Mason Chatwin is an up and coming junior AFL player COMMUNITY Tasmanian ENGAGEMENT RUNS DEEP Flinders Island runners doing the circuit As well all know, sporting and community clubs in regional towns SPRING 2016 often form the backbone of social interaction and cohesion. Greenham Tasmania has always been a big HERE COMES THE SUN GAP COMES supporter of local football, netball, The rain kept falling across the basketball, hockey and cricket OF AGE state with most parts receiving Thanks to the hard work of our throughout the years. In recent above average falls during livestock team, the number of success, Mason Chatwin was selected winter and even more in the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) to represent Tasmania in the under last month. But we’ve now seen program participants is now the 15 team at the National Schoolboys Grand Champion sash presented to Daryl things swing around, the sun many hundreds and the recent Championships and since been Heazlewood at the Royal Launceston Show has come out and the season rounds of audits is complete. To chosen to play for the ‘Wanderers’ at should be kicking off well and those in the program, we would the International Rules competition like to take this opportunity to truly. It is pleasing to see the in Ireland, France & UK in 2017. thank you for undertaking your hydro levels come up again and In addition, we have recently lent audit. We see a big future in support to running events in Flinders relieve some of the challenges programs like GAP and with your Island, the Royal Launceston Show, of power shortages. support we can produce, market and sell our superior Tasmanian the Sorrento Sharks and coming up in Media personality Rita LIVEWEIGHT SCALES beef to some of the largest early December; we will be supporting Panahi speaking at the REMINDER organic and natural retailers in the King Island Races. Sorrento Sharks event A reminder to all that ALL cattle America and others throughout The GAP program is attracting breeders and finishers of all sizes. delivered to our liveweight our numerous export markets. buying centres MUST have Demand for our natural beef brands CIRCULAR HEAD an NLIS ear tag and must continues to expand, and together we RED MEAT UPDATES be accompanied with an will be able to continue to supply and As Kristen says, “these days, traceability FARMERS develop these markets to the benefit of all is vital and I would even urge all breeders up to date LPA (#0413) or UNDER LIGHTS stakeholders in the supply chain. to be accredited in order to supply to GREENHAM branded NVD backgrounders and fatteners with vendor Circular Head farmers Andrew Kay and Matthew Want to know more about GAP? Our (and don’t forget to state the bred cattle”. Lester hit Etihad stadium as special guests at Natural Beef Program Manager, Kristen number of your QA program Kay - can help you with all steps including: the Cape Grim Beef match day sponsorship For more information, – ie, Dairy QA accreditation Compliance, Accreditation and Handling. please call Kristen on: 0409 330 795 against St Kilda. Andrew was called to the stage number). We cannot accept to talk with media personality Seb Costello to your cattle without these. talk about beef production in Tasmania and why Matthew Lester and Andrew Kay getting some stage time at Etihad KEYS TO COMMUNICATION – A record 333 participants went our product stands tall amongst all comers. BULLDOGS TAKE OUT to the 2016 event in Launceston THE DOUBLE WE NEED YOUR HELP! We’re are very pleased to be Technology has changed many aspects In light of these changes, we are conducting Greenham Tasmania was proud to again WINTER PIES associated with the Western of how we all do business not least the a simple online survey of our suppliers support the recent Red Meat updates Bulldogs as a platinum way businesses communicate with their to understand how they currently use technology to receive information across event, a producer driven initiative which AT BANJOS sponsor of the team as they customers and their suppliers. updates our industry on the latest Did you eat one of the Banjo’s Cape Grim Beef media of all kinds. The celebrate their fantastic AFL bottom line is this – How can developments, training opportunities and Meat Lovers Pie during August? Their winter & VFL premiership wins. You we do better in getting our showcases research findings and best campaign was a great success, adding onto Over 12,000 Meat Lovers pies might have seen the Cape Grim information out to you in the practice within the sector. were sold during August their already popular range of pies featuring Beef branding on banners or most EFFICIENT and USEFUL the Cape Grim brand. on the LED signage at Etihad way? Please copy this link stadium throughout the past into your WEB BROWSER - https://www.surveymonkey. Sadly, news arrived that our partner in the Brighton live weight scales and local identity, Geoff Taylor, season. We’re looking forward com/r/Greenhamsurvey succumbed to a short battle with illness. Most farmers in the area knew Geoff and he will be sorely VALE to continued success on and off It will only take five minutes missed at the weekly ‘men’s shed’ gatherings. As Southern region representative, Danny Sinclair the field in the coming years. and can be answered GEOFF notes, “Geoff loved being a part of it and he was adamant the scales should continue, especially for Go Doggies! anonymously. Your support locals to catch up and share a sausage, cuppa and a story.” With thanks to the family, the scales are in this is appreciated. expected to continue and remain an important meeting spot for farmers in the region. Peter Greenham TAYLOR Please undertake our five minute survey today

