One-man bandsaw

Among the many things Drew Shearman does to bring in the coin, Shearman Livestock Mobile Butchery is one avenue for business that is only growing bigger by the day. As a one-man bandsaw, it’s difficult to keep up with all the emails. When you add a lack of mobile coverage out on the farm, Drew says he is busier than he ever anticipated.

“People are buying five- to 10-acre blocks for the sole purpose of growing their own animals and veggies,” says Drew. “A lot of people want to enjoy the taste of produce they have raised. People want to know exactly where their food comes from, and what better way than to have it butchered and packaged on location at the farm.” 

If nothing leaves the property, then the client has absolute certainty it’s their animals that are being processed. Clients can follow the process from start to finish rather than seek the services of an abattoir followed by a butcher.

“With the right equipment and the right set-up it’s very much a good business to be had. If you utilise your time well and travel as efficiently as possible, it becomes more cost effective,” Drew explains.

He operates a ute with a one-tonne crane as well as a refrigerated Pantech truck. It’s fully laid out like a butcher’s shop with a bandsaw, mincer and tenderiser, where Drew can break a beast down to all the cuts, roasts and rolls. If you fancy, he can even deliver corned meat and sausages.

“If they want the full service then I’ll portion it out into bags that are labelled,” Drew says. “It can go straight into the fridge or freezer after that.” 

Drew is a fifth-generation farmer, and his mobile butcher service began as an add-on to his mobile shearing service and livestock management business. On top of that, he also has a contract pest control service. He was used to finding himself delivering an awful lot of emergency kills for animals with broken necks and legs when out on the farm.

“I had an emergency kill only the other day. They opted to have him processed on farm and they utilised the meat themselves. Not only is mobile butchery a way for people to have their own meat processed, it’s also an avenue for people to gain the most out of culls and other bad situations. This fellow ended up with nearly 130 kilograms of meat they otherwise would never have got if they’d just had the calf put down,” Drew explains.

After seven years in business, with many other services coming and going in that time, Drew puts his success down to efficient travel and YouTube videos – as well as a passion for a good old barbecue.

“I’ve had a few butchers jump in the cool room with me and show me things that have made my job so much easier,” he says. “I also watch a few YouTube channels like the Australian Butchers Guild that have helped me become a better butcher. Back in the early days I would watch the video, pause it, cut the meat, then move on to the next piece. I’d say in the first four years I processed around 180 bodies of beef.”

To the south of the state

Mark Junior from South Coast Mobile Butcher has been operating his mobile butcher service for around 18 months. However his experience goes back to when he was just 14 years old, when he left school to work at a butcher in Cootamundra. 

Then when Australians were eligible to withdraw from their superannuation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mark jumped at the chance to build the business he had always dreamed of. 

“I saw an opportunity to get into the market, and with all the rain we’ve been having, I’ve never been busier,” he says. “There are a lot of broken legs because of the weather, and usually if you get to the animal within a 24-hour period, 90 per cent of it can be salvaged. Depending on the size of the family, that’s enough meat to last a very long time that would otherwise be wasted.” 

An abattoir will not process injured animals. But as Mark explains, if the affected animal remains on the farm in an environment it’s used to it will remain relatively calm in the lead-up to being processed for human consumption. 

Mark has not only earned back all of his super, but he has also enlisted the help of his entire family – his mother and father, brother and sister – as he gets nearly three new enquiries per day on top of his regular customers. 

Mark purchased an automatic pig squatting machine through the help of Many Rivers – an organisation that helps low-income earners become self-employed. 

The machine is one of just two in Australia. It runs off three-phase power and is capable of scalding, dehairing and cleaning pigs for a rapid on-site butcher service. Unfortunately, Mark hasn’t been able to use his new investment as much as he would like, due to all the bodies of beef he’s processing.

He’s also partnering with Kia Ora Stud Farm in Bungendore in a trial where consumers can purchase cattle that will live on the farm, where they will eventually be processed by Mark. The consumer can request how they would like the animal butchered and how they would like to receive the meat. Between the farmer, butcher and customer, great relationships are developed through transparency. 

“There are instances where farmers have brought in bodies of beef to a butcher and it’s been swapped around in the shop,” Mark says. “But with a mobile butcher service that comes to you, you’re guaranteed that it’s your animal you’ll be eating, and people really love to know that.”

If you enjoyed this feature on mobile butchers, you might like our annual cattle report.

