Grain legumes were not part of the family farming landscape where Ash Moon grew up west of Pyramid Hill in north-central Victoria. He became familiar with them when he was a student at Longerenong Agricultural College, near Horsham.

The Farmer • 1st February 2020

Why is mobile phone service a luxury in regional and remote communities?

NICOLE Dimos-Byrnes would love to set up electronic sensors to monitor troughs for her Merino sheep and send alerts when water levels fall too low. With two properties 70km apart and totalling more than 6,000 hectares, the water run currently takes one person up to four hours every second day.

TurfBreed • 12th January 2020

Three generations of ideas, innovation and diversity

Three generations of Mifsuds have always thought differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective in terms of farming. Ventures have ranged from vegetable production in New South Wales in the 1950s to farming vegetables in China during the 1990s, and turf production since 2009.

AuctionsPlus Blog • 5th December 2019

Narweena weaners bounce back from a tough autumn

Narweena Station manager Rob Perkins keeps an eye on weaner prices but says fluctuations during the year don’t really matter – the only price that counts is on sale day each September and January. Rob and his wife Angela run a split calving herd of about 900 breeders on 1100ha near Woodhouse, east of Hamilton, in the Western District region of Victoria.

TurfBreed • 5th October 2019

Townsville’s revival from drought, economic downturn & floods

From drought to flooding rains and the ripple effect of a building industry slump caused by the mining downturn, Townsville turf producers have copped the lot in the past five years. Sandra Godwin speaks to four Townsville growers to find out how they’re coping.

The Farmer • 1st October 2019

Australian mushroom growers: the crop that is taking off

WILD mushrooms have been used in cooking and Chinese traditional medicine for centuries, but commercial farming of the edible fungus is relatively recent. The first Australian mushroom grower was a Spanish migrant, Raymond Mas, who experimented in a disused railway tunnel under Sydney’s Circular Quay in 1933.

TurfBreed • 10th September 2019

Childhood vision yields superior turf for growing retail sector

After a childhood spent living on golf courses, Paul Bardsley was never going to look for an office job. His father, Chris Bardsley, was a golf course superintendent for 44 years and Paul lived with him on the Centenary Park golf course until he was 20. “I’ve been in turf forever,” Paul said. “It was all there in front of me."

TurfBreed • 26th June 2019

Turf grows property values

A healthy well-maintained lawn is essential for getting the best price, because vendors “never get a second chance to make a good first impression” on potential home buyers. That's the advice from celebrity agent and auctioneer Damien Cooley, who will be familiar to regular viewers of popular Nine Network television series The Block.