to Toowoomba

April 28 - We traveled by bus through the fertile Lockyer Valley to the Garden City of Toowoomba.

Our first stop of the day was to Kerwee Beef Feedlot. Manager Jim Cudmore explained Kerwee is part of a vertically integrated operation taking cattle through the feedlot and meat processing facility to supply beef to domestic and export markets. The 15,000 head feedlot also contains some Waygu cross cattle specifically for export to Japan. They supply grass-fed beef products to 84 countries around the world. At the feedmill on the property, they mill their own feed. The mix usually includes sorghum, wheat, sunflower meal, molasses and palm oil or sunflower/canola oil blend.

We enjoyed a traditional Aussie Bush Lunch at the Jondaryan Woolshed. Built in 1859, it is the oldest working wool shed in Queensland. After lunch, we toured the grounds, which include an old school house, post office, barns, antique farming equipment, blacksmith shed and more. We also were treated to a sheep-shearing demonstration. Our guide sheared that sheep in less than 2 minutes! The sheep was a rag doll, allowing the shearer to bend and twist him as necessary to get every last inch of wool.

In the heart of the Darling Downs, which is some of the best farming land in Australia, with thick black soils, we stopped at Cowan. Owned by the family of Graham Clapham, Cowan is mainly a cotton operation, but they also grow wheat, corn, sorghum, and chick peas when there is enough water available. We dropped by one of their fields to observe the cotton harvest. Their average yield is 4 bushels an acre.

Heading back into Toowoomba for the night, we saw more beautiful farmland and water holding tanks. At dinner, Andrew McCartney of the Condamine Alliance talked to us about the sustainable natural resource management initiatives for the Condamine River catchment at the head of the Murray-Darling Basin.