Premier episode of Landline
Handle With Care: Governor-General Quentin Bryce visits rural areas devastated by flooding in South-East Qld in January 2013. New Year Resolve: The rural recovery is underway in some of the worst bushfire affected communities in Tasmania. NFF President Jock Laurie: National Farmers' Association President Jock Laurie urges anyone affected by natural disasters to access every bit of assistance they can. Climate Change and Agriculture: The implications of climate change on Australian agriculture and how this affects food and fibre production, as well as land and water management. Town Crier: A small-town newspaper in southern New South Wales played a vital role during recent fires by keeping the community informed through its web page and Facebook.
Pick of the Crop: A trial of nine seeders on a single crop has shown extraordinary differences in yield and profitability. Meat and Greet: It's often easier for small meat producers to market their own product - and in some cases it's a question of survival. Heaven Scent: Sandalwood is in demand for its fragrance but not everyone is excited about the establishment of sandalwood plantations in the Northern Territory. Forget Me Not: Meat and Livestock Australia's lamb advertising campaign is as subtle as a smack in the chops.
Shell Shocked: A collection of poultry fanciers who've spent nearly 10 years trying to import rare breeds from the United Kingdom, has been given until next Thursday to prove why their flock shouldn't be destroyed. Shutting Down: It's been two years since Hendra moved south to the NSW Mid North Coast, but in the last six weeks it's killed four horses. Grain Wrap: The harvesters are rolling again in North America after the worst drought in decades. Local grain prices are still pretty strong - the question is - how long will it last?
Ancient Seed: The funny sounding South American plant quinoa has been grown for thousands of years, but more recently it's gained a reputation as a nutritional superfood. Storm in a Wine Glass: It's reliable, clean and technically top shelf, but is Australian wine just a little bit boring and predictable? Prue Adams talks to Tony D'Aloisio: There's been a massive contraction of the mainstream wine industry in recent years. Prue Adams talks to Tony D'Aloisio, president of the Winemakers Federation. It's a Gas: Australia is on the cusp of a new resource industry based on extracting gas from shale rock.
Spill the Beans: The local baked bean industry is facing an uncertain future. Disc World: A healthy harvest is closely connected to how and when a crop was sown. Bare Belled Ewe: An earlier version of the popular Australian folk song “Click go the Shears” has been discovered – under a different name.
A Dry Debate: The federal government is under pressure to deliver billions of dollars in drought assistance to struggling farmers . Smell the Roses: Two successful farming enterprises in full bloom. Farming Heritage: "Summerville", a farm established near Hobart in 1808 has been farmed continuously by seven generations of the same family.
Current Outlook: The Victorian city of Shepparton breathed a sigh of relief when a deal was struck to save SPC Ardmona from closure. But there are still many challenges ahead for the food processing plant and Victorian fruitgrowers. Headlie's Header: A century ago New South Wales wheat farmer Headlie Taylor devised a new type of harvester that snipped rather than stripped ripened crops - and it revolutionised the global grain industry. Farming Fish: Over 200 tonnes of seafood is traded at the Sydney Fish Markets each week, but most of the fish and shellfish eaten in Australia is not caught or farmed here. Beet the Drum: When the local cannery closed last year, fifth generation farmer Ed Fagan had to find new markets for his beets.
Poppy Monopoly: Tasmania is the world’s largest legal poppy producer. The $120 million a year industry accounts for 50 per cent of international supply. Black Soil Blue: Landholders in the Liverpool Plains district of New South Wales have blockaded their properties to stop mineral exploration. Scott Hansen Interview: Kerry Lonergan interviews retiring CEO of Meat and Livestock Australia, Scott Hansen. Russian Revolution: The collapse of the Soviet Republic in 1991 was disastrous for Australian woolgrowers and contributed to the collapse of the Nation’s wool industry two years later.
Bitter Harvest: Wine grape growers in Victoria and South Australia are struggling as prices hit rock bottom. Southern Gas: The coal seam gas controversy spreads to South Australia. Joel Salatin Interview: Joel Salatin is one of the world's most influential farmers. Bullocky: The Bullock Drivers League is passionate about keeping the old tradition alive.
Against the Grain: Australia's grain handling infrastructure is in need of an overhaul. The Whisky Critic: Influential whisky critic Jim Murray is impressed with the quality of the Tasmanian drop. The Fruits of Labour: The decision to move into agri-tourism bears fruit for a farming family.
Horns of a Dilemma: The cattle industry has been researching a painless genetic solution to the confronting procedure of dehorning and now it says it's made a breakthrough. And a warning this video contains scenes of dehorning. Interview with Markus Heldt: One of the world's largest makers of agricultural chemicals has recently bolstered its presence in Australia with 40 new jobs and increased investment in research and development. German corporate giant BASF believes Australia will play a crucial role in helping to grow the food needed for a burgeoning world population, especially in Asia. The head of BASF's crop division Markus Heldt recently visted Australia and he caught up with Landline's reporter Tim Lee. GM Crossroads: The South Australian moratorium on genetically modified crops and trials ends in 2019 and already debate is underway about what should happen in 5 years' time. Tall Timber: The reputation of timber as an old fashioned building material is being challenged with two landmark buildings recently constructed in Melbourne using a relatively new type of wood panelling called cross laminated timber.
Kitchen Kindness: Organisers of Queensland's Baked Relief drought drive used some new ingredients to encourage Brisbane home cooks to show some of fashioned generosity to farmers in need, with surprising results. Long-Life Beer: Australian farmers are set to become major global suppliers of a new variety of barley that extends the shelf life of beer. Northern Plans: A new abattoir being built on the edge of Darwin could help the northern beef industry but many are sceptical of the project's longevity. D-I-Y Hydro: An energetic Tasmanian retiree returned to his ancestral farm in the picturesque Derwent Valley and set out to build his own hydro-electric scheme, with the help of his son.
Epic Trek: An exhausting 7 month droving journey, moving 18,000 head of cattle from western Queensland to the New South Wales Riverina, quickly got into trouble, coinciding with one of the worst droughts in recent years. Bittersweet: Despite recent rain, Queensland's Fraser Coast farmers have been caught up in one of most lingering droughts, which has hit hard and fast, and strangely enough in the wake of a disastrous flood. Grass Roots: While AFL fans had their eyes glued on the clash between local rivals at the revamped Adelaide Oval this week, turf farmers would have found the ground pretty interesting too.
Losing the Farm: Years of drought have taken their toll on Western Australia's wheatbelt yet despite some relief and a bumper crop last season, it was too late for one farming family. Organic Shortfall: Organic grain producers are struggling to keep up with local demand, forcing millers and processors to look to imports to fill the void. Rivers of Dreams: A project in Queensland's Gulf has brought the ongoing arguments for and against the Northern Australia agricultural development debate, into sharp focus.
