WOMEN IN GRAZING A collection of stories
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Del Norman is a woman of many talents. Her roles include business partner, office administrator, finance, cattle records, wages, mustering, processing cattle, branding, weaning and ‘other duties as required’.
“I knew nothing about brahman cattle or mangoes when I came to Queensland,” she said.
They now have four married daughters, six grandchildren (and two more on the way) and run the 8500 ha Mt Aberdeen Station, 50 km SW of Bowen, with 2000 AE of breeding and trade cattle and a 4000 tree mango plantation.
With fairly marginal country, the Normans needed to have excellent management in place to protect their country and ultimately their business. They have management systems in place for every aspect of their business, with a property plan updated every five years and a business management plan every 10 years. At the start of every month, a white-board is written up that provides detail on what each person will be doing throughout the month.
“This is a real necessity, as it gives you direction and goals to work towards. Any business needs a good balance of planning and management with actual hands-on implementation.
You can be the hardest worker but if you don’t do the planning and management, you still won’t have a good business,” said Del.
With the help of NQ Dry Tropics through a Reef Programme Water Quality Improvement Grant, Del and Steve have implemented riparian fencing on Mount Aberdeen to protect the riparian zone and spread grazing pressure more evenly through their rotational grazing program. The Normans have also undertaken the Grazing BMP voluntary self assessment and then the voluntary audit process to attain their BMP accreditation.
“Since doing the BMP audit, we have better systems in place, and are more particular about signage, chemical records and Personal Protective Equipment,” said Del.
In 1996, fertility trials with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) were the catalyst for change in their cattle management. They began using individual animal ID and recording as much data as possible on each animal every time it was processed.
“We use this data to make decisions on culling and female selection. If you don’t measure it you can’t manage it!! It is hard to make major changes to the way we manage our operation because we know that what we are doing works. It is just a matter of refining the processes to ensure currency and best practice,” she said.
Del believes that if you are not making money from what you are doing, then it is time to look outside what you are doing for alternatives.
“We have shortened our joining period back to five months, we will do this for three years before shortening it again to four months. Heifers and re-mates have a 12-week joining, and we believe that our herd fertility will allow us to make these changes without significant loss to production. We supplement, early wean and segregate cattle,” she said.
The Normans are now concentrating on bull selection, and by shortening joining, they now have one weaning, one branding and less mustering that equates to more kgs of beef per hectare.
“Not holding wet cows as long has reduced paddock degradation and provided better, even coverage of grass,” said Del.
On the business front, they have been involved with auditing systems for the mangoes for around 15 years, and are now seeing this flow-on effect in grazing through the Grazing BMP.
“Industry challenges and producer expectation means we need to demonstrate the ethical and sustainable supply of product to the wider community,”she said.
In the future, Del and Steve see themselves retired and consulting for their kids, so they are starting to look at succession and how this transition may happen.
The more information you have, the better equipped you are to make decisions. Efficiency is the key. If you don’t have an efficient business then you don’t have the financial resources, or time, to have a social life.
NQ DRY TROPICS would like to thank the women in grazing for offering their time and telling their stories.
NQ Dry TropicsNQ Dry Tropics is a community
run, not-for-profit organisation
that has been a leading delivery
agent of land and water
management change across the
Burdekin Dry Tropics region since
2005. We work across an area of
approximately 146,000
square kilometres.
The ProgramNQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable
Agriculture program offers
information, training and support
to agricultural producers in
the use of best management
practices, for resilient landscapes
and productive enterprises.
The ProjectsNQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable
Agriculture program delivers
extension and Reef Water Quality
Grants as part of the Australian
Government’s Reef Programme
and its $15 million commitment to
the Burdekin Dry Tropics region
from 2013-16.
Along with extension, the
grants provide the financial
assistance to help graziers
implement changes that improve
management practices and
productivity, while also reducing
agricultural runoff into the Great
Barrier Reef lagoon.
NQ Dry Tropics is working in
conjunction with project partner
Department of Agriculture and
Fisheries Queensland to deliver
support, training and extension
to graziers in the Burdekin Dry
Tropics region.
Grazing Best Management
(BMP) Practice is an online, self
assessment tool that allows
participants to benchmark
their current practice against
an industry-developed set of
standards. These standards have
been verified by a producer
reference group and are based
on industry experience and the
best available science. Grazing
BMP is an industry-led, proactive
and voluntary approach to
demonstrate good practice and
environmental stewardship.
The Grazing BMP program is
a partnership between Fitzroy
Basin Association Incorporated,
AgForce and the Department
of Agriculture and Fisheries,
Queensland (DAFQ). The Burdekin
delivery partnership includes NQ
Dry Tropics, DAFQ and AgForce.
Funding received from the
Australian Government supported
the development of the program.
Grazing BMP is funded by the
Queensland Government’s
Department of Environment and
Heritage Protection.
EFFICIENCY IS THE KEYwith Del Norman
TEL 07 4724 3544 | FX 07 4724 3577
2 MCILWRAITH ST SOUTH TOWNSVILLE
WWW.NQDRYTROPICS.COM.AU
WOMEN IN GRAZING
A collection of stories
Del Norman is a woman of many talents. Her roles include business partner, office administrator, finance, cattle records, wages, mustering, processing cattle, branding, weaning and ‘other duties as required’.
“I knew nothing about brahman cattle or mangoes when I came to Queensland,” she said.
