Wool production & biodiversity Testimonialworking together for The McKemey Family

Above—from left, Dan, David, Helen, program ran out of steam – we Sophie, Hannah and John McKemey. Introduction weren’t getting the response we used

to. You have to try something John and Helen McKemey and their children, Daniel, Hannah and David, different when the wheels fall off.” ‘Willow Park’ own ‘Willow Park’ and nearby “After doing the ‘Grazing for Profit’ Location ‘Karingal’ and run the two farms as a course with Resource Consulting 25 km east of Guyra, New England family partnership. John’s father Services in 1990, we decided to try Tablelands NSW, Macleay catchment purchased and developed ‘Willow cell grazing.” Property size Park’ in the 1940s. ‘Willow Park’ 1500 ha (3707 acres) The McKemeys run a Merino wool and Pastures, paddocks ‘Karingal’ 434 ha (1072 acres) beef cattle trading operation as well Paddocks as back-grounding cattle. They source & water 130 (‘Willow Park’) and 16-19 micron Merino sheep which cut The McKemeys use 2-wire, steel-post 51 (‘Karingal’) around 3.6 kg wool/head. They buy electric fencing to subdivide their Average annual rainfall cattle in spring, fatten them across country for cell grazing. On ‘Willow the summer and sell prior to winter. 813 mm (32 inches) Park’, paddocks range in size from 7- They changed to a trade operation in Main enterprise 15 ha, while at ‘Karingal’, paddocks 1999 from a prime lamb enterprise for Fine wool (16-19 micron) and beef are smaller (7-8 ha). The country is cattle (both trading operations) the preceding 40 years. subdivided according to land type Stock numbers The McKemeys have progressively (similar aspect and soil type). 15 600 Merino sheep (18 600 DSE), up adopted high-intensity, short-duration John has become disenchanted with to 250 cattle (2500 DSE) in summer (‘cell’) grazing since 1991. This cultivating country. “Where pasture testimonial describes their Stocking rate was sown after potatoes, I still see management and experience with cell 10.9 DSE/ha (4.4 DSE/acre, combined individual tussocks, not complete grazing over the past 15 years, and sheep and cattle) groundcover years later. I know we the many positive changes they have Main soil types did it for decades, but the effects of witnessed for both farm profits and ‘Karingal’ – red and black basalt soils cultivation are detrimental and long ‘Willow Park’ – red and black basalt the environment. lasting – I think it might do the soil soils, grey ironstone-basalt soils more harm than good.” Vegetation types Land use history “We prefer to go with fertiliser than a Formerly grassy white gum, mountain Most of ‘Willow Park’ and all of re-sowing program. We have enough gum and black sally woodland, now ‘Karingal’ have been heavily modified of the good grasses, sown and native. mainly cleared. 140 ha of silvertop stringybark and white gum old-growth over the years. “Clearing began on If a pasture is not performing, we do open-forest on steep eastern fall of ‘Willow Park’ in 1948 and continued a soil test, and if the test suggests we ‘Willow Park’. at the rate of 50-100 acres per year need to fertilise, we do. Daniel until 1960,” says John. “By 1963, the trialed five tonnes to the acre of cow Elevation property was virtually all cleared and manure with fantastic results. At 1110-1350 m a.s.l. (‘Willow Park’) sown to pasture apart from small ‘Karingal’, we had good responses to 1305-1355 m a.s.l. (‘Karingal’) patches of trees.” chemical fertiliser and rock phosphate.” Contents Other modifications include drainage Introduction ...... 1 works, dam construction, potato Land use history ...... 1 growing, pasture fertilisation and the Below—High intensity, short duration or cell grazing is practised at Willow Park. Pastures, paddocks & water ...... 1 planting of introduced trees and Succession planning ...... 2 shrubs. Stock management ...... 2 “The sown pastures and fertiliser Pests & weeds...... 2 went pretty well for a while, but we Monitoring ...... 2 learnt you can’t stop still in land Benefits of cell grazing ...... 3 management if you want to stay in business,” says John. “We applied a Reforestation...... 3 hundredweight of superphosphate to Heritage values ...... 4 the acre for many years, but by the Positive outcomes ...... 4 end of the 1980s, nothing was responding. Our regular fertiliser