Overgrazed: With most of Queensland and half of New South Wales drought declared, stock routes are enduring some heavy grazing pressure and unless good rains come soon, much of the cattle will have to be shifted off. Super Food: A new super food developed by the CSIRO which increases the growth rates of prawns by 40 percent, is set to turbocharge the world's farmed prawn industry. This Woollen Life: A series of stunning photographs taken by a former Life magazine photographer, documenting life on a sheep station in the early 1950's, is on display for the first time. Cattle and Coal: An unlikely alliance between farmers and environmentalists has been formed over opposition to the Leard Forest coal expansion, in the Liverpool Plains district of Northern New South Wales.
Buffalo Bonanza: A trade agreement between the Northern Territory Government and Vietnam has opened the way for a lucrative live export trade for buffalo producers but does northern Australia have enough stock to supply Vietnam? A Valley's Tale: As the Swan Valley celebrates 180-years of wine making, the West Australian Government is promising planning laws to protect the heritage wine region, but not all grape growers are in favour. Stitch in Time: An Anzac centenary project is shining a light on an often overlooked act of kindness by wool growers which brought great comfort to diggers during the bone-chilling winters of World War I. Helping Hand: A group of scientists working on an ambitious conservation project has returned the vulnerable western quoll to South Australia's Flinders Ranges, after an absence of more than a century.
Russian Cattle: A live cattle exporter shipping a record number of Australian feeder steers to Russia says the 'world's eyes' are on the company to perform. Stormy Water: Tasmanian lobster fishermen are calling on recreational anglers to make some sacrifices for the sake of the fishery. Family Milk: Meeting the demand for dairy products in developing countries that are experiencing economic growth can be difficult, but the east African nation of Kenya is dealing with it in a very different way. City Farmers: A Melbourne couple's love of food and wine set them on an unexpected journey, and the creation of an unlikely farming partnership.
Slimy Harvest: It's worth $6 billion globally but so far we've only just begun to explore Australian native seaweeds, and their potential as food, medicine, and agricultural products. Milling to Success: Three brothers who shifted continents and cultures in their determination for a life on the land are now making their mark in the tough food processing business. Pea Struck: As landholders living near Warrumbungle National Park in New South Wales began to recover from two natural disasters, they faced a triple-whammy when an unexpected pest began killing livestock.
Organic Converts: The gradual change to organic farming techniques is delivering surprising results to some late converts. Cold Comfort: Celebrations for Macquarie Island's pest-free status have been tempered with the discovery of a new environmental threat. A Mysterious Art: A South Australian journalist has spent the last four years travelling to shows around the country, in an attempt to understand the complexities of show cooking competitions. Fair Crack of the Whip: For almost a decade, Fiona Wilks has reigned supreme as Australian Ladies Whipcracking Champion but this year's national competition may well be her last.
The Wild West: Many farmers would consider themselves conservationists, but a group of landholders in Western Australia has gone a step further, by donating land to one of Australia's most ambitious conservation projects. Rare Rabbits: Local rabbit pelts have been used to make iconic Akubra hats for generations but an exodus from the rabbit industry has seen the company source pelts from overseas. Interview with Andrew Spencer: Australian Pork Limited is calling for tougher penalties against animal activists who illegally film on farms. A Fishing Heritage: Anglers are celebrating 150 years since brown trout eggs were brought to New Norfolk in Tasmania, creating a multi-million-dollar trout industry.
Reaping The Harvest: Sean Murphy travels to Western Australia's wheatbelt, where diversification on a family farm has developed new export markets for a unique commodity. Sprouting Up: It's the vegetable people love to loathe, but two of the country's biggest Brussels sprout growers have been rewarded for their dedication to the little cabbage after sticking with it for three generations. An Australian Original: The first commercial plantings of macadamias was planted 40-years ago and as the milestone nears, the industry finds itself with much to celebrate.
Toil and Soil: An increasing amount of food waste is being professionally composted and put back onto farms to improve the fertility of the soil. Interview with NCOs Ben Copeman: Peter McCutcheon talks to Ben Copeman; the General Manager of the organic certifier involved in the recent landmark judgement on genetically modified contamination. A Tree Falls: Coalition Governments at state and federal level are seeking to re-open forests previously declared off-limit to logging, potentially ending a 2012 timber industry peace deal. Chinese Pastoral: A group of Indigenous landowners have combined ten separate cattle stations in northern Australia to form a new cooperative and they're attracting serious interest from a Chinese investor.
A Gourmet Oyster: For more than a quarter of a century the pacific oyster from Japan has reigned supreme in South Australia however the threat of a deadly disease is now prompting farmers to look at diversifying. Interview with Richard Whittington: Kerry Staight sat down to discuss Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS), with Sydney University's animal health expert, Richard Whittington, who spoke at the world aquaculture conference. Competitive Farming: Sean Murphy caught up with some of the beef and lamb producers participating in the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) Challenge which encourages them to improve their business. Rock of Ages: The small Victorian country town of Tynong which supplied remarkable granite to build Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance has been called upon again to play an important role in next year's Anzac Centenary.
Mallee Oil: Many West Australian farmers who have invested heavily in tree cropping, will miss out on the $1.9b windfall being offered under the Federal Government's direct action plan to tackle climate change. A Little Further North: Queensland singer-songwriter Graeme Connors celebrates the 25th anniversary of his breakthrough album and reflects on a career in country music. Pest to Profit: They've long been derided as a scourge to the environment and a pest to pastoralists but wild goats are now a viable export commodity.
She'll be Apples: Tasmanian apples are currently going through a revival and new export markets are emerging, as production lifts for the first time since it began falling in the 1960s. Life in the Saddle: Till now modesty has kept Alwyn Torenbeek from writing his memoirs, but this Australian bronc riding champion's biography is about more than just fame. Interview with Agriculture Minister, John McVeigh: Qld Agriculture Minister, John McVeigh, discusses the bitter battle over sugar marketing between the countries biggest sugarcane farming group, Canegrowers and foreign-owned processor Wilmar Sugar. Grave Danger: The race is on to save Australia's rich bush heritage, as memorials and headstones lie decaying in country cemeteries.
Financing the Farm: Australia's farmers traditionally raise the funds they need to break into growing markets through bank debt, but some farmers are now looking at alternative ways. Interview with John Hartley, Future Directions International: The Chief Executive of the food and energy security think tank, Future Directions International, John Hartley, spoke to Townsville reporter Allyson Horn about the renewed push for the so-called northern food bowl development. Interview with Richard Mulcahy, AUSVEG: Ausveg CEO, Richard Mulcahy, talks about the controversial Woolworths fresh fruit and vegetable marketing campaign that caused upset amongst growers, who were asked by the supermarket giant to pay a voluntary levy to contribute towards to cost of the marketing blitz. Get Crackin': Global demand for tree nuts is on the rise and while almonds and macadamias lead the industry in Australia, walnuts are hot on their heels.
