Welcome to Mulloon Creek Natural Farm’s new General Manager.

Jim Steele has had over 40 years’ experience in the agricultural industry including managing large agricultural enterprises in NSW and Victoria. Jim spent 15 years consulting for McMichael & Associates to a number of corporate and private clients. Over the last 12 years he established and ran a successful pasture raised organic poultry business applying regenerative principles, producing and selling high quality eggs and meat birds online. Jim attributes his success to having an holistic approach with extensive knowledge and skills in a broad range of agribusiness, organics and regenerative agriculture practices.

The Mulloon Institute is partnering with The Scots College (TSC) to develop programs that will fit under the NSW curriculum with a focus on regenerative agriculture.

CEO Carolyn Hall, Peter Hazell and Anne Gibson recently took part in a planning exercise with college staff and Morag Gamble from Our Permaculture Life to develop learning activities across humanities and science subjects. 

Carolyn, Peter and Anne shared their knowledge regarding landscape rehydration and regenerative agriculture principles with the TSC team to produce lesson outlines across 3 key subjects – soil, plants, and humans, drawing on the water story that the college has already developed. 

We look forward to further developing these and other lessons with The Scots College, and seeing them implemented in the classroom.  

On the afternoon of my first board meeting on 29 November 2019, I walked outside heading towards the Barn and Christmas party and turned around to see the huge plume of smoke rising from the headwaters of Mulloon Creek. I headed straight home and spent the next 72  days fighting fires at Jillamatong and at other properties around the Braidwood district.

MCNF’s Farm Manager at the time, Michael Fitzgerald, asked for assistance in the new year working with Cam Wilson and Sam Skeat to develop weed strategies, map out farm plans, tree planting and cattle plans. In June 2020, he took a new opportunity at a Fairfax property near Glen Innis and in July I was officially asked to be the interim General Manager at the farms. A few weeks later we had a one-in-50 year flood!

I’d like to thank the entire Mulloon team who faced challenging times with up to 30 vehicles bogged each week and chooks still needing to be fed and eggs collected. The entire Mulloon floodplain was fully rehydrated and the Mulloon and Sandhills Creeks were impassable, making it a long trip down the Kings Highway and then down Goulburn Road to get into the back of Duralla where most of the chooks were. Even the public road we usually use to drive into the farms collapsed. Hats off to the Palerang Council workers who kept going all night so that we could get our eggs out to stockists and ferry workers onto site to look after the chooks. 

Under Roberto and Maria’s leadership the entire team at MCNF have done an amazing job with everyone digging deep. This time last year we were producing 100,000 eggs per week, but this year our happy healthy chooks are rewarding us with 160,000 eggs per week. Big thanks to Harris Farm Markets and Tony Booth for continuing to receive and market most of our production.

With a bird flu outbreak in Victoria threatening to close down many egg operations we’ve had a massive program looking at our biosecurity procedures. We’ve also been talking with staff about what they like doing, what they want to do more of, and how they see the business could improve. This has resulted in a much more efficient operation and a plan of how to continue being a premium biodynamic, pastured raised, organic egg operation at the leading edge of the market.

We’re currently running a fantastic weed control project trialling different ways to treat serrated tussock, including over fertilising them. When you’re next driving to the Barn you may notice orange tussocks. These have been over fertilised not poisoned, with grass and clover growing up through them.

Our ongoing use of Biodynamics preparations continues to dramatically improve soil health. We are engaging Biodynamics expert Hamish McKay to run workshops for staff and ‘friend of Mulloon’. He is also training up MCNF employees Juan and Faith to be the Biodynamics team leaders. So far, they have made over 600 kg of Biodynamic preparations, enough to fertilise the entire Mulloon Rehydration Initiative. Juan and Faith are also in charge of the new recycling compost structures.

We have started sowing multi-species planting (over 20 species) to further build our soil and plant biodiversity and the chooks love the extra choice of plants to feed on. We look forward to seeing them seeing them jumping up to eat the sunflower seeds.

The installation of a number of leaky weir structures along Mulloon Creek as part of the Mulloon Rehydration Initiative is helping to rehydrate the old ‘Long Swamp’ and allowing us to grow grass all summer for the chooks. 

Human resources has taken up a lot of our energies in the last twelve months and I’d like to especially thank Carolyn and Raymon for assisting and our new human resources manager Alison. 

Other major projects during the year included: renovating Duralla homestead; staff volunteers helping to plant 200 shade trees; treating serrated tussock along the entire Home Farm road; digging a new gravel pit; designing new cattle yards; and designing a new Biosecurity shed.

While taking on over 50 staff in three fields (production, research and construction) and 40,000 chooks was not how I intended 2020 to turn out, I’ve had a thoroughly enjoyable experience and feel it is set for continued success under the incoming General Manager Jim Steele.

Thanks to my dedicated staff back home who made it possible for me to undertake this role.