They now have four married daughters, six grandchildren (and two more on the way) and run the 8500 ha Mt Aberdeen Station, 50 km SW of Bowen, with 2000 AE of breeding and trade cattle and a 4000 tree mango plantation.
With fairly marginal country, the Normans needed to have excellent management in place to protect their country and ultimately their business. They have management systems in place for every aspect of their business, with a property plan updated every five years and a business management plan every 10 years. At the start of every month, a white-board is written up that provides detail on what each person will be doing throughout the month.
“This is a real necessity, as it gives you direction and goals to work towards. Any business needs a good balance of planning and management with actual hands-on implementation.
You can be the hardest worker but if you don’t do the planning and management, you still won’t have a good business,” said Del.
With the help of NQ Dry Tropics through a Reef Programme Water Quality Improvement Grant, Del and Steve have implemented riparian fencing on Mount Aberdeen to protect the riparian zone and spread grazing pressure more evenly through their rotational grazing program. The Normans have also undertaken the Grazing BMP voluntary self assessment and then the voluntary audit process to attain their BMP accreditation.
“Since doing the BMP audit, we have better systems in place, and are more particular about signage, chemical records and Personal Protective Equipment,” said Del.
In 1996, fertility trials with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) were the catalyst for change in their cattle management. They began using individual animal ID and recording as much data as possible on each animal every time it was processed.
“We use this data to make decisions on culling and female selection. If you don’t measure it you can’t manage it!! It is hard to make major changes to the way we manage our operation because we know that what we are doing works. It is just a matter of refining the processes to ensure currency and best practice,” she said.
Del believes that if you are not making money from what you are doing, then it is time to look outside what you are doing for alternatives.
“We have shortened our joining period back to five months, we will do this for three years before shortening it again to four months. Heifers and re-mates have a 12-week joining, and we believe that our herd fertility will allow us to make these changes without significant loss to production. We supplement, early wean and segregate cattle,” she said.
The Normans are now concentrating on bull selection, and by shortening joining, they now have one weaning, one branding and less mustering that equates to more kgs of beef per hectare.
“Not holding wet cows as long has reduced paddock degradation and provided better, even coverage of grass,” said Del.
On the business front, they have been involved with auditing systems for the mangoes for around 15 years, and are now seeing this flow-on effect in grazing through the Grazing BMP.
“Industry challenges and producer expectation means we need to demonstrate the ethical and sustainable supply of product to the wider community,”she said.
In the future, Del and Steve see themselves retired and consulting for their kids, so they are starting to look at succession and how this transition may happen.
The more information you have, the better equipped you are to make decisions. Efficiency is the key. If you don’t have an efficient business then you don’t have the financial resources, or time, to have a social life.
NQ DRY TROPICS would like to thank the women in grazing for offering their time and telling their stories.
NQ Dry TropicsNQ Dry Tropics is a community
run, not-for-profit organisation
that has been a leading delivery
agent of land and water
management change across the
Burdekin Dry Tropics region since
2005. We work across an area of
approximately 146,000
square kilometres.
The ProgramNQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable
Agriculture program offers
information, training and support
to agricultural producers in
the use of best management
practices, for resilient landscapes
and productive enterprises.
The ProjectsNQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable
Agriculture program delivers
extension and Reef Water Quality
Grants as part of the Australian
Government’s Reef Programme
and its $15 million commitment to
the Burdekin Dry Tropics region
from 2013-16.
Along with extension, the
grants provide the financial
assistance to help graziers
implement changes that improve
management practices and
productivity, while also reducing
agricultural runoff into the Great
Barrier Reef lagoon.
NQ Dry Tropics is working in
conjunction with project partner
Department of Agriculture and
Fisheries Queensland to deliver
support, training and extension
to graziers in the Burdekin Dry
Tropics region.
Grazing Best Management
(BMP) Practice is an online, self
assessment tool that allows
participants to benchmark
their current practice against
an industry-developed set of
standards. These standards have
been verified by a producer
reference group and are based
on industry experience and the
best available science. Grazing
BMP is an industry-led, proactive
and voluntary approach to
demonstrate good practice and
environmental stewardship.
The Grazing BMP program is
a partnership between Fitzroy
Basin Association Incorporated,
AgForce and the Department
of Agriculture and Fisheries,
Queensland (DAFQ). The Burdekin
delivery partnership includes NQ
Dry Tropics, DAFQ and AgForce.
Funding received from the
Australian Government supported
the development of the program.
Grazing BMP is funded by the
Queensland Government’s
Department of Environment and
Heritage Protection.
EFFICIENCY IS THE KEYwith Del Norman
TEL 07 4724 3544 | FX 07 4724 3577
2 MCILWRAITH ST SOUTH TOWNSVILLE
WWW.NQDRYTROPICS.COM.AU
WOMEN IN GRAZING
A collection of stories
An advocate for all types of Australian primary producers, Kylie founded ‘Ask an Aussie Farmer’ in 2012, a group dedicated to sharing the positive stories of Australian Agriculture. The groups facilitate people to have their food and fibre questions answered by those who produce it.
“I wanted a communication network where people could express their opinions in a non-confrontational way. A place to engage with like-minded people along with people of differing opinions, a very inclusive place for conversation.
“As the administrator I don’t allow any rot - regardless of whether it is coming from a farmer or an activist,” said Kylie.
