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The Weekly Times Farm Business Awards |
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The Weekly Times Farm Business Awards are
proudly presented by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria.
The Awards cross all agricultural sectors, recognising farm
businesses that have demonstrated innovation and business
practices that maximise productivity and profitability, shaping the future of Australian agribusiness.
The program aims to recognise excellent farming practices
across each of the agricultural commodities and includes the following award
categories:
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The Bayer CropScience Horticulture Producer of the Year |
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The Crop Producer of the Year |
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The DPI Young Farmer of the Year |
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The Genetics Australia Dairy Producer of the Year |
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The Beef Producer of the Year |
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The Alternative Farming Producer of the Year |
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The Rural Finance Sheep Producer of the Year |
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The Weekly Times Farm Business of the Year |
The Weekly Times Farm Business Awards are open to all farmers in Victoria
and the Riverina district of New South Wales.
To enter the Awards, businesses are asked for information pertaining to
their performance over the past three years (excluding financial
information) and their plans for the future.
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Cash Prizes |
A total cash prize pool of $28,000 is available for The Weekly Times Farm
Business Awards. Winners of each of the Awards will be presented with $3,000
cash, with a further $7,000 cash awarded to The Weekly Times Farm Business
of the Year.
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The Judging Process |
The Producer Group Judging Panels
A panel of judges has been appointed for each producer group to conduct the
first stage of judging. Judging Panels include representation
from the Department of Primary Industries and other peak bodies from the
relevant industry sector.
Each business will be assessed by using the information provided by the
entrant on a Business Assessment Questionnaire. Judging
Panels will identify the winners in each of the Dairy, Beef, Sheep,
Cropping, Horticulture and Alternative Farming commodity groups which will
progress to the final stage of judging, as well as identify eligible
entrants for the DPI Young Farmer of the Year.
The Judging Panel’s brief is to identify the farm business with
the strongest track record and who can present a clear strategy for the
future of their business. This includes optimum use of resources available
including investment in the development of family members and any employees,
the environment and their community.
The Finalist Judging Panel
The final stage of judging will be conducted by a panel of representatives from leading agribusiness organisations who will
assess the winning entries for each of the producer group awards, and determine The Weekly
Times Farm Business of the Year, as well as the winner of The DPI
Young Farmer of the Year Award.
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Sponsors |
We would like to acknowledge our sponsors for their support and contribution
to the Farm Business Awards.
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Contacts |
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Amber Hibbard
Agricultural Events Coordinator
Ph: 03 9281 7416
Email: fba@rasv.com.au
Zoe Moroz
Agricultural Events Coordinator
Ph: 03 9281 7412
Email: fba@rasv.com.au
The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria Limited
Melbourne Showgrounds
Epsom Road
ASCOT VALE 3032
Phone: 03 9281 7444
Email: info@rasv.com.au
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The 2007 Weekly Times Farm Business of the Year
The 2007 Bayer CropScience Horticulture Producer of the Year
The 2007 Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer of the Year
Cutri Fruit, Woorinen, Victoria
Gaethan Cutri
The Cutri Fruit slogan is “A passion for fruit” – and you soon realise why. “Can we talk and eat?” Gaethan Cutri asked before a tour of the 280 hectare farm at Woorinen, near Swan Hill. “I love stone fruit,” he said. “I don’t eat much else during stone fruit season.”
The Cutri family markets two main lines: Cutri Fruit and Tasti Fruit, which include mostly nectarines plus peaches, apricots and plums. The business tracks how many kilograms of fruit are produced per tree and per hectare, as well as the prices paid and all sales.
Trees are monitored for how many pieces of fruit are grown before and after thinning, and even how many pieces of fruit are grown on each lateral branch.
 “We have key performance indicators on different varieties for pruning – how many laterals we want to leave per tree, how many limbs, the length of the laterals; everything we do we’ve put numbers around,” Gaethan said.
The business used to export about 60 per cent of its produce – mostly white nectarines – to Taiwan.
It now exports 40 per cent of production to Hong Kong, with 50 per cent sold to Coles and 10 per cent to Safeway. The focus on the domestic market came from Gaethan’s belief that it may take years to win back export rights to Taiwan.
He said the only way he could manage such a large farm was to keep it simple.
“Consistency, simplicity, everything the same, lots of one variety: these things all make it easy,” Gaethan said. Family members also take overseas trips to inspect new varieties and learn from other farmers. Drip irrigation is computer controlled and frost-limiting techniques are used. A pheromone trial is in progress in a bid to deter the pest beetle capophilus. “It’s about reducing the chemicals on the product,” Gaethan said.
