Build a Smart Cattle Rail Entrance With Just Hand Tools Is your front gateway looking more “bush mechanic” than “pride of the property”? You’re not alone. Many Australian farmers and small block owners love the look of solid steel cattle rail, but the idea of hiring in heavy equipment, chasing down a welder, or learning to MIG isn’t exactly appealing. … Read More
Understanding pH is one of the most powerful tools a farmer can use. It’s the unsung hero of soil health—affecting everything from nutrient availability to plant resilience and microbial activity. Yet for too long, we’ve failed to communicate how to test and why it matters in ways farmers can apply every day. That changes now. In this first part of … Read More
What if you could measure the health of your pasture—and the effectiveness of your management—using tools you probably already have at home? In a recent Farm Learning video, we joined Ben from GreenMate Agriculture to explore one of the most underutilised and misunderstood tools in regenerative and conventional agriculture: the BRIX test. With nothing more than a garlic press, a … Read More
We all know the benefits of keeping stock out of dams. Doing so has benefits from a production point of view and also improves soil management. Thanks to solar technology now becoming cheaper and more accessible, there is a cost effective option for good paddock management.
I recently had the privilage of spending time with Simon McLachlan at his farm, Gooligulch, in the Yarra Valley. Simon, previously an Avocado farmer from Queensland has a pedigree in conventional agriculture and found his way to Biodynamic farming after observing impacts of chemical use on his farm and viewing an episode of Landline back in the ’90’s. Simon is … Read More
I made a big deal about being involved in the development of the latest wire spinner from Fencestay in this week’s video. It worked like this; I got to use a prototype wire trolley for a couple of months, complain about it like a whinger and then Steve (Fencestay) did all the work to fix the issues. Lovely. Aside from … Read More
A company taking action. Regional and remote mental health is a big issue in many countries and none less than in Australia. There is a 20% greater need for services in rural and remote areas and yet access to trained psychologists and psychiatrists falls well below that of those in cities. This is for a range of reasons: politics, facilities, … Read More
There is an old saying that “There is nothing new under the sun” and while I don’t completely prescribe to this, certainly most tools we use are a natural development of an existing tool. Every now and then though, one comes along with enough new ideas and innovation to completely revolutionise a tool. The Fenceline strainer is a game changer. … Read More
Want an all steel farm fence option that requires no welding or special tools? This week’s video might be the setup you’ve been looking for. The FenceStay end assembly by Trigger Engineering gets a workout this week as I try a new method of steel fencing with no special tools or skills required. While straining StiffStay mesh in 8X15X900 to … Read More
How and Where? This week’s video follows Alan Upton as he fences off a riparian section along the creek that runs through his farm. Alan’s reasoning was simple. When you compare his side of the fence with his neighbour’s property, both running cattle, the difference is stark. Alan’s property, fenced off into rotationally grazed and fodder paddocks, with the creek … Read More
Sheep are a gentle and rewarding animal to run on a hobby farm but like any animal, they have specific care needs. This week I joined John Gilligan from Gilligan Property Services to go over some of the basics about crutching that every hobby farmer should know. Why and When Crutching needs to be undertaken at the start of each … Read More
Before you get out there and start planning your fences, find out what they are going to do. Remember, fences are a 20-30 year investment, so get it right and your land will thank you with wonderful bounty for years to come. Get it wrong, and you will be forever chasing your tail and fixing problems you never needed have.
Well, in short, no. But there are a lot of ways to make a mistake when you first construct your fence that cost time, money and even worse stock losses and injury. This week’s video, supported by Whites Rural, looks at some options out there for your farm fence planning. The only thing worse than paying too much for your … Read More
Sometimes you know that a video is going to be controversial before you even start filming. This was one of them.
Recently an innovative Australian company Woodshield, gave me some posts to play around with. Promising to do away with CCA posts and the environmental issues surrounding the use of heavy metals in agricultural trellising and fencing. I was excited to try them out. I had some reservations, mainly the water proof quality of the posts when fixings were added and … Read More
Wine made over a decade ago with friends. A chilly night in May was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the labours of this year’s harvest while relishing the memories of vintages past. This week I completed the initial winemaking process and pressed the fermented wine off the skins. After 9 days of ferment the wine was reading 0 degrees … Read More
This week’s video sees me back to the vineyard finishing off the season’s work. Vintage, the time we harvest the grapes is like a long sigh of relief. The ups and downs of the season, hard work and many a sleepless night worrying about weather and pests culminate in a day of activity that ends in a sticky sweet juice … Read More
This week’s (and my first) blog post is about the product review video I am premiering this week on the channel. Fencestay is an Australian-made product that allows you to use the venerable star-picket as fence ends. I hope you like the review. So I am a bit like most of you out there I suppose and guilty of shortcuts … Read More