Kylie was born in Clermont, as a 7th generation in the beef industry, and spent the first nine years of her life around Middlemount where her dad worked in the mines. She spent most weekends on a small family block. Kylie’s parents then bought Mt Cooper Station on the Burdekin river when she was nine years old.
“When we arrived it was full of feral cattle and it took four years to get the last of the cleanskins cleaned up,” she said.
Schooling was delivered by Charters Towers School of Distance Education, with most of her studying completed at night, while her days
were spent in the paddock. After completing secondary school at Blackheath Thornburgh College, Kylie headed ‘west’.
“I wasn’t confident with horses or cattle so I knew I wasn’t going to get a job as a jillaroo. I do like kids so I got a job as a Governess on Gallipoli - an outstation of Alexandria station,”said Kylie.
The only way on to Gallipoli during the wet was by plane and I had never been on a plane. Here I was, 17 years old and terrified in a four-seater cessna.
The other problem was that it was the mail plane and the more we landed and took off the sicker I got. When we finally got to Gallipoli, the pilot buzzed the airstrip without landing and I could see a white Toyota with a couple of ringers.
“The young ringer was very good looking and my only thought as I stumbled out of that plane was please don’t let me spew on his boots. That ringer was Shane and he is now my husband and the father of our two kids. He later told me he felt so sorry for me that day,” she said
Since 2008, Kylie and her husband Shane, with children Ella-Beth and Clancy, run a livestock agency covering most of Northern, Western and Central Qld, and live on Clancella Downs south of Charters Towers.
IN 10 YEARSwe envision a family-run business with a multitude of farm income sources; lush pastures and flowing creeks; an abundance of cattle and many families and communities involved in our business.
Kellie grew up on a 10ha farm at Euri creek outside of Bowen where the family grew chillies and ran a few cows. Hospitality training in Airlie Beach followed high school and Kellie returned to Bowen to work as an events coordinator before marrying Wayne in 1997. They then moved to the 21,000ha DeSalis station, which the Dobe family had purchased in 1995.
The family partnership runs a commercial breeder operation. Wayne and Kellie, along with daughters Payton and Riley, and son Chase, run the Brangus Cattle breeding stud.
Supported by NQ Dry Tropics, the Dobes have just completed the Grazing BMP reassessment and are focused on undertaking the accreditation audit in the next round of audits.
As a part of their Holistic strategy, the Dobes have started using ultra high-density strip grazing to manage their landscape, increase biodiversity of grass and legume species, and activate soils.“We are keen to see what is achievable with flora and fauna and soil water holding ability,” Kellie said.
In an effort to gain uniformity in their cattle, the Dobes started to breed bulls and soon realised that reproduction practices, such as embryo transfer and Artificial Insemination, would allow
them to achieve their objectives more quickly, and enable them to choose the direct genetic traits desired.
“We can see the difference in the quality and uniformity of the calves we are producing, and by producing our own quality bulls, we will significantly reduce the costs of buying bulls,” she said.
They are doing fixed time Artificial Insemination, embryo transfer and bull collection and have 5000 straws of semen sitting in a tank which they have collected from the three select sires they have purchased. Through controlled mating, females are joined from 1 January to 31 March, and heifers are joined on weight rather than age.
“Cattle will be adapted to the environment and management systems on DeSalis because they will be born and reared here,” she said.
Every animal is given a NLIS tag and individual animal identification tag at branding. These are linked and recorded through TrueTest. Information specific to each animal can be easily recorded and used to guide management decisions.
The stud cattle are recorded on Stockbooks, which links back to the Brangus Association database. This means easy access to parentage data, animal health records, and weights, and
also helps to manage change of ownership and registrations.
“Breeding for polled genetics has meant that branding is now quicker, more efficient and less stressful on both the animal and us,” said Kellie.
Weaning is done with easy wean nose devices. The Dobes believe that this system puts less stress on the cow and calf. Some of the benefits include faster weight gain, cows cycling after just a few days, and less impact on infrastructure, with weaner mothers no longer smashing through fences to get back to their calves.
To make the transition easier again, calf creep feeders are placed in the paddock and moved with the main mob. This allows weaners and calves to have access to weaner mix while preparing their gut for grass fodder.
“To do the best possible job we can with the resources we have, we need to equip ourselves with as much knowledge and training as we can get. This is why we have attended numerous workshops run by organisations such as NQ Dry Tropics on a whole range of topics. If you don’t have the answers - find the person who does,” said Kellie.
MY VISION…...is that my children’s children will be able to live in a world where we still have opportunities to do what we want, how we want, with the knowledge to make the land work with us and not for us.
The Strettons run their cattle on agistment, with brahman breeders down near Millaroo and steers/bullocks elsewhere.
“We are hoping to buy some more country which will allow us to carry our progeny through to bullocks, to give us additional income when the market slows up and we make less through commission on cattle sales,” she said.
In 2012 Kylie was nominated in the Strong Women Leadership awards in the Community Category. The winners were being announced at the conference in St George, so she packed up the two kids and drove 1078km from Charters Towers.
“I didn’t win but I did find the most amazing group of women who had no agenda, they just wanted to support their communities and I wanted to be a part of it. I was however nominated again in 2014 in the Volunteer Category and I won.
With the constant changing of the Northern Beef industry, we need to diversify, it is the key to our survival,” she said.
Kylie is now the Director of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network.
