Information and Articles

Hand rearing calves is a popular business for small farmers. The initial investment required for calf rearing is relatively low while labour can generally be  easily worked around off-farm commitments.

Here are some tips on raising calves on a small or hobby farm – focusing on how and what to feed them.

Who contributes more to the local economy: hobby or conventional farmers? A groundbreaking study delivered the first findings this week.

Hearing the clucks and murmurs of a contented hen happily scratching for grubs and insects in the leaf litter under a tree or hedgerow can be one of the more satisfying moments of small farm living.

Being able to collect an egg from her each day is surely the icing on the cake.

Alpaca breeding is becoming a serious business among small landholders in Western Australia and they are set to celebrate during National Alpaca Week on 12 -20 May.

Farm machinery, especially tractors, can be expensive to purchase and a questionable use of capital, particularly if only used occasionally during the year – as is the case on many small farms. The cost factor is one of the most compelling reasons to look at alternatives to outright ownership. This article will explore some of these alternatives and compare them to ownership.

Co-operatives have a lot of potential for modern farmers wanting to build relationships with consumers and attract premium prices. This will be the message from a seminar on 3 May in South Perth run by the Department of Agriculture and Food and Fruit West.

A new booklet is now available which focuses on practical actions that farm businesses can take now to improve their emissions performance. In many cases, actions to reduce emissions or increase carbon on farms have multiple benefits for farm businesses, such as increasing farm health and profitability.

If you're not familiar with farm tractors, choosing one that’s suitable for a small farm can be a daunting task. Will a compact tractor suffice and how important is tractor size?

A good starting point when choosing a small-farm tractor is to be clear just what you want a tractor for. If it is just to mow an acre or two, or to cart a few small bales of hay, then a ride-on mower or quad bike with a tow bar may be all you want.

However, if you need to cultivate soil, spread some fertiliser or feed out some large round bales, then you are likely to require what I like to term a ‘real tractor'.  Unlike most ride-ons, a real tractor is full unit construction where the engine, transmission and rear drive train are all housed in rugged castings.  It will also have a Power Take Off (PTO), a three-point linkage and external hydraulics capability.

For most small-farm operations, all your requirements can be found within the Compact Utility (compact) range of tractors. These are essentially small tractors of 15kW (kilowatt) to 50kW (20hp to 70hp) that have many of the exact same features that are found in larger, more expensive tractors. 

The Gator™ XUV Crossover Series Utility Vehicles from John Deere are the closest alternative to the ATV on the market. Because whether you’re off-road for leisure or hauling gear on the farm, the XUV 825i, 855D and 625i models deserve a second look.

The Western Australian annual crop of jujubes, one of the most popular fruits in China, is now in season and should be available in specialist shops until the end of April.