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<blockquote data-quote="Farmer Roy" data-source="post: 5384026" data-attributes="member: 71668"><p><span style="font-size: 22px"><strong>Defying the drought: Farmers who have braced for the big dry</strong></span></p><p>Share</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/landline" target="_blank">Landline</a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/landline" target="_blank"></a></p><p> <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/landline" target="_blank"></a></p><p>By <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/marty-mccarthy/4635406" target="_blank"><u>Marty McCarthy</u></a>, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/aneeta-bhole/8256862" target="_blank"><u>Aneeta Bhole</u></a></p><p></p><p>Updated about 2 hours ago</p><p>First posted about 9 hours ago</p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-7" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088696-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-7" target="_blank">Many farmers face difficult decisions during times of drought — and having a 'disaster plan' for the 'worst-worst' situation can make the upturn during good weather much quicker</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088696-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>Many farmers face difficult decisions during times of drought — and having a 'disaster plan' for the 'worst-worst' situation can make the upturn during good weather much quicker</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>There is a drought spreading across eastern Australia and while it is severe it is not our worst. At least not yet.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Drought story stream </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/" target="_blank"><u>Australia's drought coverage</u></a></strong></span></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/" target="_blank"><u><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/10058006/data/custom-340x180-drought-cow-data.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></u></a></p><p> <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/" target="_blank"></a></p><p> <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/" target="_blank"></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/" target="_blank"><u>Farmers face difficulty across NSW and QLD with costs of stock feed and transport spiralling.</u></a></p><p></p><p>There are two major droughts which are stuck in the Australian psyche.</p><p></p><p>The 1895 to 1902 Federation Drought, during which the Darling and Murray Rivers ran dry, and the Millennium Drought which ran from late 1996 to mid-2010 and severely affected most southern cropping areas.</p><p></p><p>In southern parts of Australia, droughts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries have been found to be the worst in the last 400 years, and experts predict they will become more prevalent in the future.</p><p></p><p>For some farmers, the millennium drought was a turning point where they realised that if they wanted to keep farming in Australia they needed to embrace rather than battle an often unpredictable climate.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-14" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084130-3x2-large.jpg?v=4" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-14" target="_blank">Dams are drying out in drought stricken parts of Australia.</a></p><p>(Landline: Ben Deacon and Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084130-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=4" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>Dams are drying out in drought stricken parts of Australia.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Ben Deacon and Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Spending money when there is none</strong></span></p><p>In NSW's central west, farmers Laurie and John Chaffey have seen and read the stories about farmers in drought shooting starving livestock that they cannot afford to feed.</p><p></p><p>The Chaffeys don't ever want to be in that position, and that meant being prepared for this drought and future ones.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-18" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084134-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-18" target="_blank">The Chaffeys said they came up with a plan in November to preg-test their cows and anything not in calf went, even though they were loved dearly.</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084134-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>The Chaffeys said they came up with a plan in November to preg-test their cows and anything not in calf went, even though they were loved dearly.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>Cash flow is low at the moment, but the Chaffeys are investing in building drought lots — small pens where the mothers can give birth and still have access to plenty of food and water.</p><p></p><p>"You have got to have ewes in a good condition that they want to stay with the lamb and not toddle off where it's dropped," Mr Chaffey said.</p><p></p><p>"The lots will increase our lamb survival, so at the end we'll hopefully have a good lambing percentage and we'll protect the ewes with good nutrition.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-22" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084146-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-22" target="_blank">Sheep eating grain on a drought affected property in New South Wales</a></p><p>(Marty McCarthy)</p><p>Share</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084146-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>Sheep eating grain on a drought affected property in New South Wales</p><p></p><p>Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>The Chaffeys livestock nutritionist, Nikki Henderson, says she wants to see more farmers in drought-affected areas plan ahead to avoid having animals starving in paddocks.</p><p></p><p>"This is definitely [an] uncommon thing for this area but it's great what the Chaffeys are doing," she said.</p><p></p><p>"I've spent a lot of time in Victoria and South Australia and other areas and I see a lot more people setting up this sort of drought-lotting infrastructure for lambing and drought feeding."</p><p></p><p>In addition to the new drought lots, the Chaffeys also have two sheds full of hay, and three years ago installed silos to store grain as well as grain they wrapped in plastic and buried 20 years ago.