Andrea Fletcher (or Andy as she's known to the locals) is a Senior Biosecurity Weeds Officer with Castlereagh Macquarie County Council, based out of Coonabarabran. Andy is passionate about weed control, and no matter how big the weed problem is, she will have a go at getting on top of it.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Andy has had great success with weeds that everyone thought couldn’t be beaten. You’ll also hear how Andy’s developed her own beetle nursery to help bolster the bio-control opportunities within her region, and how her hard work and ongoing tenacity has seen her recognised with a State award for her contribution to the management and control of Hudson Pear in NSW.

 

Resources and links:

• NSW Weed Control Handbook
• NSW WeedWise
• Castlereagh Macquarie County Council | Noxious Weeds Control
• Boosting baby beetle numbers for blue heliotrope biocontrol

 

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.

Tim Bowman, along with his family, run a mixed farming operation on their property “Gundy” near Tooraweenah.

In this episode, Tim talks about his Shorthorn cattle enterprise and how he approaches the important decision of selecting bulls, as well as how he’s incorporating artificial insemination into their breeding program to speed up the genetic process and have heifers calve over a nice tight window.

Local Lands Services District Vet Jill Kelly caught up with Tim in the back yards after a bull sale. And as you'll hear, Jill learnt that there's a bit more to it than turning up on sale day with your bidder card in hand!

 

Resources and links:

• Checking your bull is ready for joining
• Bull health
• Buy the right bulls
• Tooraweenah brothers use AI to lift their Shorthorn herd

 

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.

This is the second part of our conversation with Andrew (Fadge) McFadyen. In part one, Fadge shared his personal journey as a young agronomist, the importance of mentoring and the role he can play as an industry leader.

In this episode, Fadge shares his vision for the future of the agricultural industry, and how he believes harnessing the combined power of grower-driven research is key to tackling agriculture's emerging challenges, including herbicide resistance and climate change.

Local Land Service Mixed Farm Advisor, Callen Thompson brings you this extended chat with Fadge from the veranda of “Wilga Park”.

 

Resources and links:

• Grain Orana Alliance
• Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
• North West Local Land Services - Tropical pastures webinar recording
• What I wish I knew: Agros to share experiences with ‘next gen’

 

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.

Andrew McFadyen (or “Fadge”), is a farmer and agricultural consultant based at Lake Cargelligo who has recently come back to the family sheep and cropping farm.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Fadge's passion for the future of agriculture has lead him into leadership roles within his community and throughout the cropping industry, and how he’s using the lessons learnt from both agronomy and corporate agriculture to make sure his farming business fits the goals and aspirations of his family.

Fadge sat down for a long yarn with Local Land Service Mixed Farm Advisor, Callen Thompson, on the veranda of “Wilga Park”.

 

Resources and links:

• Grain Orana Alliance
• Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
• North West Local Land Services - Tropical pastures webinar recording
• What I wish I knew: Agros to share experiences with ‘next gen’

 

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.

In this episode, we catch-up again with Georgia White at her family farm “Talbragar”, near Coolah.

In our last episode, Georgia was preparing to launch herself headfirst into the challenging task of managing her ewe flock through to lambing. And now, six months later, she shares what worked (and what didn’t!), as well as a sneak peek at what’s next for this promising young farmer.

 

Resources and links:

• Sue Hatcher's paper on lamb survival
• Lambs Alive training 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.

Georgia White moved back to her family farm “Talbragar” near Coolah, to help her family manage drought, however, the drought broke not long after her arrival.

Choosing to stay on anyway, Georgia instead turned to tackling the mammoth task of managing their ewe flock through lambing, and in this episode, she shares her strategies for managing singles, twins and triplets throughout a great season.

 

Resources and links:

• Sue Hatcher's paper on lamb survival
• Lambs Alive training 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.

Mick Wettenhall operates a bustling family farm, Weemabah, alongside his wife Kirsty and father-in-law George. It's situated near Trangie. Their diverse mixed-farming business encompasses both summer and winter cropping alongside holistically managed grazing of sheep and cattle.

In this episode, we hear about Mick's many passions, from breeding great cattle and building resilient pasture systems, to harnessing the power of healthy soils and fungi in an attempt to holistically boost soil carbon storage within his soils.

 

Resources and links:

• SoilCQuest

 

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.

Jack Brennan manages "Merrimba", a 20,000-hectare sheep and cropping property between Warren and Quambone.

At the time of recording, in January 2020, the drought still hadn't broken. And in this episode, you'll hear Jack's thoughts on how they've managed the livestock throughout, as well as how experiencing drought has shaped his and his team's outlook on farming.

 

Resources and links:

• Australia Day Address 2020 by Grace Brennan
• Early weaning – importance of getting nutrition right
• Livestock, vegetation and dry times: Decisions to be made

 

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.

Fiona Aveyard and her husband Bill run Outback Lamb, a vertically-integrated farming business focusing on single-origin pasture-fed lamb. It's part of their commercial sheep and cropping operation, 'Westpoint', near Tullamore.

Determined to secure the future for their four children, Bill and Fiona came up with a creative approach to growing their business. And in this episode, you'll hear how this plan, combined with a gradual embrace of social media, has allowed them to extend the reach of their 'paddock to plate' story.

 

Resources and links:

• Provenance Storytelling for Success

 

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.

Jason and Kylie Catts run Futurity Shorthorns, a seed stock supplier with properties at Kenebri, north of Baradine and Coonamble. Together, they grow and store grain and silage to fill feed gaps, ensuring that they can maintain their herd and produce quality genetics for their clients.

Jason and Kylie are passionate about agriculture, particularly sharing information and knowledge through their rural community. And in this episode, you'll hear how they prioritise genetic traits that ensure their cattle are fit for all stages in the supply chain, from the producer through to the consumer.

 

Resources and links:

• Silage and hay
• Silage webinar series

 

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.