NEW CLASSIFIEDS

CATTLE
For Sale

Sale Date: 30/04/2010 10:00:00 AM
Auction: 602 EASTERN STATES
Sale Date: 30/04/2010 10:00:00 AM
Vendor: JENNIFER McCAMLEY
Description: 80 Comprising 40 RED/HONEY BRAHMAN 40 GERY/WHITE BRAHMAN. - A B/DOUBLE LINE OF QUALITY SPEYED No8 Milk & 2 tooth ************ORGANIC CERTIFIED HEIFERS ************ PRESENTED IN FRESH STORE TO FORWARD CONDITION, ALL WEIGHED FULL - 320 TO 400kg WITH A HANDFUL UP TO 430kg. HEIFERS WITH FRAME THAT WILL FEED WELL ON GRASS OR GRAIN TO MEET THE DOMESTIC AND ORGANIC MARKETS. REFER TO *******SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF SALE******* Cattle Organic USDA Nop
Location: DINGO (Organic Certified Heifers/Speyed)
Contact: COL CAMPBELL on 0429068810
For photos and further details visit http://www.auctionsplus.com.au/Photos/view_details.aspx?SID=45668

Auction:602 EASTERN STATES
Sale Date: 30/04/2010 10:00:00 AM
Vendor: JENNIFER McCAMLEY
Description: 74 Comprising 35 BELMONT / BRAHMAN X 25 CHARBRAY X 10 TULI X 4 MANDALONG SPECIAL X. A B/DOUBLE LINE OF QUALITY SPEYED No 8 Milk & 2 TOOTH ********* ORGANIC CERTIFIED SPEYED HEIFERS ********** PRESENTED IN FRESH STORE TO FORWARD CONDITION ALL WEIGHING FULL 320 TO 400kg (to av 350kg empty), HANDFUL UP TO 430kg. CROSS BRED HEIFERS WITH FRAME TO FEED WELL ON GRASS OR GRAIN TO MEET THE DOMESTIC AND ORGANIC MARKETS.  Cattle Organic USDA Nop
Location: DINGO (Organic Certified Heifers/SPEYED)
Contact: COL CAMPBELL on 0429068810
For more information go to www.auctionsplus.com.au/Photos/view_details.aspx?SID=45669

40 mixed sex Weaners available
Angus/ Shoralais cross
200-340kg, 40 are soft mixed sex weaners
Enquiries, please Ph: Ian Perkins or Sue Propsting 0408 059 377 or 07 4661 8386
Location: Stanthorpe
(posted 29/4)


GRAINS
For Sale
Approx. 130 round 6x4 bales of certified organic cereal and ryegrass hay.
No rain damage.
Enquiries Ph: 0458 961 226 or (08) 8576 5283
Location: Lameroo Organics, SA
(posted 9/4)


REAL ESTATE
For Sale
89 Acres of certified organic/biodynamic land on the Comboyne Plataeu
Property Features:
* Permanent water with running creeks and high annual rainfall
* Rich red volcanic soil
* Fully fenced
* Dairy bales, additional shedding and infrastructure
* Established free range egg production
* Comfortable large weatherboard home
* 4 big bedrooms
* Close to Comboyne Village (shops and school)
* Easy drive to Wauchope and coastal beaches
* Superb rural lifestyle with the potential to diversify
Location: 161 Colling Road, Comboyne NSW
Price: $795, 000
For more information, including photos, please click here
(posted 27/4)

