Agsolutely Fabulous

It's a Q&A episode! Gillian and Katja answer your questions, straight up, no notes prepared.

💇‍♀️ Gillian's hair saga — the perm that never was, the toner-covered mishap, and the new Dame Edna glasses

🧊 What's really under the iceberg — Katja on why every project takes longer than you think, and Gillian on why she plans nothing and just makes it happen

😅 Our biggest "oh sh*t" moment since starting the podcast (spoiler: we haven't had one — yet)

👩‍🌾 If we could sit down with one woman in ag, dead or alive — Gillian wants the women who crossed the Blue Mountains in petticoats and built a life from nothing; Katja just wants more real conversations with the women already doing the work today

🤝 Where we actually disagree — homesteading, raw milk, and Gillian's very firm stance on microplastics

🏙️ What we wish city people understood about agriculture — the skill it actually takes, and the fact that most farming families aren't wealthy

📖 The wildest listener story we've received — a nurse turned newspaper editor turned dance school founder turned kelpie stud owner and children's book author. Yes, really.

🎙️ Plus: the true story of how Agsolutely Fabulous got its name (hint: a stranger on Twitter came up with it)

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout! Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

#AgsolutelyFabulous

Back from Adelaide and straight into it — this week Gillian and Katja tackle two of the biggest issues rippling through rural Australia right now.

💰 The 30% "Death Tax" — what the proposed capital gains changes actually mean for farm succession, family trusts, and multi-generational businesses (and why talking to your accountant has never been more urgent)

👮 New Police Powers Over Livestock — proposed NSW laws that could let authorities treat your entire farm like a crime scene during a livestock seizure, and why Gillian and Katja think the real fix is training, not more power

🎉 Adelaide Recap — how the live event went, and why more live recordings might be on the cards

🌾 Harvest Her Power 2027 — the conference is moving to Adelaide, and here's what's coming: expressions of interest for attendees, presenters, and goodie bag donations

Plus: superannuation and unrealised capital gains, why "don't take financial advice from TikTok" needs to be said out loud, and what actually happens when a working dog or breeding bull looks "too skinny" to someone who's never worked livestock.

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout! Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

#AgsolutelyFabulous

This week Gillian and Katja cover a genuinely varied lineup — from country show controversies to national policy debates.

🏆 Show Judging Drama — a noxious weed wins the "native flora" photography category at a local show, sparking a debate about who's actually responsible: the steward or the judge?

📺 Gillian Joins the ABC Advisory Panel — what it actually involves, why she's excited about bringing a rural voice to the table, and how you can have input too

🥾 Gumboot Recommendations — an Ag Fab's Bogs gumboot recommendation for the dairy farmers out there

👩‍👧 Stay-at-Home Mums: Short-Term vs Long-Term — the real financial cost of stepping out of the workforce, the superannuation gap it creates, and why Gillian reckons a stay-at-home parent's work is worth around $250k a year

🗣️ The Debate Over the Legal Definition of "Woman" — Gillian and Katja share their thoughts on the current national conversation, following the Giggle v Tickle case and recent political commentary

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout! Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

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Episode 76 of Agsolutely Fabulous is a Q&A with Gillian and Katja, including updates on Gillian’s possible trip south and concerns about flight cancellations, and plans for a live recording at the Duke of Brunswick Hotel (a fully gluten-free venue) featuring a bespoke non-alcoholic cocktail, merch, and possible discounted nearby accommodation. They answer why it’s important for young people to work off their home station—highlighting independence, professional workplace structure, broader agricultural exposure, networking, boundaries, and avoiding assumed knowledge. They discuss hard moments on farm, focusing on overwhelm, mental load, safety anxiety, and feeling dismissed by outsiders, and suggest checking in and listening without immediately offering solutions. They share what meeting them in person is like, clarify “farm” vs “station,” and compare gumboot options, sock strategies, and wet-weather footwear.

Links & Resources

Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

Find or Register a Group: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group/

Learn how to Get Involved with Landcare here: https://youtu.be/3s74Lvmlutk

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout!

Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSELTTER: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

Title: High Tech on the Farm: How Drones Are Transforming Landcare

It’s episode 75 of Agsolutely Fabulous! Today, Gillian and Katja kick off the third in their Landcare series, featuring Three Rivers Landcare coordinator Carmel Bundy and drone survey pilot Ben Watts. They discuss how drones are used less as a novelty and more as a tool to collect objective, high-resolution mapping data, including 3D models and plant health maps, to benchmark ground cover and land condition over time and help landholders communicate stewardship to stakeholders. Carmel explains the project began through ag skill funding and quickly filled, leading to a second course that trained 27 Landcare members of diverse ages. Ben describes 15 years of agricultural drone use, benefits for safety and coverage, early stress detection 7–10 days before visible symptoms, and targeted treatment to reduce chemical use and support sustainability.