</p><p></p><p>"Every drought is different and it is all about compromise and adjustment, the further you get the further you need to think about how you can prepare next," Mr Chaffey said.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-26" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090068-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-26" target="_blank">Figures from the Department of Primary Industries show that all of NSW is affected by the dry conditions, and almost one-quarter classified as being in 'intense drought'.</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090068-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>Figures from the Department of Primary Industries show that all of NSW is affected by the dry conditions, and almost one-quarter classified as being in 'intense drought'.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>Ms Henderson, who has clients throughout the central west, said many people are still holding out for rain rather than putting a long-term feeding strategy in place.</p><p></p><p>"There are people out there that I'm going to see who you set up with plans and talk about costs to feed through calving and they are still sitting back waiting and not planning ahead far enough to budget those feeds," she said.</p><p></p><p>Heidi Austin, a district vet with North West Local Land Services, said it can be difficult for farmers faced with the stress and pressure of drought to forward plan. They are just trying to get by day to day.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-30" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090020-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-30" target="_blank">It might be dry now — but there is always hope and having diversity in property means you can work with the weather more.</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090020-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>It might be dry now — but there is always hope and having diversity in property means you can work with the weather more.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>He lets his pastures rest by reducing most of his livestock. Currently, he only has 20 per cent of his usual herd.</p><p></p><p>Instead, he "flogs it" when it rains. That doesn't necessarily mean waiting for autumn or winter. It means waiting for rainfall, regardless of what time of year it comes.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-34" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084142-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-34" target="_blank">"When it rains it's like bringing in the herds across the Serengeti — when the grass is there we move them on, and when it isn't we move them off," Mr Kerin said.</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084142-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>"When it rains it's like bringing in the herds across the Serengeti — when the grass is there we move them on, and when it isn't we move them off," Mr Kerin said.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>"The animals put on weight quicker, which if you've matched stocking rate to capacity, means you've got them at a saleable weight a lot quicker before the season turns on you again."</p><p></p><p>As state and federal governments tinker away on policies to encourage farmers to prepare for drought, Mr Kerin says the push should come from farmers themselves.</p><p></p><p>"It's not so much about what governments can do. It's about if you want to change, if the need for change inside of you is enough to make you want to build a better future," he said.</p><p></p><p>"The adaption part. You have to tip out everything you know and re-establish a new paradigm of how to do business."</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Grass growth and green days</strong></span></p><p>Grazier Ardie Lord from Sutherland Station in north-west Queensland doesn't like to use the word drought, even though he's technically been in one for five years.</p><p></p><p>This year he's only had half his annual rainfall — which he refers to as a "light year" — but he looks for the positives in it.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-38" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084126-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-38" target="_blank">"I might be running a small number of animals but it just feels more comfortable for me to acknowledge I'm just having a light year and to be in balance with that," Mr Lord said.</a></p><p>(Aneeta Bhole)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084126-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>"I might be running a small number of animals but it just feels more comfortable for me to acknowledge I'm just having a light year and to be in balance with that," Mr Lord said.</p><p></p><p>Aneeta Bhole</p><p></p><p>Mr Lord uses grazing charts to plan 12 months in advance. If he doesn't think he has enough grass to feed his current herd through to the next wet season he begins to destock.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-42" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084144-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-42" target="_blank">The cost of feeding those animals and physical demands of getting food to the animals each day tires many farmers during drought.</a></p><p>(Landline: Aneeta Bhole)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084144-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>The cost of feeding those animals and physical demands of getting food to the animals each day tires many farmers during drought.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Aneeta Bhole</p><p></p><p>The stress during drought often comes from trying to maintain a large herd size even if they don't have the pasture to feed it.</p><p></p><p>"If we are having a light year and we're running the appropriate amount of animals it's pretty stress-free," Mr Lord said.</p><p></p><p>He cautioned farmers against letting their livestock get skinny, to a point they can't be sold.</p><p></p><p>"It's risky because that's our cashflow and that's our future, so if the animals are losing weight it means we're losing cashflow," he said.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-46" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084138-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-46" target="_blank">"We know what it's like to go through drought previously, so I feel sad for those in that position of being tight financially," Mr Marshman said.