When you raise lambs on 1,500 hectares (about 3,700 acres) of natural pastures in Victoria, Australia, the foundation of your business is the grass itself! Like many farmers with pasture-based operations, Charles de Fegely thinks of himself as a grass farmer first, and a sheep rancher second. Protecting the soils, planting trees for shelter and creating an environment that’s “low touch” to minimize stress on the animals are all keys to a successful and sustainable farm.
As excerpted from Target 100:
Our story...
We believe the most productive and profitable farming comes from working with nature, not against it.
We have a breeding flock of about 6000 ewes as part of our prime lamb and wool operation on 800ha of land we own and 700ha that we lease.
Our farming system relies on perennial-based pastures which give us good feed throughout the year, protect the soil and help us to maintain a low cost structure.
Our property has been a focus for many producers, researchers and extension officers to inspect the latest pasture and livestock technologies. Our key focus is on pasture production and utilisation to ensure that we have the most efficient and best quality pasture for our animals.
We’ve also focused on increasing the survival of twin-born lambs in Merino ewes. We’ve found that putting small mobs in small paddocks with good shelter works extremely effectively, delivering an excellent survival rate for twins.
We have put in a laneway system to allow stock to move around by themselves, rather than being herded. Our philosophy is that a good flock looks after itself so we leave our animals alone as much as possible. When we need to do husbandry work it is done undercover.
As part of our whole farm plan we regularly plant trees for shelter belts for the sheep, providing protection for them in the heat and cold. We are a member of our local Landcare group and aim to plant between 1000 and 2000 trees each year.
We have fenced off creeks and invested in a fully reticulated water system throughout the property.
In terms of feral animal and weed control we have continual programs to control rabbits and have our own equipment to manage weeds.