Learn More About Landcare: Landcare Australia is a national, independent not-for-profit established in 1989. For over 35 years, it has led community and corporate engagement in environmental conservation and sustainable land management, helping protect Australia’s land, water, soils, plants, animals, and ecosystems.

The organisation supports Landcare groups and partners through funding, on-ground project delivery, capacity-building, and knowledge sharing, while also managing large-scale restoration initiatives like the Landcare CarbonSMART program.

Working alongside a network of 6,000 groups and more than 100,000 volunteers, Landcare Australia strengthens biodiversity, restores landscapes, and builds resilience in food and farming systems. As climate change and environmental challenges intensify, its focus remains on innovation, partnerships, and empowering the next generation—including stronger engagement with First Nations communities.

Links & Resources

Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

Find or Register a Group: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group/

Learn how to Get Involved with Landcare here: https://youtu.be/3s74Lvmlutk

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout!

Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSELTTER: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

They address “the farm is a money pit” and promote boundary-setting workshops and community funding for internal skills. They discuss Elders planning to stop handling WA wool locally and shift operations to Melbourne amid a shrinking sheep flock and reduced industry confidence after the live sheep export ban, recalling a Canberra rally and urging respectful political advocacy. They discuss a reel on women being gaslit about “having it all,” and finish with support for Victoria’s new fox bounty and multi-pronged feral control.

Links & Resources Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

Find or Register a Group: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group/

Learn how to Get Involved with Landcare here: https://youtu.be/3s74Lvmlutk 💕

Support Our Partners THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout!

Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSELTTER: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

00:30 Station life updates

01:54 Rural Women Awards night

02:38 Parliament House ID drama

04:45 Language Academy winner

06:30 AI finalist and automation

07:55 Night driving glasses tip

09:47 Farm money pit boundaries

14:12 Elders exit wool industry

17:19 Canberra rally recap

20:18 Who showed up and why write

21:53 Writing Politicians Right

23:49 The Myth Of Having It All

25:28 Renovation Rabbit Holes

27:27 Mental Health Help Reality

29:24 Fox Bounty Fury

30:52 Native Pets And Lizards

34:48 Why Foxes Target Lambs

36:30 Multi Pronged Fox Control

38:14 Safe Shooting And Cities

In episode 73 of Agsolutely Fabulous, Katja and Gillian discuss farm updates, including cattle work, road conditions, skincare products sent to Gillian, and Katja's destocking in New South Wales due to drought and high input costs, alongside land management comparisons from the last drought. They address an unintended mining rehabilitation ad placed on their podcast and how automated ads can conflict with their views. The episode covers the fuel crisis linked to conflict affecting oil routes, resulting in price spikes, supply bottlenecks, and knock-on impacts for farming, transport, emergency services, roads, plastics, and fertilizer. They warn about fire ants spreading across parts of Queensland and into New South Wales and stress biosecurity risks from moving hay, soil, or plants. They also respond to claims that Sydney Royal Easter Show attendance contradicts a cost-of-living crisis, arguing that people budget for outings and exhibitors attend for work and marketing. A Q&A clarifies “organic,” “free range,” and “pasture raised” as marketing and production systems, recommending direct-from-farm sourcing for traceability.

Links & Resources Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

Find or Register a Group: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group/

Learn how to Get Involved with Landcare here: https://youtu.be/3s74Lvmlutk 💕

Support Our Partners THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout!

Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSELTTER: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

00:30 Farm updates and skincare mishap

03:10 Drought destocking realities

05:06 Drought photos and land management

07:18 Renovations and wildlife visitors

08:51 The accidental mining ad

10:50 Fuel crisis and price gouging

15:53 Supply knock-ons and shortages

18:48 Fire ants spreading warning

23:46 Cost of living vs Easter Show

31:34 Labels explained organic and free range

In episode 72 of Agsolutely Fabulous, Katja speaks with Robin Verrall—farmer, beef and lamb producer, author, publisher, and board and committee member in South Australia—about navigating global change, practical prepping, and supporting aging parents as winter approaches.

They contrast city shopping habits with farm “pantry staples” and discuss readiness without panic buying, including keeping backups like flour, long-life milk, shelf-stable meals, gas cookers, battery backup landlines/radios, and organized, pest-proof storage, plus planning for power outages. They also discuss the emotional and social adjustments after COVID, including close contact in public spaces. For aging parents, they emphasize winter needs such as heating, wood/kindling, comfort foods in manageable portions, safer transport when driving becomes risky, staying connected through neighbors, and medication management via chemist blister packs, especially with dementia.

