Seeds for Success

Camilla Herbig is a Farmer alongside her husband on their property at Collie, a Rural Mental Health Advocate with RAMHP, and the mind behind Tractor Snacks, which provides recipe inspiration for the busy farm and household.  In this episode, Camilla describes advocates for greater support services for farmers and rural areas. She also shares the inspiration for Tractor Snacks and how more nut...

Laura Harris is the owner of Beau River Beef, a cattle breeding operation utilising agistment properties across NSW from Griffith to Orange. Laura also works for Local Land Services as part of the Invasive Species team.  In this episode, Laura discusses the humble origins of her Santa Gertrudis x Angus crossbred herd and how she uses agistment for her breeding operation until she can purchase...

This episode is part two of our two-part chat with Annie Scott. In the last episode, Annie discussed how she and her team use extensive data collection to consistently improve their Angus livestock. In this episode, Annie shares her personal journey as an Angus breeder, starting as a Youth Ambassador in the 1990s and culminating in hosting the recent World Angus Forum, where she was given an indus...

Annie Scott is an Angus Breeder and Advocate at ‘Karoo’, a 2,300-hectare farm and Angus stud between Bathurst and Lithgow, which Annie took over from her parents in 2008, with a later partnership with her father in 2018. In this episode, Annie explains how extensive data collection combined with an improvement philosophy has allowed Karoo Angus to produce high-quality animals. She also...

Wal White is the Feedlot Manager at ‘The Mount’, a mixed farming operation west of Forbes on the west slope of the Corridgery Range. Wal keeps himself busy managing 840ha of cropping, another 800ha of grazing country, and a 4,000-cattle feedlot at its heart.  In this episode, Wal opens up about the backgrounding process used at ‘The Mount’ for cattle entering the feedl...

Terry Worthington is a Farmer at ‘Four Corners’, a 7,000-acre livestock operation near Condoblin. Terry’s business is split between trade and agistment of cattle and bare breach Merino sheep, and breeding composite cattle. In this episode, Terry opens up about how his approach to farming has become simpler over time and has reduced stress for himself and his livestock. He also di...

Col Clapham is a beef and sheep producer in the Ilford area of NSW. Col runs three properties with his wife and uncle across 5700 acres, using the variable elevation as part of their pest management strategies to protect their 1600 breeding ewes, 200 cows, and 400 steers. In this episode, Col discusses the challenges of managing soil that ranges from sandy to rich basalt to achieve his production...

This episode is part two of our two-part chat with Isabele and Pete Roberts. In the last episode, Isabele and Pete opened up about their family’s Poll Dorset stud operation and the importance of good breeding. In this episode, Isabele and Pete highlight the importance of multispecies grazing crops for their farm and the research they have recently undertaken with the Department of Primary In...

Isabele and Pete Roberts are the husband and wife duo behind Ridgehaven Poll Dorset stud in Cudal. With three properties across Cudal and Forbes, Isabele and Pete work with their family to produce high-quality sheep.  In this episode, Isabele and Pete explain how they run their complex business, the importance of breeding rams with good eating qualities, how they achieve fast-growing lambs th...

Grace Hadley is the Business Manager at Burrawang West, an 11,000-acre mixed farming operation owned by AAM Investment Group between Condobolin and Parkes. Grace spends her days mostly focused on the Burrawang Dorper and White Dorper Stud programs. In this episode, Grace explains the strategies used at Burrawang to train Dorpers with quiet temperaments, how focusing on breeding rams chosen for con...

Kate Nixon is a Horticulturalist and Environmental Consultant who founded Macrocarpa Landscapes in 2024. Kate advocates for using endemic Australian plant species to create healthy, beautiful landscapes to improve farms and gardens in rural Australia. In this episode, Kate discusses how to choose the best endemic species for the farm, how they can be used tactically to reduce fire risk and manage...

Sam Johnston is a Farmer who works alongside his dad to manage their family properties near Forbes. The Johnston's primary focus is on trade lambs and lucerne hay production however, they have recently moved into breeding composite meat sheep too. In this episode, Sam discusses how high-performance pastures of perennial grasses, lucerne, clover, and chicory helped his farm to trade over 3,000 lamb...

