Autumn is a very busy time - it’s a lot easier to get jobs done in autumn compared to the cold winter months! This season we finished calving, started repairing fences after the town was hit by a once-in-a-generation storm, sowed pasture for some winter feed, cut up lots of firewood and made sure our steers were finished off in time for processing (and snuck in a trip to Rockhampton for BeefWeek 2024).
Rainfall was highly variable this autumn - when it rained, it poured ,but apart from that not a lot of moisture fell in March and May:
March: 18.6mm (72.6mm in 2023)
April: 140mm (79.2mm in 2023)
May: 28.6mm (87.8mm in 2023)
It made fencing easy but meant we needed to use some of our hay supplies to bridge the gap between summer and the autumn break. That’s farming though and you need to be prepared for all situations and adapt on the run as you never know what could happen next.
Calving
In March, we welcomed the last of our 2024-drop calves. The first photo below shows a first-calver that was bred and born on Willarah Farm, with her sweet heifer calf. Her sister (third photo) also gave birth to a heifer - they are dead-ringers for each other! These cows - and likely their calves - will be retained as they are descended from some of the most productive cows on the farm. We are looking forward to this lot growing up and becoming an important part of our herd.
Pasture Improvement
At the end of March, we pulled the old Connor Shea drill out of the shed to sow some rye grass and clover into two of our poorer performing paddocks. The aim is to get a strong germination before winter and reduce the winter feed gap, as well as provide high-quality fodder during spring. We don’t use herbicides or artificial fertilisers on our pasture, so there are a few more steps involved to get a good strike.
Grazing Residual Grass: The first step involves grazing the residual grass to a low level at a high grazing density. On a conventional farm this step would be done with Glyphosate or another herbicide. Using cows you get the added bonus of some residual fertiliser left behind (dung).
Harrowing: Next, we drag the harrows around the paddock to spread the manure evenly and knock down any remaining dead grass. This prepares a clean surface for the direct drill to evenly distribute the seed. At this point, on a conventional farm quite often the paddock would be plowed up and all that is left is bare soil. This can lead the leaching of carbon from the soil into the atmosphere and disruption to the soil structure.
Seeding: Timing is critical, and we aim to seed just before a significant rain. Fortunately, we received 40mm of rain over the weekend following the seeding; this will give the seeds a great kick start.
Boosting Germination: Once the seed has germinated, we spray the paddocks with a product created by Season - Pasturemasta - to give the new growth an extra boost before winter sets in. Pasturemasta is a liquid seaweed extract that’s high in nitrogen and humates; it is organically certified.
These paddocks will be used to fatten the steers earmarked for our next beef release (late spring to early summer 2024). By then, the steers will be 18-20 months old and at an ideal age for processing - producing beef that is tender and jam-packed with the grass-fed taste that we love.
Fence Repairs
In April, we started repairing fences damaged by the Mirboo North ‘Boonado’ storm that tore through the area on 13 February 2024. We removed the old sheep mesh fencing and replaced it with three electrified wires. While this change primarily improves the appearance by allowing cattle to graze under the fence line, it also allows easier access for wombats, wallabies and other native species to travel through our property. Maintaining our fences is vital for the safety and management of our livestock; if everyone is in the paddock they should be, then that’s one less thing to worry about! Once the external repairs are completed, we will install additional internal fencing to create smaller paddocks, allowing for more rotational grazing and increasing the rest time for pasture. These repairs will continue into winter - as I type this I’m thinking I probably should be out the getting things moving.
Autumn Beef Run
Well that was a big month! In May, we sent the steers off to Radfords for processing, then jumped on the plane to Rockhampton for BEEF 2024 (no point waiting around for two weeks while they’re hanging, might as well have a holiday!)
When we arrived back home, Ben from Murphy’s Meats started the job of dividing the first steer into the ‘small freezer pack’ that we originally offered. These packs weighed in at 13 kilograms of packaged meat, and included a cross-section of cuts. We were pleasantly surprised with the carcass yield - though Speckle Park are known for providing a great return on investment when it comes to the amount of meat produced - and were able to fulfil all 12 orders from a single steer.
On the advice of our butcher, we marketed the second steer as 1/8th carcass packs (around 20 kilograms of packaged meat), and after hitting up social media, we managed to sell out in a couple of days - a perfect outcome! So far, the feedback has been really positive, which is rewarding after investing so much of ourselves into the process.
Our 1/8th pack
BEEF 2024
In May, we flew up to Rockhampton to attend Beef 2024. We had a fantastic time - you could spend days on end checking out the various stalls and exhibitions. It’s also a good opportunity to check out the cattle! Nearly every breed of beef cattle is represented and it’s an amazing opportunity to chat to breeders and learn about the give and take of each breed. The big Brahmans are always a hit with the kids, but I don’t think they would appreciate a cold Gippsland winter! There’s plenty of activities for the kid’s and when the sun goes down there’s plenty for the big kids too! This is the second time we have been to Beef Week and we’re already planning our next trip in 2027!