Links & Resources

Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

Find or Register a Group: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group/

Learn how to Get Involved with Landcare here: https://youtu.be/3s74Lvmlutk

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout!

Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSELTTER: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

00:27 Meet Robin Vel

01:09 World Feels Unstable

02:40 Pantry Prep Basics

06:50 Beyond Stockpiling

07:08 Kids and Kindness

08:44 Aging Parents in Winter

10:38 Safety and Connection

14:08 Medication Management

Today, Gillian and Katja interview Melanie Cooper, a landcare coordinator for the Grenfell district in central west New South Wales, who has worked in natural resource management for over 20 years and farms locally. Melanie explains landscape rehydration as making the most of rainfall by holding more water in the landscape to rejuvenate productivity, rehabilitate creeks and gullies, and reduce erosion. She describes a Mulloon Institute introductory field day delivered through the two-year “Over the Fence” project, which uses farmer-to-farmer conversations, field days, bus trips, training, and visual stories to support climate-smart practice change. The workshop drew on methods linked to Peter Andrews and showcased local farmer Alex McAlpine’s rehydration actions. Melanie shares ways to get involved via mullooninstitute.org, welandcare.com.au, e-newsletters, and Central West Local Land Services, and emphasizes Landcare’s inclusive, responsive community network and role bridging urban and rural communities.

Learn More About Landcare: Landcare Australia is a national, independent not-for-profit established in 1989. For over 35 years, it has led community and corporate engagement in environmental conservation and sustainable land management, helping protect Australia’s land, water, soils, plants, animals, and ecosystems.

The organisation supports Landcare groups and partners through funding, on-ground project delivery, capacity-building, and knowledge sharing, while also managing large-scale restoration initiatives like the Landcare CarbonSMART program.

Working alongside a network of 6,000 groups and more than 100,000 volunteers, Landcare Australia strengthens biodiversity, restores landscapes, and builds resilience in food and farming systems. As climate change and environmental challenges intensify, its focus remains on innovation, partnerships, and empowering the next generation—including stronger engagement with First Nations communities.

Links & Resources

Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

Find or Register a Group: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group/

Learn how to Get Involved with Landcare here: https://youtu.be/3s74Lvmlutk

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout!

Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSELTTER: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

00:00 Meet Melanie Cooper

00:41 From Farm to Landcare

02:18 What Is Rehydration

03:20 Over the Fence Project

04:41 Roots in Peter Andrews

06:28 Field Day Takeaways

09:12 How to Get Involved

12:40 Bridging Town and Farm

15:08 Why Landcare Matters

17:37 Final Invitation and Thanks

In episode 70 of Agsolutely Fabulous, Gillian and Katja do a Q&A and note Gillian’s University of South Australia graduation with a Bachelor of Communications, her mortarboard, and thanks to Sandy (a UniSA staff member) who photographed the ceremony and is suggested as “ag fab of the week.” They discuss Anzac Day long-weekend plans, including family traditions and a working bee to rainproof a leaking farmhouse by fixing guttering. Gillian explains “mules tags” for sheep as part of LPA/wool declarations, tied to patented bare-breech genetics with strict rules and traceability. Katja updates on delaying the delivery of two pink macadamias until spring to avoid frost. They talk about a mail delivery including conference gifts and answer a question on who should influence agriculture’s future, arguing opinions should be weighted by “skin in the game,” and offering guidance on choosing conference speakers/MCs. They also revisit a joke about a Bathurst “crocodile” that was an inflatable pool toy.

Links & Resources

Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

Find or Register a Group: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group/

Learn how to Get Involved with Landcare here: https://youtu.be/3s74Lvmlutk

💕 Support Our Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

Farm Table – Your online hub for all things ag, connecting farmers with resources, events, and opportunities. Check them out at https://farmtable.com.au/

Book Box - Use code Fabulous15 for a special discount at checkout!

Start your next chapter here → https://bookbox.au/

Email us - [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSELTTER: https://tr.ee/qd6wlKKB1W

02:29 Anzac Weekend Plans

03:57 Rainproofing Farmhouse

05:01 Mules Tag Explained

08:23 Pink Macadamia Update

10:44 Mail Plane Delivery

12:42 Who Gets a Say

16:53 Choosing Conference Speakers

21:21 Crocodile Jokes

23:09 Q and A Wrap Up