Page 1 growth periods, the grazing period Succession gets out to 1.0-1.5 days in, followed planning by up to 90 days rest. The McKemeys feed bypass protein The McKemeys believe in making the (e.g. cotton seed meal, urea or grain) most of their human resources. Once in winter. the children were educated and ready to get involved in the family business, John and Helen included them in Pests & weeds decision making, and encouraged them Invasive perennial grasses are John’s to take on different roles in the biggest concern—in particular, African management team. Above—A circular ‘wagon wheel’ water point under construction. The high posts lovegrass and Chilean needle grass. Today, Daniel and Hannah run the allow hot wires to pass over the top of Infested areas are being subdivided operation and make most of the day- ten gateways that will open on to a and watered during 2006, and the to-day management decisions. David central trough. McKemeys intend to monitor the has been traveling and working in effects on these species. Australia and overseas for a few years, Troughs are preferred for watering and will also return permanently. stock, as the sticky basalt dams were Because cell grazing favours perennial dangerous for the sheep when there grasses, John worries that it could Helen and John plan to stay on around was a lot of bare soil around them. promote these species and even the fringes to help mainly in a spread them as a result of stock Water is pumped from Boundary directorial capacity. They are keen movements. “Obviously, we try to Creek and reticulated across much of that everyone gets to experience each miss badly infested paddocks when the role in the business. “We intend to the property to large concrete round grasses are in seed, but there may be move people around in the troughs watering several paddocks, one or two plants in paddocks that you management structure so that often in a ‘wagon wheel’ design. everyone gets to try stock management One or two reliable, spring-fed dams are not aware of.” or human resources or marketing, and were cleaned out, fenced and are “A patch of Chilean needle grass I has knowledge of the whole show,” also reticulated to troughs. have been watching since 1994 hasn’t says John. “It is very, very important become any worse since we began cell that they’re taking on a business they John was worried that timid sheep in grazing it in 1996. This is heartening. are thoroughly familiar with”. the large mobs were not getting a drink because the circular concrete “Rabbits are the most feral thing we troughs are a bit high and some have. We’ve been working on them in sheep were not approaching the a couple of areas, and I have been central hub. Plastic troughs are now astounded by the difference in the put along the line for the sheep in pastures after we’ve cleared them up. addition to the central troughs. In I thought it might have been the soil newly subdivided country, 5-m long or maybe the fertility in these areas, troughs are being installed. “The but it was probably the rabbits all the stock don’t look as stressed in hot time.” weather with this system.” Boundary Creek and Wollomombi Monitoring River have been fenced into small The McKemeys believe in monitoring creek paddocks to provide water as their business and resource base to part of the rotations. fine-tune their management. They do Stock management this in several ways. Pastures and soils have been Above—A diverse cell-grazed pasture of 'Willow Park' runs about 17 000 dry valuable summer (redgrass) and winter monitored annually on ‘Willow Park’ (cocksfoot) active grasses. sheep equivalents (DSE) in good and ‘Karingal’ since 2001 by Dr Judi years but stock are sold down to Earl from Agricultural Information and Below—100% groundcover in a weeping rice 11 000 DSE in droughts (e.g. 2002). grass (Microlaena)-white clover pasture in Monitoring Services. stringybark open-forest. 'Karingal' normally runs 3000 DSE in a mob. Dan says, "We're trying to “We get to know what direction our change our focus from DSEs per acre pastures are heading in,” says John. to groundcover and livestock “Some respond very quickly to changes in grazing management, condition." others show no response. It’s hard to "The goal is to maintain 100 per cent predict or know why, but it’s groundcover, so mob size, number important to be sure of any changes. and the speed of the rotation are Memory is not very reliable in these adjusted to ensure pastures have circumstances.” sufficient rest.” In terms of farm business recording In periods of active pasture growth, and mapping systems, Hannah has the grazing period on ‘Willow Park’ been using the Practical Systems’ is as short as 0.50-0.75 days, software, Farmbook, FarmMap and followed by 60 days rest. In slower Cashbook.

