This is a story of how one young family set about making a landscape productive while restoring the natural ecosystem of an old dairy farm. They have been able to ‘strike the balance’ between production and the environment.
John and Janelle Spearpoint of Seaham in the Hunter Valley of NSW had the chance to return to the family farm and continue a farming tradition spanning five generations. They came with a vision for transforming the land using best management practices.
Today, after only a short time but massive efforts by the whole family, a difficult landscape now supports a healthy beef business opearting in harmony with environmental actions.
Riverbanks and wetlands have been brought back to life and protected by fencing. Grazing is strictly managed. War is waged on pest animals and plants. Planning and monitoring; fencing, troughs and trees; and healthy soil and pasture are keys to the transformation.
In these pages we have a chronicle of hard work, business acumen and a unique cooperation between the farm family and government agencies.