The 2007 Case IH Crop Producer of the Year
Nathan and Penny Craig, Nalda Park Pastoral Company, Benayeo, Victoria
Nathan and Penny Craig are a young couple committed to their fledgling farming enterprise and to building the rural community. The couple, who met while studying Agriculture at Adelaide University, run a sheep and cropping enterprise near Apsley, in the lower West Wimmera Shire.
 As well as building their farm at Apsley, adding leased land, and building a contracting business and Limousin stud, they are heavily involved in farming groups. Penny also works for Solly Business Services at Naracoorte and is studying for a masters degree in Agricultural Science.
The Craig’s farm in partnership with Nathan’s parents, Bill and Debbie. Their home block, Nalda Park is 500 hectares and they also lease 900 hectares and manage another 80 hectares. They run 5500 sheep, including 3000 Merino ewes – 1800 mated to Merinos for a self replacing flock and 1200 to terminal sires for prime lambs. The family aims to balance the cropping and sheep enterprises equally in terms of time. “The key is to get crops in early, being able to dry sow,” Nathan said. No hard-and-fast rules apply to the no-till crop rotation, but the
Craigs try to follow a cereal with a non-stubble crop to minimise sowing difficulties.
To cope with their expanding contracting business, they have bought a
second-hand ruber-tracked Cat Challenger 35 and Horwood Bagshaw Simplicity Combo airseeder, to which Nathan has added press wheels and a chemical boom.
“Flexibility is the key to get through these mongrel seasons,” Nathan said. “We are doing all we can to lower our costs, make the most of our options and squeeze more from the system.”
The 2007 Genetics Australia Dairy Producer of the Year
WT & KJ Bodman, Won Wron, Victoria
Bill Bodman had bounce in his step during spring last year. The seasons had finally taken a positive turn for the Won Wron dairy farmer. More than 75mm of rain fell in the region at the same time as milk prices lifted and a silage crop has produced a bumper yield.
 “I think we have a reasonable chance of getting out of trouble,” Bill said at the time. “This is our chance to regain lost ground…I think it is achievable despite high grain prices.”
Bill and his wife, Janie, milk 215 cows off 120 hectares near Yarram in South Gippsland. The silage cut in spring produced 560 rolls last year, compared with a meagre 93 rolls the year before.
“We were surprised to get that much on limited rainfall but we had pushed hard with urea since winter when we had some moisture,” he said.
The Bodmans, who had below-average rainfall since mid-winter, had resown in autumn with annual and biannual pasture seed to grow more feed. “We planned to push things hard early in the year and it has paid off,” Bill said. “Re-sowing has not only provided better quality pasture for cows but it grows much better silage, too, which is cheaper than buying feed.”
The Bodmans expected a hay cut of about 400 rolls. They also trialled a 5 hectare sorghum crop in an attempt to “grow as much dry matter as possible” on a small irrigation licence. Their cows, which produced 32 litres of milk a head last spring, were fed 1.8-2.0 tonnes of dry matter a hectare in 2006, while last year the aim was seven tonnes DM/ha. He said the milk price rise was a confidence booster, “I would be optimistic looking forward,” he said.
The 2007 RAS Beef Producer of the Year
PA & MT Kirk, Tallangatta, Victoria
Peter Kirk was quietly pleased with how his drought-survival plan worked out. He managed to keep his beef herd of 350 breeding cows intact while also carrying 290 weaners through the dry on his two Tallangatta farms.
“We have come through the drought with minimal tree losses and the beef herd is intact,” Peter said. And after welcome autumn rain, he was able to slip a shovel easily into the topsoil and turn up rich, friable humus teeming with earthworms and other desirable soil biology.
 Peter said building topsoil had been a passion of his for a long time, along with caring for remnant vegetation.
He has evolved his own style of land management, influenced in part by attending numerous courses, such as Prograze, Beefcheque and Cattlecare, and forums on soil health, chemical use and European Union accreditation.
The drought, he said, was a wake-up call. “That was when I discovered an environmental-management system pilot program in our region,” he said. EMS provides a management framework based on a simple “plan, do, check and act” cycle that achieves continual structured improvement. It covers issues such as business efficiency, environmental and financial risk, natural resource management and environmental protection.
Peter and his wife, Marie, bought their 101 hectare home block at Georges Creek in 1977 and a 404 hectare farm, Spring Creek, three years later.
They run a closed herd of 350 breeding cows based on Injemira Hereford bloodlines and turn off steers at feedlot-entry liveweights of 430-450kg.