Page 2 “The programs are a great way to The reduction of bare soil and record the day-to-day farm erosion along Boundary Creek has information, from finances to been one of the most telling impacts production,” says Hannah. “The of cell grazing for John. “We always reports and ease of use make for had spring-fed, clear-flowing creeks, efficient, valuable feedback on farm but they were eroding in places. Cell performance. All our cell grazing grazing healed the creek, and it paddock and water designs have been happened very quickly. It’s a great done in FarmMap. This has made the story. We skip the riparian paddocks process of fencing to land type and in wet weather if we don’t think the providing water far more accurate and sheep will like it, so the river and easier than before.” creeks tend to get longer rests. They High-intensity short-duration grazing have really shown the benefits.” ensures even utilisation of pasture, Benefits of cell According to John, cell grazing has including these (above) cocksfoot and also helped with sheep parasites. (below) poa tussocks. grazing “Barber’s pole worm is non- In the McKemeys’ experience, existent here now. Worm control subdividing the country and has been excellent and we may go implementing cell grazing has a year without drenching. Fluke has allowed them to increase the reduced but can still be a problem. number of stock and saved them We conduct regular egg counts.” time and money. Reforestation In the steeper eastern country which they only recently subdivided, there Much of ‘Willow Park’ and ‘Karingal’ was a lot of poa tussock on the south is very bare of trees and shrubs. The facing slopes. John saw an immediate plan has been to fence along ridge response in terms of pasture lines and plant trees and shrubs for utilisation. “The stock trampled the shelter and wildlife. As Helen points tussock. This took away the shading out, “Restoring land costs money, and allowed the clover and softer and unfortunately the surpluses grasses to come through. By forcing usually haven’t been there in the the stock into this country and past 20 years to do much Below—A drainage plain formerly utilising it, we increased production.” conservation work”. dominated by swamp foxtail, converted to cocksfoot-phalaris-fescue pasture by “By fencing to land type, we have also However, in the past 5 years, with fencing to land type and cell grazing. used fencing to push cattle into the help from funds sourced by Southern swampy drainage flats. The sheep can New England Landcare, the now follow them in because there’s McKemeys have fenced out 10-15 km less rank growth and better sheep of ridgeline and linked up remnant pick,” says John. “The swamp foxtail native vegetation in the process. A on the flats gives way to fescue and local nursery was contracted to clover if it’s kept short enough.” plant 19 000 native Hiko seedlings in “Every year there have been 8-row shelterbelts in the ratio 20:80 changes. Scotch thistle has trees:shrubs, and to provide a range diminished. Poa tussock and Blady of flora for wildlife. Stock are grass have disappeared, and there is excluded from the tree lines and most of the plantings have been less Patterson’s curse and bracken.” successful as windbreaks for stock “The perennial introduced grasses and and wildlife corridors. better natives like redgrass and According to John, “We want to paddock lovegrass are coming back focus on improving ‘Willow Park’ due to the long rest periods. There’s less rat’s-tail fescue, crabgrass, barley Below— Planted windbreaks of native Below—Cell grazing has allowed palatable grass and tussock under cell grazing. It trees and shrubs link to scattered trees pasture plants like phalaris, paspalum and allows all the better species, including and stands for livestock shade and poached egg daisy to reclaim the sheep the natives, to have a go.” shelter, and to encourage wildlife. camps at the expense of thistles. “You don’t see any sheep tracks in the pastures anymore—they’re all healed. Native paper daisies filled in the tracks close to the woolshed, and palatable golden everlasting and poached egg paper daisies come and go in the different paddocks now where the thistles once did. Groundcover and litter have improved dramatically.”

