Seeds for Success

May 20 2024 8

Seeds for Success Podcast artwork

Seeds for Success is a show where we have a good yarn about ag life with producers who are having a go. On the show, you'll hear from farmers in New South Wales who are out there battling the elements, making tough calls and getting the job done. You'll get a laugh out of some of their stories, and also pick-up some know-how along the way. Produced by Central West Local Land Services.

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Dyed-in-the-wool: Merino farming and breeding

May 20 2024 30 mins

JB and Alison Tancred are the husband and wife duo behind ‘The Maze’ near Gulargambone and G.R.A.S.S. Merinos at Armatree. G.R.A.S.S. Merinos is a cooperative stud breeding program, and ‘The Maze’ is an 8,000-acre farming operation with 5,000 acres dedicated to a cropping program based on wheat, barley, and pulse crops with a commercial merino flock. In this episode, JB and

A finger in every Pye: Drought, Dorpers, and drying silos

May 06 2024 28 mins

This episode is part two of our two-part chat with Harry Pye. In the last episode, Harry discussed the ag labour shortage and how his family has turned to robotics and automation for their mixed farming operation near Walgett. In this episode, Harry sheds some light on his sheep enterprise and how labour shortages influenced their decision to switch from Merinos to Dorpers. He als

Waiting for an auto-mate: Using robotics and automation to mitigate labour shortage stress

Apr 22 2024 26 mins

Harry Pye is the Owner of Gingie Pastoral near Walgett. Harry's 26,000-hectare property is split between arable cropping country and grazing for Dorper ewes and wagyu cattle. Due to the skilled labour shortage, Harry and his family have embraced automation and robotics in their operation.In this episode, Harry explains how SwarmFarm has changed his cropping operation and the impact

No longer under wraps: Getting to the heart of producing good silage and improving your spray application

Apr 08 2024 36 mins

Stan Noonan is a Crop Protection Specialist and Farmer at ‘Retford Park’, a small property along the Macquarie River near Dubbo. With the help of his family, Stan focuses on buying calves and growing them out with introduced pastures and grazing crops. In this episode, Stan explains how he achieves high growth rates by focusing on quality feed for his livestock to reach their w

The Limousin lineup: The benefits of crossbreeding

Mar 25 2024 27 mins

Sherrie Whitty, alongside her husband Luke, runs Mount Pleasant Limousins, a robust herd of 100 stud cows on a sprawling 2,000-acre property near the Jemalong Range, near Forbes. Their commitment to quality and animal welfare shines through in their operation, which stands as a beacon of excellence in the industry. In this episode, Sherrie emphasises the significance of selecting f

The sweet life: Farming on the Lachlan and irrigated sweet corn

Mar 11 2024 30 mins

Peter Grant and his wife Samantha own and operate “Nerreman”, a 530-hectare property on the Lachlan River, west of Forbes. They run a mixed farming enterprise, which includes irrigation, crops, and cattle. In this episode, Peter shares his passion for growing different crops, especially his favourite one, sweetcorn. He also reveals how he has improved his water use efficiency

From silo to holiday stay: The challenges of building an agritourism business

Feb 26 2024 17 mins

Kylie Matthews and her husband Adrian own “Kooyong”, just off the highway between Forbes and West Wyalong. Kylie manages their cattle and chicken meat operation and keeps the wheels turning while Adrian works full-time away from the farm. In this episode, Kylie explains how they built up their farming operation to incorporate cattle and chickens, and how their massive 3-kilomet

Worry-wort: Managing St John’s wort on your property

Feb 12 2024 22 mins

Trent Frazer is a Producer on his family farm “Warree”, southwest of Stuart Town. Trent and his family run a predominantly sheep and cattle operation with a little bit of cropping. In this episode, Trent lets the cat out of the bag about his passion for wool and the challenges and rewards of being part of this staple industry. He reflects on how producers can use local trials t

Summer Series: Lessons from the drought you can apply in your day-to-day

Jan 29 2024 23 mins

Summer’s not quite over yet and we’re revisiting more farmers who’ve lived through drought and the lessons they’ve learnt along the way. In this episode, these farmers will explain how you can “minimise your geographic risk” to your herds by spreading them across properties, how tagging can be used to identify your highest performing breeding stock, and one option for k

Summer Series: Why flexibility is key during drought conditions

Jan 15 2024 34 mins

With another hot, dry summer on the cards for Australia, we’re continuing to look back at our early episodes to glean the best knowledge from farmers who lived through the last drought. In this episode, these farmers will emphasise the importance of flexibility on the farm and adapting their business practices during a drought. They’ll also share the vital lessons they learned