Penny Henley — along with her husband Phil, daughter Nicole, and son-in-law Dan — run Emu Logic, near Tooraweenah in Central West NSW. This 1,200 acre livestock property runs cattle, sheep, goats and emus!

Penny is an active member of her local Landcare group and is passionate about protecting native wildlife and controlling pest animals. In this episode, Penny discusses the importance of working as a group to control pest species, as well as her experience in controlling pigs, foxes and cats and her passion for agriculture and the natural environment.

Local Land Services Mixed Farm Advisor Callen Thompson, caught up with Penny at Emu Logic … and was fortunate enough to try some emu jerky while he was there!

 

Resources and links:

• Emu Logic
• Pig trapping tips and tricks

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Trent Johnstone runs a livestock trading enterprise along with his shorthorn bull breeding business at Forbes and Lyndhurst. To facilitate his trading business, Trent has become a bit of an expert at doing the numbers on leasing country and agisting livestock as well.

In this episode, Trent shares some of his key principles for trading livestock as well as some of his memorable wins and losses in the trading game, as well as how he manages livestock on as many as 13 different properties across the state in an effort to mitigate against drought.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Rohan Leach met up with Trent on top of Memorial Hill in Parkes, after Trent ran into a spot of some trouble in the morning with a B-Double full of stock.

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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 situ

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

Andrew Wooldridge (or Wooly as he is better known) has spent the last 24 years helping to improve soil health across New South Wales. A Salinity Technical Specialist by day, he also runs his own farm business with his wife Margie at Canowindra.

In this episode, Wooly shares the importance of reading our landscape, including learning to manage the water balance on farm, to knowing the key early indicators that can help identify if salt is an issue in our farming system. He also discusses what actions producers can take to better prevent and manage salt-affected areas.

Local Land Services Natural Resource Management Officer Jasmine Wells caught up with Wooly out in the field on one of his recent visits to a new salt outbreak site.

 

Resources and links:

• https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Land-and-soil/salinity-indicator-plants.pdf
• https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/eSpade2Webapp

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Daniel Volkofsky manages a 2,200 ha cropping program across four farms in the Bearbung Valley, east of Gilgandra. With livestock absent from each property for at least a generation, Daniel shares with us some of the challenges he's experienced and the knowledge he's gained from continuous cropping in one of the region's coldest climates.

Daniel believes getting on top of weeds in this farming system is an important key for success, and in this episode, he shares his methodology. He also discusses why he’s a keen supporter of the local crop competition, and why he’s an advocate of farmers learning from each other to get the best out of their land.

Local Land Services Cropping Officer Tim Bartimote sat down with Daniel overlooking his winter crops, for this great yarn.

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Sally and Mark Dent run a mixed farming business on the historic Cobbora Station, a 1150ha property with breeding, trade cattle and cropping just west of Dunedoo.  

Mark and Sally epitomise the true community spirit and are now promoting other local businesses and local produce focussing on sustainable production, healthy landscapes and strong communities. In this episode, Mark and Sal share how the recent drought led them to diversify their business and secure additional income by incorporating agritourism.

Mark and Sally sat down with Local Land Services mixed farming advisor, Callen Thompson over biscuits and a cuppa to share their experience integrating agritourism into their farming business.

 

Special thanks:

This episode is supported by Central West Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

 

Resources and links:

• Mark and Sally participated in an agritourism webinar hosted by LLS and DPI. There are some photos and videos of their farm, the recording can be found here: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/services/fbrp
• Farm Business Resilience Program

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Mark Mortimer is a self-confessed “Sheep Geek” who uses technology in some interesting ways. Mark farms alongside his father, brother and their family near Albert in Central West NSW, in their stud sheep operation and business, Centre Plus Merinos.

Mark is a problem solver at heart, and in this episode he shares some of the hard lessons he has learnt through his use of technology with livestock. He also uses his experience to give some tips to innovators out there on what farmers really need from their technology.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor, Rohan Leach managed to squeeze this interview in with Mark just before he headed into a busy harvest period.

 

Resources and links:

• The Big Tech Big Ideas conference and field day

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Mick Doolan, with his wife Pip, own and manage "Walla Walla" — a 1,300 hectare mixed farm between Gulargambone and Coonamble. Mick and Pip manage the property themselves, focussing on breeding and fattening cattle, with the recent addition of cropping to add value to the livestock enterprise.

In this episode, Mick discusses some important factors around the first 10 years of owning a farm. He also reflects on the value of good business advice and how joining a benchmarking group has challenged his ideas and helped him develop a new approach to decision making on the farm (especially on how to make good decisions during the harder seasons).

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Callen Thompson caught up with Mick while he was taking a rain-induced break from sorghum planting.

 

Resources and links:

• Farm Business Resilience Program

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Mike Rosser and his family own and run 3,500 acres at “Galwary”, near Eugowra, as part of a larger family business that also incorporates rangeland grazing properties at Wanaaring in Far West NSW. Mike currently runs 6,000 sheep, aiming to turn off 8,000 to 9,000 lambs per year.

In this episode, Mike explains how a need to finish their lambs faster and increase their landholding led them to intensify their enterprise and implement an accelerated joining program. And as you’ll hear, Mike doesn’t mind pushing the envelope and making clever business decisions when it comes to getting more lambs on the ground.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Officer Rohan Leach sat down with Mike between one of his recent trips out to the Wannaring block.

 

Resources and links:

• The Big Tech Big Ideas conference and field day

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Kevin "Tex" Kilby and his family-run "Inglewood", a conglomeration of five properties nestled within what is regarded as the 'Golden Triangle' north of Gilgandra. The Kilby's run a true mixed farming enterprise with a cereal, legume and canola rotation alongside permanent pastures for beef cattle and fat lamb production.

In this episode, "Tex" lets us in on his keys to success including being open to new ideas and approaches, supporting locally based research and conserving soil moisture at all costs. It is this approach that has been instrumental in helping him build his business resilience and manage through the variability of our seasons.

Local Land Services Cropping Officer Tim Bartimote sat down with "Tex" for a cuppa and this yarn at the homestead on "Inglewood".

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.

Logan Tighe owns and runs LJT Harvesting, a professional kangaroo harvesting business based in Coonabarabran. Logan is an avid listener to the Seeds for Success podcast and is keen to educate more people about the kangaroo industry.

In this episode, Logan talks about the industry, including what is involved in harvesting kangaroos and what the meat is used for. You'll also hear how Logan aims to build a trusted relationship that provides a valuable service through helping farmers reduce grazing pressure and control invasive pest species.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Callen Thompson sat down for this chat with Logan just before he headed out to work for the night.

 

Connect:

• Central West LLS website
• Central West LLS on Facebook
• Central West LLS on Twitter
• 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.