Leanne is a joint decision maker along with husband Barry, manages staff and three children, all aspects of the office, and assists outside in all areas including mustering, yard work, checking waters, and pasture monitoring on the family’s Glenalpine Station.
After growing up on a dairy farm in SE Queensland, Leanne took 12 months off between high school and university to work on Austral Downs in the Northern Territory and a property near Clermont in Queensland.
“I had an interest in the industry when I was in high school, so before starting uni, I took a position as a jillaroo on Austral Downs, where I met Barry O’Sullivan, and together we worked towards buying our own property,” said Leanne.
Part of that journey included a Bachelor of Business majoring in Management and Business Law and Tax, and establishing a small business as a Registered Tax Agent in Tom Price, Western Australia, before moving to Glenalpine in November 2003.
The O’Sullivans purchased the business in April 2004. Glenalpine is not prime CQ country and in its original state on purchase, the ability to generate income was limited. Costs were increasing, $/kg income was stagnant and purchasing the property left them in debt.
“We could see that the property had huge potential when considering the capital investment, soil types, landscape, location
and existing watering system, so we set about equipping ourselves with knowledge,” she said
“We also wanted to address the question of what we could do to avoid being subject to our fluctuating market, normal seasonal fluctuations, and drought.
Leanne said that throughout the three-year RCS Executive Link course they stepped up their business analysis and management. Then through their involvement with Grazing BMP, they received support to undertake some very important fine tuning of their record keeping and OH&S, as well as general management assessment.
With the help of NQ Dry Tropics through Reef Rescue & Reef Programme Water Quality Improvement Grants, Protecting Biodiversity and the Building Resilience in the Burdekin Grazing Industry project, Leanne and Barry have implemented riparian and land type fencing and spreading waters, and undertaken Holistic Management planning and implementation.
“Now with Holistic Management, it has taken us to another level again. This way of being embraces everything as a whole and in turn we all benefit - ourselves, our family, our community, our environment, our livestock, our wildlife and economically as well,” said Leanne.
The O’Sullivans use the Holistic Management framework to consider the environmental, economic and social implications of any management decision, which assists in
identifying any unintended consequences as a result of that decision.
“We plan, monitor, control and replan, to allow us to work through issues/problems that arise and enable the business to keep management functioning and moving forward,” said Leanne
As a result of their management practices, carrying capacity has increased, condition of cattle is being maintained at a higher level across the year, supplementation requirements have decreased and weaning weights have been more consistent.
The 23,374ha property is now predominantly a breeder operation running 5,500 head of cattle. Steers are held for 12 months for the feeder market and some held for 18 months and fattened for slaughter, and cattle are also agisted on an opportunity basis.
“Pasture composition and ground cover has greatly improved, and soil health is improving, therefore improving pasture health and vegetation,” said Leanne.
They have increased their income from agistment, combined with better productivity in weaners, and are maintaining a consistent fat weight regardless of increase in carrying capacity and more turnover.
“Our future will see us provide an expanding business for our three sons, give our cattle a content life, and continue to be positive contributors to our community,” she said.
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS with Kylie Stretton
WORKING WITH THE LAND with Kellie Dobe
BUILDING A FUTURE with Leanne O’Sullivan
LEADERAfter winning a scholarship and completing a Rural Leadership training course at Marcus Oldham College, Kylie is now the Director of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network.
An advocate for all types of Australian primary producers, Kylie founded ‘Ask an Aussie Farmer’ in 2012, a group dedicated to sharing the positive stories of Australian Agriculture. The groups facilitate people to have their food and fibre questions answered by those who produce it.
“I wanted a communication network where people could express their opinions in a non-confrontational way. A place to engage with like-minded people along with people of differing opinions, a very inclusive place for conversation.
“As the administrator I don’t allow any rot - regardless of whether it is coming from a farmer or an activist,” said Kylie.
Kylie was born in Clermont, as a 7th generation in the beef industry, and spent the first nine years of her life around Middlemount where her dad worked in the mines. She spent most weekends on a small family block. Kylie’s parents then bought Mt Cooper Station on the Burdekin river when she was nine years old.
“When we arrived it was full of feral cattle and it took four years to get the last of the cleanskins cleaned up,” she said.
Schooling was delivered by Charters Towers School of Distance Education, with most of her studying completed at night, while her days
were spent in the paddock. After completing secondary school at Blackheath Thornburgh College, Kylie headed ‘west’.
“I wasn’t confident with horses or cattle so I knew I wasn’t going to get a job as a jillaroo. I do like kids so I got a job as a Governess on Gallipoli - an outstation of Alexandria station,”said Kylie.
The only way on to Gallipoli during the wet was by plane and I had never been on a plane. Here I was, 17 years old and terrified in a four-seater cessna.
The other problem was that it was the mail plane and the more we landed and took off the sicker I got. When we finally got to Gallipoli, the pilot buzzed the airstrip without landing and I could see a white Toyota with a couple of ringers.
“The young ringer was very good looking and my only thought as I stumbled out of that plane was please don’t let me spew on his boots. That ringer was Shane and he is now my husband and the father of our two kids. He later told me he felt so sorry for me that day,” she said
Since 2008, Kylie and her husband Shane, with children Ella-Beth and Clancy, run a livestock agency covering most of Northern, Western and Central Qld, and live on Clancella Downs south of Charters Towers.
