Tom Abbottsmith Youl - Tom's Paddock
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Transcript of Tom Abbottsmith Youl - Tom's Paddock
Synergistic increases to productivity on small farms
Tom Abbottsmith Youl B.MEng
TOM’S PADDOCK
TOPICS• What we do at Graceburn Farm?–Biodiversity–Primary Industry
• Benefits & Difficulties– Planned Rotational Cattle Grazing– Mobile, Nomadic Chooks
• Future opportunities & Questions
The Abbott Smiths have been stewards of this Devonian, sedimentary landscape (ancient and infertile) since the 1960s.
Graceburn Farm (130Ha)
Wildlife Habitat – in drainage line
BIODIVERSITYTfN Covenanted Wildlife corridors
Threatened Long-nosed Bandicoot in protected habitat
Ring-tailed possum
Little Pied Cormorants Nesting
PRIMARY INDUSTRYSelf replacing cattle herd
Selling Grass Fed Beef direct to the public and weaners through sale yards.
Joel Salatin
Paddock Eggs from Nomadic Chooks, delivered to Cafes, retail outlets and sold direct to the public.
BENEFITS
Planned Rotation for Cattle Grazing (Mowers)
Daily grazing Plan - a 5 monthly cycle, helps manage risk
Steady animal nutritional curve (fibre & protein)
Complete utilisation of pasture
Promotes perennial diversity in pasture
Eliminates overgrazing
(of highly palatable plants)
Better distributed of manure(no stock camps)
Stock density (trampling aids in feeding the soil)
BENEFITS
Mobile, Nomadic Chooks (Fertilisers)
•
Eating grass and bugs (produces very tasty eggs)
Chooks spread cow pats (as they hunt for bugs)
Chook poop adds fertiliser to pasture
Moving away from their poop (aids Chooks health)
Off farm Feed, drought proofs egg income
Ethical food production (clean, green and nutritious)
DIFFICULTIES
Planned Rotation for Cattle Grazing
Expense of water and fencing infrastructure
Keeping one largemob with different
food requirements
Daily commitment to temporary fencing setup
Cattle quickly become tame (reduced flight distance)
DIFFICULTIES
Mobile, Nomadic Chooks
Poop is not evenly distributed, it concentrates under trailers (450 Chooks, 5t/Ha in two days)
Collecting eggs is a daily job (7 days a week, 52 weeks a year)
Must be moved regularly (as ground is impacted)
Laying percentages fluctuate throughout the year (molting and weather)
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIESOther integrated Tom’s Paddock enterprises?– Pasture based Meat Chickens, Turkeys, Pigs– Chicken and Beef STOCK– Dehydrated Dog Treats– Specialised Veggies, Mushrooms, Bush Tucker– Farm scale compost (sale to the public)– Farm Stays, Farm Tours, Workshops, Education – Aquaponics, Yabbies– Farmed Kangaroo, Rabbits (30+ kittens/year)
QUESTIONS?