Food and Fibre

Banana farming at Bartle Frere: minimising sediment and nutrient runoff into the Russell River

Posted on December 12, 2012
The next innovative project - farmer Brad Finch in a crop of canola, which he intends to use as fallow crop

With the magnificent Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain, in the background, the banana farm Brad Finch manages near Mirriwinni in Far North Queensland is a particularly striking property.   A banana farm for the last thirty years and a cane farm for an even longer period before that, the issue of sediment and nutrient runoff has long been a concern.  With the Russell River bordering a significant section of the 70 hectare farm, sediment and nutrient runoff makes its way in to the river and possibly downstream, in to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

Brad Finch made the decision to change his lifestyle two years ago, swapping commercial fishing off the coast for banana farming.  As soon as he began managing this farm, Brad started planning to upgrade to farming practices that help prevent erosion and better manage the health of the soil.  One of the changes he was keen to make was to carry out contouring of the rows of banana plants. Continue Reading…

14 Million Hectares of Healthier Land for Food and Fibre

Posted on October 11, 2012

Australia’s 56 regional natural resource management groups work have helped land managers improve the way they manage more than 14 million hectares of land. https://www.facebook.com/OurBigBackyard. There’s a lot happening in our backyard.

 

New farmer on the right path to protect our reef

Posted on April 18, 2012
The new boom built by Andy to help him spray over contours.

While land around Capella in the Fitzroy Basin provides perfect conditions to grow grains, farming is a challenging career path.

Local man Andy Hawken is proving it is never too late to start – after living in the area for over 20 years he recently acquired a share-farming block and began his journey to become a farmer.

New to the grains industry his neighbours suggested he contact Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Co-operative (CHRRUP), a sub region of Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA).

As a result he joined FBA’s innovative training program designed to assist grain growers to adopt best management practices, Grains BMP. Continue Reading…

Improved Farming System: A Case Study

Posted on September 19, 2010
Phil Deguara using the Controlled Traffic System

Third and fourth generation sugarcane farmers John and Phil Deguara began converting their Beaconsfield and Brightly farms to a Controlled Traffic System in 2003.

Reef Rescue helped the pair to finish modifying their equipment to suit the system, and purchase and install a Viper Pro Variable Rate Control Unit to improve the efficiency and accuracy of nutrient and chemical applications across the farms.

Continue Reading…

Corn and beans just got straighter

Posted on September 16, 2010
Andrew Sippel from the Mulgowrie Farming Company

Mulgowie Farming Company is working on getting more out of the land without compromising its health.

Australian owned and operated, Mulgowie Farming Company has been growing sweet corn, fresh beans and other vegetables for almost 30 years.

It was started by the Emerick family in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland, and now has 400 staff working 5,000 hectares in Queensland and Victoria. Mulgowie sells direct to supermarkets, agents and markets.

Continue Reading…

Trials endorse WeedSeeker cost-saving benefits

Posted on September 16, 2010
Demonstrating WeedSeeker in Biloela

CENTRAL Queensland grain growers are showing a keen interest in the cost-saving advantages offered by state-of-the-art WeedSeeker technology.

WeedSeeker has gained a tick of approval following on-going regional weed control research trials.

Judging by the avalanche of growers’ questions, there is no doubt that WeedSeeker spray demonstrations at five on-property grower meetings has allayed doubts and buoyed enthusiasm.

The trials and field days are part of a project to investigate WeedSeeker technology supported by Fitzroy Basin Association Inc. (FBA) with funding from Reef Rescue.

Continue Reading…

ABC-TV’s Landline talks up the positives of Reef Rescue

Posted on September 14, 2010
Landline journalist Pip Courtney interviews cane grower Mario Racanello about the Reef Rescue initiatives on his Tully farm.

More than a quarter of a million people tuned into ABC’s Landline program when it featured a special reef and agriculture segment – with over half the viewers being city dwellers.

Landline’s story focused on the Federal Government’s Reef Rescue incentive program compared with recent regulation brought in by the Queensland Government.

Landline was inspired to follow up on the story, after they had seen segments from CANEGROWERS ‘Virtual Bus Tour’ project.  Their intentions were to show the Landline audience some of the technology and good farming practices they had seen on the short cane movies.

The strong message for the Landline program, which has been covering agricultural issues across Australia since 1991, is that there are impressive things going on in cane.

Continue Reading…

Industry partnership proves right approach

Posted on March 15, 2010
Ivan Gowlett (photo courtesy QPIF)

A partnership approach has seen Grains BMP (Best Management Practice) adopted quickly and successfully across Queensland. Grains BMP was developed collaboratively between Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, AgForce, and Queensland’s regional natural resource management groups in order to help producers benchmark their grain growing practices against best practice industry standards.

A successful Grains BMP pilot in 2008 with central Queensland growers coordinated by Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) laid the foundation for the program’s success. Continue Reading…