The post Mobile butchers: from paddock to produce appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

With each tour bus, Kathy Finn, Museum Director of Shear Outback first points towards the toilet. “That’s usually the first place people need to visit after a long journey,” she says with a laugh.

Shear Outback boasts five areas for visitors to explore. Six including the bathrooms. Besides being regularly confused as the local information centre, what really lies behind the doors is a buzzing café and ‘world-famous’ gift shop, a museum, the Hall of Fame and shearing demonstrations in the historic Murray Downs Woolshed.

The history of Shear Outback Australia

The woolshed was built at Swan Hill in the 1920s and was transported to Hay in 1998 where it has now become a permanent feature of the exhibition experience. Over the many years, where hundreds of sheep have leant, the square wooden beams of river redgum have gradually been curved.

“Visitors from Sydney, Melbourne and elsewhere, gather their cameras and head towards the main entrance before asking me if the sheep will be shorn in the foyer,” says Kathy. “It’s surprising how many people think a sheep can be shorn in the foyer.”

Apart from the regular confusion of where the sheep will be shorn, the only other thing Kathy must keep her eye on is the Shear Outback Museum. Often complemented for its architectural design, the round building has glass walls on the inside and out allowing visitors to view artefacts from all angles.

“I always hear this banging sound coming from the museum and I think – ‘Oh no, they’re on the sling again!’ I must admit, for a kid it looks like a fun swing set,” says Kathy. For those not versed in sheep slings, shearers wear them looped around their torso to take the strain off their backs while working.

Shear Outback Australia is growing the museum’s collection and accepts all shearing-related donations, DVDs, handpieces and even pictures from the woolsheds. Often, people will visit the museum to simply drop off memorabilia they don’t want lost to time.

“We often have people drop in to leave an old set of clippers or even a book on wool. They don’t want all the history to be discarded so we keep it,” Kathy explains.

The hall of shearing fame

As a visitor, once you’ve bought a ticket, you’ll be directed to the Hall of Fame. Currently, 48 shearers have been inducted so far, with the hall welcoming its first female to the ranks.

Cathy Wendelborn began her shearing career at Millicent Homestead in 1982. Climbing the ladder by winning a plethora of events in the 1980s, Cathy shore before the Queen and presented her with a lock of wool in 1988 at the opening of the National Wool Centre in Geelong. Cathy also won the Ladies Invitation event at the 1998 World Championships in Ireland.

Another standout is Gene Mills, who was born in 1954 in Crookwell. Gene is the only inductee this year still shearing at 68 years of age, and he is renowned as a fast and clean shearer.

Gene has won several awards in the past such as the Canberra Shearer of the Year (five times), Longreach Diamond Shears, National Stock Show in Denver, Colorado as well as the Australian Open twice and the Australian Strong Wool twice. He can still be found in the wool sheds around Central NSW sharing his passion and knowledge amongst the up-and-coming shearers of the outback.  

This year’s inductee list also sees the likes of Ray Anderson who had won over 200 competitions during his shearing career, George (Dan) Cooper who achieved a world record 316 sheep at Bundoran Station in Queensland in 1910, and Bernie Walker who was awarded an OAM for his contributions to shearing. Bernie helped establish Golden Shears Australia and the bi-annual test matches between Australia and New Zealand.

“Watching the new inductees being honoured in the Hall of Fame is a heart-warming experience,” says Kathy. “It’s a big event with family, friends and fans. The inductees who are still alive and can attend often wear their Australian jackets they once competed in with such pride.”

Socks, singlets and handbags

The world-famous gift shop (as Kathy calls it), sells several Australian wool products such as socks and singlets, but sauces and other knick-knacks grace the shelves as well.

“The shearers love the singlets and jumpers, and you might wonder why a handbag is in a shearing museum gift shop but they’re extremely popular,” Kathy explains. “You see, the shearers can’t go home to their wives empty-handed, so the handbags are a big seller.”

As a big venue in a rural town, Kathy says they’ve seen it all – weddings, live music and meetings over a long lunch at the café. So, it’s no surprise Kathy’s not opposed to turning a blind eye to a bottle of wine every now and then. That, however, should not be public information.

“People love coming out and learning about shearing as well as wool. I’ve been around the industry a while now. My husband’s a shearer and so is my brother-in-law and I am still learning new things every day,” Kathy said.