REAL ESTATE
For Sale
Fully certified biodynamic (Cert #ACO 8005A) property for sale; an organic operation, on 8.35 hectares (20 acres) in Lambells Lagoon, 50 kms SE of Darwin.
Property is situated on a natural rise with well drained soil at the end of a quiet dirt road. There is an existing plantation of Red Lady papaya,  approx' 1000 trees.All other cropping areas (including a block area of approx'  3 acres  and approx'  5 kms of  100 mtr rows ) are presently cropped with a green manure of mung beans. These rows all have established pvc and poly irrigation mains-bore runs well at 3litre/sec.
Certified packing shed with dimentions of- 7.5m wide, 16m long and 3.6m high.  Shed contains a 5 x 6 m coolroom ( internal area will fit 12 pallets) , mango grading equipment, and 2 alluminium packing benches, banana spinning wheel, 2 x jacks, harvesting lugs x70, picking poles, seed stock, certified organic nutritional inputs comprising of - 8 tonne cert org base nutrients. Three phase power to bore, coolroom, compost tea brewer, and hot dip equipment.
Nursery area includes 2 x igloos set up with internal overhead misters and shade-clothed outside area is approx' 6m x 10m  and contains 4  x  6m long, 1m wide potting benches. 100's of dragonfruit cuttings - red flesh variety. Nursery adjacent to tractor shed.
Excellent relations in place with wholesale agents in melb, sydney and brisbane.  This operation has supplied zuchinni, eggplant,  basil, cucumbers, chillis, pumpkin, watermelon, rockmelon, mangos and papaya to these markets.
Growing conditions during the dry season are perfect for supplying the southern winter market with these produce lines.
(Our ACO certification also extends to cover a neighboring paddock of 5 acres for melon crop and a neighbouring plantation of 1000 KP mangos)
Very large, ground-level, besser block house with high-set ceiling includes 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, spacious open-plan living area, lrg kitchen and dining area, with ceiling fans throughout. Adjoining undercover carport and one outside shower hidden amongst jasmine and hibiscus. 
(3 x caravans situated between nursery and house have been utilised for WWOOFer accommodation)
BONUS: more farming equipment than you can poke a stick at!!!......( a full list will be made available on request )
Selling price, $900,000.00
For more information, please contact David and Tamara, Ph: 08 8984 9288, E: hu_organics@yahoo.com.au
(posted 9/4)

POSITIONS VACANT
Organic Dairy Farm Employee
Are you honest, reliable and self motivated? Do you have an interest in cows, calves and genetics? Are you able to work in a small team environment and show initiative?  If so, a position is available on a progressive Organic Dairy Farm in the South Gippsland area.  A three-bedroom house is available to the right applicant.
For more information, contact 0428 641 266.
(posted 13/4)

Market Update

Exciting times ahead for the organic lamb industry

Organic lamb prices are sitting at 570c/kg over the hook dressed weight (domestic).

Following on from the torrential rain that hammered through Queensland and Western New South Wales earlier this year, Western District growers are now facing the enviable prospect of feed reserves for as long as two years with flood waters currently moving through the Cuttaburra and Paroo systems West of Tilpa.
 
Toby Scales, Senior Buyer for Cleavers Organic Meat said it is a very exciting time in the organic prime lamb industry – even if weather conditions over the next two years provide only average rain totals.

"Growers out west will continue to have sufficient feed to finish the bulk of lambs produced and maximise their returns. Even farms that are closer inland are also experiencing above average seasonal conditions – overall, the outlook is looking extremely good for most organic lamb producers and unlikely to change much," Mr Scales said.

“With growers now flush with forage, our only problem is convincing them to bring the lambs in," he said. 

"With everyone wanting to get the maximum weights, this has unfortunately left us critically short on stock.  There is also that added concern that everyone will try to schedule deliveries at the same time and swamp the market," he said.

Market wise, demand continues to be steady with prices staying strong.

 *Please contact Cleavers well in advance when organising deliveries, as booking have had a marked increase in the last two weeks


Organic Beef weighs in

Organic beef prices on the East Coast are at 380c/kg - 420c/kg for milk and two tooth domestic (180-260kg beast) and export (250kg and over).

The torrential downpour received earlier this year has dramatically improved conditions throughout all Queensland.

Peter Gall, Livestock Manager with The Organic Meat Company said Queensland is experiencing one of the best seasons in more than 10 years.

"The quality coming through is excellent, due to the abundance of feed now available," Mr Gall said.

“We have had quite a few cattle coming forward that weren’t finished last year, and we have also been receiving heavier cattle – a requirement for export,” he said.

Market wise, demand is still strong, however the high dollar is still taking its toll with export.

Organic Wagyu client assists in drought struggle

On March 18 & 19, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Tony Burke MP, had his rural advisory committee, the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC), assess the Dunedoo-Mudgee area in its’ application to be reinstated for the Exceptional Circumstances (EC).

The visit saw the members of NRAC obtain information directly from farmers about how the drought has affected production and what conditions are required to enable some recovery from the drought.

The Dunedoo-Mudgee region has already being a recipient of an EC application since 2003 after the area was identified by Industry & Investment New South Wales (NSW) as having experienced exceptional drought conditions. However, the grant was removed in March 2009 due to the Federal government declaring that the region had received sufficient rainfall.

It was after this removal of the EC application that the Central West Drought Action Group (CWDAG) was formed – a group of local farmers who came together in the fight against drought for Federal Government drought relief in their region.