Jacob Stein is a Farmer and Winemaker at Robert Stein Winery in Mudgee. For three generations, Jacob’s family has farmed their 600-acre property and expanded their operation to include a vineyard, winery, restaurant, and mixed farming enterprise. In this episode, Jacob shares how regenerative farming techniques boosted soil carbon levels from 1% to 8%, discusses their paddock-to-plate approa...

This episode is part two of our two-part chat with Jon Wright. In the last episode, Jon shared his journey to create the highly regarded Blue-E line of cattle and how it became the most feed-efficient herd in the world. In this episode, Jon dives into the importance of EBVs and how farms can use this information to develop more effective beef production systems. He also discusses how his collabora...

Jon Wright runs a 700-head cattle and breeding operation at his property, "Coota Park", on the edge of the Lachlan Valley. Jon developed a high-efficiency composite cattle line, Blue-E, almost 30 years ago using a Shorthorn Angus cross and refining the line over time. In this episode, Jon walks through his beef and cattle journey and how working on a research station in his early career influences...

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

Sam Mason is a Farmer at “Spicers Run”, a 4,500-hectare mixed-farming operation near Wellington. Sam, his brother Joe, and their families use a 10-year cropping rotation schedule to help them make the most of their land. In this episode, Sam shares how his cropping rotation works and the benefits of dual-purpose cropping for providing high-quality winter feed for livestock while leaving plenty to...

Paul Jameson runs a livestock operation on his farm, “Pine Knoll Park”, near Geurie and is also the NSW Livestock Stud Manager for Elders. Using his experience with Elders, Paul has turned his property from a blank canvas into a thriving farm. In this episode, Paul discusses how he improved the infrastructure of his farm and why he established permanent pastures. He explains why he joined the LLS...

Joe Fleming is a fifth-generation Farmer with his family on their 10,000-hectare mixed farming operation, “Ulah”, near Walgett. Wheat and chickpeas are the primary crops at "Ulah" with some opportunistic irrigated cotton, cattle trading, and agistment when seasonal conditions allow it. Joe is also the Founder and Director of Evolve Engineering, which designs and manufactures innovative farming tec...

Emily Sinderberry is a Farmer and a Rural Bookkeeper at EJS Business Services in Condobolin. Emily is a trained accountant who specialises in helping farmers and small business owners take control of their finances, streamline their bookwork, and reach their financial goals. In this episode, Emily shares helpful tips for anyone looking to get on top of their books but emphasises the importance of...

This episode is part two of our two-part chat with Anthony Shepherd. In the last episode, Anthony shared the lessons he’s learnt from his years as a farmer and sheep consultant and how changing his farming processes brought his weaning rates above 130%.  In this episode, Anthony explains how he uses technology to improve his farming operation. He discusses how Smart Shepherd helps him spot multipl...

Anthony Shepherd is a Sheep Producer on his commercial merino enterprise, “Jaffa”, near Cootamundra. In addition to running his farm, he’s also worked as a consultant in the sheep industry for many years. In this episode, Anthony shares the knowledge he’s gained as a farmer and consultant and how that knowledge has allowed him to change his processes to bring his weaning rates above 130%. He also...

Jill and Neil O’Grady are the husband and wife team behind “RedGround” near Oberon. “RedGround” is a fully functioning 60-acre commercial truffle orchard and tourist destination offering visitors the chance to participate in truffle hunts. In this episode, Jill and Neil walk through the basics of truffle farming and reveal that out of 250 varieties of truffles, there are only 4 worth eating. They...

Rhett Robinson is a Farmer at “Orana” between Gulgong and Dunedoo. Together, Rhett and his father produce SAM sheep and cattle using a native pasture base on their 500-acre property. Rhett has also been a longtime part of the Local Land Services team as a Senior Biosecurity Officer specialising in pest animal management. In this episode, Rhett shares the pest animal management tips and tricks he h...

This episode is part two of our two-part chat with Hamish Wald. In the last episode, Hamish discussed how fortunate he feels to be part of the sheep farming community and how his family decided to move away from exclusive wool farming and diversify with dual-purpose Dohnes Merinos, cattle, and cropping. In this episode, Hamish dives into the effects of innovations such as genomics and fertility tr...