Page 3 rather than buying country elsewhere. and occasional fencing timber and We want to see every ridge planted firewood,” says Hannah. with a tree line. Our vision is to have John explains “We run a longer, a series of enclosed sub-catchments. lighter rotation in the timber. The It’s a good feeling to be doing it, but stock use the shelter when they need you need to look after them; young it, but they don’t move into it much. trees take a lot of looking after.” “We also have an Aboriginal site Heritage values [stone arrangement] on top of one of the timbered hills. It’s nice to have The McKemeys recently bought steep, and it doesn’t cause any problems.” The Native Vegetation and Biodiversity sub- well-timbered country adjacent to program of Land, Water & Wool is working with ‘Willow Park’, running down to wool growers and demonstrating that Positive outcomes biodiversity has a range of values, can add cleared slopes and flats along the wealth to the farm business and can be managed Wollomombi River. The timber Financially, the business is sound, as part of a productive and profitable provides excellent shelter and the with gross margins for the wool and commercial wool enterprise. cleared country expands their cattle enterprises of $200/ha and Disclaimer—The information contained in this production base. According to John, publication is intended for general use, to assist $190/ha (5-year averages), public knowledge and discussion and to help “There’s platypus in the River and respectively. “You have to pay a lot improve the sustainable management of land, wallaroos in the timber. I was of attention to economics to make it water and vegetation. It includes general astounded to see so many different pay these days,” says John. The statements based on scientific research. Readers are advised and need to be aware that this kinds of bird and mammal in the McKemeys’ business model of information may be incomplete or unsuitable for Land, Water & Wool surveys on our including the whole family in the use in specific situations. Before taking any place.” decision making and allocating action or decision based on the information in this publication, readers should seek expert management roles underpins their The 140 ha of dense silver-top professional, scientific and technical advice. To financial success. the extent permitted by law, the stringybark and white gum timber on Commonwealth of Australia, Land & Water the eastern fall contain old-growth In terms of being ecologically and Australia (including its employees and trees and a dense shrub understorey. economically sustainable, “Cell consultants), the authors, and the Land, Water & Wool Program and its partners do not assume Wattles are regenerating in places grazing has been quite a success,” liability of any kind whatsoever resulting from and there’s a steep gully with a says John. “It’s not for everyone— any person’s use or reliance upon the content of permanent stream, rainforest vines you’ve got to be tuned into animal this publication. and mesic shrubs amongst the timber. production. Some people are just not Copyright—of this publication, and all the interested. We have trade stock, information it contains, jointly vests in the Land “We protect the timbered areas but others like breeding, but that makes and Water Resources Research and Development we also use them for stock shelter, Corporation, with its brand name being Land & cell grazing complicated. With trade Water Australia, and Australian Wool Innovation stock, you’re not attached to them— Limited. Both Corporations grant permission for the general use of any or all of this information you have much more flexibility. provided due acknowledgement is given to its However, you have to be prepared to source. put on stock from all over the place, The Land, Water & Wool Northern Tablelands and that has disease and weed Project is led by Associate Professor Nick Reid, implications.” University of New England, in collaboration with Southern New England Landcare Ltd and the Cell grazing at ‘Willow Park’ and Centre for Agricultural and Regional Economics. ‘Karingal’ has been positive for the Authors—John and Hannah McKemey with Nick environment, as well: 100% ground Reid. Photos—Nick Reid, unless otherwise cover and high levels of pasture specified. Date—May 2006. Editing & design— Kàren Zirkler. biomass even at the end of grazing periods means clean water, no For more information, contact: Above—The eastern fall country running erosion, and a highly productive mix • Southern New England Landcare down to the Wollomombi River is currently of desirable native and introduced PO Box 75A, Armidale, NSW 2350. being fenced and watered for cell grazing, Telephone 02 6772 9123 with the heavily timbered areas fenced pasture species. The McKemeys’ Facsimile 02 6771 2656 into larger paddocks. purchase of eastern fall forested Email [email protected] country with significant natural, Below—Dense stringybark timber with old- • Associate Professor Nick Reid growth elements and a wattle and cultural and production values and Ecosystem Management, University of New blackthorn understorey on the eastern fall the reforestation program of native England, Armidale NSW 2351. country. tree and shrub corridors and Telephone 02 6773 2539 Facsimile 02 6773 2769 windbreaks also make for a more Email [email protected] sustainable business. • www.landwaterwool.gov.au The commitment, innovation and pioneering grazing management of two generations of McKemeys are another fantastic, and inspirational example of profitable, biodiverse wool production.

Page 4 Product ID: PB061361