Question I: Mix Farming
The Matthews, Justin and Rebecca, are the fourth generation to farm the original part of the property (900ha); over time and since the year 2000, they have added more land to now equate to 3000ha across three shires, Brookton, Wandering and Pingelly. Their enterprise consists of 65:35 cropping to sheep with 4100 Merino breeding ewes, of which 3000 are mated to Merino rams, and the remaining 1100 being put into their crossbred operation (FarmWeekly article of 23 August 2022).
i. What strategy/strategies are deployed at the farm to cope with the autumn feed gap?
ii. Describe the unique features of the sheep lick feeders developed by the Matthews? For more information about lick feeders in general.
iii. Having the cropping and grazing operating in sync has a positive impact on the farm's sheep breeding. How is this so? (i.e., What are their breeding objectives and strategies? And what does soil health and the nutrition of the sheep have to do with animal breeding?)
Question II: Sustainable Intensification of Production
The farm features three major components of sustainable intensification (SI) in food production, bioeconomic circling, natural resource management (NMR), and enhancing land productivity. Please explain each of the following strategies, their links to SI, their benefits, and drawbacks
i. Use of liquid digestate (by the company Richgro).
ii. Re-establishing native bush for dryland salinity remediation and biodiversity.
iii. Increasing yield/area (e.g., tonne of wheat grain per ha) by using the rock crushing machine.