CN30 and drought were the catalysts that motivated the formation of the BRPG. Here's the journey Melanie Shannon and Melinee Leather took to establish and maintain a community producer group.

Melanie and Alastair Shannon run Wirra Pastoral Company, a beef cattle breeding and backgrounding enterprise set across 3000 hectares in the Banana and Livingstone Shires in Central Queensland. The couple are dedicated to stewarding their properties responsibly and use regenerative practices in an effort to future-proof their country for drier seasons and warmer temperatures.

While their management practices demonstrate a focus on responsible stewardship, the couple know that a different kind of resilience can be achieved through community.

Snapshot

Farm/Enterprise Name: Wirra Pastoral Company

Farm/Enterprise Location: Banana Shire, Queensland (Taramba Creek) Mount Bison and Livingstone Shire, Marlborough, Queensland

Type of Enterprise: Beef cattle breeding and backgrounding

Staffing: 2 full time

Property Size: Banana Shire - 1800 acres. Mount Bison - 8000 acres.

Property Elevation: Banana Shire - 200m. Mount Bison - 248m .

Average Annual Rainfall: Banana Shire - 655mm. Mount Bison - 854mm.

Climate: Warm sub-tropical

Challenge: Dry times and an ambitious goal

In 2017, the Australian Red Meat Industry announced an ambitious goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30). While the red meat industry's contribution to national emissions has halved since 2005, further reducing emissions to net zero is a significant and challenging objective for many graziers across the country.

Much of the industry remains unprepared. While training, extension assistance and education opportunities are available to help producers towards this goal, in Central Queensland, these resources can be more challenging to attract.

Additionally, 2017 and the following years were significantly dry, and many producers around Banana Shire were destocking and looking for solutions and support.

2017 and the following years were significantly dry, and many producers around Banana Shire were destocking and looking for solutions and support.

It was during these uncertain times that the Shannons' neighbour, Melinee Leather, approached Melanie about forming a community producer group. 'Mel saw that there were a lot of like-minded people in the area wanting to do great things with their properties and businesses', says Melanie, 'and we found that by forming a producer group, we could have that collective focus for our businesses and learn how to achieve that carbon neutrality.'

Solution: Forming a producer group

In 2019, Melinee Leather formed the Barfield Road Producer Group (BRPG). The group worked with extension officers from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) to develop a strategic plan outlining goals for sustainability, animal welfare, community, business, marketing and innovation. Their strategic plan also included goals for working towards carbon neutrality by 2030.

Melinee knew that training, education and expertise would be much easier to attract as a group rather than as a single producer in rural Central Queensland.

Melinee knew that training, education and expertise would be much easier to attract as a group rather than as a single producer in rural Central Queensland. 'R&D organisations, NRM (natural resource management) groups and DAF all became very interested because it was a group environment,' she says. 'We had scale of herds and scale of hectares of property which made it more enticing for experts to want to collaborate with us, to deliver training opportunities and to trial new technology.'

A Landcare Farming workshop on Wirra.

'The Mels' found that there was a real hunger for a community like the BRPG in the local area, and there was significant momentum and excitement around the group. In 2021, Melinee Leather handed over the reins to Melanie Shannon to be the facilitator of the BRPG.

The group meets every three months, often at the Banana Pub, and they follow a loose structure. Group members are able to submit agenda items before the meetings if there are particular topics or propositions they want to put to the group. Often if there are workshops or field days happening in the area, several group members will attend, and bring back their learnings to present to the wider group. Additionally, it's a fantastic way for producers to compare different management practices or technologies they are trialling on their properties.

Outcome: Endless opportunities for BRPG members

A key result of forming the group has been that the members have greater access to training and projects that wouldn't have otherwise been accessible. Some of the opportunities afforded to group members as a result of the BRPG have been:

  • Wild Dog Producer Demonstration Site
  • Soil your Undies program
  • Landcare Farming Natural Capital and soil carbon project
  • Paperless workshops
  • Feed budgeting workshops
  • First aid training
  • Nicole Masters Soil Health workshop
  • Low Stress Stock Handling School
  • Climate training workshop
  • Peer to peer facilitator training

These opportunities have yielded significant results, as BRPG members take up new technologies, learnings and practices, resulting in widespread benefits to businesses, the environment and the community. Many of these programs have equipped producers with the education and tools they need to work towards CN30, a goal that remains a core focus of the group.

Many of these programs have equipped producers with the education and tools they need to work towards CN30, a goal that remains a core focus of the group.

'Usually, all it takes is a phone call or an email to an organisation about delivering these opportunities, and they're often very receptive because we are an engaged group of producers,' says Melanie, 'We've got a real strength in numbers.'

One of the group's great successes has been that now, rather than having to source these opportunities themselves, many organisations approach the BRPG wanting to deliver training programs and projects.

A key result of forming the group has been that the members have greater access to training, programs and projects that wouldn't have otherwise been accessible.

While the business and environmental outcomes have been fantastic, the group has been vital in supporting the wellness and growth of individuals in the community. Several group members outlined the positive impact the BRPG has had on mental health during tough times. It has also facilitated the development of student-mentor relationships. BRPG member Alana Carter was afforded two scholarship opportunities as a result of the group. She highlights that the two Mels have been incredible mentors to her and other group members and says that she wouldn't have taken the leap to apply for these scholarships without their encouragement.

While the outcomes of the group are immensely positive, there have been several challenges along the way. Melanie recalls that one of the biggest challenges has been maintaining engagement and momentum within the group. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the group and, for a while, meetings needed to be run through video calls, which slowed engagement. Melanie says that maintaining good engagement takes work, but knows that as long as they are focusing on their strategic plan, and equipping their members with knowledge and skills, the group will continue to transform businesses, land and lives for years to come.

Image credits: Banner image and snapshot image courtesy of Amy Holcombe.

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