West Vic farmers who cut emissions to combat extreme weather are reaping the benefits

Kaniva sheep farmer Steven Hobbs and Panmure beef farmer Stephen Warth are better prepared for the El Niño event declared last week, following years of work reducing emissions and building new management plans on their properties. 

❓What happened: On June 16, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) officially declared an El Niño event. This locks Australia into a six-month weather pattern that reduces cloud cover  and potentially rainfall, increasing drought and bushfire risk. 

Andrew Watkins, adjunct professor at Monash University’s School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, told the Brolga an El Niño event doesn’t guarantee drought, but when paired with climate change boosts the chance of more time in drought and extreme heatwaves.

Many West Vic farmers are changing how they farm to reduce their emissions. What’s now becoming clear is that these changes are making their land more resilient to extreme weather conditions. 

Yarrock Farm: Steven Hobbs and his family run a sheep farm on about 800ha in the Wimmera, 18km north west of Kaniva. 

🗣️: “My focus has always been on trying to be as efficient as I can with my resources,” Hobbs told the Brolga. 

Hobbs has enacted several new livestock management and grazing practices on his farm, which have increased the amount of carbon in his soil. More soil carbon creates better soil resilience, fertility and water retention. 

Over five years, Hobbs said the carbon percentage in the soil went from 0.4 to 0.9. 

• “It offset the whole farm for 2022, and [an extra] 18 percent on top of that. The way we manage our livestock, that’s where many emissions come from in farming. 

• “The combination of rotational grazing and changing animal management has surprisingly helped us build soil carbon.” 

With El Niño confirmed, Hobbs said Yarrock Farm is prepared, as he has planted dual-purpose crops including peas, canola, barley and oats. This means if the crops are damaged due to weather conditions, they can be re-used for another purpose, like feeding stock.

In Panmure: Stephen Warth is a veterinarian and beef farmer in Panmure, south west Victoria, and he is implementing similar grazing techniques with his cattle to aid carbon cycling, the process by which carbon moves through atmosphere, soil, oceans and living organisms. 

🗣️: “Everything we do is focused towards resilience,” Warth told the Brolga. 

His property is also biodiverse, mixing a variety of annuals and perennials when planting. 

• “We’re trying to get multi-species in every paddock,” Warth said. “Another thing with the multispecies is an improvement in soil health, leading to better water infiltration and water holding capacity.” 

Warth said ensuring his ground is covered with living plants and leaf litter as often as possible meant his land was better prepared for drought due to evaporation and better rain capture. 

But he also said creating a buffer of feed for drier times was crucial. Warth utilises a rotation system where paddocks are rested for 90 to 150 days. This allows him to have feed available should his livestock require it.

Warth said people were already asking him about El Niño, in his capacity as a vet and a farmer. His advice?

🗣️: “I’d start thinking about getting hay while it’s still cheap. Start planning and start monitoring the grass in front of you. Start your budgets. Last year was tough, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.” 

On June 15, Agriculture Victoria released an updated booklet - in which Hobbs’ Wimmera property was used as a case study - to assist Victorian farmers in reducing their emissions. 

Header Image: Steven Hobbs (left) and Stephen Warth (right)