Press Releases

For more information on any of these stories please contact Robin Major on 0405 199 836.

15/10/2001 - Farm Security Seminar in Sydney
03/08/2001 - 'Hands On' Soil Seminar in Sydney
22/06/2001 - City Farmer forms Community
03/04/2001 - Natural Animal Health Seminar in Sydney
16/03/2001 - Cattleman teaches low stress stock handling techniques
27/02/2001 - New Technology Launched at Tocal

Farm Security Seminar in Sydney
Released:15/10/2001

City-based farmers will find out how to reduce the likelihood of becoming victims of theft at an Innovative Farming seminar on farm security held at the City Tattersalls Club in Pitt St, Sydney from 6-8pm on 8 November.

Inspector Peter Nunn, the head of NSW's new rural crime units, says absentee farmers such as those based in the city are vulnerable to theft from their own managers and local criminal elements who strike when no one is home.

Inspector Nunn will present practical suggestions on how city-based farmers can protect themselves against theft of household items, fuel, farm equipment and livestock. He will also explain how the new rural crime units work and how they are combating specific problems such as stock theft rings.

The cost of the seminar is $20 (including light refreshments). For further information or to register visit www.innovativefarming.com or call 02 9459 3320 during working hours.

'Hands On' Soil Seminar in Sydney
Released: 03/08/2001

City-based farmers will have a chance to get their hands dirty at a 'hands on' soil seminar being held at the City Tattersalls Club in Pitt St, Sydney from 6-8pm on 4 September.

NSW Agriculture agronomist Jacinta Christie will talk about assessing soils in terms of their physical, chemical and biological properties and relate this information to soil management.

Topics to be covered include determining soil pH and its effect on nutrient availability, soil texture, dispersion (measure of the organic matter in the soil), structure, interpreting soil tests and determining suitable fertiliser programs and soil health in terms of biological activity.

Ideally participants will also bring along a plastic bag of soil so they can measure and assess their own soils.

The cost of the seminar is $20. For further information or to register visit www.innovativefarming.com or call 02 9459 3320.

City Farmer forms Community
Released: 22/06/2001

The lack of a social and educational forum for people who live in Sydney but own farms has led one such person to set up his own.

Gerry Carroll, who owns a cattle property at Mulloon near Braidwood and is CEO of the North Sydney-based software engineering company Object Oriented Pty Ltd, established the Innovative Farming 'community of interest' for city resident farmers in October last year.

The first event was a seminar on 'Managing a Farm from the City'. The speaker, Simon Fritsch from agricultural consultancy Hassall & Associates, spoke about the ins and outs of employing farm managers and forming farm syndicates.

Response to the community concept was positive so seminars have been held every two months ever since.

"City resident farmers share a deep-rooted love of the country and farming but are not especially likely to know one another so this is a common meeting ground for us in the city, " says Carroll.

Speakers all have practical backgrounds, either being farmers or professionals who work with farmers. Topics have included the design and planning aspects of farmhouse construction, low stress stock handling techniques, the future of farming and the internet, natural animal health and cell grazing.

The first seminar was held at the Rugby Club near the bottom of George Street but the seminars are now held at the City Tattersalls Club in Pitt Street to cater for growing numbers.

"Having a central city location is important for our members," says Innovative Farming manager Robin Major. "They mostly work in or close to the central city so we want to make it easy for them to come along after work."

In April a bimonthly newsletter was launched including information on coming events, farm software reviews and farm management tips.

Past seminar presentations can be downloaded from www.innovativefarming.com

Innovative Farming is open to anyone who owns a farm. There is no cost to join but members pay $20 to attend seminars. For further information phone 02 9459 3320 or visit the website.

Natural Animal Health Seminar in Sydney
Released: 03/04/2001

Australia's leading chemical-free animal health practitioner, author and consultant Pat Coleby will speak at an Innovative Farming seminar in Sydney on 16 May.

Pat Coleby of Maldon, Victoria has devoted her life to the development of natural farming methods through practical experience in her own farming enterprises on different properties.

She is the author of nine books on natural land management and animal husbandry and has helped hundreds of Australian farmers seeking advice about natural farming methods. Some farmers want to reduce costs. Others seek to produce organically to gain a premium in the marketplace. Many are experiencing expensive, critical health problems in their livestock.

