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Farming with the head not just the heart | drought decisions

By Jaimi-lee Edwards and Wim Linström, Hub Partnership Brokers
23 June 2026

Let pasture, not livestock, guide feed strategies during dry seasons; was the conversation between attendees at a recent workshop in southern Queensland.

Producers attending the Dry Season Decisions workshops weighed-in with discussions about feed strategies. “It was all about letting pasture guide decision-making, not the cow,” said the Hub’s Stanthorpe-based Partnership Broker, Wim Linström.

He attended sessions held in May at Warwick, Millmerran, Texas and Stanthorpe.

“There were some interesting insights in taking emotion out of decisions, acting early and protecting land condition to ensure long-term recovery,” he said.

He joined Roger Sneath and Marcia Smith from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries leading discussions around maintaining core breeding stock, water security and infrastructure. Soil health and pasture condition to improve water retention and long-term productivity was also under scrutiny, as was timely decision-making.

“This included focussed chats about early weaning, destocking and matching stocking rates to feed availability,” Wim said.

For Armidale-based Partnership Broker, and pasture coach, Jaimi-lee Edwards, knowing your feed availability is a solid place to start.

“In any season, but especially in dry or drought conditions, you cannot know with 100% certainty when pasture growth will be adequate for grazing. It is best to have a contingency plan or two ready,” Jaimi-lee says.

“A good start for these plans is to know what you’ve actually got in the paddock, not what you hope will be there in three months.”

However, she says the input data doesn’t stop there.

What are the current costs of supplementary feed? What are transport costs – for buying in feed, trucking stock to agistment, or the saleyards?

“When you’re making decisions, or setting a timeframe for future decisions, a major consideration for livestock producers is knowing your cut off dates. For example, there are times when you cannot sell cattle, because of the calving window or condition of the stock,” Jaimi-lee says.

Among the tools highlighted for producers at the Dry Season Decisions workshop was Ag360, a Hub-supported tool from the University of New England. Once you have created a rain gauge icon in your account, you can view a six-month rainfall outlook for your location.

Then enter data about your pasture types and current availability, and livestock to be provided with a six-month soil moisture and pasture outlook.

Additionally, you can explore the suite of “Decision Support Tools” tools to help understand the ‘what if’ scenarios when making decisions. This adds to understanding the ‘head’ component for testing various scenarios when deciding to feed, sell or buy.”

As a cattle producer, Jaimi-lee says her landscapes are her capital investment.

“That’s what’s going to make you money down the track. Emotional farming with a sole focus on the cow can often degrade landscapes,” she says.

Risks from eating below critical herbage mass levels include:

  • reduced pasture response to rain
  • exposure of soil to erosion
  • increased evaporation of soil moisture, lowering the moisture profile
  • increased risk of weed germination
  • potential for loss of perenniality from pasture death and need for replanting.

“And beyond that, once it does rain, increased erosion from inadequate groundcover, increases your risk for reduced water quality,” Jaimi-lee says.

Wim says one common theme across the workshops was a recognition of the need to have decision points.

“There was already an awareness of the need to be more prepared – it’s why they were in the room – but most were there to find out what had worked for producers in their areas, and tools from further afield,” he says.

“Waiting until the middle of a drought to gather data, and then make a decision, is tough. Having a firm idea of your resources – pasture, feed, cash, people – and when you need to make specific decisions to protect those resources is important.”

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The SQNNSW Innovation Hub receives funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. 

Published: 23 June 2026