</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084138-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>"We know what it's like to go through drought previously, so I feel sad for those in that position of being tight financially," Mr Marshman said.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>"Trees are fairly resilient so they continue to grow even when rainfall is deficient, but with livestock we all know once it gets dry the money also dries up," Mr Marshman said.</p><p></p><p>Carbon farming for Mr Marshman means letting mulga regrow in paddocks where grass once did, and sheep used to graze. He can keep the cattle, because they don't pose a threat to the mulga.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-50" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084140-3x2-large.jpg?v=3" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-50" target="_blank">Mulga growing near Bourke in New South Wales as part of carbon farming project</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084140-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=3" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>Mulga growing near Bourke in New South Wales as part of carbon farming project</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>The mulga stores carbon, and the Federal Government buys that storage space off him, through the Clean Energy Regulator, in a bid to reduce Australia's overall greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p></p><p>"I would hate to think what sort of position we'd be in if we didn't have the regular income stream from the carbon farming," Mr Marshman said.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-54" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10079514-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-54" target="_blank">Sights like this dry dam on a farm in New South Wales make it hard to stay positive — but 'putting wood on the fire' won't help.</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy and Ben Deacon)</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10079514-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>Sights like this dry dam on a farm in New South Wales make it hard to stay positive — but 'putting wood on the fire' won't help.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy and Ben Deacon</p><p></p><p>Geoff Dunstan, a grazier from Cunnamulla in Queensland who also has turned to carbon farming, agrees.</p><p></p><p>"In a drought you're usually going backwards financially and rapidly working flat out, but at least being in the carbon trade you've got income coming in over that bad period," Mr Dunstan said.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-58" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088914-3x2-large.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-58" target="_blank">Agricultural flexibility is key if you don't know how much or when you are going to get rain.</a></p><p>(Landline: Marty McCarthy)</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/javascript:;" target="_blank"> </a></li> </ul><p><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088914-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>Agricultural flexibility is key if you don't know how much or when you are going to get rain.</p><p></p><p>Landline: Marty McCarthy</p><p></p><p>"We've moved a percentage of our cattle there to feed them, it's a lot easier to manage a smaller acreage when feeding livestock," Mr Marshman said.</p><p></p><p>He's also bought a third property at Narromine in NSW — it's insurance against drought, but also any potential collapse in the carbon-farming sector.</p><p></p><p>"We have a property in a higher rainfall area now and when it's dry here we can move livestock there. We have gone for more livestock properties so we aren't just reliant on the carbon farming," he said.</p><p></p><p>"You never know when the next drought will hit you so be prepared, invest in infrastructure that helps you be a bit more resilient in dry times that are not expected."</p><p></p><p><strong>You can see the story on Landline on ABC TV at 12:30pm or on iview.</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Farmer Roy, post: 5384026, member: 71668"] [SIZE=6][B]Defying the drought: Farmers who have braced for the big dry[/B][/SIZE] Share [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/landline']Landline [/URL] By [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/marty-mccarthy/4635406'][U]Marty McCarthy[/U][/URL], [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/aneeta-bhole/8256862'][U]Aneeta Bhole[/U][/URL] Updated about 2 hours ago First posted about 9 hours ago [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-7'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088696-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Many farmers face difficult decisions during times of drought — and having a 'disaster plan' for the 'worst-worst' situation can make the upturn during good weather much quicker[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088696-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Many farmers face difficult decisions during times of drought — and having a 'disaster plan' for the 'worst-worst' situation can make the upturn during good weather much quicker Landline: Marty McCarthy There is a drought spreading across eastern Australia and while it is severe it is not our worst. At least not yet. [SIZE=5][B]Drought story stream [/B] [B][URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/'][U]Australia's drought coverage[/U][/URL][/B][/SIZE] [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/'][U][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/10058006/data/custom-340x180-drought-cow-data.jpg[/IMG][/U] [/URL] [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/drought/'][U]Farmers face difficulty across NSW and QLD with costs of stock feed and transport spiralling.[/U][/URL] There are two major droughts which are stuck in the Australian psyche. The 1895 to 1902 Federation Drought, during which the Darling and Murray Rivers ran dry, and the Millennium Drought which ran from late 1996 to mid-2010 and severely affected most southern cropping areas. In southern parts of Australia, droughts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries have been found to be the worst in the last 400 years, and experts predict they will become more prevalent in the future. For some farmers, the millennium drought was a turning point where they realised that if they wanted to keep farming in Australia they needed to embrace rather than battle an often unpredictable climate. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-14'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084130-3x2-large.jpg?v=4[/IMG] Dams are drying out in drought stricken parts of Australia.[/URL] (Landline: Ben Deacon and Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084130-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=4[/IMG] Dams are drying out in drought stricken parts of Australia. Landline: Ben Deacon and Marty McCarthy [SIZE=5][B]Spending money when there is none[/B][/SIZE] In NSW's central west, farmers Laurie and John Chaffey have seen and read the stories about farmers in drought shooting starving livestock that they cannot afford to feed. The Chaffeys don't ever want to be in that position, and that meant being prepared for this drought and future ones. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-18'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084134-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] The Chaffeys said they came up with a plan in November to preg-test their cows and anything not in calf went, even though they were loved dearly.[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084134-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] The Chaffeys said they came up with a plan in November to preg-test their cows and anything not in calf went, even though they were loved dearly. Landline: Marty McCarthy Cash flow is low at the moment, but the Chaffeys are investing in building drought lots — small pens where the mothers can give birth and still have access to plenty of food and water. "You have got to have ewes in a good condition that they want to stay with the lamb and not toddle off where it's dropped," Mr Chaffey said. "The lots will increase our lamb survival, so at the end we'll hopefully have a good lambing percentage and we'll protect the ewes with good nutrition. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-22'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084146-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Sheep eating grain on a drought affected property in New South Wales[/URL] (Marty McCarthy) Share [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084146-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Sheep eating grain on a drought affected property in New South Wales Marty McCarthy The Chaffeys livestock nutritionist, Nikki Henderson, says she wants to see more farmers in drought-affected areas plan ahead to avoid having animals starving in paddocks. "This is definitely [an] uncommon thing for this area but it's great what the Chaffeys are doing," she said. "I've spent a lot of time in Victoria and South Australia and other areas and I see a lot more people setting up this sort of drought-lotting infrastructure for lambing and drought feeding." In addition to the new drought lots, the Chaffeys also have two sheds full of hay, and three years ago installed silos to store grain as well as grain they wrapped in plastic and buried 20 years ago. "Every drought is different and it is all about compromise and adjustment, the further you get the further you need to think about how you can prepare next," Mr Chaffey said. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-26'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090068-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Figures from the Department of Primary Industries show that all of NSW is affected by the dry conditions, and almost one-quarter classified as being in 'intense drought'.[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090068-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Figures from the Department of Primary Industries show that all of NSW is affected by the dry conditions, and almost one-quarter classified as being in 'intense drought'. Landline: Marty McCarthy Ms Henderson, who has clients throughout the central west, said many people are still holding out for rain rather than putting a long-term feeding strategy in place. "There are people out there that I'm going to see who you set up with plans and talk about costs to feed through calving and they are still sitting back waiting and not planning ahead far enough to budget those feeds," she said. Heidi Austin, a district vet with North West Local Land Services, said it can be difficult for farmers faced with the stress and pressure of drought to forward plan. They are just trying to get by day to day. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-30'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090020-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] It might be dry now — but there is always hope and having diversity in property means you can work with the weather more.[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10090020-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] It might be dry now — but there is always hope and having diversity in property means you can work with the weather more. Landline: Marty McCarthy He lets his pastures rest by reducing most of his livestock. Currently, he only has 20 per cent of his usual herd. Instead, he "flogs it" when it rains. That doesn't necessarily mean waiting for autumn or winter. It means waiting for rainfall, regardless of what time of year it comes. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-34'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084142-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] "When it rains it's like bringing in the herds across the Serengeti — when the grass is there we move them on, and when it isn't we move them off," Mr Kerin said.[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084142-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] "When it rains it's like bringing in the herds across the Serengeti — when the grass is there we move them on, and when it isn't we move them off," Mr Kerin said. Landline: Marty McCarthy "The animals put on weight quicker, which if you've matched stocking rate to capacity, means you've got them at a saleable weight a lot quicker before the season turns on you again." As state and federal governments tinker away on policies to encourage farmers to prepare for drought, Mr Kerin says the push should come from farmers themselves. "It's not so much about what governments can do. It's about if you want to change, if the need for change inside of you is enough to make you want to build a better future," he said. "The adaption part. You have to tip out everything you know and re-establish a new paradigm of how to do business." [SIZE=5][B]Grass growth and green days[/B][/SIZE] Grazier Ardie Lord from Sutherland Station in north-west Queensland doesn't like to use the word drought, even though he's technically been in one for five years. This year he's only had half his annual rainfall — which he refers to as a "light year" — but he looks for the positives in it. