SUSTAINABLE production is a fine balance between the livestock needs and the land's needs.
This is according the 2011 NSW Farmers of the Year, Norm and Pip Smith, Wellington, NSW who are sharing their business decisions, including balancing genetics, grazing pressures and marketing, to farmers in East Gippsland this week.
Their decisions since taking on control of the Glenwood property, stud and commercial flock in 1996 were initially driven by an interest in holistic management and the economics of running the farm.
"There was nothing wrong with the way Glenwood was managed, but we needed to find a way to support our young family and my parents – we were challenged by poor commodity prices and rising costs," Mr Smith said.
"We also wanted to be proactive about animal health and husbandry, given the global marketplace that Australian agriculture is now operating in, and we wanted to be able to tell our story when marketing our wool."
Those aspirations led to a number of changes.
While the property always boasted readily available perennial native pastures, the Smith's entered a 15-year stewardship lease covering 1700 hectares of grassy white box woodland on Glenwood, which enabled them to run commercial wethers on the home property, but within strict conditions. They continued to run the stud ewes on the remainder of Glenwood.
"Part of our stewardship responsibilities are to maintain 100 per cent groundcover, retain a 20 centimetre sward height on pasture and stock this country with 3000 sheep," Mr Smith said.
"We graze paddocks for three days maximum with a 40-120-day rest."
Some of the gains within the flock were reduced worm burdens, especially Barbers Pole, and consequent reduction in drenching; increased fertility; and better health and improved weight gains overall.
"We haven't drenched the wethers for three years and drenching of stud and flock ewes has reduced by one-third," Mr Smith said.
"Grazing pressure is reduced, length of sward is above 20cm and with the 120-day extended rest of paddocks, I don't even do a worm test on the wethers any more."
Because of the stewardship lease and reduced grazing pressure on Glenwood, they moved 3000 flock ewes and lambs, along with weaners, to a share-leased property; and also measured improved sheep health, fertility and growth rates.
"Fertility on Gillinghall has risen to 120pc weaning rates and on Glenwood to 132pc," Mr Smith said.
"There is also better resilience, recovery and capacity to lamb in the ewes; and better muscle and growth rates in the hoggets.
"This year, we scanned 150pc conception in ewes on both properties."
As early adopters of Merino Select, the Smith's scan for early growth, muscling and positive fat post weaning as part of their focus.
As well as lambs on the ground and stud rams, their other income source is from sheep is wool.
They built a partnership with Australian quality Merino clothier Woolerina that involves supplying wool bales and the story behind their fleeces. They have recently sold wool to a Japanese processor of quality merino products in the same type of partnership – selling their wool and the story of their farm.
The Smiths toured Gippsland this week, speaking to farmers at Bengworden at Swifts Creek and Bombala tomorrow, at the Snowy River Interstate Landcare Committee dinner.