White Gold: The Tasmanian dairy industry is at the forefront of plans to boost exports into China. Wild Dogs Interview: Pip Courtney talks to the facilitator of the National Wild Dog Action Plan, Greg Mifsud, who has been closely involved in the planning of the first national approach to tackling the scourge of wild dogs. Tomato Source: Instead of taking the product to market, the family company behind Ricardoes tomatoes has successfully sidestepped wholesalers by bringing people to the farm. A Country Song: A country music singer turned classroom leader is helping the next generation to focus on all that's good about life beyond the big smoke.
Politics of Pot: A prohibition on growing industrial hemp in Australia was lifted in the late 90s; however politics has prevented the industry from gaining access to booming hemp food markets. What's up Doc?: Every year thousands of people, many from the city, flock to the Scenic Rim in south-east Queensland to celebrate 'eat local' week. Rub of the Greens: Kale is all the rage at the moment with seed suppliers, growers and retailers alike stunned by the demand for the nutritious green leafy vegetable. Interview with Roland Mouret: One of the world's most in-demand fashion designers Roland Mouret was in Sydney this week to judge the Woolmark designer awards; he caught up with Landline's Sean Murphy.
Makin' Bacon: The pork industry has developed 'bacon week,' to get across a serious message to Australian consumers about the prevalence of imported meat and confusing labelling. Fishy Business: The New South Wales fishing industry is heading into uncharted waters and while some say so-called reform packages could end family fishing ventures, others argue it’s a much needed change. Gut Feeling: Scientists in Queensland are looking into how probiotics might benefit animals and the early results are looking promising for cattle, sheep and poultry producers. Crashing Bores: A Federal Government program to cap bores has been scrapped, and farmers say millions of litres of water are now being wasted every day.
High Stakes: After almost two decades of investment, Australia now has the biggest wagyu herd outside of Japan, after years of relying on Japanese genetics to build that herd. Interview with Michael Dahlstrom, Director 'The Animal Condition': Pip Courtney talks to a young filmmaker who has attempted to capture the often polarised animal welfare debate in a documentary called 'The Animal Condition.' Organic Image: A young grower who converted the family farm to organics is providing more options for supermarket consumers. The Big Cheese: Buffalo producers in the Northern Territory are on the verge of a breakthrough into the dairy industry.
Bearing Fruit: Fresh fruit at the push of a button. The Droving Poet: Former drover and bushman 91 year old Bruce Simpson has just released his 8th book. The Milky Way: The Australian dairy market expands into China. Sunny Verghese Interview: Sunny Verghese is CEO of Singaporean agribusiness giant Olam International.
Northern Frontier: A number of stations in the Northern Territory have changed hands in the past year, raising questions about the future of cattle producing in Australia. Interview with Steve Coleman, NSW RSPCA CEO: Landline's Peter McCutcheon talks to the RSPCA's New South Wales CEO, Steven Coleman about animal welfare issues and the regulators view on 'ag-gag' laws. Salty Citrus: Last year Queensland's largest citrus growing region suffered devastating floods but for some growers in the North Burnett, the flood has left behind a damaging legacy. Leaps and Bounds: A family-owned Brisbane tannery has defied the odds, producing hides of the highest grade that feature in many of the world's most prominent sporting events.
Cash Cows: It's been tough times for the cattle industry but for one central Queensland couple, an unlikely business deal with a Thai entrepreneur looks set to change their luck. David Williams Interview: Investment Banker David Williams tells Pip Courtney why foreign investment in Australian agriculture is good for the country. High Tech Farming: For centuries farmers gathered and passed on knowledge by word of mouth however the language of agriculture is changing as a new generation of farmers embrace new technology. High Water: Water is once again flowing in the Hattah Lakes in Victoria due to Commonwealth Government water buy backs.
Fracture Lines: The first new coal seam gas project in New South Wales in more than 5 years has been approved for Gloucester Valley but the project has divided residents. Grist for the Mill: One of Australia's few remaining family owned flour milling companies has gone against the grain and opened a new facility in Victoria. Pick of the Bunch: A fruit and vegetable wholesaler in Adelaide has made it her mission to provide some of the top chefs with heirloom and miniature produce.
Hot to Trot: The biannual National Polocrosse Championships were held in the Northern Territory this year and hosting the event was a major logistical challenge. Interview with Australian Dairy Farmers CEO, Natalie Collard: With a possible deal now tantalisingly close, this week dairy farmers across Australia were encouraged to use Twitter to drive home their push for a FTA. The Family Tree: Eucalyptus oil was the first Indigenous product to be exported in the early years of European settlement and in all those years, little has changed in eucalyptus oil production until recently. Sharp Shooters: Australia has an abundance of pest animals and managing them can be time consuming, as farmers grapple with increased work demands and complex firearm laws.
Turning on the Tap: The tap has been turned on in Tasmania's Midlands with the state's biggest irrigation scheme now operational. Farmer Gregie: Meet the feisty Australian dairy farmer of the year, Greg Dennis and find out why he and his high-tech operation are attracting so much attention. The Yellow Crop: Canola flowers normally looks their best this time of year but a large proportion of the distinct yellow crop has been affected by a virus and some scientists are saying its the world's worst outbreak. To Market: At the Brisbane Markets at Rocklea wholesalers move billions of dollars with of fruits, vegetables and flowers grown from 7,000 Australian farmers, and this month they celebrate 50 years since trading began.
Bat Crazy: Across Australia, a national census is underway aimed at gaining a better understanding of the protected grey headed flying fox, which is an important pollinator. Co-operation: As cooperatives get bigger and more successful, they often find themselves the target of some tempting takeover offers but the country's biggest milk producer, Murray Goulburn has resisted the temptation. Interview with Don Watson: Don Watson is perhaps the most celebrated speech writer in modern Australian politics but for the last 7 years he's been researching a book on the bush and its myths, simply called 'The Bush.' The 2014 Bob Hawke Landcare Award: Pip Courtney talks to former Prime Minister Bob Hawke about the establishment of Landcare, 25 years on, and we meet the winner of the 2014 Bob Hawke award, Colin Seis.
Sugar Power: In northern New South Wales, the country's sole remaining 100 percent Australian owned sugar mill and refinery is hoping its green credentials will keep it that way. Interview with Pip Job: The winner of the 2014 national Rural Woman of the Year is Pip Job, a 35-year-old beef producer and environmental advocate from Cumnock in New South Wales. Coorong Mullet: A few years ago South Australia's Coorong fishery was on a knife edge, as a decade long drought took a dramatic toll however one particular species has held on. Cooking up a Storm: Dan McIntosh is the first to admit he's an unlikely internet sensation after a Facebook site he started with the simple aim of sharing his photographs of the outback with family and friends, became a worldwide hit.
