The Weekly Times, July 26, 2006
Focus
Paddock Masters
By KIM WOODS
BROTHERS Graham and
Max Maddock have
become masters at making
money off small areas.
They use waste from a
local soy milk factory to
fatten heifers for the
domestic supermarket
trade, and they convert
bovine waste into income
using vermiculture, or
worm breeding.
The pair and their wives
farm 129ha at
Yackandandah, in
Victoria’s north east.
The farm had operated as
a dairy for 35 years until 12
years ago when the switch
was made to beef, and the
acreage was reduced,
prompting the family to
“work smarter”.
The beef herd produces
steers at 350-450kg for the
local market, and the
vermiculture system was
developed to produce worm
cast for the pastures.
“We had a big
mechanical mixer we used
to mix the compost for the
worms and thought we
could use it to mix rations
for cattle,” Graham said.
The brothers decided the
domestic supermarket trade
was a market they could
supply.
“Although the cattle
would be lofted, we wanted
them to be free range,”
Graham said.
Their search led them to
try soybean waste from
the Vitasoy factory at
Wodonga at $160 a tonne
delivered.
The bean waste is dry
feed, produced as a by-
product of the factory’s
crushing plant.
“We planned to target
the off-season supply
times with heifers and
become price takers,”
Max said.
They began buying
well-bred British-bred
heifers from Victorian
and Tasmanian store sales
at 240-250kg, feeding 80-
130 head at a time on
6ha.
Once the cattle reach
380-450kg liveweight,
they are sold directly to a
domestic supermarket.
Max said the cattle are
fed a simple ration of
bean waste and silage,
without additives, in
troughs every second or
third day.
“Our costs are roughly
$100 a beast and,
depending on market, we
can achieve a profit of
$300-$380 an animal,”
Max said.
Costs are trimmed by
producing modular
above-ground silage “In Winter we can
stacks although last find 60-70
year the Maddocks earthworms per
were forced to do shovelful of soil.
wrapped bales, & this “The fine holes
added considerably to created by the
the costs. worms allow plant
Max said feeding roots to access
the cattle on 6ha nutrients.” he said.
enabled paddocks to The Maddocks
be rested regularly. now make
He said the prescription
application of worm vermiculture mixes
castes, NutriSoil, had to suit different
helped to drought pasture and
proof the farm. cropping systems.
“We have been Originally they
impressed with the were bulk spreading
results on our 600 tonnes of worm
phalaris, cocksfoot castings a year on
and ryegrass neighbouring
pastures,” Max said. properties.
“Plant root depth But over the last
has increased, the soil four to five years,
is more friable, and the business has
we have doubled our progressively
top-soil. changed to a liquid
“We hafe not used product.
chemical fertilisers Bulk vermicast
for 12 years and our was being spread
soil pH has moved locally at 250kg/ha
from 4.2 to 5.2 in the but it was costly to
past eight years.” freight over longer
The farm has heavy distances.
clay soils and is in a “We now use five
875mm rainfall zone. litres of liquid
“Soil tests show we concentrate per ha
do not need any as a foliar appicaion
applications of compared to 250kg
nitrogen, calcium or of bulk vermicast,”
magnesium.” Graham said.
 The Weekly Times, July 26, 2006

Focus
Paddock Masters
By KIM WOODS
Packaged liquid product vermiculture windrows. aerator has been
has enabled the Maddocks This is added to a blend sitting out near the For more details
to expand the business from of seaweed, fish meal and shed with grass phone
broadacre applications to minerals to feed the growing around it.” 02 6020 9676.
the house-hold garden and compost worms.
nursery market. Graham said the * The Maddocks
“Many farmers are combination of will host a Living Soil
looking for a natural vermiculture and native Field Day, tomorrow,
alternative to artificial earthworms had resulted July 27, at their
fertilisers, mainly due to in pasture machinery Yackandandah farm,
rising costs,” Max said. sitting idle. 9.15am-1.30pm.
“Growers simply can’t “About seven years ago Guest speakers will
put a bag of super out we looked a three include southern
anymore and expect results. different types of aerators NSW farmers and
“They have moved to to use on the pastures,” DPI soil health
prescription farming Graham said. project officer Nathan
dependent on soil tests.” “We thought the one we Heath.
Max and Graham recycle bought would be used Topics will range
the waste that gathers until it wore out. from living soils to
around the cattle self- “But the soil has beef trends and
feeders through the improved so much the marketing options.