Rob Lennon from Gundooee Organics for CWDAG said the rainfall received early last year was nowhere near enough to declare any sort of recovery.

"The government declared that the area was in the recovery process, however by May 2009 we were back in drought," Mr Lennon said.

"If this application is successful and the EC is returned to the area, many farmers will once again have access to an interest rate subsidy of hopeful 80 per cent, but will probably only start off at 50 per cent subsidy for the first 12 months," he said.

"Those without interest debt may benefit from receiving some ‘income support’, but the flow-on effect would benefit the community as a whole," he said.

The areas applying for the EC application are bound by the following towns (all within NSW): Molong in the south west corner, Kandos in the south east corner, Ulan/Cassilis in the east, Tambar Springs in the north east corner, Coonabarabran to Gilgandra in the north west corner and Dubbo/Geurie in the west.  Whilst there are many areas across NSW that have experienced difficult drought conditions in the past year, the EC requires that an area experiences 1-in-20 to 25 year rainfall 'event'.

Mr Lennon went on to say that the Dunedoo-Mudgee area desperately needs financial assistance and if they don’t get continued rain throughout the remainder of 2010, then they will be in need of ongoing assistance for the coming years.

At the time of going to press there has been no statement or decision from the Federal Minister’s office.

Central West Drought Action Group (CWDAG) contact details:
Northern area - Ross Alison, Ph/Fax: 6848-8162
Central area - Rob Lennon, Ph: (02) 6375-0350, Voice message/Fax: 6375-0351,
Mobile: 0429 750 350
Southern area - David Clarke, Ph: (02) 6379 1383, Mobile: 0427 791 384
Southern area – Mitchell Clapham, Ph: (02) 6358 8451, Mobile: 0428 634 585

Market Update

Looking forward to winter

Organic Farm Gate Sales Manager Nick Miall says that change over time of the year is now upon them, with the lines from down south slowing down and the lines from around the Gatton area really picking up with the winter crops.

“We are currently picking broccoli, cauliflower and snow peas – with all the quality being excellent, due to consistent weather conditions recently," Mr Miall said.

Demand wise, the market has been very slow, with it hopefully picking up once the cooler months take effect.

“The winter months are normally our peak season, with good amounts of carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, celery and broccoli," he said.

BFA Roadshows

The BFA Roadshows aim to foster knowledge, information sharing and networking amongst farmers who are interested in lowering their inputs, and gaining an understanding of how to manage an environmentally and financially sustainable farming business. The roadshows interest those in the fields of sustainable, biological, organic and biodynamic agriculture and feature guest speakers from successful A-Grade organic operations; as well as soil specialists, wholesalers and other experts in their fields.

Key speaker: Dr Maarten Stapper, Director, BioLogic AgFood, recently featured on ABC TV’s Australian Story and Landline, has over 40 years experience in science and agriculture and will present on soil health for profitable farming.

For further information, full agenda and a booking form, visit www.bfa.com.au or please contact  (07) 3350 5716 ext 232 or email: events@bfa.com.au

BFA Roadshow dates for your diary:

April
21/4   Mildura
22/4   Melbourne Networking Dinner

May
6/5     Bundaberg
8/5     Atherton Tablelands
20/5   Cunnamulla
22/5   Toowoomba

August
7/8     Barossa Valley
7/8     Adelaide Networking Dinner

October
23/10  Brisbane Networking Dinner
30/10  Bungendore

November
4/11    Launceston
6/11    Margaret River


Certification Workshops

Throughout 2010, BFA will host four certification workshops in order to assist growers seeking information on the organic certification process.

Held in regions typically suited to smaller growers and market gardeners, a focus will be placed on certification which meets the needs of the smaller grower.

The Organic Growers of Australia (OGA) Small Producer Program is Australia’s first certification program to specifically cater to the needs of the small-scale producer. Growers certified under this program have the benefit of reduced costs and simplified certification process due to fewer requirements for servicing smaller domestic markets.

To register your interest, please email events@bfa.com.au

2010 DATES & LOCATIONS
7th May -  Maleny Qld Certification Workshop
23rd August - Port Macquarie NSW Certification Workshop
24th August - Coffs Harbour NSW  Certification Workshop
25th August - Lismore NSW Certification Workshop

For further information, full agenda and details, visit www.bfa.com.au.

* Please note these dates are subject to change without notice