This month we wrapped up some big jobs around the farm. We finished the farm tracks, installed the remaining water troughs, and planted 100 native trees along the ridgeline of the Hill Paddock.
The trees will provide a much-needed windbreak from those crisp South Gippsland winds, as well as some cool shade for the cattle during the heat of summer. To give our tube stock the best chance of survival, we used Planting Systems tree guards. These guards are made from 100% recyclable plastic, are Australian-made, and come with an impressive 96% success rate when used with their full Plant Me system.
The system includes a tree starter mix, mycorrhizal powder, Root & Shoot tonic, and a Rain Catcher dish. The Rain Catcher delivers one litre of water to each tree from just 4 mm of rainfall. It also helps reduce weed competition while the plants are establishing.
With all our troughs now in place, we can begin subdividing our paddocks. This comes with plenty of benefits:
- Higher stock density
- Increased rest periods between grazing
- The flexibility to take paddocks out of rotation for pasture improvement
Smaller paddocks also mean cattle don’t have to walk as far to access water, so more of their energy goes into putting on weight!
The farm tracks were finished just in time. As I write this, it’s 7 degrees outside and raining sideways. The new tracks will allow us to feed out hay in the depths of winter without churning up the paddocks. They also provide a dry surface for the cows to rest on instead of sitting in cold, wet mud.
Stay tuned for our next update, where we’ll share how our Gippy dryland pastures are coming along, and the progress of the steers that will be processed at the end of the year.
Stay warm!
