Warren, NSW
CATEGORY: SUSTAINABILITY (GROWER)
Sustainability is at the heart of every decision Jack Brennan makes.
The farm manager, who has control over about 56,000ha near Warren, NSW, wants the fragile land he farms to be able to continue farming for generations.
His philosophy of less is more means he is aiming to lift productivity and sustainability of the farms at the same time.
He has an ambitious goal – to lift production by 40 per cent – and thinks it is possible by farming sustainably.
“It’s about being able to obtain more from less while ensuring the longevity of our land and our business,” Jack says.
“Sustainability to me is incremental gains in all facets of our business to ensure the continued discovery of the cohesive relationship between protection of our environment and the profitability and robustness of our business.”
Jack runs a mixed farming operation with sheep as well as cropping, and a rotation of wheat, pulse and then fallow.
All management decisions must pass the sustainability test – they must be good for the soils which Jack considers his biggest farming asset.
They must also be good for the environment. Controlled traffic farming has meant some single trees have been removed, but large tree plantations have been planted in buffer zones to provide a habour for beneficial insects.