IN 10 YEARSwe envision a family-run business with a multitude of farm income sources; lush pastures and flowing creeks; an abundance of cattle and many families and communities involved in our business.
Kellie grew up on a 10ha farm at Euri creek outside of Bowen where the family grew chillies and ran a few cows. Hospitality training in Airlie Beach followed high school and Kellie returned to Bowen to work as an events coordinator before marrying Wayne in 1997. They then moved to the 21,000ha DeSalis station, which the Dobe family had purchased in 1995.
The family partnership runs a commercial breeder operation. Wayne and Kellie, along with daughters Payton and Riley, and son Chase, run the Brangus Cattle breeding stud.
Supported by NQ Dry Tropics, the Dobes have just completed the Grazing BMP reassessment and are focused on undertaking the accreditation audit in the next round of audits.
As a part of their Holistic strategy, the Dobes have started using ultra high-density strip grazing to manage their landscape, increase biodiversity of grass and legume species, and activate soils.“We are keen to see what is achievable with flora and fauna and soil water holding ability,” Kellie said.
In an effort to gain uniformity in their cattle, the Dobes started to breed bulls and soon realised that reproduction practices, such as embryo transfer and Artificial Insemination, would allow
them to achieve their objectives more quickly, and enable them to choose the direct genetic traits desired.
“We can see the difference in the quality and uniformity of the calves we are producing, and by producing our own quality bulls, we will significantly reduce the costs of buying bulls,” she said.
They are doing fixed time Artificial Insemination, embryo transfer and bull collection and have 5000 straws of semen sitting in a tank which they have collected from the three select sires they have purchased. Through controlled mating, females are joined from 1 January to 31 March, and heifers are joined on weight rather than age.
“Cattle will be adapted to the environment and management systems on DeSalis because they will be born and reared here,” she said.
Every animal is given a NLIS tag and individual animal identification tag at branding. These are linked and recorded through TrueTest. Information specific to each animal can be easily recorded and used to guide management decisions.
The stud cattle are recorded on Stockbooks, which links back to the Brangus Association database. This means easy access to parentage data, animal health records, and weights, and
also helps to manage change of ownership and registrations.
“Breeding for polled genetics has meant that branding is now quicker, more efficient and less stressful on both the animal and us,” said Kellie.
Weaning is done with easy wean nose devices. The Dobes believe that this system puts less stress on the cow and calf. Some of the benefits include faster weight gain, cows cycling after just a few days, and less impact on infrastructure, with weaner mothers no longer smashing through fences to get back to their calves.
To make the transition easier again, calf creep feeders are placed in the paddock and moved with the main mob. This allows weaners and calves to have access to weaner mix while preparing their gut for grass fodder.
“To do the best possible job we can with the resources we have, we need to equip ourselves with as much knowledge and training as we can get. This is why we have attended numerous workshops run by organisations such as NQ Dry Tropics on a whole range of topics. If you don’t have the answers - find the person who does,” said Kellie.
MY VISION…...is that my children’s children will be able to live in a world where we still have opportunities to do what we want, how we want, with the knowledge to make the land work with us and not for us.
The Strettons run their cattle on agistment, with brahman breeders down near Millaroo and steers/bullocks elsewhere.
“We are hoping to buy some more country which will allow us to carry our progeny through to bullocks, to give us additional income when the market slows up and we make less through commission on cattle sales,” she said.
In 2012 Kylie was nominated in the Strong Women Leadership awards in the Community Category. The winners were being announced at the conference in St George, so she packed up the two kids and drove 1078km from Charters Towers.
“I didn’t win but I did find the most amazing group of women who had no agenda, they just wanted to support their communities and I wanted to be a part of it. I was however nominated again in 2014 in the Volunteer Category and I won.
With the constant changing of the Northern Beef industry, we need to diversify, it is the key to our survival,” she said.
Kylie is now the Director of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network.
Leanne is a joint decision maker along with husband Barry, manages staff and three children, all aspects of the office, and assists outside in all areas including mustering, yard work, checking waters, and pasture monitoring on the family’s Glenalpine Station.
After growing up on a dairy farm in SE Queensland, Leanne took 12 months off between high school and university to work on Austral Downs in the Northern Territory and a property near Clermont in Queensland.
“I had an interest in the industry when I was in high school, so before starting uni, I took a position as a jillaroo on Austral Downs, where I met Barry O’Sullivan, and together we worked towards buying our own property,” said Leanne.
Part of that journey included a Bachelor of Business majoring in Management and Business Law and Tax, and establishing a small business as a Registered Tax Agent in Tom Price, Western Australia, before moving to Glenalpine in November 2003.
The O’Sullivans purchased the business in April 2004. Glenalpine is not prime CQ country and in its original state on purchase, the ability to generate income was limited. Costs were increasing, $/kg income was stagnant and purchasing the property left them in debt.
“We could see that the property had huge potential when considering the capital investment, soil types, landscape, location
and existing watering system, so we set about equipping ourselves with knowledge,” she said
“We also wanted to address the question of what we could do to avoid being subject to our fluctuating market, normal seasonal fluctuations, and drought.
Leanne said that throughout the three-year RCS Executive Link course they stepped up their business analysis and management. Then through their involvement with Grazing BMP, they received support to undertake some very important fine tuning of their record keeping and OH&S, as well as general management assessment.
