"Bumanto", Yea, Victoria

It is run as a beef raising venture between the owners of the land, Ian Scott and John Warren, and local Yea farmers Dougal and Bev Drysdale of the nearby "Box Hill" property. Hereford cattle are run on "Bumanto". Indeed the herd is based on the Hereford herd with which Dougal and Bev Drysdale frequently topped the market at cattle sales in Yea some years ago.

Over the past three years the property has undergone significant development and pasture improvement by:

• application of superphosphate to improve pasture quality, and sowing down perennial pasture (Sirosa phalaris, Demeter fescue, Victorian rye and several clovers) on the river flats in autumn 1999;
• internal fencing to provide both better stock and land management;
• construction of dams to reduce distances walked to water by stock;
• Landcare works to control degradation troublespots; and
• control of eucalypt seedlings which flourished because of under-stocking during the previous ownership regime.

Currently about ninety Hereford cows and their calves are being run on the property, which is managed by Dougal and Bev Drysdale. The calves are normally sold at the Elders weaner sale in Yea in January. All the calves, including all the heifers, are currently turned off the property. The calves are, of course, free from hormone growth promotants (HGPs). This is an opportunity for farmers wanting to buy good calves for breeding and fattening, or for feedlot operators seeking quality stock.

Last updated: 04 August 2000
e-mail: john.warren@bigpond.com
URL: http://www.users.bigpond.com/john.warren/bumanto.html