Are you making the right decisions when it comes to expanding your farm business or managing risk in a new environment?

In this episode, Chris Kilby speaks about building a mixed farming enterprise near Trundle, sharing his journey of starting again, consolidating land, and improving efficiency across his operation. Alongside his wife Sarah and their three daughters, Chris runs a self-replacing Merino flock and cropping program, while continuing to refine their system after moving from the Goulburn region.

Chris shares the realities of purchasing and piecing together multiple blocks of land, the challenges of succession planning, and the steep learning curve of farming in a new district during drought conditions. He explains how infrastructure investments, pasture renovation, and strategic decision-making have shaped their business, along with the importance of relationships, flexibility in purchasing strategies, and long-term planning. You’ll also hear insights into managing worm resistance, testing before making decisions, and why knowing your numbers and your land is key to building a sustainable and profitable farming operation.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Rohan Leach, sat down with Chris to bring you this chat.

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you matching your livestock trading decisions to your feed base or the market?

In this episode, Local Land Services Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator, Bonnie Mitchell speaks with Courtney Tourle about livestock trading, decision-making, and building a profitable enterprise while balancing work, family and farming. Courtney and her husband Tom run a livestock trading business on a leased property, while Courtney also works as an Animal Production Advisor at Nutrien Ag Solutions, giving her a unique perspective across many different farming operations and seasons.

Courtney shares how they got their start leasing country after the drought, the steep learning curve of financial literacy and trading livestock, and the lessons they learned from both profitable seasons and difficult market downturns. She explains how they match livestock classes to available feed and the importance of making proactive decisions rather than waiting too long.

You’ll also hear about how the best farmers manage seasonal variability, make confident decisions using the best information available at the time, and focus on controlling what they can control.

Resources and links:

• Courtney Tourle on LinkedIn

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

This podcast was supported by Central West Local Land Services’ Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator. Sustainable Agriculture Facilitators are supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program. Views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Local Land Services or the Australian Government.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are mixed farming systems the key to more resilient and productive farms?

In this episode, Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Rohan Leach sits down with Lawrence Balcomb from Golden Glen near Toogong to talk about mixed farming, pasture management and how cropping and livestock can work together in a practical farming system. Lawrence shares how his operation combines prime lamb production with grazing crops and pasture renovation, using rotations that include oats, canola, wheat and lupins to improve pastures and manage weeds and chemicals.

You’ll hear practical insights on managing lucerne-based pastures, dealing with soil acidity and dryland salinity, integrating tropical grasses, and how crop rotations can be used as a tool to reset and improve pasture productivity. Lawrence also talks about succession planning in family farming, labour challenges, and the role Landcare plays in helping farmers access support, knowledge and community networks.

This episode is a great listen for mixed farmers, livestock producers, and anyone interested in improving pasture systems, integrating cropping and grazing, and building a resilient farming operation for the long term.

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is your grazing strategy working for your land or are you working for your grazing?

In this episode, Local Land Services senior Natural Resource Officer Jasmine Wells sits down with Emily Mosely, Grazing Solutions Advisor with Atlas Carbon and MaiaGrazing. Emily explains how a people- and data-first approach to grazing management transformed her family’s semi-arid rangeland operation. Drawing on both her personal experience and professional role, she shares why proactive monitoring, digital tools, and strategic rest and recovery are game changers for sustainable livestock and pasture management.

You’ll hear practical insights on multi-species grazing, leveraging technology to track livestock and pasture performance, increasing carrying capacity while regenerating ground cover, and fostering a feedback loop that improves decisions across your enterprise. Emily also discusses how implementing practice changes early and experimenting with regenerative techniques can create measurable, long-term results.

This episode is a must-listen for graziers, land managers, and anyone interested in optimizing productivity while caring for the land.

Resources and links:

• Emily Mosely on LinkedIn
• Atlas Grazing (formerly MaiaGrazing)

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is your family serving the farm… or is the farm serving your family?

In this episode, Tim Bartimote sits down with James Hamilton, a central New South Wales farmer who also works nationally in agricultural succession planning. Drawing on lived experience and more than a decade advising families, James explains why succession isn’t about dividing assets; it’s about aligning needs. He outlines his people-first approach, how he structures conversations to move families from “I” to “we,” and why everyone must see their opportunity for a transition to succeed.

You’ll hear practical insights on introducing the next generation early, managing debt responsibly, handling off-farm siblings fairly, and why succession rarely works when it’s left too late.

This is an essential listen for producers who want to extend productivity across generations while keeping the family unit intact.

Resources and links:

• James Hamilton on LinkedIn
• Cultivate Advisory

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a producer decides not just to grow the product but to own the entire supply chain?