With the help of NQ Dry Tropics through Reef Rescue & Reef Programme Water Quality Improvement Grants, Protecting Biodiversity and the Building Resilience in the Burdekin Grazing Industry project, Leanne and Barry have implemented riparian and land type fencing and spreading waters, and undertaken Holistic Management planning and implementation.
“Now with Holistic Management, it has taken us to another level again. This way of being embraces everything as a whole and in turn we all benefit - ourselves, our family, our community, our environment, our livestock, our wildlife and economically as well,” said Leanne.
The O’Sullivans use the Holistic Management framework to consider the environmental, economic and social implications of any management decision, which assists in
identifying any unintended consequences as a result of that decision.
“We plan, monitor, control and replan, to allow us to work through issues/problems that arise and enable the business to keep management functioning and moving forward,” said Leanne
As a result of their management practices, carrying capacity has increased, condition of cattle is being maintained at a higher level across the year, supplementation requirements have decreased and weaning weights have been more consistent.
The 23,374ha property is now predominantly a breeder operation running 5,500 head of cattle. Steers are held for 12 months for the feeder market and some held for 18 months and fattened for slaughter, and cattle are also agisted on an opportunity basis.
“Pasture composition and ground cover has greatly improved, and soil health is improving, therefore improving pasture health and vegetation,” said Leanne.
They have increased their income from agistment, combined with better productivity in weaners, and are maintaining a consistent fat weight regardless of increase in carrying capacity and more turnover.
“Our future will see us provide an expanding business for our three sons, give our cattle a content life, and continue to be positive contributors to our community,” she said.
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS with Kylie Stretton
WORKING WITH THE LAND with Kellie Dobe
BUILDING A FUTURE with Leanne O’Sullivan
LEADERAfter winning a scholarship and completing a Rural Leadership training course at Marcus Oldham College, Kylie is now the Director of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network.
An advocate for all types of Australian primary producers, Kylie founded ‘Ask an Aussie Farmer’ in 2012, a group dedicated to sharing the positive stories of Australian Agriculture. The groups facilitate people to have their food and fibre questions answered by those who produce it.
“I wanted a communication network where people could express their opinions in a non-confrontational way. A place to engage with like-minded people along with people of differing opinions, a very inclusive place for conversation.
“As the administrator I don’t allow any rot - regardless of whether it is coming from a farmer or an activist,” said Kylie.
Kylie was born in Clermont, as a 7th generation in the beef industry, and spent the first nine years of her life around Middlemount where her dad worked in the mines. She spent most weekends on a small family block. Kylie’s parents then bought Mt Cooper Station on the Burdekin river when she was nine years old.
“When we arrived it was full of feral cattle and it took four years to get the last of the cleanskins cleaned up,” she said.
Schooling was delivered by Charters Towers School of Distance Education, with most of her studying completed at night, while her days
were spent in the paddock. After completing secondary school at Blackheath Thornburgh College, Kylie headed ‘west’.
“I wasn’t confident with horses or cattle so I knew I wasn’t going to get a job as a jillaroo. I do like kids so I got a job as a Governess on Gallipoli - an outstation of Alexandria station,”said Kylie.
The only way on to Gallipoli during the wet was by plane and I had never been on a plane. Here I was, 17 years old and terrified in a four-seater cessna.
The other problem was that it was the mail plane and the more we landed and took off the sicker I got. When we finally got to Gallipoli, the pilot buzzed the airstrip without landing and I could see a white Toyota with a couple of ringers.
“The young ringer was very good looking and my only thought as I stumbled out of that plane was please don’t let me spew on his boots. That ringer was Shane and he is now my husband and the father of our two kids. He later told me he felt so sorry for me that day,” she said
Since 2008, Kylie and her husband Shane, with children Ella-Beth and Clancy, run a livestock agency covering most of Northern, Western and Central Qld, and live on Clancella Downs south of Charters Towers.
IN 10 YEARSwe envision a family-run business with a multitude of farm income sources; lush pastures and flowing creeks; an abundance of cattle and many families and communities involved in our business.
Kellie grew up on a 10ha farm at Euri creek outside of Bowen where the family grew chillies and ran a few cows. Hospitality training in Airlie Beach followed high school and Kellie returned to Bowen to work as an events coordinator before marrying Wayne in 1997. They then moved to the 21,000ha DeSalis station, which the Dobe family had purchased in 1995.
The family partnership runs a commercial breeder operation. Wayne and Kellie, along with daughters Payton and Riley, and son Chase, run the Brangus Cattle breeding stud.
Supported by NQ Dry Tropics, the Dobes have just completed the Grazing BMP reassessment and are focused on undertaking the accreditation audit in the next round of audits.
As a part of their Holistic strategy, the Dobes have started using ultra high-density strip grazing to manage their landscape, increase biodiversity of grass and legume species, and activate soils.“We are keen to see what is achievable with flora and fauna and soil water holding ability,” Kellie said.
In an effort to gain uniformity in their cattle, the Dobes started to breed bulls and soon realised that reproduction practices, such as embryo transfer and Artificial Insemination, would allow
them to achieve their objectives more quickly, and enable them to choose the direct genetic traits desired.
“We can see the difference in the quality and uniformity of the calves we are producing, and by producing our own quality bulls, we will significantly reduce the costs of buying bulls,” she said.