If you enjoyed this story on Shear Outback, you might like our feature on Love Merino.

The post Shear Outback celebrates 20 years appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

“I flunked school and went overseas for about a year and didn’t really know what to do,” Jack says. “When a window of opportunity opened I ended up studying Commercial Radio at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst and after a few corporate roles in radio I went back to Northern NSW and worked on Congi.”

Jack’s online skits predominantly involve the hilarious moments of life on a farm. His first video that skyrocketed him into stardom was a regular occurrence for those in the bush – Jack was patting an echidna.

“It went gangbusters. Just off that video I had 25,000 followers,” he says. “I think there were a lot of international people who didn’t know what an echidna was, and they saw that video and they must have thought I was crazy. They probably thought it was similar to a porcupine.”

As fame started flowing through TikTok, Jack progressed to creating content on Instagram, and now he receives branding opportunities from companies wanting to advertise their products via his channels. At the moment his TikTok career doesn’t make enough to leave his full-time job, but that’s where he hopes to be heading in the near future.

“If you went through my notes, you would think I was mad. I write all of my ideas down and it takes about five minutes to write a script. It’s easier than doing it off the cuff.”

Jack Archdale.

Even with a following of over 225,000 people, Jack can never gauge how successful a TikTok video will be. As he says, it’s simply luck of the draw.

“Sometimes, I’ll have a great idea and I’ll be laughing to myself while I’m editing it, and it just doesn’t do well. Other times where I don’t think it’s that funny it will go crazy online. I did a skit on old bushies that I grew up around on the farm – the type who swear at everything and everythings always going wrong. That video alone earned me 25,000 followers on Instagram.”

Working with T.A. Field Estates on their farm Congi in the Walcha district, Jack managed herds of sheep that produce ultrafine wool as well as prime beef cattle across the 10,000 hectare property. But then he moved to Sydney to pursue a career in love. In other words, his partner lives in Sydney so he made the choice to move away from farm life. Although, it has to be said that Jack is doing his best to convince the missus to relocate back to the family farm.

“My folks are still back in Walcha and I try to go back there as much as I can,” he says. “It’s a great escape and when I’m back there I can create the country content that my core following enjoys because they’re very much country orientated.”

Jack admits that every day is completely different on the farm whereas in Sydney, life can get a little repetitive.

“One day we had flash flooding at one end of the property and at the other end, lightning struck, so we had fires to deal with, less than two kilometres away. I thought to myself – what is this country we’re living in? It’s never boring!”

If you enjoyed this feature on Jack Archdale, you might like our story on working dogs.

The post The famous TikTok farmer from Walcha appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Forrest is my real name but sometimes they call me Forrest-amore Conquistadore – the greatest of them all. 

What is your favourite thing to do on the farm?

Sniff around in the sheds for mice! I was catching so many last year, then they all disappeared after the rain. I’m not sure what happened to them but I want them to come back.

Have you ever done something really naughty? 

I don’t like to talk about this often. I was just a puppy. But the neighbours’ chickens came over to play with me in my yard, and that’s all it started as, I swear!

What is your worst habit?

I like to play dead in the morning. Sometimes I keep it going long enough to really trick my parents and they always fall for it. When they’re least expecting it, BAM!…I’m up and ready.

What is your favourite food?

Well sometimes fresh kangaroo gets delivered on the side of the road out the front of my property. I like to sneak over and enjoy that before I start work in the morning. But it has to be ripe.

If you became famous for one thing, what would it be?

That would have to be because of my Mum, FiFi. She was famous in the Central West for always catching big pigs around the farm with Dad. I have big paws to fill!

Is there something that drives your parents mad?

My Mum told me my only bad habit is when I whine. I wait outside of the sliding doors usually around 5PM and I don’t start crying until 5:05PM just for a little reminder it’s my dinner time. 

If you could have another animal as a friend, what would it be?

The new chickens next door. Dad told me I’m not allowed to play with them after what happened as a puppy. But I give them a bark to say hi every now and then! I think they say hi back when they flap their wings quickly and squawk.

Favourite toy or thing to play with?

Shorty, my girlfriend. She’s a Patterdale Terrier and she’s just the feistiest thing. When we run around together, she nips at my ankles and snarls because I always beat her in our races.

What does everyone love about you?

I listen and I’m loyal. I would protect my family at all costs, and I come to my name. They always seem impressed by that one…

Any last words?

