Farming for the future at Fossil Downs
As owners of one of the largest private cattle stations in Australia, John and Annette Henwood have every reason to be proud of their environmental credentials.
On their 400,000 hectare property - half an hour east of Fitzroy Crossing in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia - they have witnessed devastating floods and drought, yet regenerating native plant species, erosion control and fencing off rivers continue to be a priority.
By focusing on soil health and native plant regrowth, the Henwoods are caring for their environment and producing healthier, more productive cattle.
Key Points
- Native plant species that had disappeared are returning due to moving stock around the property to rest each paddock
- Native plant seeds are collected by hand and distributed strategically across the property to build up native vegetation
- Erosion has been reduced by building humps and dams to manage the natural water flow, and positioning fences and roads to minimise erosion
Discovering native vegetation
It's not unusual to see John and Annette Henwood crouched over one of their many million native plants harvesting seeds and later to see them sowing these seeds by hand.
It's the kind of tenacity and determination you would expect from the 4th generation to manage the land, with Annette's family walking approximately 700 cattle from Goulburn, NSW to Western Australia in the 1880's.
Twenty years after John and Annette took over the farm, Fossil Downs experienced seven major floods in 10 years, with the worst seeing 5000 cattle lost, large tracts of fencing destroyed and the homestead extensively damaged.
Dealing with ongoing floods forced the Henwoods into a system of shifting cattle regularly to prevent stock losses. As a result, John identified the benefits that rotating stock had on regeneration of the land and the flow-on benefits for animal health. He found that by resting each paddock, the number of native species was increased and weeds were reduced.
John was concerned about the long-term loss of certain native plant types on Fossil Downs after hearing stories from an old drover in the area. As an experiment, John started collecting seeds from the native plants and spread them at specific sites across the property.
"In the beginning we had little success. In some cases, seeds would germinate and then disappear. However, in the paddocks where we were regularly moving the cattle, we noticed that the native plants were beginning to thrive and spread," John says.
"With the help of our agronomist, Bob MacDonald, we found that if we rested paddocks between cattle grazing, we could regenerate the native vegetation.
"Also, during the dry periods when protein levels in pasture drops, we were having difficulties in maintaining the cattle's weight. We found three particular native species - Blue Bush (Chenopodium), Ruby Salt Bush (Auroco-num) and Mulla Mulla (Pilotus Exaltatus) - were higher in protein and provided good all year round feed for our cattle"
"Collection and the spreading of these seeds, combined with the rotating of cattle regularly to let the paddocks rest - meant the seeds were able to seed once - or sometimes twice - a year."
By 2007, there was such an abundance of seed available for harvest that the Henwoods invested in a hand-held seed harvester that removed the outsides of the seeds, assisting them to grow.
Their land management improved dramatically, and the cattle, in turn, grew more quickly, increasing overall productivity and sustainability on Fossil Downs.
Maintaining native vegetation
Protecting and propagating vegetation, legumes, pastures and native plants is a high priority for Annette and John.
With the help of their agronomist, Annette and John plan to expand their native vegetation regeneration efforts by collecting and distributing the seeds around the property in locations where the most environmental benefit will be gained.
Each paddock is monitored carefully to ensure the native seeds and plants have enough time to fully establish before they are grazed by the cattle. By rotating the paddocks with cattle, the native plants help maintain the ground cover vegetation, and ensures faster regrowth of the native plants.
John is enthusiastic about the results of native vegetation, legume, pasture and native plants regeneration on Fossil Downs. "The native plant species that we have found are excellent protein sources for our cattle and they flourish with the cycle of cattle grazing, followed by a period of resting.
"So far we've focussed on vegetation, legume, pasture and native plants, but we want to start on grasses next,"said John.
And he's excited about the potential to build on this in the future. "As well as re-establishing plants, other unidentified grasses and trees have appeared where there were none or very few before. Who knows how many native plants exist here that we haven't yet detected?
Soil Health
Environmental work on Fossil Downs extends further than native pasture regeneration,
The Henwoods have implemented a number of erosion control measures to preserve the property. John and Annette have built humps on gullies to strategically manage the natural water flow on the property. They have also built dams to store water, and erected fences that are purposefully positioned on higher ground to minimise erosion.
Wide, flat, surface-graded roads are poistioned for fire control and maximum water disbursement. New roads and humps, meanwhile, are strategically located according to topography, water lines and gateways to avoid erosion before it starts.
Native regrowth has helped minimise erosion by reducing water run-off. Also with better vegetation ground cover and healthier soils, more moisture and carbon is stored within the soil.
"This not only helps us improve the environment on our property, but it has helped us boost our productivity and sustainability of our business," said John.
Rivers
The Henwoods have fenced off a good deal of the river frontage to prevent overstocking along the river. No small undertaking due to the difficult terrain. In a recent report conducted by the Western Australian government looking at the health of the Margaret River, found that the section of Fossil Downs had the healthiest pools of any part of the river.
Today and tomorrow
Today, the Henwoods manage approximately 15,000 Droughtmaster cattle - a breed developed for Australia's unique climate. The cattle are raised in an open, natural environment, with the young steers exported live to Indonesia, and the young breeder cattle sold privately.
"Farmers not only provide safe, good quality food, we also provide the care and custody of remote vast areas of land"
"Annette and I deeply care and respect our land and our livestock", says John. "We are the caretakers at Fossil Downs, a property that has been in our family for generations - and what's good for our property is good for the environment."