As the nation embarks a year-long celebration with today’s launch of the Australian Year of the Farmer 2012, Tasmania is raising a glass in recognition of its own farming fraternity.
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association CEO, Jan Davis believes the State’s farmers are among the nation’s finest land managers, with the organisation supporting the year-long celebration of farming.
“Tasmanian farmers do things really differently; I’ve seen approaches to farming here that really blow my socks off,” Jan said.
“I’ve worked in agriculture across five States and what I see here is farmers who have turned a challenge of scale into their greatest asset.”
“Our farmers are highly integrated and diversified on a level I haven’t seen in any other State.
“I haven’t been on one Tasmanian farm that focuses on a single enterprise — it is commonplace to see individual farmers producing commodities as diverse as poppies, potatoes, wheat, barley, wool, prime lambs and beef.
And it’s not just the way Tasmanian farmers make their assets work efficiently that has impressed Jan, it’s the farming families themselves.
“The generational relationships here are robust and supportive,” she said
“We’ve got dynamic young farmers in their 30s and 40s who have been handed the reins to the business.”
“It’s a reflection on strong transitional role models and a tight knit communities that have the opportunity to learn from the successes and mistakes around them””
“You talk about farmers chatting over the back fence — well in Tasmanian they really do, they aren’t challenged by the tyranny of distance experienced by many of the mainland families.”
Recently awarded a coveted GRDC-funded Nuffield scholarship, Michael Chilvers of Nile Tasmania, is a prime example of the dynamic young farmer Jan Davis is so impressed by.
Along with wife Fiona and their two young children, Charlotte and Felix, Michael Chilvers farms 1080 hectares, with 400 hectares of crops including poppies, wheat, processing peas, lucerne and tic beans under centre pivot irrigation. In addition, the Chilvers grow malt barley, canola and trade in prime lambs.
For Michael, farming offers the opportunities few other careers can match.
“There’s nothing like being your own boss, in charge of your own destiny — there’s not many people in society who get a real choice in what they do.”
“And it’s not just the personal challenge, agriculture has been as good a place as any in terms of investment over the past 10–12 years — I think we need to promote that among young people.”
As far as Michael and Jan are concerned, the story of farming is the greatest story never told.
“Agriculture is such a big part of our State economy,” Michael said. “It is so much more than just the people on farms — agribusiness is everybody’s business.”
Jan believes the island’s size also fosters a greater bond and appreciation between urban and rural communities.
“Australian Year of the Farmer 2012 offers and ideal opportunity to build this awareness and appreciation of just how clever our farmers are.”
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Michael and Fiona Chilvers, with children Felix and Charlotte, believe farming offers an opportunity to take control of their destiny and be a part of dynamic and supportive industry.
Jan Davis http://www.tfga.com.au/
