Planning & management

The threat of fire is a year-round risk in Australia. However, for anyone living on – or managing – a small farm, a long hot summer and the onset of the declared fire season is the time to be proactive and to prepare for bushfires. 

Having a fire management plan in place to protect your property, machinery, livestock and especially your loved ones is the best defence against bushfires and grassfires. 

While I like to use electric fencing for quick temporary fences, I do think its important to have a strong permanent fence for the boundary, around the house  yard and, on a larger property, other fences to divide the property into paddocks.

If you are interested in growing anything on your small farm, whether its just a vegetable garden, an orchard, or you want to keep some animals, you’re going to need to organise a source of water.

A member recently contacted Farmstyle to tell us she had been visited by representatives from the Australian Communication and Media Authority in Canberra. The ACMA had received a complaint about television and radio interference and our reader’s electric fences were thought to be to blame.

Rural crime is on the increase. This is mostly due to the isolation and ease of access to farms and the portable nature and high value of its livestock and  farming equipment. Hobby farms in particular are at high risk of theft as owners are often absent while such farms are usually located within close proximity to towns or cities.

Although it’s impossible to prevent all rural crime, being vigilant of farm security and implementing prevention strategies will lower the risk of it happening.