On-farm sustainability comes second nature to Skipton Merino farmers, Charlie and Amanda Fairbairn-Calvert, which is why they were the Elanco Sustainable Sheep Producer of the Year title for 2023.
Inheriting the land from Mr Fairbairn-Calvert's father, they have worked tirelessly to regenerate the land to create an eco-friendly haven for their fine-wool Merinos to roam.
The pair were announced as winners of the award during the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo on Saturday night as part of the ACM Agri Lambition Awards.
What began as cleared, dusty farmland on volcanic soil, now has thousands of trees, more than 5000 ewes, about 1500 wethers, cropping paddocks and 700 hectares of seeds, beans, cereals, grass clovers and more.
They plant more than 2000 trees every year and with hundreds of thousands on the property and have reinstated 400 hectares of water across their land, from a lake and wetlands.
Their Merinos are self-replacing and Mr FairBairn-Calvert decided years ago to entirely phase out mulesing on their farm as he had an inkling the industry was headed towards a more sustainable angle.
"I married a girl whose father was a very strong environmentalist, which helped push it along and encouraged it," Mr Fairbairn-Calvert said.
"So that was the kick-off and we haven't stopped since."
As part of their sustainable practices and to grow the quality of their wool, they enlisted in a program called ZQ Merinos New Zealand, which has a thorough auditing process to be involved.
"We joined the New Zealand Merino Company and passed their audit without having to change anything," Mr Fairbairn-Calvert said.
He said an aspect of their success had been the way they handled their livestock, and how they constantly strived to improve things like water systems on the farm.
One part of their property they call the "sheep haven", which consists of dense tree coverage for when sheep are lambing.
Elanco sheep senior brand manager and award judge Kathryn Humphries said Elanco wholeheartedly applauded the pair's commitment and dedication in implementing sustainable practices across their property.
"What sets Charles and Amanda Fairbairn-Calvert apart is their proactive approach to planting a diverse range of tree species and creating enriched habitats for their sheep has successfully fostered a thriving ecosystem, benefiting both their livestock and the local wildlife and flora," Ms Humphries said.
Aligned with Elanco's vision for responsible business and agriculture, Ms Humphries said the Fairbairn-Calvert family's accomplishments should be an inspiration to others and were a testament to shared values between Elanco and sustainability-driven partners.
Along with keeping busy on the farm, Mr and Mrs Fairbairn-Calvert also have raised their two children, Clive and Anna, who both now work on the farm and are as passionate about the land as their parents.
In awe of her parents, Anna nominated Mr and Ms Fairbairn-Calvert and said they were ahead of their time, even in the early days of their marriage when they began creating their sheep haven.
During those early days, rabbits were rampant in the south-west region, and they began a Landcare group to combat the pest, which they said was now almost entirely eradicated from the region.
"We had thousands of rabbits and we started the Landcare group and worked to get rid of all our rabbits, and when policing finally came in, we got right on top of it," Mr Fairbairn-Calvert said.
Holly McGuinness
Holly is a journalist for Australian Community Media, covering South Coast, NSW. As a born and bred Shoalhaven local, she's passionate about covering community concerns and amplifying local voices. To get in contact, email holly.mcguinness@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Holly is a journalist for Australian Community Media, covering South Coast, NSW. As a born and bred Shoalhaven local, she's passionate about covering community concerns and amplifying local voices. To get in contact, email holly.mcguinness@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