No, I’m not a Wolfhound. I’m a Stumpy-tail cattle dog crossed with Ridgeback. Maybe a few other bits in there – we really aren’t sure.

If you enjoyed this feature on Forrest, you might like to read about another farm dog called Floss the Boss (from Brownlow Hill).

The post Meet Forrest-amore, Conquistadore, from Bathurst appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The Coo-ee March Gallery first opened its doors in August 2015 to honour the men who took part in the march. Then, in 2019, Gilgandra Shire Council was successful in its application for the NSW Government’s Regional Cultural Fund Grant for the Gilgandra Cultural Precinct, meaning renovations could commence. 

Shirley Marks is the Curator and Archivist at the Gilgandra Museum and Historical Society, and she says that the gallery is an amazing attraction for Gilgandra. “A lot of people have heard the story, but most aren’t aware of the Coo-ee March, and they are quite taken by it all when they come here. They explore the gallery and say that it’s fantastic.”

Shirley explains that the men who left were mostly from farming families. “They went without thinking of themselves – they were doing the best they could for their family and for their country.  

“I think it just goes to show you the comradeship and the community spirit that the young men here obviously had,” she says. “We were at war and they thought – this might be an adventure. They didn’t know what they were getting themselves into, and off they marched, stopping for a recruiting speech in each town along the way to Sydney.” 

A penny was given to the families of men who didn’t return. “One particular family received a Death Penny and donated it,” Shirley says. “They thought Gilgandra was where he started off, so they thought it belongs here.”

A cushion featured in the gallery is one of the more poignant items for Shirley – sewn together from numerous cigarette cards from WWI. 

“They were sent from France by Coo-ee L Maguire,” she explains. “They’re a silk-
type material that was used in cigarette packets long ago. 

They display images of all the different flags of various regiments. This young fellow sent them back to his family and a lady I knew sewed them together beautifully on the cushion. There are many very special things here.” 

The Coo-ee March came back into focus for Gilgandra when, in 1987, three men decided they would like to do a re-enactment. Graham Chase directed a documentary simply titled Coo-ee, with Film Australia, and it was first shown in Gilgandra Shire Hall.

“From then on for quite a few years we had an annual Coo-ee Festival, which brought families of Coo-ees and lots of other people to Gilgandra,” says Shirley. “There was a fair in the park and it was quite amazing.”

The Coo-ee Festival ceased operating due to a lack of volunteers, and Shirley couldn’t keep up with the demands. “It’s a great shame,” she says. 

There are many other WWI artefacts on display in the Coo-ee March Gallery. 

“It’s important to recognise there were others who weren’t Coo-ees serving during the war,” says Shirley. “The march was only one part of WWI, and other men went with the same intentions.”

In 2015, to recognise the 100-year anniversary of the Coo-ee march, a coach travelled to Martin Place for another re-enactment. It rained on the day, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance. 

“There were beautiful smiles everywhere because we marched again,” says Shirley. “I don’t know what it was like back in 1915, but it was amazing in 2015, even in the rain.” 

The post Celebrating the Coo-ee March from Gilgandra appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Mr Robert Buist was the editor of The Warialda Standard until his passing in 1902. In the following years it had multiple editors and various owners. 

A newspaper from nearby Bingara – The Bingara Advocate – was established in 1934 by editor Samuel Dickson, and it was printed for a long time on the original printing press for The Warialda Standard. The paper kept citizens informed throughout many defining historical moments such as World War II, and when the first man landed on the moon. Samuel ran the publication until his son Rex took over, and then later he returned as editor when Rex served the country during the war. The paper cost one penny for a weekly edition. 

In 1983, Doug Wilson became the owner and editor of The Warialda Standard, and for the next 25 years he ran the newspaper. His wife Pattie Wilson was also heavily involved, working on her two-page weekly spread titled ‘Pattie’s Page’. The popular piece included news from the locals, household tips and tricks, recipes and, more famously, her section titled ‘A lady should know.’

A fire in the 1970s destroyed the newspaper’s office, along with many of the archives. Luckily some examples can still be found online through The National Library of Australia website, Trove.

To this day, the historic printing press remains in the same building on Maitland Street in Bingara. Because it’s so big and cumbersome, the only way to get it out would be via a crane through the roof. 

A new era of news

In 2015 Nancy Capel, who owned The Bingara Advocate, purchased The Warialda Standard and the two papers merged in 2018 to form The Gwydir News. 