At the seminar, called "Natural Animal Health", Pat will talk about how to restore animal health problems using vitamins and minerals. She will then explain how to restore the balance and fertility of the soil to prevent the problems recurring using soil analysis. Pat puts most problems down to the use of artificial chemicals which 'tie up' essential minerals in the soil.

The seminar, from 6-8pm costs $20 per person. To register visit www.innovativefarming.com or call 02 9459 3320.

Cattleman teaches low stress stock handling techniques
Released: 16/03/2001

NW Queensland cattleman and professional trainer Jim Lindsay will hold two-day stock handling schools in Camden, in the Sydney basin, on 30-31 May and 2-3 June and at a private property on the Kings Highway between Bungendore and Braidwood near Canberra from 5-6 June.

Lindsay, from "Kentle" station near Hughenden, teaches low stress stock handling techniques that work with, rather than against, animal instincts. Key concepts include handling stock from the side rather than from behind and working the invisible flight zone to induce movement or calm a herd down. The result is less stress for the animals and less frustration for the handler.

Lindsay learnt most of what he knows by closely observing how working dogs quickly size up and work a herd despite their size.

"I have worked this out from dogs. They can handle an animal, if given time, without inflicting pain and so can we if we get some skills and practice. Working livestock is simple but we tend to miss some basic things," says Lindsay.

The first half-day of the school will be spent inside learning the psychology of stock. The rest of the time participants will be working sheep and cattle inside and outside yards.

The principles Jim teaches apply equally well to any herding animal and any number of them. They also apply whether stock are worked on foot, horseback or motorbike.

The school is suitable for complete novices through to experienced producers looking for an edge to better quality meat and fibre.

To request a brochure about the schools contact Innovative Farming, phone 02 9459 3320 or fax 02 99565089 or email info@innovativefarming.com

New Technology Launched at Tocal
Released: 27/02/2001

The busy streets of North Sydney are a world away from the lazy rolling hills of the Southern Tablelands. But with the help of a bunch of wireless sensors, actuators, a set-top box and some clever software, city dweller Gerry Carroll is still able to monitor and control what is happening on his cattle property at Mulloon Creek even when he isn't there.

That's because Gerry is CEO of the rural oriented Australian-owned applied technology company NatTel which is trialling a prototype remote monitoring and control device on his property. This device, called the ComBox, will be displayed to the public for the first time at the Innovative Farming stand at the Tocal Field Days.

After six months of development, the ComBox was installed on Gerry's property last December. Wireless sensors and actuators including weather sensors, movement sensors, electric fence monitors and house monitors collect information about environmental and equipment conditions. Using modern unlicensed band wireless transceivers, these devices transmit information back to a set-top box located at the house.

The set-top box is attached to a personal computer but could just as easily be attached to a television. It presents data gathered from around the property in an intuitive way ensuring changes can be viewed at a glance. It also triggers alarms in the homestead when motion sensors detect unauthorised entry.

When Gerry leaves the farm he sets the set-top box to remote mode. This means when he is back in the office in North Sydney he can access the system through the internet via a secure login and receive email updates with the latest property information. If motion sensors are triggered an alarm message is left on his phone or he gets a call from a central messaging service. Gerry forwards these alarms to his farm manager for further investigation.

Future additions to the prototype installed at Gerry's property include pump actuators, video cameras, RFID tag readers, microphones and bush fire monitors.

Although the ComBox is ideal for the property owner who is frequently away from the farm, it is also suited to any property owner that wants to reduce the need for patrols and monitoring visits to outlying parts of the property.

The benefits of using the ComBox are increased peace of mind, time saving and convenience. The product is also flexible because the software and hardware can be seamlessly changed and is linked to a 10-hour backup battery if power failure occurs.

No complicated training is needed to learn how to use the ComBox and once the product is commercialised local service providers will ensure it is fully supported.

There will periodic live links to Gerry's property during the field days from the Innovative Farming stand in the land management area.

Extra hospitality at Tocal for innovative city farmers

As a marketing adjunct to its R&D activities, NatTel is developing an Innovative Farming Network for city-based farmers.

At Tocal Innovative Farming will provide a hospitality lounge at its stand for its members who are visiting the field days. Membership of the network is free and open to any city residents who also own farms.

Innovative Farming also holds seminars in Sydney from 6-8pm on weeknights every two months and occasionally organises other longer follow-on educational events in convenient locations such as two day Stock Handling Schools in Camden. For further information visit the Innovative Farming stand, visit www.innovativefarming.com or ring 02 9459 3320.