They are doing fixed time Artificial Insemination, embryo transfer and bull collection and have 5000 straws of semen sitting in a tank which they have collected from the three select sires they have purchased. Through controlled mating, females are joined from 1 January to 31 March, and heifers are joined on weight rather than age.
“Cattle will be adapted to the environment and management systems on DeSalis because they will be born and reared here,” she said.
Every animal is given a NLIS tag and individual animal identification tag at branding. These are linked and recorded through TrueTest. Information specific to each animal can be easily recorded and used to guide management decisions.
The stud cattle are recorded on Stockbooks, which links back to the Brangus Association database. This means easy access to parentage data, animal health records, and weights, and
also helps to manage change of ownership and registrations.
“Breeding for polled genetics has meant that branding is now quicker, more efficient and less stressful on both the animal and us,” said Kellie.
Weaning is done with easy wean nose devices. The Dobes believe that this system puts less stress on the cow and calf. Some of the benefits include faster weight gain, cows cycling after just a few days, and less impact on infrastructure, with weaner mothers no longer smashing through fences to get back to their calves.
To make the transition easier again, calf creep feeders are placed in the paddock and moved with the main mob. This allows weaners and calves to have access to weaner mix while preparing their gut for grass fodder.
“To do the best possible job we can with the resources we have, we need to equip ourselves with as much knowledge and training as we can get. This is why we have attended numerous workshops run by organisations such as NQ Dry Tropics on a whole range of topics. If you don’t have the answers - find the person who does,” said Kellie.
MY VISION…...is that my children’s children will be able to live in a world where we still have opportunities to do what we want, how we want, with the knowledge to make the land work with us and not for us.
The Strettons run their cattle on agistment, with brahman breeders down near Millaroo and steers/bullocks elsewhere.
“We are hoping to buy some more country which will allow us to carry our progeny through to bullocks, to give us additional income when the market slows up and we make less through commission on cattle sales,” she said.
In 2012 Kylie was nominated in the Strong Women Leadership awards in the Community Category. The winners were being announced at the conference in St George, so she packed up the two kids and drove 1078km from Charters Towers.
“I didn’t win but I did find the most amazing group of women who had no agenda, they just wanted to support their communities and I wanted to be a part of it. I was however nominated again in 2014 in the Volunteer Category and I won.
With the constant changing of the Northern Beef industry, we need to diversify, it is the key to our survival,” she said.
Kylie is now the Director of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network.
Leanne is a joint decision maker along with husband Barry, manages staff and three children, all aspects of the office, and assists outside in all areas including mustering, yard work, checking waters, and pasture monitoring on the family’s Glenalpine Station.
After growing up on a dairy farm in SE Queensland, Leanne took 12 months off between high school and university to work on Austral Downs in the Northern Territory and a property near Clermont in Queensland.
“I had an interest in the industry when I was in high school, so before starting uni, I took a position as a jillaroo on Austral Downs, where I met Barry O’Sullivan, and together we worked towards buying our own property,” said Leanne.
Part of that journey included a Bachelor of Business majoring in Management and Business Law and Tax, and establishing a small business as a Registered Tax Agent in Tom Price, Western Australia, before moving to Glenalpine in November 2003.
The O’Sullivans purchased the business in April 2004. Glenalpine is not prime CQ country and in its original state on purchase, the ability to generate income was limited. Costs were increasing, $/kg income was stagnant and purchasing the property left them in debt.
“We could see that the property had huge potential when considering the capital investment, soil types, landscape, location
and existing watering system, so we set about equipping ourselves with knowledge,” she said
“We also wanted to address the question of what we could do to avoid being subject to our fluctuating market, normal seasonal fluctuations, and drought.
Leanne said that throughout the three-year RCS Executive Link course they stepped up their business analysis and management. Then through their involvement with Grazing BMP, they received support to undertake some very important fine tuning of their record keeping and OH&S, as well as general management assessment.
With the help of NQ Dry Tropics through Reef Rescue & Reef Programme Water Quality Improvement Grants, Protecting Biodiversity and the Building Resilience in the Burdekin Grazing Industry project, Leanne and Barry have implemented riparian and land type fencing and spreading waters, and undertaken Holistic Management planning and implementation.
“Now with Holistic Management, it has taken us to another level again. This way of being embraces everything as a whole and in turn we all benefit - ourselves, our family, our community, our environment, our livestock, our wildlife and economically as well,” said Leanne.
The O’Sullivans use the Holistic Management framework to consider the environmental, economic and social implications of any management decision, which assists in
identifying any unintended consequences as a result of that decision.
“We plan, monitor, control and replan, to allow us to work through issues/problems that arise and enable the business to keep management functioning and moving forward,” said Leanne
As a result of their management practices, carrying capacity has increased, condition of cattle is being maintained at a higher level across the year, supplementation requirements have decreased and weaning weights have been more consistent.
The 23,374ha property is now predominantly a breeder operation running 5,500 head of cattle. Steers are held for 12 months for the feeder market and some held for 18 months and fattened for slaughter, and cattle are also agisted on an opportunity basis.
“Pasture composition and ground cover has greatly improved, and soil health is improving, therefore improving pasture health and vegetation,” said Leanne.
They have increased their income from agistment, combined with better productivity in weaners, and are maintaining a consistent fat weight regardless of increase in carrying capacity and more turnover.
“Our future will see us provide an expanding business for our three sons, give our cattle a content life, and continue to be positive contributors to our community,” she said.