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-38'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084126-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] "I might be running a small number of animals but it just feels more comfortable for me to acknowledge I'm just having a light year and to be in balance with that," Mr Lord said.[/URL] (Aneeta Bhole) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084126-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] "I might be running a small number of animals but it just feels more comfortable for me to acknowledge I'm just having a light year and to be in balance with that," Mr Lord said. Aneeta Bhole Mr Lord uses grazing charts to plan 12 months in advance. If he doesn't think he has enough grass to feed his current herd through to the next wet season he begins to destock. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-42'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084144-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] The cost of feeding those animals and physical demands of getting food to the animals each day tires many farmers during drought.[/URL] (Landline: Aneeta Bhole) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084144-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] The cost of feeding those animals and physical demands of getting food to the animals each day tires many farmers during drought. Landline: Aneeta Bhole The stress during drought often comes from trying to maintain a large herd size even if they don't have the pasture to feed it. "If we are having a light year and we're running the appropriate amount of animals it's pretty stress-free," Mr Lord said. He cautioned farmers against letting their livestock get skinny, to a point they can't be sold. "It's risky because that's our cashflow and that's our future, so if the animals are losing weight it means we're losing cashflow," he said. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-46'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084138-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] "We know what it's like to go through drought previously, so I feel sad for those in that position of being tight financially," Mr Marshman said.[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084138-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] "We know what it's like to go through drought previously, so I feel sad for those in that position of being tight financially," Mr Marshman said. Landline: Marty McCarthy "Trees are fairly resilient so they continue to grow even when rainfall is deficient, but with livestock we all know once it gets dry the money also dries up," Mr Marshman said. Carbon farming for Mr Marshman means letting mulga regrow in paddocks where grass once did, and sheep used to graze. He can keep the cattle, because they don't pose a threat to the mulga. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-50'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084140-3x2-large.jpg?v=3[/IMG] Mulga growing near Bourke in New South Wales as part of carbon farming project[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10084140-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=3[/IMG] Mulga growing near Bourke in New South Wales as part of carbon farming project Landline: Marty McCarthy The mulga stores carbon, and the Federal Government buys that storage space off him, through the Clean Energy Regulator, in a bid to reduce Australia's overall greenhouse gas emissions. "I would hate to think what sort of position we'd be in if we didn't have the regular income stream from the carbon farming," Mr Marshman said. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-54'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10079514-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Sights like this dry dam on a farm in New South Wales make it hard to stay positive — but 'putting wood on the fire' won't help.[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy and Ben Deacon) [U][/U] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10079514-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Sights like this dry dam on a farm in New South Wales make it hard to stay positive — but 'putting wood on the fire' won't help. Landline: Marty McCarthy and Ben Deacon Geoff Dunstan, a grazier from Cunnamulla in Queensland who also has turned to carbon farming, agrees. "In a drought you're usually going backwards financially and rapidly working flat out, but at least being in the carbon trade you've got income coming in over that bad period," Mr Dunstan said. [URL='http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-12/defying-and-overcoming-the-nsw-qld-drought/10084358#lightbox-content-lightbox-58'][IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088914-3x2-large.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Agricultural flexibility is key if you don't know how much or when you are going to get rain.[/URL] (Landline: Marty McCarthy) [LIST] [*][URL='https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/javascript:;'][U] [/U][/URL] [/LIST] [IMG]http://www.abc.net.au/cm/rimage/10088914-3x2-thumbnail.jpg?v=2[/IMG] Agricultural flexibility is key if you don't know how much or when you are going to get rain. Landline: Marty McCarthy "We've moved a percentage of our cattle there to feed them, it's a lot easier to manage a smaller acreage when feeding livestock," Mr Marshman said. He's also bought a third property at Narromine in NSW — it's insurance against drought, but also any potential collapse in the carbon-farming sector. "We have a property in a higher rainfall area now and when it's dry here we can move livestock there. We have gone for more livestock properties so we aren't just reliant on the carbon farming," he said. "You never know when the next drought will hit you so be prepared, invest in infrastructure that helps you be a bit more resilient in dry times that are not expected." [B]You can see the story on Landline on ABC TV at 12:30pm or on iview.[/B] [/QUOTE]
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