Pygmy Bluetongue: Until 1992 the pygmy blue-tongue lizard was considered extinct, now a community in South Australia's mid-north is rallying to keep the little lizard off the endangered list. Interview with Federal Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce: In the past week industry reports into competition policy have flooded in, Pip Courtney asks Barnaby Joyce if this is an opportunity to implement significant change in the farming sector. National Treasures: In Arnhem Land, Indigenous rangers are in a race against time to save Aboriginal rock art, most of which is under threat
Salt Water Future: The move to counter increasing imports of barramundi comes as the WA Government proclaims a new aquaculture zone in the Kimberley region, which could also provide a huge lift to three nearby Aboriginal communities. Farm Magic: Around Australia a handful of 19th century farmhouses are slowly regaining the magnificence of their past lives but as renovators rebuild and restore, they're uncovering secrets hidden from view for nearly 200 years. Gingerly: The Federal Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce is playing down concerns over the decision to allow ginger imports from Fiji, but ginger growers say it's only a matter of time before devastating diseases arrive in the country.
Kimberley Water: The West Australian Government is investing a record $300 million in a plan to help create new small scale irrigation enterprises, to tap into the growing demand for protein and high quality produce in Asia. China Trees: After years of negotiation a Victorian commercial tree farm is about to send their first batch of ornamental trees to China. Vintage Mill: At 60 years of age Ralph Affleck designed and built a saw mill that he could solely run, now 84-years-old the Killarney local is considered a legend around town. Bearing Fruit: When the Federal Government offered advice instead of helping SCP Ardmona out of financial trouble last year, the company took up Canberra's suggestion to modernise, and have invested $100 million in to new products.
Capital Cattlemen: The potential of Northern Australia to provide Asia with quality food is driving a bold investment in the cattle industry by one of Australia's richest men. Fighting Back: Two years after bushfires devastated the seaside village of Dunalley in Tasmania's south-east we visit some of the local farming community to see how they are recovering from natural disaster. Indian Wool: Fashion designer, Rahul Mishra, is the first Indian designer to win the International Woolmark Prize, just days after his sell out collection was showcased at Paris Fashion week; he paid his first visit to an Australian wool property.
Great Expectations: A new abattoir near Darwin was due to begin processing cattle in September but the $100 million plant is not yet up and running and the company behind it, the Australian Agricultural Company or AACo, won't reveal what's causing the hold-up. Killer Cats: The Federal Government has announced a ten year plan to effectively eradicate feral cats that are carrying diseases which are being passed on to sheep in Tasmania, with disastrous consequences. Ladies Day: Life on a remote cattle station is tough on women, so it's no wonder they crave a weekend away surrounded by friends and free from everyday responsibilities.
Carbon Farming: How will farmers and Aboriginal communities with existing carbon abatement schemes adapt to the Abbott Government's Direct Action climate change policy. Farmer Green: The ABC Rural Farmer of the Year is an orchardist who grows apples at Lenswood near Adelaide and despite running a small family business, Robert Green has been able to achieve extraordinary results. Wrapped Up: Some savvy scientists think they might have worked out a way for cotton growers in Central Queensland to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature, using the most unlikely of materials. Tocal: Tocal College just north of Maitland in New South Wales is just one of a handful of remaining agricultural colleges in Australia. Still run as a working farm, Tocal has recently won a major award for its enduring architectural significance.
Back of Beyond: The remarkable story behind the making of that classic 1954 film 'The Back of Beyond' and the man it was all about, Tom Kruse. Greenwheat: Greenwheat freekeh has been around for thousands of years in some parts of the world, but it's taken a South Australian businessman to try and get an industry going. Hydro Wood: An ambitious project to log forests drowned when Tasmania's remote Pieman River was dammed, is closer to reality as a local company undergoes rigorous testing.
Camel Cull: A feral camel culling program has taken the pressure off sensitive environmental areas and farm infrastructure but critics are questioning if wild camels should be seen as a pest or a resource? Army Rations: The Federal Government's $19m investment in military food research is a welcome economic boost for the struggling country town of Scottsdale in Tasmania however there's little in it for local farmers. Planting Push: The loss of so much cane land has put pressure on the sugar cane industry in Mackay but the local mill is using a range of measures to get thousands more hectares planted to cane. Trout Tales: Anglers across the country have been marking 150 years since the arrival of the first trout eggs into Australia.
Import Ban: Pip Courtney speaks with Joseph Saina, Head of the Australian Horticultural Exporters Association, regarding Vietnam's ban on Australian horticultural imports. Chicken Town: There were grave concerns for the little town of Inglewood when its largest employer went into receivership, but a local family came to the rescue. Mixed Blessing: Is buffel grass a destructive weed or productive feed? Kerry Staight travels to South Australia's APY Lands as well as pastoral properties in Queensland and Alice Springs to find out.
China Boom: Tasmanian farmers are hoping a recent visit by one of the world's most powerful leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping, will have lasting ramifications for the Island state. Comeback Kids: Landline returns to the Flinders Rangers in South Australia to see how the second batch of western quolls has fared, alongside their feline predators. Water Woes: During the Federal and State Government water buybacks, irrigators warned the loss of water to revive the parched Murray Darling Basin threatened their viability, but three years on have those fears have been realised?
Northern Hope: Since the suspension of the live cattle trade to Indonesia in 2011 Australia's northern beef industry has made a slow recovery but as the north gears up for the mustering season there's finally a feeling of hope in the air. The Colour Purple: The latest super food to hit the shops is a plum Queensland Government Scientists accidently bred a decade ago and its gaining worldwide interest for its antioxidant properties. Rhubarb: When vegetable processor Simplot pulled out of north-east Tasmania 10-years ago, it was a huge blow to the community but one local farmer took a punt growing a vegetable he knew nothing about. Young filmmaker documents effects of drought: Ten-year-old Ellen Gett is a city kid living in Brisbane - and like a lot of people, she also has a connection to the land.
Lake Cropping: Every 10 years or so, major floods in Australia's largest river fill lakes on the Lower Darling's massive flood plain in far western New South Wales. When the lakes dry up the farmers get busy growing crops on the moist and fertile lake beds. Old Man River: Alpine ecologist Alec Costin has devoted much of his life to studying and protecting Australia's unique mountain ecology. They're Back: Despite a huge public backlash against its supertrawler two years ago, Seafish Tasmania is now bringing another smaller factory ship to Australia. Markets Report: Landline's weekly commodities analysis and report. Tears From the Sky: 10 year old city raised Ellen made a video of her Grandfather's drought-stricken farm to show her school friends.
Commodities Report, Extreme Weather, Climate and Water Outlook, Ironstone, Slippery, The Grape Escape
Flow Hive, Liquid Gold, Number Crunching, Commodities
Tree Change, Commodities
Boiling Point, Sick Poppies, Markets Report
Reporter:Prue Adams; Australia is the world largest exporter of faba beans. Reporter:Kerry Staight; Student retention rates increase when this Victorian school incorporates primary industries into the curriculum. Reporter:Dr Paul Feikema; The national climate and water outlook for Feb - Apr 2016 presented by experts from the Bureau of Meteorology. Reporter:Fiona Breen; In a region blessed with high rainfall and some of the cleanest air in the world, top prices being paid for beef is allowing producers to diversify - into the energy market. Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; Observations and analysis of commodity prices and trends with Kerry Lonergan.