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS with Kylie Stretton
WORKING WITH THE LAND with Kellie Dobe
BUILDING A FUTURE with Leanne O’Sullivan
LEADERAfter winning a scholarship and completing a Rural Leadership training course at Marcus Oldham College, Kylie is now the Director of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network.
Del Norman is a woman of many talents. Her roles include business partner, office administrator, finance, cattle records, wages, mustering, processing cattle, branding, weaning and ‘other duties as required’.
“I knew nothing about brahman cattle or mangoes when I came to Queensland,” she said.
They now have four married daughters, six grandchildren (and two more on the way) and run the 8500 ha Mt Aberdeen Station, 50 km SW of Bowen, with 2000 AE of breeding and trade cattle and a 4000 tree mango plantation.
With fairly marginal country, the Normans needed to have excellent management in place to protect their country and ultimately their business. They have management systems in place for every aspect of their business, with a property plan updated every five years and a business management plan every 10 years. At the start of every month, a white-board is written up that provides detail on what each person will be doing throughout the month.
“This is a real necessity, as it gives you direction and goals to work towards. Any business needs a good balance of planning and management with actual hands-on implementation.
You can be the hardest worker but if you don’t do the planning and management, you still won’t have a good business,” said Del.
With the help of NQ Dry Tropics through a Reef Programme Water Quality Improvement Grant, Del and Steve have implemented riparian fencing on Mount Aberdeen to protect the riparian zone and spread grazing pressure more evenly through their rotational grazing program. The Normans have also undertaken the Grazing BMP voluntary self assessment and then the voluntary audit process to attain their BMP accreditation.
“Since doing the BMP audit, we have better systems in place, and are more particular about signage, chemical records and Personal Protective Equipment,” said Del.
In 1996, fertility trials with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) were the catalyst for change in their cattle management. They began using individual animal ID and recording as much data as possible on each animal every time it was processed.
“We use this data to make decisions on culling and female selection. If you don’t measure it you can’t manage it!! It is hard to make major changes to the way we manage our operation because we know that what we are doing works. It is just a matter of refining the processes to ensure currency and best practice,” she said.
Del believes that if you are not making money from what you are doing, then it is time to look outside what you are doing for alternatives.
“We have shortened our joining period back to five months, we will do this for three years before shortening it again to four months. Heifers and re-mates have a 12-week joining, and we believe that our herd fertility will allow us to make these changes without significant loss to production. We supplement, early wean and segregate cattle,” she said.
The Normans are now concentrating on bull selection, and by shortening joining, they now have one weaning, one branding and less mustering that equates to more kgs of beef per hectare.
“Not holding wet cows as long has reduced paddock degradation and provided better, even coverage of grass,” said Del.
On the business front, they have been involved with auditing systems for the mangoes for around 15 years, and are now seeing this flow-on effect in grazing through the Grazing BMP.
“Industry challenges and producer expectation means we need to demonstrate the ethical and sustainable supply of product to the wider community,”she said.
In the future, Del and Steve see themselves retired and consulting for their kids, so they are starting to look at succession and how this transition may happen.
The more information you have, the better equipped you are to make decisions. Efficiency is the key. If you don’t have an efficient business then you don’t have the financial resources, or time, to have a social life.
NQ DRY TROPICS would like to thank the women in grazing for offering their time and telling their stories.
NQ Dry TropicsNQ Dry Tropics is a community
run, not-for-profit organisation
that has been a leading delivery
agent of land and water
management change across the
Burdekin Dry Tropics region since
2005. We work across an area of
approximately 146,000
square kilometres.
The ProgramNQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable
Agriculture program offers
information, training and support
to agricultural producers in
the use of best management
practices, for resilient landscapes
and productive enterprises.
The ProjectsNQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable
Agriculture program delivers
extension and Reef Water Quality
Grants as part of the Australian
Government’s Reef Programme
and its $15 million commitment to
the Burdekin Dry Tropics region
from 2013-16.
Along with extension, the
grants provide the financial
assistance to help graziers
implement changes that improve
management practices and
productivity, while also reducing
agricultural runoff into the Great
Barrier Reef lagoon.
NQ Dry Tropics is working in
conjunction with project partner
Department of Agriculture and
Fisheries Queensland to deliver
support, training and extension
to graziers in the Burdekin Dry
Tropics region.
Grazing Best Management
(BMP) Practice is an online, self
assessment tool that allows
participants to benchmark
their current practice against
an industry-developed set of
standards. These standards have
been verified by a producer
reference group and are based
on industry experience and the
best available science. Grazing
BMP is an industry-led, proactive
and voluntary approach to
demonstrate good practice and
environmental stewardship.
The Grazing BMP program is
a partnership between Fitzroy
Basin Association Incorporated,
AgForce and the Department
of Agriculture and Fisheries,
Queensland (DAFQ). The Burdekin
delivery partnership includes NQ
Dry Tropics, DAFQ and AgForce.
Funding received from the
Australian Government supported
the development of the program.
Grazing BMP is funded by the
Queensland Government’s
Department of Environment and
Heritage Protection.
EFFICIENCY IS THE KEYwith Del Norman
TEL 07 4724 3544 | FX 07 4724 3577
2 MCILWRAITH ST SOUTH TOWNSVILLE
WWW.NQDRYTROPICS.COM.AU
WOMEN IN GRAZING
A collection of stories
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