The Gwydir Shire Council took on permanent ownership in 2019 after Nancy’s retirement, as a buyer couldn’t be found. It ran as a weekly newspaper until the end of 2020, and was then reformatted into a monthly newsletter-style publication.

Kim Miller has been the editor of The Gwydir News since the beginning of 2021, and she runs it with the help of a small communications team within council. There was much discussion about whether it was the role of the council to keep it going, and eventually it was decided that it was an important service for the community, and so should stay.

“There are around 6,000 people in the 9,121 square kilometre region, so it’s a big area to keep on top of,” Kim says. “The news is hyper-local content and covers things that are happening in the community as opposed to only about the community. So there was a lot of concern about potentially losing that. Our country towns are already losing enough elements of what has kept them going.”

Nowadays locals are encouraged to download the newspaper free online. It’s also available in a magazine-style format on the Issuu platform that many publishers use. Hard paper copies are still available for $2.50 per month, which covers the shipping cost. 

The costs to produce the publication are covered by council and advertising. “A lot of our advertisers were carried across when the publications merged from weekly news into the current monthly newsletter,” says Kim. “They have been very loyal to us.” 

The ongoing support for The Gwydir News emerges directly from the strong community spirit of Gwydir Shire, and some of the subscribers are people who once lived in the shire, and want to stay in touch with what’s happening in the region.

“The towns here are heavily based on generational families that have been here for a very long time,” says Kim. “It’s a place where everybody knows everyone by name, and we’re lucky that people know who to look out for and who to look after. I think that’s something that draws people to living in smaller communities. 

“It’s so nice to be able to share people’s stories in our newsletter each month, and some locals contribute regularly. We encourage others to get in touch and share their stories with us.”

If you enjoyed reading this feature, you might like our story on rural mothers banding together on Motherland.

The post Stories that matter, from Gwydir Shire appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Gundooee Organics is the first Wagyu farm to be organically certified in Australia, with ethical and ecologically regenerative farming techniques driving Rob’s vision. And he is still as passionate about farming as he was 22 years ago when it all began with the purchase of a block of land. 

With Irish farmers for ancestors, Rob says farming is in his blood. First he got his truck license and started wheat carting, and then he went on to study at a farm management college. 

Rob doesn’t sell his cattle to saleyards, supermarkets or abattoirs. Instead, he operates his business by retaining ownership of the cattle right through to the roller doors of the butchers, shops or restaurant – selling award-winning organic Wagyu from Melbourne to Mackay.  It’s a unique approach in his field, and he is a firm believer that he sells food, not cattle or carcase. 

“Instead of from paddock to plate, I go a bit further and call it from conception to colon,” Rob explains.

“I want my food to taste good, be nutrient-dense and of course, digestible. After years of drought, heat and flies it was really starting to wear me down but, when you get a call from someone saying how much they really enjoyed your beef, there’s a connection and a moment of real pride. It’s very meaningful.”

Wagyu farmer Rob Lennon.

Soil health explained, and why it’s good for Wagyu

Rob views himself as a micro-farmer, and his greatest farming priority is soil health. He achieves this through regenerative farming practices such as avoiding chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, operating a continuous livestock rotation, and other agroecology methods. Rob’s farm is a thriving food system with deep arable topsoils. 

“I have a photograph from 2003, and in it, the hill behind my house is purple with Paterson’s curse. There wasn’t a lot of grazing pressure from that time, and after three years, I could hardly find a single Paterson’s curse plant. I often make a joke that I changed things just by sitting on the veranda. In other words, I did nothing proactive to get rid of the weed. I simply let it move through its successional phases.”

Rob first encountered a conversation on living soil health at a field day in Coolah. 

“I remember thinking ahh – I get it. I’m finally understanding how it all comes together.” 

The message was clear – don’t be greedy. And so, Rob began to change his practice, taking only what pasture was needed and investing the rest back into the farm. 

“When I bought this property, it was clear that it was meant for organics. But back then, all I knew was to take your boots off at the door and leave gates as you found them.”

Rob Lennon

Rob put water troughs in all the paddocks after he divided them up, and he saw some massive changes in the farm over time by simply having 100 per cent ground cover, 100 per cent of the time. 

“The depth of the topsoil is eight inches with a shovel now. In the good old days, it may have been three to four inches of soil, and that wasn’t great quality. Roots establish themselves many feet down and that’s when they hit clay. It’s a duplex soil type.”