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“The area is naturally at all. Initially I also thought I might be too blessed with 30-35 inches small for the program but I can definitely of annual rainfall and the see the opportunities for operations like climate to grow almost mine,” James said. anything,” says James. So what does the future hold for the seventy “We could produce great four year old? “Well, I would really like to vegetables but there’s get my breeding herd up to ninety head, nowhere close that can purchase some more land and also complete process them so The old probation station the wallaby proof fencing as well.” and walnut tree “The overall plan is to get the family farm finished first and then tackle the Hope Island project. As you saw, the thistles can grow so with the vitality of youth on his over two metres tall and the blackberries are side, James got involved with the prevalent but I will spray them out and get burgeoning Abalone industry as a those pastures cranking again!” license holder and diver. On an interesting note, The Mercury in 1860 Back in 1970, as James notes, talked of ‘unoccupied Crown Land in the “it was $100 for the license and Southern part of the Huon valley’ – “the

with 28 units of 400kg under one The breeding herd on climate is admirably adapted to farming. license; you could imagine the value the Dover property Frosts are in some places comparatively they got to at various times?” Heady unknown, and the most luxuriant vegetation I stick to beef as well as plantation timber days indeed, James explains. “One trip we prevails during the entire year… So on the land that’s not good enough for brought 38,000lbs back with us – and I mild and genial are the seasons, that pasture.” also hold a record for the longest dive of summer resembles spring, and the winter fourteen hours underwater!” Having been through a farm restructure more temperature is never sufficiently low to recently, James now runs sixty red angus check the growth of the most tender plant. The small mob of Hereford x on Hope Island are healthy indeed Determined to diversify, he started out rearing beef with 500 acres in the eighties breeding cows on about one to three acres With such advantages as these the farmer and purchased a further 1000 acres of and buys bulls from a Phillip Island stud. will have surely little cause to grumble.” adjoining land. In fact local properties were “Gee they calve well,” James says, “I’ve Likewise, James Gould has been a custodian being offered with frequency. James recalls never lost one with these red angus cattle, of Hope Island for sixteen years and can ISLAND OF HOPE a local telling him that, “if something comes they do a great job.” Calving in march and definitely see the potential in it still. “I’m up in the area, and even if you can’t afford holding onto them for 9-10 months, he had 74 years old now - “Ive got to go for it son. There are plenty of fascinating stories from We travel over to Hope Island from it, BUY IT James! - Because you only get one previously been dependent on access to Or it will be too late,” James says with a within the Greenham Tasmania supplier Dover jetty in a tinny, hoping to chance - so every property that came up, I silage and hay but he’s recently bought a glint in his eye of a man who is certainly not group and Meatworks Messenger recently locate some of its current Bovine bought.” silage wrapper so can keep a bank of feed finished. had the opportunity to travel south of residents. We asked James how long in front of the herd and put some more the Huon valley to Dover where another since he had seen his cattle and Did you know much about beef breeding weight into them. interesting yarn has its origins. he replied, “Gee it has to be over we asked James? “At that stage, we didn’t a year I’d say,” as we approached really have that much knowledge about Any particular reason that he goes for red Hope Island is the largest island within the bank. herd improvement or rotational grazing, it angus we ask, “Yeah cos they’re not black!, Esperance Bay alongside the smaller Faith just came along.” everyone has black ones so I and Charity Islands. South Bruny Island “The place is naturally set up quite thought let’s go with something can be seen from the Dover Jetty, and then nicely,” James says, “there are five else. In fact I do like red cattle; further south, the channel opens up to the natural springs dotted around the they just weren’t the flavour of rugged Southern Ocean. Former abalone island and just look at this soil!” How good is this soil? the month,” James adds. diver and local producer, James Gould, pointing at a handful of classic James shows off the red dirt has held the lease from Tasmania Parks & volcanic ferrosol soil, so highly James’ ‘Stanmore’ property Wildlife since 2,000 and is the tenth lessee regarded in Tasmanian farming. In fact, is GAP accredited and he to work the island since 1850. the pastures are a mixture of Rye grass sells roughly 45 feeders to been kind to them as they have grown out and mixed clovers but further areas will registered finishers in the According to historian Dorothy Baker, it was to Jap-Ox weight. be opened up by spraying the thistles and North West like the Kay initially operated as a probation station blackberries. “It will take a day at least, to get them back family of Togari. Andrew Kay for convicts from the Dover and Southport over to Dover on the barge given their size,” commented the last mob he areas in the 1840’s where up to 100 men Taking a walk around the island of 66 acres, James says. took were fantastic, “they lived and worked growing vegetables it did take some time to find the small were quiet to handle and and splitting wood. Baker continues, mob of Hereford X heifers and steers. They The Gould family made its way to Dover fattened up very quickly.” “Typically a convict sentenced to 7 years were understandably timid and took some in 1948. James’ parents opened up a transportation would be given a sentence time to get used to their guests but kindly bakery business that serviced the local “I thought the GAP audits of 12 months at the station where he would allowed us to take some pictures. What area, Southport and as far south as the might be a bit onerous Greenham’s Danny Sinclair and James with Adamsons Peak in the background usually work under close supervision, a healthy looking bunch? The three years Recherche Bay area. The family also tried James’ hope is to take the island back to the former but after doing a couple, working in gangs and wearing leg irons.” they have been on the island had certainly their hand at farming with limited success glory of neat and tidy pastures like that of the 1950’s. I’ve realized it’s not hard

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