In the first of a two-part panel series with the Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, Oli brings together Alex Archer from Webster Grain & Grazing at Lundavra and Ewen Beaton, Aminya Pastoral Pty Ltd, Manager at Kioma, west of Goondiwindi, to explore how two producers have approached the adoption of virtual fencing within their own grazing businesses.
While each operation uses a different virtual fencing platform, this conversation is not about comparing technology. It is about the decision-making process behind adopting innovation, identifying opportunities within a farming business and understanding how new tools can support more productive, resilient grazing systems.
Alex shares how virtual fencing has unlocked more than 160 hectares of previously underutilised country within a predominantly cropping enterprise, while Ewen reflects on how the technology is changing the way his team thinks about pasture utilisation, forage management and livestock movement. Together, they discuss the practical realities of implementation, the importance of good systems and the lessons they've learned along the way.
From business decisions and grazing management to resilience and continuous improvement, this is a conversation about using innovation to solve real problems on farm.
The Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is supported by funding from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund. Learn more at
www.unisq.edu.au/sqnnswhub.
Key insights from the conversation:
- Why both businesses started looking for new grazing solutions and what drove their investment decisions.
- How virtual fencing is helping improve pasture utilisation and unlock previously underutilised country.
- The importance of matching technology adoption with business goals and economic outcomes.
- What successful implementation looks like beyond the technology itself.
- The role of management systems, people and processes in making innovation work.
- How virtual fencing is changing the way producers think about grazing intensity, livestock movement and pasture management.
- The practical challenges, limitations and lessons learned during adoption.
- Why curiosity, continuous learning and asking questions are essential when adopting new technology.
- How innovation can help farming businesses become more productive, adaptable and drought resilient.
Chapters:
- (00:00) - Introduction to Virtual Fencing and Our Guests
- (03:13) - Alex Archer’s Farm and Grazing Innovation
- (04:28) - Ewen Beaton’s Experience with Halter
- (06:45) - Adoption Timeline and Economic Drivers
- (11:57) - Building Confidence and Training the Cattle
- (17:32) - Mustering, Temperament and Animal Welfare
- (20:25) - Grazing Stubbles and Using Pasture Data
- (28:24) - Challenges, Connectivity and Lessons Learned
- (31:52) - Advice for Producers and What’s Next
- (37:59) - Team Excitement and the Future of Livestock AgTech
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