In this episode, Local Land Services Cropping Ag Advisor Tim Bartimote sits down with Andy and Ben Sippel to unpack how a vertically integrated lamb business was built from paddock to plate. Starting with farmers’ markets and evolving into a streamlined event-based model, they share why simplicity, consistency, and market alignment have been central to success.

You’ll hear why limiting customer choice became a strength, how ensuring “everything has a home before it leaves the paddock” protects profitability, and what it really takes to bootstrap and scale a food business.

This is a practical conversation for producers interested in value-adding, controlling their market pathway, and building resilient agricultural businesses beyond the farm gate.

Resources and links:

• Saltbush Lamb
• MLA Managing Your Feedbase
• Ben Sippel on LinkedIn
• Andy Sippel on LinkedIn

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if one native plant could fundamentally change how your grazing system performs, even through drought?

In this episode, Local Land Services Cropping Ag Advisor, Tim Bartimote, sits down with Andy and Ben Sippel from Saltbush Plains to unpack decades of hands-on experience using old man saltbush as a backbone species in grazing systems. From transforming degraded cropping country into resilient perennial pasture, to maintaining high stocking rates independent of rainfall, they share why deep-rooted native shrubs are one of Australia’s most underutilised agricultural assets.

You’ll hear how saltbush supports livestock performance with year-round green feed, high protein levels, and exceptional water-use efficiency, plus how smart grazing management turns ecological strength into economic strength.

This is a practical, grounded conversation for producers interested in building resilient pastures, reducing inputs, and working with Australia’s landscapes, not against them.

Resources and links:

• Saltbush Lamb
• MLA Managing Your Feedbase
• Ben Sippel on LinkedIn
• Andy Sippel on LinkedIn

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the final episode of our 4-part series, The Lime Light, where we shine a light on lime and dig into building pasture performance on acidic soils. 

Liam Mowbray runs a cattle operation near Gloucester in partnership with his wife Alissa and his parents. Since moving to the area four years ago, the family has focused on lifting production by increasing the carrying capacity across their properties. 

In this episode, Liam talks about making soil pH a foundational part of their production approach and the flow-on effects this has had on soil and pasture performance. You’ll also hear Liam discuss managing steeper country where cultivation isn’t an option, and the strategies used to address soil acidity in these areas. 

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Rohan Leach, sat down with Liam, away from the heat of the day, to bring you this chat. 

Resources and links: 

• NSW - Pastures on acid soils 
• Liam Mowbray on LinkedIn 

Nominate a Mate: 

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'. 

Connect: 

• Central West LLS website 

• Central West LLS on Facebook 

• Central West LLS on YouTube 

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to episode 3 of our 4 part summer series, The Lime Light, where we shine a light on lime and dig into building pasture performance on acidic soils.

Stuart Tait farms alongside his family at Mandurama in the NSW Central Tablelands with other properties at Lyndhurst and Canowindra. Tait Agriculture is focused on cattle and a cropping program including wheat, canola and Faba beans. Stuart has a range of pastures with phalaris, fescue, lucerne and clovers being the main components.

In this episode, Stuart talks about how they have shifted focus to increased cropping since the purchase of their Canowindra and Lyndhurst properties. You’ll hear Stuart explain soil testing and managing his soil pH is their main strategy for doing this. Stuart also shares his investigation into purchasing a Horsch Tiger cultivator and how he justifies a whopping 7 tonnes of lime per hectare.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Rohan Leach sat down with Stuart on a rather momentous day as the Tait family celebrated a major family milestone.

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to part 2 of our Summer series of Seeds for Success - The Lime Light series. We’re shining a light on lime and digging into acidic soils to optimise pastures as we chat with farmers who have been part of the High Performance Pasture Mixes for Acidic Soils, a project co-funded by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and Meat and Livestock Australia Donor Company. 

Angus Knight runs Fairview, a mixed farming operation south of Junee, where he manages a prime lamb enterprise alongside cereals, canola, and lupins.

In this episode, Angus talks through the productivity push he’s made since returning to the farm in 2018 coming from his studies, including how identifying acidic soils as a limiting factor reshaped his management decisions. He discusses tackling an acid throttle at depth, the resulting lift in carrying capacity, and the flow-on benefits to crop performance. Finally, Angus digs into the practical realities of making these changes, from timing and logistics to the day-to-day adjustments that drive long-term gains on mixed farms.

Resources and links:

• Holbrook Landcare Network – Soil Testing Process

Nominate a Mate:

• If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate for 'Seeds for Success'.

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on X
• Central West LLS on YouTube

The views contained in this podcast series are not necessarily endorsed by Central West Local Land Services. Listeners are advised to contact their local office to discuss their individual situation.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.