Isabele and Pete Roberts are the husband and wife duo behind Ridgehaven Poll Dorset stud in Cudal. With three properties across Cudal and Forbes, Isabele and Pete work with their family to produce high-quality sheep. 

In this episode, Isabele and Pete explain how they run their complex business, the importance of breeding rams with good eating qualities, how they achieve fast-growing lambs that meet market specifications, and the truth for producers looking for the “silver bullet” in their sheep enterprises.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor, Rohan Leach, sat down with Isabele and Pete for this far-reaching chat.

This episode is part one of our two-part chat with Isabele and Pete.

 

Resources and links:

• Ridgehaven Poll Dorsets website
• Ridgehaven Poll Dorsets on Facebook

 

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 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.

Grace Hadley is the Business Manager at Burrawang West, an 11,000-acre mixed farming operation owned by AAM Investment Group between Condobolin and Parkes. Grace spends her days mostly focused on the Burrawang Dorper and White Dorper Stud programs.

In this episode, Grace explains the strategies used at Burrawang to train Dorpers with quiet temperaments, how focusing on breeding rams chosen for conformation and fertility results in lambs of a mid-maturity growth type, and how an eight-month joining schedule makes a lot more work for the stud.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor, Rohan Leach, made his way to Condobolin for this chat with Grace.

 

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 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.

Kate Nixon is a Horticulturalist and Environmental Consultant who founded Macrocarpa Landscapes in 2024. Kate advocates for using endemic Australian plant species to create healthy, beautiful landscapes to improve farms and gardens in rural Australia.

In this episode, Kate discusses how to choose the best endemic species for the farm, how they can be used tactically to reduce fire risk and manage flood areas, and how to build a gorgeous garden from native Australian plants that promote more biodiversity.

Local Land Services Senior Natural Resource Officer, Jasmine Wells, caught up with Kate after a great workshop at the Forbes Visitors Centre showcasing her native garden design.

 

Resources and links:

• Macrocarpa Landscapes website
• Macrocarpa Landscapes on Instagram
• Sustainable Farms website
• PlantNET website

 

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 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.

Sam Johnston is a Farmer who works alongside his dad to manage their family properties near Forbes. The Johnston's primary focus is on trade lambs and lucerne hay production however, they have recently moved into breeding composite meat sheep too.

In this episode, Sam discusses how high-performance pastures of perennial grasses, lucerne, clover, and chicory helped his farm to trade over 3,000 lambs on approximately 150 hectares of river country. He also explains how their hay production sometimes conflicts with lamb production and the effect it can have on cash flow.

 

Resources and links:

• Johnston Rural Group website
• Top Fodder silage workshop by Central West LLS

 

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 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.

Jacob Stein is a Farmer and Winemaker at Robert Stein Winery in Mudgee. For three generations, Jacob’s family has farmed their 600-acre property and expanded their operation to include a vineyard, winery, restaurant, and mixed farming enterprise.

In this episode, Jacob shares how regenerative farming techniques boosted soil carbon levels from 1% to 8%, discusses their paddock-to-plate approach, and reveals how innovative farming methods like natural sunscreen on grape vines have contributed to multiple prestigious wine awards.

 

Resources and links:

• Robert Stein Winery website

 

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 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 episode is part two of our two-part chat with Jon Wright. In the last episode, Jon shared his journey to create the highly regarded Blue-E line of cattle and how it became the most feed-efficient herd in the world.

In this episode, Jon dives into the importance of EBVs and how farms can use this information to develop more effective beef production systems. He also discusses how his collaboration with ag tech developers and researchers from the University of Sydney will aid farmers in reducing on-farm emissions.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Officer, Claudia Hinrichsen, continues her chat with Jon on the farm “Coota Park".

 

Resources and links:

• “Coota Park” website

 

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 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.

Jon Wright runs a 700-head cattle and breeding operation at his property, "Coota Park", on the edge of the Lachlan Valley. Jon developed a high-efficiency composite cattle line, Blue-E, almost 30 years ago using a Shorthorn Angus cross and refining the line over time.

In this episode, Jon walks through his beef and cattle journey and how working on a research station in his early career influences how he operates his farm. He digs into how he developed the Blue-E line and how monitoring individual animal feed intake and production efficiency has led to his line being considered the most feed-efficient herd in the world.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Officer, Claudia Hinrichsen, caught up with Jon at “Coota Park" to learn more about his Blue-E cattle.

This episode is part one of our two-part chat with Jon.

 

Resources and links:

• “Coota Park” website

 

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 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.

Richard and Bernie Sharpe are the husband and wife team behind “Winton Park”, a SheepMaster stud they run on their farm, “Coraki”, along the banks of the Bogan River northwest of Parkes. In addition to the stud, they also have a commercial shedding sheep flock with a bit of cropping to complement their sheep enterprise.

In this episode, Richard and Bernie discuss how SheepMasters are different from other breeds of sheep and their benefits for different farming setups. As newcomers to the Parkes region, they also share their experience buying rural property in various areas and their advice for anyone looking to buy.

Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor, Rohan Leach, chatted with Richard and Bernie at the Forbes office.

 

Resources and links:

• Winton Park Sheepmasters website

• Winton Park Sheepmasters on SBA website

 

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 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.

Sam Mason is a Farmer at “Spicers Run”, a 4,500-hectare mixed-farming operation near Wellington. Sam, his brother Joe, and their families use a 10-year cropping rotation schedule to help them make the most of their land.

In this episode, Sam shares how his cropping rotation works and the benefits of dual-purpose cropping for providing high-quality winter feed for livestock while leaving plenty to harvest at the end of the season. He also shares how his intense production strategy helps to offset rising input costs.

Local Land Services Cropping Ag Advisor, Tim Bartimote, sat down with Sam out the back of the LLS ag shed among the dual-purpose hay samples.

 

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 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.

Paul Jameson runs a livestock operation on his farm, “Pine Knoll Park”, near Geurie and is also the NSW Livestock Stud Manager for Elders. Using his experience with Elders, Paul has turned his property from a blank canvas into a thriving farm.

In this episode, Paul discusses how he improved the infrastructure of his farm and why he established permanent pastures. He explains why he joined the LLS Farming Forecaster network and how real-time data helps his business. He also shares his advice as a livestock specialist for producers bringing home new animals in the post-sale season. 

Local Land Services Cropping Ag Advisor, Tim Bartimote, sat down with Paul early one morning to chat in the Dubbo LLS office.

 

Resources and links:

• Farming Forecaster tool on LLS website

 

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 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.