Reporter:Tim Lee; Facing a future without irrigation, fruit growers in the lower Darling are prepared to walk away from their crops. Reporter:John Taylor; Farmers use advanced weighing, monitoring and surveying technologies to fine tune their practices and grow better crops. Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; Kerry speaks to David Foote, CEO of vertically integrated beef business Australian Country Choice about future prospects. Reporter:Sean Murphy; Australia's own version of Manuka honey is in demand for its medicinal properties.
Reporter:Caitlyn Gribbin; Detection dogs have remarkable success sniffing out endangered native species. Reporter:Kerry Staight; A South Australian based meat processor continues to grow while others close their doors. Reporter:John Taylor; In Queensland's tropical north, cane farmers are growing rice above ground and out of water. Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; Observations and analysis of recent commodity prices and trends with Kerry Lonergan.
Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; This week Kerry speaks with Stuart Clayton, Modiano Australia about a petition calling for mandatory pain relief for all on-farm sheep surgery. Reporter:Elliana Lawford; A GPS tracking system is collecting hard data to better understand and manage wild buffalo. Reporter:Sean Murphy; A new generation of oyster growers have some fresh ideas about marketing and production. Reporter:Fiona Breen; Devastated oyster farmers in Tasmania have had their livelihoods wiped out.
Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; Observations and analysis of recent commodity prices and trends with Kerry Lonergan. Reporter:Dr Andrew Watkins; A look ahead at Australia's weather prospects from the Bureau of Meteorology. Reporter:Pip Courtney; Barnaby Joyce, Minister for Agriculture, is one of the most colourful members of Parliament and also Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister. Pip Courtney spoke to him about his new role. Reporter:Fiona Breen; A cattle muster with a difference as stockmen and women drive 800 head of cattle from Robbins Island to the Tasmanian mainland on an 11km journey across the passage on low tide. Reporter:Sean Murphy; Farmers in Australia's intensive livestock industries see manure as a source of income and pork producers are lading the way, converting poo into profit.
Reporter:Pip Courtney; Hailed as a superfood, Queensland's Queen Garnet plum has attracted global interest but fake plums are now turning up in the market place. Reporter:Dominique Schwartz; The Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce wants Australian Super funds to boost their investment in the nation's rural portfolio. Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; Observations and analysis of recent commodity prices with Kerry Lonergan. This week Kerry talks property values with Tim Lane of Herron Todd White. Reporter:Mark Bennett; Farmers in Esperance believe fires in their area could have been avoided if local volunteers had been allowed to intervene earlier, and they've hired a law firm to conduct an independent review. Reporter:Kerry Staight; Soil erosion is now a challenge for farmers in South Australia's mid-north after a firestorm raged through the area last November burning 85,000 hectares of land.
Reporter:Lucy Barbour; Former independent MP Tony Windsor will contest his old seat of New England - currently held by agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce. Reporter:Fiona Breen; Fire raged through one of Tasmania's normally wettest areas in January but farmers at Temma remain positive. Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; Observations and analysis of recent commodity prices with Kerry Lonergan. Reporter:Kristy O'Brien; A fourth generation NT family set about pioneering the impossible and are now the largest producers of farmed barramundi in Australia.
Reporter:John Taylor; A canegrower increases crop yield by growing sunflowers to improve soil biology. Reporter:Caitlyn Gribbin; CSIRO scientists come up with a solution to a major ethical issue in the egg industry. Warning: contains graphics images.
Reporter:Tim Lee; Former professional actor The Right Reverend Rob Gillion takes on his biggest role ever - as Bishop of Riverina. Reporter:Kerry Lonergan; Observations and analysis of recent commodity prices with Kerry Lonergan. Reporter:Lydia Burton; A western Queensland grazier finds beauty in the drought. Reporter:John Taylor; Years of research have transformed the modest mung bean into the 'money bean'.
The aero-medical specialists saving lives in remote Australia; Rosellas, an old-fashioned favourite winning new fans; Australian growers embrace the feijoa; an inspiring Heywire story.
The transformation of a heritage woollen brand: Sugarcane growers fight their own war on waste; A farming community outfox the elusive feral predator; an inspiring Heywire story; the BOM's monthly outlook.
The effect drought is having on the nation's grain producers; Looking for local steak in Australia's beef capital; The marine spectacle that spawned a tourist boom; Another inspiring Heywire story by young regional Aussies.
The farmers seeming to defy drought; Trialing a commercial crop of black sesame seeds; Creative tech solutions making farming more efficient; plus another inspiring Heywire story.
Queensland's solar boom and debate over using traditional farmland to harvest sunshine; Hundreds of thousands of ribbon gums succumb to a mysterious dieback on the Monaro Plains; an inspirational Heywire story.
Australian farmers adding hemp to their grain cropping programs; a new forestry industry for the far north; the slow food movement supporting good, clean, fair food; an inspirational Heywire story from WA.
Finding new markets for sweet potatoes; Charities and volunteers helping Australians through natural disaster; The fight to use the name prosecco; An inspiring Heywire story; The monthly climate outlook.
The innovative technology saving water and increasing yields for cotton growers; Campdrafting with the nation's best; The agriculture business giving autistic workers a fair-go; An inspiring Heywire story.
A school sheep program saved through the kindness of strangers; Australia's emerging insect-farming sector; Aboriginal hunters protecting the bilby population in remote WA; The last Heywire story for the year.
White spot outbreak continues to cause collateral damage; The Royal Flying Doctor Service promoting men's health in the bush; A wonder weed reducing cattle methane emissions; The BOM's monthly outlook.
Traditional farming families diversifying into alcohol production; Queensland's cocoa growers still dreaming of a thriving chocolate industry; An irrigation project growing more than pasture in the Kimberley.
Mexico's blue agave creating green energy in Queensland's far-north; Firearms tourism on a remote pastoral station; Setting the record straight on the origins of Australia's faithful working dogs.
Woolgrowers go to the polls; The unique competition to find the top stock camp in the north. A one-on-one with National Party Leader, Michael McCormack.
The German adventurer who became the Northern Territory's largest mango grower; Oil Mallee trees paying off for West Australian farmers; Artist Arthur Boyd's lifelong love of the Australian landscape.
Horror and heartache facing flooded beef producers; Farmers who moved from Queensland to Tasmania in search of green grass; The wind turbine transformation in western Victoria; Pressure to overhaul W.A pastoral leases.
A special report on the devastating flooding of north-west Qld's cattle country; The changing way of selling livestock; Calls to redirect Foreign Aid to farmers; What's in a name for wine and cheese producers?
Queensland's destructive floodwaters bring life to the Channel Country; Virtual reality helping children learn about agriculture; A new wave of young farmers following their dreams.
Australia's regional and rural television program asks "Is country Australia fed-up with politicians?" and we meet some farming authors exploring life, love and business.