Ron Lennon.

Soil health is not reflected in certified organic auditing or testing. “When auditors arrive for testing, they’re interested in traceability, the absence of prohibited inputs (chemicals and herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers and GMOs) and some animal welfare issues. There’s no ongoing testing for soil health, carbon or water holding capacity.”

Rob is pleased with his certified organic label, however he finds the organic certification structures to be limited when it comes to measuring a farm’s holistic ecosystem. Instead, Rob invests in system resilience, as he believes that soil health extensively affects the farm environment, the quality of meat for consumption, and the nutrient density of the beef. 

After the 2017 Sir Ivan fire, Rob implemented de-stocking with short-term agistment and pasture closures to assist the regeneration of annual and perennial grasses. According to a test result on his property, Rob’s farm has over 75 different species of deep-rooted perennials and annuals. 

Essential ingredients from the earth

Regenerative farming allows cattle to graze for nutrients and components of pasture species that they need and crave, much like humans. For instance,
a pregnant cow needs different nutrients to one that’s not. All of this impacts the quality of food produced. 

“There’s always variants in there, and diversity at every level is where the strength and resilience of  a system comes into play,” explains Rob. 

“It’s great tasting beef when it’s grown the right way, and it’s also highly nutritious and a healthier alternative because of lower fat melting point temperatures,” he says. 

“But the hardest part is getting consumers to decide whether or not food is important enough to them, to dedicate their time and money to.”

Gundooee Getaways on the Wagyu farm

With so much to learn every day, Rob wants to share some of his knowledge by encouraging people to visit his farm. And so, Gundooee Getaways was born. 

On a typical getaway, visitors can learn how their food is produced and cooked. Again, Rob takes a holistic approach to the entire process, and his aim is educating his visitors on how poor food and lifestyle choices affect things universally. 

“Guests are not sure what they’re in for when they get here. We often end up talking about quite personal things, and they can see who I am and vice versa. We have meaningful discussions about life and that is all a part of the experience. Everyone has a story or several to tell.”

Rob Lennon.

The hands-on farm experience also includes a two-hour tour, and a delicious Gundooee beef meal which Rob’s partner helps make with vegies primarily from their garden. 

“It’s important that we challenge people’s perceptions. I can make mistakes and still have an open and perceptive mind. There is always another way of doing things,” Rob says. 

Rob is as passionate about sustainable farming practices as he is about helping people realise the benefits of regenerative farming for the environment, and for their personal health. He says he likes to help and encourage people to live well. 

He believes farmers have the power to significantly help reduce the impact we have on climate change – by challenging current industrialised farming methods and converting to more traditional and organic practices.

“I love getting up and being able to prioritise what I personally believe is important,” Rob says.  “I learn more every day, and I have the rare opportunity to look after the environment. The cattle don’t run away from me – they trust me, and that’s also so rewarding.”

If you enjoyed this story on soil health and organic Wagyu, you might like our feature on soil carbon farming.

The post Wagyu beef – conception to consumption appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Annette and Eric Green travel rural Australia documenting silo art. They established the Australian Silo Art Trail – a self-funded campaign which helps enhance tourism in rural areas by mapping silo art locations.

“Art unites rural communities and makes them stronger by exploring a forgotten past. If everyone bought a coffee and a pie on their way through a town it would make a small economic difference and that’s my goal.”

Documenter of silo art, Annette Green

Northam in Western Australia was where it all began for Annette with Australia’s first ever silo art which was completed in March 2015. Annette takes pictures, records information and shares her love for these iconic Australian wonders, all while her husband Eric drives. 

Tribute to farming history in Weethalle

Weethalle, in the Central West, is home to the state’s first silo art which was completed as recently as July 2017. It stretches a staggering 21 metres high by 31 metres wide and was painted by artist Heesco Khosnaran. It’s a tribute to the farming history of Weethalle and the community. 

“The silos are the soul of the town – the story and feel of what a place is all about,” said Annette. “Once life returns to normal after the pandemic, Australian silo art could be an international tourism wonder.”

Grenfell is an agricultural hub located 162km east of Weethalle. Heesco was commissioned by Grenfell Commodities to paint the mural two years after his completion of the Weethalle silo. The artwork took five weeks to paint and displays how Weddin Shire’s agricultural landscape has influenced the town identity.