Martin Royds, Interim Farm Manager

A Parliamentary Friends of Soil event was held at Old Parliament House this week to help raise the importance and relevance of soils and soil health in Australia. The event was arranged by members from both sides of the House in preparation for World Soil Day on Saturday 5 December 2020.

TMI CEO Gary Nairn, Board member Martin Royds and Research Coordinator Luke Peel were invited to attend with speakers including Deputy Prime Minister and group co-chair Michael McCormack who mentioned his 2018 visit to the Mulloon Institute, National Soils Advocate Penny Wensley, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, and Labor MP and group co-chair Linda Burney.

All honoured the amazing work and legacy of previous Soil Advocate Major General Michael Jeffery who retired in August 2020 after eight years in the role. The new ‘General Jeffery Soil Health Award’ was announced in honour of his work and to recognise the innovative work being done to improve soil health in Australia. Nominations open on 5 December 2020 and individual farmers, land managers, extension specialists and educators are encouraged to apply.

At Mulloon Consulting (MC) we believe in regenerative agriculture.  Our innovative approach works to re-establish the natural function, fertility and resilience of agricultural landscapes and incorporates the work of a range of ground-breaking regenerative farmers. MC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Mulloon Institute, a world class research, education and advocacy organisation. We provide technical advice to landholders on restoring natural landscape function; landscape rehydration; and rebuilding soil fertility.

The Role

We are looking for a someone to join our consulting team who shares our passion to influence change in regenerative environmental and agricultural practices.

You will be someone who can partner with our landholders and industry stakeholders to generate and deliver innovative land management solutions. The type of work you can expect to get involved in includes:

• identifying appropriate regenerative land management measures.

• developing surface and groundwater management designs.

• working to achieve regulatory approval for projects and developing grants for funding future works.

• partnering with stakeholders to identify new consulting opportunities, creating effective relationships and consolidating the Mulloon Consulting’s reputation for technical excellence and true long-term value for landholders.

• sharing your passion and getting others across industry, community and government engaged and excited about regenerative landscape management practices by undertaking outreach, education and capacity building.

To be able to work effectively with our stakeholders you will be required to regularly travel in and around the ACT/NSW region with occasional travel interstate. This role requires you to balance working independently and also contribute to a wider consulting team that connects in regularly.   

Our Criteria

To be successful in this role you will need to have:

• appropriate qualifications and experience in natural resource management and/or agriculture, with demonstrated knowledge of the fundamentals that underpin regenerative landscape management;

• strong technical skills in physical geography, hydrology and hydraulics and design of in stream structures for landscape rehydration;

• experience with GIS mapping tools;

• exposure to design software (Vectorworks or similar) and/or hydraulic/hydrological modelling tools would be advantageous;

• demonstrated ability to confidently communicate, negotiate and partner with stakeholders to see projects through to fruition;

• ability to work within a team environment, where communication, sharing of ideas and support for each other are key.

• be able to demonstrate consulting skills that includes following up on new business, presenting proposals and the delivery of projects within timeframes and budget;

• ability to provide a high standard of oral and written technical advice, being able to translate this advice in plain language for a wider audience;

• demonstrated understanding of work health and safety and required risk assessment frameworks, plus ability to work un-supervised; and,

• a current drivers’ licence and own vehicle.

A competitive, tailored remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidate, commensurate with experience.

How to apply:

To apply you need to submit a cover letter, outlining your skills and experience against the above criteria and your resume to Alison Peart via email at alison@themullooninstitute.org 

CLOSES: Sunday 13 December 2020

For more information or a confidential discussion about this exciting opportunity contact Alison via email in the first instance.

We proudly present to you the Mulloon Institute’s 2020 Annual Report, in what has been a most challenging and exceedingly dynamic year.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

Sam Skeat has been presenting at several field days in northern Queensland recently with the message that rehydrated landscapes are more resilient to fire and drought, and can help mitigate some flooding effects. This In turn benefits local creeks and ultimately the Great Barrier Reef with water kept on properties and reduced sediment runoff. The events were organised by NQ Dry Tropics.

Flagstone field day 

Held at Flagstone Station and Mt Pleasant Station near Bowen in north Queensland, this event showcased cost-effective gully interventions such as diversion banks and porous check dams, with Sam presenting on on-ground techniques to prevent soil runoff by capturing and holding water in the landscape. 

Graziers were also able to see first-hand how producers have increased water infiltration, reduced erosion and maximised pasture function.

This event was funded by the Queensland Environment Department Reef Water Quality Program and is part of the Landholders Driving Change project. 

Landscape Rehydration Field Day

Landholders Matt and Sally McKeering hosted around forty graziers at this event at Carinya Station near Alpha in early November 2020. 

Sam described how managing land to reinstate natural water flow can increase soil health and pasture cover, thus extending the growing season and increasing drought resilience. 

The event was funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and supported by CHRRUP as part of the Burdekin Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator project.