Two years on from the release of the rabbit virus RHDV1-K5; The birth of merino lambs sired 50 years ago; Australian designed gluten-free barley.
The first new shearing shed built in a South Australian wool district in half a century; Does Brexit mean a bonanza for Australian farmers? New hands helping make bush teddies.
A meat wholesaler who says we should be eating less of it; The craft brewery boom helping regional towns; Talking budget and election with the Deputy Prime Minister; New challenges for the Rural Woman of the Year.
Live export uncertainty clouds sheep industry outlook; Australia's only pumpkin seed growers; Heart-breaking soldier settlement stories of Indigenous ANZACs; Tension between food producers and vegan activists.
Revisiting Queensland cattle communities devastated by flooding; The Adelaide Hills farm behind Australia's skincare giant; Ord River corn shipped out to South Korea; how regional Australia is faring in the election campaign.
A Queensland poultry producer growing the world's largest eating quail; Australia's outback roadhouses and their unique owners plus the ground-breaking Margaret River winery celebrating 50 years.
A north-Queensland banana farmer has turned back the clock and returned to farming practices from half-a-century ago.
An isolated farming community taking the lead to help prevent a repeat bushfire tragedy; Australia's hazelnut industry having a growth spurt; The Landcare volunteer inspiring a new generation.
The lure of barramundi in the Gulf; Warmer water conditions challenge Tasmania's salmon farmers; Orca tourism in southern Australia; Getting dusty with a roving mustering crew in the Top End.
The growing problem of disposing of plastic farm waste; Barmah Choke under pressure from growing irrigation demands; On-farm alternatives to industrial abattoirs; The monthly climate and water outlook.
The row over the world's most popular weed-killer; The cattle station where aboriginal stockmen are learning the ropes; Training working dogs without words; Aboriginal heritage listing embraced by farmers.
Extraordinary prices for sheep meat as records tumble; Stargazing in remote Western Australia where the night sky is a tourist attraction; Music festivals breathing life into bush communities.
Frustrated farmers at breaking point dealing with wild deer; The baby boom bringing new life to a small country town; A hands-on training program attracting a new generation of farmers to the bush.
Picking up the pieces after catastrophic bushfires on Kangaroo Island, in New South Wales and Victoria. Plus culling of thirsty camels to protect water supplies in the Southern Rangelands of WA.
The struggle of overcoming infertility in the bush. The singing and dancing farmer teaching kids about life on the land. Plus the impact of coronavirus on Australia's multi-million-dollar lobster export industry.
Landline goes to Bass Strait and Australia's largest remaining scallop fishery. Also meet the scientist whose work in sheep helped in the births of 10 million IVF babies. Plus the old alcohol that's new again - mead.
What the Australia-Indonesia partnership means for agricultural exports; Tasmania on the verge of eliminating European Carp; Small town farmers looking for love; The burger king backing plant-based meat substitutes. Weekly Weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRCV3VMOSdI
Farming bush foods; Mustering at Mundoo Island Station; The beef property where the Murray River meets the sea; A family of four daughters building a beef brand to export to China. BOM Climate Outlook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F62Ku0i5n7o
Agricultural innovators working smarter not harder; an alternative to plastic drinking straws; eco-friendly surfboards from plantation timber; Canowindra's young champion putting community first. Weekly Weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lTiym9siU0
The little drought charity with a big heart; Traprock's fine wool producers struggle with drought; Genetically modifying dairy cattle; A young farmer from Jakarta embraces life on King Island. Weekly Weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJSJg2YBbfo
The impact of bushfire-smoke tainted grapes on the wine industry; A high-end goat cheese dairy committed to sustainability; Farming camels for meat export; Inside the secret world of medicinal cannabis. Weekly Weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E77TA7lRWhM
What coronavirus means for agriculture; Hard times for rice growers; Remembering a unique travelling merchant and his wagon; The artist capturing the country coming back to life from bushfires.
A caterpillar with a frightening reputation invades Australian shores. Precious honey bees in short supply for agriculture. Beneficial bugs keeping pest insects at bay. Plus the effect of COVID-19 on farming. Weekly Weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiYAqAFFdOc
Couples struggling to overcome infertility in the bush, the man who helped revolutionise IVF, the boom in distilleries and no-alcohol drinks and the singing, dancing farmer celebrating life on the land.
COVID-19 changing the way primary producers and agricultural businesses operate; Fears for hundreds of wineries; Pork producers on alert for African Swine Fever. Weekly weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtobrik7hGM
Landline's tribute to our Anzacs including how diggers smuggled a French orphan boy into Melbourne after WWI, the soldier settlement schemes, plus a family linked to the charge of the Light Horse Brigade at Beersheba.
Safeguarding the food supply chain during COVID-19; Changes at fruit and vegetable markets; Out to sea for banana prawn season; RFDS readies for coronavirus; plus a silver-lining for the flower industry. Climate and Water Outlook for May to July 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOi5J3_nL50
Truckies keeping food supplies moving; Cow colostrum a new trend in health foods; Big hearted volunteers feeding hungry horses; The greenhouse-grown vanilla pilot; plus Ginger growing bio-security champions. Weekly Weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPEEGt7ul-A
The nationwide grain industry outlook; A regional business making cheap ventilators; Farmers demand the right to repair their tractors; The high-tech nursery facing big challenges.
Drought-stricken grain growers taking their last chance on a crop; Demand soars for organic fruit and vegetables: Keeping a country newspaper alive; Plus the struggle to save unwanted working dogs.
Home delivery saving our cheesemakers; Launching the latest in bush tucker; A new health food supplement made from apples boosts hope for bushfire-hit orchardists; Plus protecting Tasmania's waterways from livestock.
A major court victory for the northern cattle industry; Rebuilding after summer's bushfires; Has COVID-19 revealed a lack of self-reliance for farm manufacturing and supplies; Plus the remote life of an outback cop.
Calls for Australians to eat more home-grown barramundi; Farming pearls in cooler waters; A world first climate atlas charting the weather for our wine regions; Plus embracing the challenges of a tree-change.
An uncertain future for the last Georges River oyster farmer; Growing exotic mushrooms in an inner-city backyard; Planting native grasses to help deal with drought and bushfire; Plus protecting bees from disease.
Australian scientists discover how to grow coloured cotton; Reviving Australia's wool processing industry; Changing the way milk processors and dairy farmers do business; Plus the latest monthly Climate Outlook.
Lessons learned from drought; Improving cotton's green credentials; The family-owned business farming salt; An award-winning program changing the conversation about mental health for rural men.
A bold plan for bioenergy from agricultural waste; How farming could help heal mental hurt; The race to salvage trees killed in summers bushfires; Mallacoota's community-led approach to bushfire recovery.
Digging deep in search of underground water; A five-year project to fix the world's longest fence; Aged care options closer to home for regional Australians; The orange police protecting a precious crop.