“People are always grateful and curious about my work. It’s quite progressive of rural towns to take on public art and they appreciate it more than in the city. In such a grand scale, it will help boost local tourism similar to the Big Banana or the Golden Guitar.”

Artist Heesco Khosnaran

Along the trail, viewers can find art in the town of Portland, north of Lithgow on the fringe
of the Blue Mountains. Guido van Helten painted The Foundations which captures the portraits of six locals who worked at the Portland cement works. They were a part of the story of the Town That Built Sydney, as well as building many foundations that Portland still stands on today.

Annette says, “There are other countries that have silo art but they’re scattered here and there. We’re the only country so far that has mapped out a driving trail and connected them all. I retired in March 2018 and since marking these locations, I’ve never been busier.”

The water diviner of Barraba

The silo art in Barraba, in the New England region, is proudly owned by Simon and Amanda Koopman. The mural, depicting a water diviner, was painted by Fintan Magee, after speaking with the local community while it was experiencing one of the worst droughts in history.

“It was painted to represent the significance of water in that area, especially after the 2019 drought that hit most of NSW. The water diviner evokes a lot of emotions around a time of real hardship.”

Amanda Koopman

The maize mill in Gunnedah is home to the third of Heesco’s artworks, making him the most prolific silo art painter in NSW. It features the second extract from Dorothea Mackellar’s poem My Country. The artwork reaches an astonishing 29-metre height. 

“As younger generations continually leave regional areas, silo art is a way to keep the culture alive,” said Heesco.

Annette thinks more towns should consider an art mural. “New cafés have appeared near these artworks and they’re a reason people stop on their way through a town.” Silo art demonstrates the history of a town while repurposing outdated infrastructure.

“Sometimes there can be 200 kilometres between silos, so visitors might travel through three or four towns on one part of the trail. They might buy morning tea or lunch on the way, and so inadvertently this brings economic assistance to a region. Some of these towns really need some help, and we are seeing the benefits of the art trail already.”

If you enjoyed this story on silo art, you might like our feature on the biggest collection of tractors in NSW.

The post Silo art drawing tourists to small towns appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

At the moment, the collection is not officially open to the general public as Tom is too busy to manage a public museum. However he does hope to open it in the next few years – perhaps when he retires from his business, Rural Wrecking Co. 

Although, given the chance Tom enjoys taking people for a wander amongst the various tractors and he often has visitors from all backgrounds, and many from private car and vintage machinery clubs. 

“Some days we have 10 or 15 visitors but other days it might be only two. When we have the clubs visit, there might be 30 or 40 people here,” says Tom. 

His tractors are from all over the world and the same can be said for his visitors: Belgium, Germany, America and New Zealand citizens have all made the trip way out to Inverell to discover the hidden gems that are parked on Tom’s property. 

“We used to have a lot of people on working visas drop in and have a look around. Not so much this year due to COVID, but they usually come here while they’re working the harvest,” he explains. “They see my collection online and they turn up wearing their clogs and have a look around,” he says with a laugh. “They’re always impressed.”

History in the making

Tom hasn’t always lived in Inverell. His Dad kicked him off the family farm when he was a young man and told him to get a trade. As Tom sees it, it’s the best thing his father ever did for him. 

He completed an apprenticeship with a local International dealer in the 70s, and so it’s no surprise that to this day Tom’s favourite tractors are the older International models. 

As a diesel mechanic he worked in Queensland mines and eventually moved to Port Macquarie with his wife. But the farm, which has been in the family for almost four generations, was where Tom started building up his business and his collection of tractors. 

Tom’s future museum all began with his grandfather’s tractor – an American Hart Parr made in Charles City, Iowa, which is now basically a part of the family. However, a close runner for favourites is his 8-16 1914 Mogul, which is incredibly rare, not to mention cool. 

“Between 1910 and 1920, there was a limited number of tractors around as most tractors were made overseas. International McCormick made Moguls and Titans, and I am proud to say that I have a few of both types,” he says. 

“I actually never had any intention of doing this – my collection has naturally evolved over the years and I found a lot of old tractors by doing field service as a mechanic.

“I have to say – often people are in shock when they first lay eyes on what’s inside my sheds, and they ask – ‘Where in the world did you get all of this?’” 

“There are some rusty looking tractors here – some of them have been restored mechanically but we don’t paint them. We like to keep them in their working clothes.”

