From the 2015 Future of Local Food Conference. See futureoflocalfood.org.au for more information.

1. Synergistic increases to
productivity on small farms
Tom Abbottsmith Youl B.MEng
TOM’S PADDOCK

2. TOPICS
• What we do at Graceburn Farm?
–Biodiversity
–Primary Industry
• Benefits & Difficulties
– Planned Rotational Cattle Grazing
– Mobile, Nomadic Chooks
• Future opportunities & Questions

3. The Abbott Smiths have been stewards of this Devonian,
sedimentary landscape (ancient and infertile) since the 1960s.
Graceburn Farm (130Ha)

4. Wildlife Habitat – in drainage line

5. BIODIVERSITY
TfN Covenanted Wildlife corridors
Threatened Long-nosed Bandicoot in protected habitat

6. Ring-tailed possum
Little Pied Cormorants Nesting

8. PRIMARY INDUSTRY
Self replacing cattle herd
Selling Grass Fed Beef direct to the public
and weaners through sale yards.

9. Joel Salatin

10. Paddock Eggs from Nomadic Chooks,
delivered to Cafes, retail outlets and sold direct to the public.

11. BENEFITS
Planned Rotation for Cattle Grazing
(Mowers)

12. Daily grazing Plan
- a 5 monthly cycle, helps manage risk

13. Steady animal nutritional curve
(fibre & protein)

14. Complete utilisation of pasture

15. Promotes perennial diversity in pasture

16. Eliminates overgrazing
(of highly palatable plants)

17. Better distributed of manure
(no stock camps)

18. Stock density
(trampling aids in
feeding the soil)

20. BENEFITS
Mobile, Nomadic Chooks
(Fertilisers)
•

21. Eating grass and bugs
(produces very tasty eggs)

22. Chooks spread cow pats
(as they hunt for bugs)

23. Chook poop adds fertiliser to pasture

24. Moving away from their poop
(aids Chooks health)

25. Off farm Feed, drought proofs egg income

26. Ethical food production
(clean, green and nutritious)

28. DIFFICULTIES
Planned Rotation for Cattle Grazing

29. Expense of water and fencing infrastructure

30. Keeping one large
mob with different
food requirements

31. Daily commitment to temporary fencing setup

32. Cattle quickly become tame (reduced flight distance)

33. DIFFICULTIES
Mobile, Nomadic Chooks

34. Poop is not evenly distributed, it concentrates
under trailers (450 Chooks, 5t/Ha in two days)

35. Collecting eggs is a daily job
(7 days a week, 52 weeks a year)

36. Must be moved regularly
(as ground is impacted)

37. Laying percentages fluctuate throughout the year
(molting and weather)

39. FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Other integrated Tom’s Paddock enterprises?
– Pasture based Meat Chickens, Turkeys, Pigs
– Chicken and Beef STOCK
– Dehydrated Dog Treats
– Specialised Veggies, Mushrooms, Bush Tucker
– Farm scale compost (sale to the public)
– Farm Stays, Farm Tours, Workshops, Education
– Aquaponics, Yabbies
– Farmed Kangaroo, Rabbits (30+ kittens/year)

40. QUESTIONS?