The 2007 RAS Alternative Farming Producer of the Year
Julian & Dianne Benson, Apostle Whey Cheese
When milk prices slumped a few years ago, Julian and Dianne Benson were quick to take advantage of their farm's second-greatest asset after the cows: its location. The 147 hectare farm, at Cooriemungle, near Simpson in southwest Victoria, is close to the Twelve Apostles, one of the state's premier tourist attractions.
 With hundreds of visitors passing their door each week, and many tourists already dropping in to see a working dairy farm, the Bensons decided that the best way to boost their income was to start making their own cheeses.
They enrolled in a cheese-making course at Gilbert Chandler College at Werribee and, two years later, in September 2005, opened Apostle Whey cheese factory.
Today, with a couple of competition gold medals under their belt, the Bensons sell their cheeses from the farm gate and also supply gourmet food shops, wineries and restaurants.
They produce several varieties, all with colourful names. The varieties include Loch Ard Gorgeous camembert, Apostle Crumble fetta, Misty Moonlight Head blue vein, The Grotto havarti and Southern Briez brie.
The couple admit they have come a long way since moving to the-then 73 hectare farm in 1981. The farm now covers 147 hectare and milks 250 Friesian cows. About 80,000 litres, from a production of 1.6 million litres of milk, is used for cheese production.
The 2007 Rural Finance Sheep Producer of the Year
Millring Pastoral, Toongabbie, Victoria
There was never any pressure for Tim Paulet to come home to work on the family farm. He just wanted to. It also provided a succession plan for Tim and his brother, Rowan, to eventually take over the family farm at Toongabbie in Gippsland.
 Importantly, the move brought renewed passion and a thirst to apply new technology and ideas. “While Dad holds the reins, they are fairly loose and we get a say in what management decisions are made,” Tim said. That they are open to new challenges and direction is a key component to their on-farm success.
While production levels have increased on the 1215ha property over the years, the measure of the Paulets’ profit is strictly dollars per hectare. Wool has always been their main enterprise but this now comprises just 25 per cent of the operation, with crops muscling in with 30 per cent, lambs 20 per cent and cattle 25 per cent.
They run 6500 superfine Merinos, 350 first-cross ewes, and 150 first-cross ewe lambs on the home property, plus another 450 older Merinos and 1500 first-cross ewes on leased country.
The Paulets’ aim is to produce good-quality, sound wool in the 17-19 micron range. “We produce 43 kilograms a hectare of wool now and we want to increase that,” Tim said. “Our target is 55 kilograms a hectare.”
The family has a spring-lambing enterprise and shears three times a year. The main shearing is in February for all adult sheep. Weaner lambs have their first shearing in June, at 10 months, and their second in April. They then join the main flock in February. Sheep are run on stubble from crops, which helps rest pastures and, as the stubble is clean, it doubles as a worm-resistance management tool. They also clean up any grain.
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The 2006 Bayer CropScience Horticulture Producer of the Year
Malakoff Estate Vineyards, Landsborough, Victoria
Malakoff Estate Vineyards is a family business run by Robert John and his son Cameron. Their estate is a 215 hectare property, which nestles in the western end of the Pyrenees Ranges, near the Malakoff Gap between Elmhurst and Landsborough.
“The moderate slopes with no frost traps, north easterly aspect, good drainage, protection from wind and good depth of top soil over permeable clay, all influenced our site selection,” Robert said.
Most of the 23 hectare vineyard is planted to shiraz, taking advantage of the Pyrenees’ reputation as a prime shiraz region. The initial planting of 4 hectares in 1997 doubled in the next two years and was increased by another 4 hectares in 2000. Robert said the expansion had been gradual, only planting when a contract had been secured.
 A civil engineer, Robert helped draw up a business plan for the vineyard and Cameron, who manages the vineyard, has studied level one and two viticulture with local winery and vineyard Mt Langhi Ghiran, and level three through Ballarat University.
“We formed a business plan and stuck to it,” Robert said. “The philosophy has always been to expand gradually so we can control quality,” Robert added. Part of the business plan included rationalising equipment and modifying existing equipment to suit their needs. They use one tractor in conjunction with a modified 2000-litre spray unit. Low overheads and careful management of vineyard operations has kept costs under control. Robert is keen to boost the profile of shiraz from the Pyrenees through Malakoff’s single vineyard wines.
One judge stated that Robert and Cameron have an “excellent focus on market demands and product quality using the latest technologies in their industry.”
The 2006 Case IH Crop Producer of the Year
Ted, Judy, David and Fiona Stephens, Shelford Victoria
David runs his 480 hectare cropping farm in Shelford, Victoria. David and his parents, Ted and Judy, moved to the property in the 1980’s where they sheared as many as 10,000 Merinos. But when the price of wool declined, the Stephens shifted their focus entirely to cropping.