The most expensive tractors in Tom’s collection are the Flaming-4-Titan and the 1956 50-D-David Brown. Although Tom admits it’s hard to put a figure on a tractor as sometimes it’s only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. 

The coveted collection is also home to a variety of brands: Lanz Bulldog, Chamberlain, Case, The Grey Ferguson, John Deere and International, to name a few. “There are some unusual little tractors here that most people haven’t seen before,” Tom says.

“People think little or they think big, but they don’t often think in between. Tractors come in all shapes and sizes.” 

Out with the new in this tractor collection

As a part of Tom’s wrecking business, he often deals with late-model tractors. 

“They’re very expensive,” he says. “Some of the new tractors that we wreck are only four or five years old. The owners can’t sort out the electronics or they have huge transmission failures that cost a fortune, and it just doesn’t make sense to keep them.

“If you service machinery properly, it will look after you and last longer. Old tractors like that. Sometimes I find when it comes to modern technology, it doesn’t matter how well you service something, it can still fail – especially when it comes to electronics or hydraulics. They’re so complicated. Older machinery is always simpler, and simplicity usually means reliability.”

Tom lives and breathes his work, and he says the best part of his lifestyle is the people he meets who love exploring his ever-growing collection. “Most of the people who are interested in what we do are generally great people with a similar passion to mine,” he says.

If you enjoyed this story on Horwood’s tractor collection, you might like our feature on the history of tractors in Australia.

The post The tractor farm – a collection to impress appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

“The donation of $20,000 is magnificent and will power the whole operation to continue the work. After fires and flooding, there is still a lot of work to be done,” said Blazeaid founder Kevin Butler.

“It allows us to work shoulder to shoulder with farmers in the Wauchope region and psychologically, it’s a terrific impetus.”

Kevin Butler, Founder of BlazeAid

The BlazeAid Wauchope basecamp was set up on the 26 April 2021 and costs approximately $3000 a week to operate. A total of 68 volunteers have helped 48 properties in the region so far.

“The Mid North Coast region was hit particularly hard, with what many described as a one-in-a-hundred-year rain event,” said NSW Farmers CEO Pete Arkle. 

“I saw the devastation myself after visiting members in the Wauchope region who had lost kilometres of fencing and massive erosion on their farms. 

“BlazeAid do a fantastic job in providing practical support for farmers impacted by natural disasters. Fixing fences is one of the first jobs to do so farmers can manage livestock and cropping and pasture paddocks.”

Kevin Butler said the BlazeAid model is based on farmers and volunteers working together to replace fencing.

“This means our BlazeAid volunteers develop lifelong relationships with individuals and communities,” he said.

“Some people have been volunteering for 15-months straight. It’s astounding for me to see the complete passion and devotion the volunteers have to rebuild and support vulnerable communities.

We’ve only got two people on the payroll. So that means our money isn’t swallowed up in administration. It goes towards the farmers and that’s something I’m very proud of,” Kevin told The Muster.

BlazeAid was established in 2009 by Victorian farmers Kevin and Rhonda Butler and since its inception, they have helped with major recovery efforts from the Black Saturday bushfires, the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires, and now the NSW Floods. This year alone, volunteers have assisted in the recovery of 261 NSW properties.

“If a farmer rang me up and said, ‘Kevin, I’m ready to go tomorrow,’ we will be there tomorrow. We’re back-to-back rebuilding prosperity and happiness,” said Kevin.

BlazeAid – more than just fencing

Recently, at the Australian Farmer of the Year Awards held in Canberra, BlazeAid was announced as the Farming Legend of the Year. The fantastic accolade was a defining moment for Kevin and Rhonda Butler.

“The award is humbling, and the recognition inspires us to keep going. We’re fairly big farmers ourselves but I’ve always thought it’s more important to help farmers affected by natural disasters,” Kevin said.

BlazeAid has also helped to reinstate natural flora that is lost in disasters. The organisation regularly helps with tree planting projects and has conducted a pilot for restoring perennial grasses in fire-affected pastures. 

“We worked with agronomists conducting field evaluations to replenish grass and roots that were scorched after the fires. It was an extremely successful pilot that helped around 155 properties in Victoria. Getting perennials back in the ground is something I would like to help NSW farmers with when we have the funding,” said Kevin. 

If you enjoyed this story on BlazeAid you might also enjoy this story on OzHarvest.

The post BlazeAid helps primary producers recover in Wauchope appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.