The mysterious dieback of grazing pasture; A young WA family embrace farming life; Paying farmers for supporting biodiversity; Purple beehives defending against varroa mite; Promising cattle tick vaccine research.
How the deadly rabbit virus myxomatosis almost failed; Bundaberg's tobacco-growing history; A Longreach local legend living independently at 95; A regional artist creates spectacular bronze sculptures.
Crunch time for the Narrabri coal seam gas project; The link between the myxo and calici viruses in rabbit control; How a beautiful bouquet could be a biosecurity risk; The many words used to describe wagyu beef.
The wall of one of the country's newest dams being lowered for safety; A young farmer succeeding on the land after the sudden loss of his father; Making beer from jujubes; On the road with a travelling vet.
One man's project to catalogue all the world's edible plants is helping to fight child starvation; A growing number of women taking up the trade of butchering; The 70-year-old shearer still a gun on the boards.
Woolgrowers scramble to assemble shearing teams due to border closures; Home-made soft drinks bubbling in popularity; Australia's underappreciated native mushrooms; How Israeli farmers are coping with COVID.
Canola growers warned to phase out pest-control chemicals; Bold plans for a boutique abattoir in Central Queensland; Labour shortage creates picking problems for horticulture; The unique one-person mill.
A pollution controversy over dust from Port Hedland's booming iron ore port; Salmon profits halved by the pandemic; The grain grower diversifying into beer; Dedicated volunteers restoring Tasmanian train history.
Do Australia's catastrophic bushfires signal a new global fire age?; This summer's fire outlook; Victorian poultry farmers battle bird flu outbreak; Farmers on opposite sides of the wind energy debate.
A shortage of truckies and drivers creates a harvest crisis in WA; The community funded market hub connecting customers with farmers; Digger the farm dog's very busy day; End of an era for a Queensland milko.
Strawberry ice-creams and herb bouquets save two farms from adversity; The town that took in and supported out-of-work backpackers during COVID; The cafe owner using aquaponics to grow his own salads.
Farming mussels in Jervis Bay's new aquaculture precinct; The battle to eradicate fire ants; Solutions to drought on the Nullarbor Plain; Creating new habitat for displaced koalas and other native animals.
Getting a foothold in the NT's cattle industry; The bright future for jumps horses after racing; A sustainable seafood enterprise in Arnhem Land; 60 years of crop saving information for temperate fruit growers.
Workers from Vanuatu pick the Northern Territory's mangoes; The golden harvest of a new wheat variety; An uncertain future for sugar mill; Botany Bay's Indigenous rangers; A country music star turns gold miner.
How barley growers have fared after huge tariff imposed by China; A whole apple in a bottle; The country's biggest free-range meat-chicken farm embracing solar; Sharing the mysteries of the deep online.
The challenges of farming beside the Great Barrier Reef; Australia's grain-belt rebounding from drought; Concern over a deep space project on farming land; Finding fun in the bush when COVID cancels events.
Community expectations in animal welfare, the environment and sustainability have impacted the production of food and fibre. We look at social licence in agriculture and how it affects farmers and consumers. (Final for 2020)
Retired race-horses helping to make antivenom; The sprawling grazing property being turned into a national park; Australian exporters exploring new markets; The enthusiasts preserving a steam tractor collection.
Striking the balance between hazard reduction burns and biodiversity; Stopping the spread of plague locusts; Health reforms for rural Australia; Unforgettable images taken by remote workers.
The Queensland company leading the world in ag-robots; The relentless march of the Fall armyworm; Championing home-grown coffee beans; Farmers and citizen scientists help the Australian Museum to find frogs.
Volunteers help rebuild Kangaroo Island's bee industry; The Australian wool industry coming back from COVID; Could a native seaweed turn agriculture green?; The beauty of the Mallee showcased in a new book.
The comeback of Australia's iconic Murray Cod; Turning lentils into gluten-free flour; The accidental apiarist producing honey with a difference; Going for gas in north-west New South Wales.
Landline celebrates 30 years. This special anniversary episode looks at the stories and people that have taken the show from its origins in 1991 to now.
Boom time for berries in Tasmania; The good and the bad of the red hot cattle market; Tension over new coal seam gas wells on Queensland cropping land; Plus brighter prospects for winegrowers this harvest.
An encore presentation of stories showcasing our vast nation: From outback cattle station to national park; The travelling saddler's last journey; The property that inspired a famous landscape artist; Life on the Nullarbor.
Controversy in mulga country over carbon farming; A regional malt house connecting craft brewers and farmers; The young farmer who took out an Apprentice of the Year award; The chemical-free rural supply store.
Green hydrogen the latest climate change buzzword; Grain growers reap returns of organic sourdough market; Sharks taking a bite out of recreational catch in WA; Freeze-dried feta a new pantry cheese.
A legendary warhorse immortalised; The heiress who helped thousands of wounded soldiers; A Vietnam veteran's life-changing story of acceptance. The living link to Lone Pine plus a soldier settlement with proud military ties.
First generation farmers transform a farming fixer-upper; Soaring farmland prices a barrier to young farmers; Using science to help prevent bushfire; Auditing an entire beef supply chain to count carbon cost.
Darling River waterflows invigorating communities; Fighting Mallee bushfires from the air; Overcoming isolation and loneliness with scones; Demand for pipis netting jobs for Indigenous fishing venture.
Lessons learned from the dry Darling; Farming salt in a World Heritage area; Fighting the mouse plague sweeping eastern Australia; Turning pig poo into power.
Inside a vital pig breeding facility; Fighting feral animals with high-tech drones; Is the Australia-China trade dream over?; Plus the guitar man hand-crafting instruments from local timber.
Riverina rice making a comeback; Tagging of eels helps reveal migratory secrets; Premium conditions for WA canola; Sheep herding for city dogs; Monthly outlook from the BOM.
A special on bushfire recovery visiting farms and businesses in Batlow, Kangaroo Island and northern NSW to discover the innovative ways people have repositioned their businesses and steps taken to protect from future fires. Also looks at how going online saved a struggling beef business, plus how innovation and diversification helped Batlow's apple growers recover.
Planting peanuts away from Australia's peanut capital; Beneficial microbes improving soil and helping to store carbon; Saving the Western ground parrot from extinction; Plus a vending machine for farm produce.
Meet the 2021 Australian Farmer of the Year; The rural philanthropic projects making a difference; The rush to harvest Kangaroo Island's burnt plantation timber; A truck that's driven itself across America.
Rethinking the future after rainforest fire; Planting trees to create a koala corridor; Using cultural burning practices to fight fire with fire; Community connection helping the healing process.
Debate over Australia's ability to trace a major disease outbreak in animals; Saving rare breeds of pigs from extinction; Tough times for tuna fishers; Australians embracing Indigenous tourism experiences.
South Australian scientists genetically modifying crops for space; The natural wine movement that challenges traditional winemaking techniques; Bush inspired pottery as unique as its maker.
