Tim Nixon and parents Graham and Sandy farm together in the New Norcia region of WA. The 3,360ha family farming business, which includes a 300ha lease block, is based on the integration of a number of properties, each with a different enterprise mix. Noc Domini, purchased in 2004, totals 793 ha and is located 14 km south east of New Norcia. Enterprises on this property include sheep meat, cattle, grain and export hay. Average annual rainfall in the area is 500 mm (450 mm in the growing season), however in January 2006, the farm received 86 mm of summer rainfall.

Of the total 793 ha, 600 ha is arable, with a further 153 ha remnant vegetation. Half of this bushland is fenced off and the balance is able to be grazed. Noc Domini is close to the Nixon’s home farm west of New Norcia, but has lighter soil types and a climate with reduced risk of cold snaps and frosts due to its higher elevation. This property was cleared in 1974 and run as a mixed farming system before being heavily cropped for 15 years. In 2000, it was purchased by a city-based farmer who invested signifi cantly in infrastructure and pasture before selling to the Nixon family in 2004.

Prior to purchase by the Nixon family, paddocks were fenced according to soil type and contour, and four paddocks (approx 60 ha) were sown to Evergreen mix (Rhodes grass, panic, signal grass and Splenda setaria) and 40 ha planted to tagasaste in the 1990s. Water infrastructure had been upgraded signifi cantly with troughs run from bores that tap into the guaranteed supply of a major regional borefi eld. Extensive pasture reseeding had also been carried out to establish Frontier, Balansa and Arrowleaf clovers and Dalkeith sub clover. The

pasture establishment and seed bank is signifi cant, aided by the high input / high production operations of the previous cropping regime and the relative under stocking of the recent sheep and cattle regime. Tim is very impressed with the persistence of the Rhodes grass, even under heavy grazing pressure, drought conditions and in some cases, cover-cropping.

The majority of Noc Domini is dedicated to grazing, hosting 480 Angus cattle (180 breeder cows, 180 calves at foot, 70 mated heifers and 5 bulls), plus 400 Merino ewes, 200 Merino ewe hoggets, and 30 Poll Dorset and Texel rams. Stocking rates are matched to carrying capacity of different soil types to avoid wind erosion. Calves supply the Nixon’s feedlot enterprise on the home farm, ‘Border Reivers’. Grain and hay are used as inputs to the feedlotting enterprises and stubbles are used to background feedlot stock. The cattle

Graham and Tim Nixon

CASE STUDYTim Nixon - New Norcia

enterprise is a fi nishing feedlot with stock coming in at 300 to 350 kg and turned off at 400 to 460 kg over a three to four month period. About 550 head of cattle pass through the feedlot each year, with 200 head bought in and 350 head coming from their own herd.

Sheep production is based on Merino ewes mated to Poll Dorset or Texel rams. The Poll Dorset crosses produce heavier lambs than the Texel crosses but the Texel cross lambs fi nish quicker. The lamb fi nishing enterprise is based on Merino ewes because of a desire to maintain the Merino breeding that has been built up in the fl ock. The crossbred lambs are fed in a large paddock to avoid the health issues associated with feedlotting.

The remainder of the farm which is not grazed is cropped annually to wheat, canola, oats and hay in rotation with annual pastures (Balansa clover, arrow leaf clover and Dalkeith) and perennial grasses (about 96 ha). The export hay enterprise is used as a risk management tool, with the area cut varying from 50 ha to 300 ha depending on other commodity prices. Sub-soil acidifi cation is an issue and a liming

program sees 1.5 to 2.5 t/ha of lime applied each year, depending on soil test results.

Continuous cropping is not considered an option because the family want to retain pasture composition. The mixed cropping and stock system works for the Nixon family on Noc Domini as nitrogen levels are kept up, better wheat yields are gained following the pasture phase with less input costs and the wheat stubble traps more moisture and provides green shoots, enabling them to carry more sheep and cattle through. In addition, the stubbles are used for backgrounding cattle for the feedlot enterprises.

The Nixons believe that diversifi cation and fl exibility are the most effective counters to the threats of farming, such as higher input costs and low commodity prices. Future research interests include investigating the profi tability and sustainability of cropping hay over perennials, investigating ways to address nitrate contamination of a water source supply area and increasing the cattle carrying capacity of this farm.

Tim Nixon - New Norcia

For further information contact:Georgie Gardner

Victoria PlainsPhone: (08) 9672 1050

Email: gkgardner@bigpond.com

Rhodes grass at Noc Domini in response to summer rain, January 2006