 Despite the change, David said quitting the sheep was an easy decision. “Wool was really hurting,” he said. “The fences were stuffed, the yards were stuffed and the dog was 12 years old.” The last of the sheep were sold in August last year. With the switch came more education. Three years ago, David set up his own concept farm to trial new cropping practices, such as wide row spacing, and a year later the farm was a focus farm for Southern Farming Systems and the Department of Primary Industries. One judge commented that the Stephens enterprise “was not large by cropping standards, but compensated for this through the adoption of new technologies and basing management decisions on sound information sourced from on-farm research.”
Today David is more enthusiastic than ever about cropping in the Western District and is always willing to share his knowledge with other farmers. His wife, Fiona, is an integral partner in the business and has a big input into the machinery decisions. Technology is now an important part of the operation with a 2cm global positioning system, controlled traffic technology and yield mapping. He expects the current path to result in healthier soils with better microbial activity and less soil compaction. “It's all about sustainability and leaving enough for the next generation,” David emphasised.
The farming operation has expanded to include another 500 hectares of lease and share-farmed land and the Stephens are looking for more cropping country in the Shelford district.
The 2006 Genetics Australia Dairy Producer of the Year
Graeme and Sally Croft, Mepunga West, Victoria
When Graeme and Sally Croft married in 1984, their farm was a beef and sheep property spanning 207 hectares. Later that year they decided to build a small dairy for 80 cows and the business has been growing ever since.
 Now Graeme and Sally, and their three full-time workers, milk 750 Jersey dairy cows on 210 hectares, of which 100 hectares is irrigated and sell their milk to three or four different milk companies.
Irrigation allows the Crofts to have a high stocking rate of four cows per hectare. “If we didn’t irrigate, we would have to have half the cows or twice the ground,” Graeme explained. The cows are run as two separate herds with one 430-head herd calving from the beginning of February and the rest from the start of August. With the current climate and drought conditions, irrigation and forward feed purchasing has allowed the Crofts to minimise uncertainty surrounding feed sources.
The Crofts run Jerseys because of their smaller size, easy calving and relatively low maintenance. With the farm development now complete, Graeme and Sally are examining how they can do things better. The judges agreed that the Crofts were “very strong in all areas of their business, had good long term planning and excellent use of technology.”
The 2006 Incitec Pivot Beef Producer of the Year
Warrawillah Pty Ltd, Bruthen, Victoria
Geoff Jennings runs his beef business according to a very simple formula: produce and utilise as much grass as possible at the lowest cost, use the pasture to grow the maximum amount of beef per hectare and then market as much beef from the farm gate. Using this philosophy, the Bruthen beef farmer has won Gippsland Natural’s producer of the year twice.
 Geoff has 92 hectares of river flats and 40 hectares of hill country on the Tambo River plus another 204 hectares of lease country, running up to 320 spring calving Angus cows. Geoff finishes steers for sale at 15-18 months to backgrounders (350-389kg) or feedlots (380-480kg). Empty heifers go over the hooks to Gippsland Natural, a brand of quality free-range beef raised on grass with no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Geoff runs the farm like a dairy farm, moving the cattle every two days around small paddocks of mostly ryegrass and white clover. Stocking rate is around 23-24 DSE per grazed hectare. The cows calve from the middle of July and the calves are weaned at six to seven months and sold from November onwards. Fertility is Geoff's first priority, then birth weight, calving ease and mature cow weight. From then, its eye muscle area and marbling.
“I want heavy calves well built and muscled, but not too tall,” Geoff emphasised. “And I'm not aiming for big cows.”
Production figures show beef production per hectare in 2005-2006 of 386kg/ha, up from 346kg two years earlier. Geoff said his other key target was to lower costs. Production figures last year show it cost $0.84 to produce 1kg of beef, compared with a return of $2.02/kg. These compare with costs of $0.955/kg and returns of $1.76/kg in 2003-2004.
Judges commented that this was a “beef enterprise with a strong production track record and a leader in environmental management systems and beef marketing, with a sound business philosophy and a demonstrated commitment to consider new ideas and techniques.”
The 2006 RAS Alternative Farming Producer of the Year
The 2006 Weekly Times Farm Business of the Year
Glenspean Partners, Meredith, Victoria
Back at the height of the last wool boom in 1989, Sandy and Julie Cameron started looking for an alternative farming venture in case wool fell away.
It was a decision that proved to be wise and changed the lives of the vet and his wife. Today, fine wool production at Glenspean near Meredith, mid-way between Geelong and Ballarat, accounts for just a small portion of profits.
 Specialty cheeses and yoghurt produced from sheep and goat milk make up the bulk of the business income. The Camerons are milking 2000 sheep and 1500 goats, more than 10 times they were a decade ago. Other enterprises on the 1200 hectare property include 400 hectares of cereal crops and canola on raised beds, 1200 Merino ewes producing 17.5 micron wool and cutting 1000 rolls of silage for the dairy. They also supply pregnant ewes for medical research.
The Cameron’s Meredith Dairy has defied the unsteady history of sheep and goat dairies. It is now the largest supplier of sheep and goat milk products in Australia, and has a long list of awards to its name. Last year 130 tonnes of cheese and 260 tonnes of yoghurt were produced from 715,000 litres of goat milk and 216,000 litres of sheep milk. “Much of the growth seen in this business can be attributed to continuous research in crop production, out of season breeding in sheep and goats, improved dairy manufacturing techniques and improved animal genetics,” stated one judge.
“We have seen a 30 per cent growth in milk production each year,” Sandy remarked. “The emphasis on year round breeding, normally a challenge in animals with highly seasonal reproductive rhythms, has maintained the milk supply.”
Sandy said the main aim was to add value to all farm products. “The dairy manufacturing business drives the production of pastures, grains and fodder. Milk production must be planned well ahead in anticipation of cheese and yoghurt demand. Planning for crops, pastures and breeding must be precise and decisions made many months ahead.”
The 2006 Rural Finance Sheep Producer of the Year
The 2006 Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer of the Year
MJ, TK and JA Tonissen
Matthew Tonissen
Prime lamb producer Matt Tonissen had two choices. He could have sold all his lambs soon after weaning, and lightened his stocking load over a long summer. Or he could have found a way to both finish lambs and feed his breeding stock through to the autumn break. Matt, who doesn’t seem to mind the odd challenge, naturally chose the latter. His farm near Branxholme, south west of Hamilton, saw the spring cut out four to six weeks earlier than normal. But all this wasn’t enough to stop this third generation farmer, who farms with wife Tanya, brother Jon, father Graham and sister Susan.
 Early last spring he started looking for alternatives to get his 4700 mixed aged ewes, 1300 ewe weaners and 2400 lambs through summer. It was not the first time Matt, who sheared for eight years so he could buy his first land, had looked outside the square.
For the past decade he has progressively adopted biological practices, fertilising with liquid phosphorus and using a variety of trace elements. He also applies liquid fish and uses lime and dolomite to correct soil pH and the calcium-magnesium ratio. “I think we need to try and get away from the chemical side of it and work with nature a bit,” Matt said. Matt believes the different inputs have allowed the farm to hang on longer in what has been a very dry year.
“It would have been easier to off-load now, but I believe there are dollars to be made by hanging on to stock,” he said. Matt is farming for the future and it might be his toughest season so far but his stock will still be there when the break comes. Judges noted that Matt is very progressive in prime lamb production, and were impressed by his “strong vision to expand and develop the business, strong production focus and good market awareness.”
Click
here to download the complete 2006 Catalogue of Results
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2008 Winner |
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Congratulations to The Weekly Times Farm Business Award Winners
The winners of The Weekly Times Farm Business Awards 2008, conducted by the RASV, were announced at a presentation luncheon at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Friday, 8 May 2009.
The RASV congratulates Gippsland Water Agribusiness, the 2008 Weekly Times Farm Business of the Year. Gippsland Water Agribusiness also took out the RASV Crop Producer of the Year award and its manager, Michael Bannon, was named the Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer of the Year.
Gippsland Water Agribusiness is the largest broad-scale agricultural business in Victoria consisting of 12 properties that produce top quality beef, wool and crops.
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2008 Award winners |
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- The Bayer CropScience Horticulture Producer of the Year
- Awarded to Rathjen Vineyard of Colbinabbin, VIC
- The Rural Finance Sheep Producer of the Year
- Awarded to Uondo Pastoral Co Pty Ltd of Kerang, VIC
- The RASV Crop Producer of the Year
- Awarded to Gippsland Water Agribusiness of Dutson Downs, VIC
- The RASV Alternative Farming Producer of the Year
- Awarded to Wildflower Alpacas of Macarthur, VIC
- The RASV Beef Producer of the Year
- Awarded to Injemira Beef Genetics of Book Book, NSW
- The Genetics Australia Dairy Producer of the Year
- Awarded to PE & JA Johnson of Carrajung Lower, VIC
- The Weekly Times Farm Business of the Year
- Awarded to Gippsland Water Agribusiness of Dutson Downs, VIC
- The Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer of the Year
- Awarded to Michael Bannon of Dutson Downs, VIC
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