Artificially inseminating bees to protect against deadly varroa mite; Thermal technology helping to eradicate feral pigs on Kangaroo Island; plus Unearthing secrets of the pre-colonial international sea cucumber trade.
The Australian product humanely killing feral pigs; Shark Bay crab fishers turn adversity into triumph; WA's gin towns embrace the spirit; Macadamia growers let nature do the heavy lifting in pest control.
Building better internet in the bush; The country community helping dreams come true; Ensuring Australian prawns are the real deal; Innovation helps oyster growers achieve record sales.
The challenges of farming redclaw crayfish, foreign workers needed for harvest, and the science and farming practices behind the perfect potato chip.
Introducing new generations to mulberries; The young graziers proving they're made of the right stuff; On patrol with Norforce; plus Timor Leste's willing labour force ready to work.
The long-running debate over managing Kosciuszko's brumbies; Claims industrial hemp is being diverted into a cannabis wellness black-market; Turning faba beans into a high-value plant protein meat alternative.
Farmers make the most of good seasons and high prices; Truffle growing in Queensland's Granite Belt; A mysterious fashion entrepreneur and her place in rural women's history; The old-time trade of wheelwrighting.
Australia's inventors and innovators transforming fencing; One man's determination to save his fishery; Looking for better ways to retain soil moisture; 93-year-old yodelling darling Zeta Burns.
New ways of using water to grow cotton; Protecting Australian farms from a devastating citrus disease; Repatriating the Star of Taroom; Inventions making fencing simpler and less labour intensive.
Changes ahead for Western Australia's native timber industry; The highs and lows of growing chickpeas; How much should woolgrowers be levied to fund AWI?; A camel farmer's big vision for the industry.
Controlling run-off from the Coffs Coast's blueberry boom; Australian agriculture's dependence on foreign labour; Plus Northern Territory buffalo a cheap alternative export protein.
The community partnership healing a battered cattle station; Dryland cotton farming's expansion in northern Australia; The legacy of naturalist Les Chandler; A quilt of memories created by Landline viewers.
A water infrastructure fight in NSW; sexual harassment in rural and regional workplaces; and the rugby league great sharing his personal tragedy to encourage people to take farm safety and quad bikes seriously.
Is it mining versus agriculture in central western NSW?; Recreating lost oyster reefs in Qld; Virtual fencing in remote WA; and greenhouses improving access to fruit and vegetables in remote NT.
The ongoing campaign for railway safety in the country; Australia's latest breed of imported sheep; The Cape York walk changing lives; plus the awards acknowledging the nation's innovative rural women.
The art of rescuing bees from houses; One simple thing farmers can do to help save lives in an emergency; World leading crocodile research in the Top End; Turning wheat crop stalks into building panels.
Agriculture has been central in the climate debate but can crops and cattle be a carbon solution? This Carbon Zero show looks at storing carbon in soil, ancient Indigenous burning practices and graziers going carbon positive.
Lachlan's legacy to regenerative agriculture; The healing power of bees for veterans; The secret business of farming a native narcotic; Bonds formed at agricultural college still strong half a century on.
Turning low-value wool into unique high-value products; Ensuring a future for wild sandalwood; Feeding soil with pig effluent; Plus the former landscapers 'farming' rocks.
Locals working together to bring back family farm ownership; Building a dynasty in the red centre; Plus reshaping the system for foreign worker programs.
Landline reporters share their favourite stories of the year. From the lady who clothed the colonies, to truffle farming, sharks, buffalo and bushfire recovery, to one of the toughest outback men youll meet.
TBA
Once-in-a-lifetime flooding in SA's 'Agricultural Town of the Year'; Western Australia's record summer; Australian science and ingenuity transforms the global leather industry; Tree farmers growing an international business.
Harvesting big data from farmers; A resurgence in small family dairies; Growing seaweed to capture carbon; plus Rural retreats bringing tourists to country towns.
Demand for carbon offsets from agriculture creates new opportunities for farmers; Growing hyper-yielding crops; Minding the murals in country towns; and Australia's enduring love affair with the ute.
Scheduled program cancelled due to flooding in Queensland. Repeat broadcast of Series 2021 | Episode 6 30th Anniversary Special
A growing taste for goat meat; An agricultural program in jail giving prisoners a second chance; The telecommunications divide between cities and the bush; Plus a breeding program for Macquarie Perch.
Turbo charging crops and soil carbon with human waste; The fresh faces of the Northern Territory cattle industry; plus designing tree hollows for wildlife to replace those lost to fires and land clearing.
A sardine fisher in Port Phillip Bay pulls in his nets for the last time; The changing face of Australian agriculture; plus discovering the secrets of black garlic.
The full-circle distillery increasing milk production; What it takes to be a social media ag influencer; Plus discovering the inventor of modern refrigeration in our series on the 'Things That Made Australia'.
The big shake-up to how fruit and vegetable pickers are paid; Restoring reefs in Port Phillip; The ICU nurses learning to grow apples; plus testing times for the Australia-Indonesia live cattle partnership.
Celebrating stories of resilience from over the years: The English backpacker at home on a remote cattle station, Turning dust to diamonds, The women running vast outback stations, plus a retired bushman and his solo sawmill.
People power restoring seagrass meadows off South Australia; 80 years since Australia's "Land Girls" answered the call; A Mallee ghost town that once offered a new life to soldier settlers; A visit to the Royal Easter Show.
Meet a woman who breeds award winning sheep, shears them, trades grain and drives a road train; A small town with home-grown care for the elderly; and join the conversation at the Women of The World Festival in Longreach.
The divisive debate over kangaroo harvesting; Australia's Rural Ambassadors for 2021 and 2022; Capturing the beauty of the Monaro region on canvas; plus the solo yachtsman retuning each year to harvest grain in WA.
High profile kitchen power helping a city farm recover from floods; Shearing the rams the old- fashioned way; The Casella family's mega winery; An exciting discovery for the country museum housing the Madame Weigel exhibit.
How mechanical shearing transformed Australia's wool industry, WA farmers gearing up to meet the popularity of oat milk, and building agricultural skills at a former gold mine.
How improving soil health on macadamia farms has captured carbon; The beef producer helping to save two of Australia's rarest animals; Myanmar refugees finding a way to farm; plus Australia's first abattoir choir.
A new gold rush in Victoria's high country; Primary production in Western Australia's remote Abrolhos Islands; and Queensland's Heron Island, once home to a turtle soup factory, now a haven for wildlife.
Rising pet ownership putting pressure on the food supply chain; Fighting fruit flies from the cloud; School students helping to save an endangered native fish; plus developing alternatives to pesticides for cotton.
Technological innovations benefitting agriculture and the environment. Planting trees from the sky; Fighting unlawful water use; Using native fungi to combat weeds; Colourful light boosting technology helping to grow crops
A looming potato shortage as growers threaten to leave the industry; Crunching the numbers on pricey produce; Primary industries in NSW's Northern Rivers devastated by floods; plus WA's live sheep industry on notice.
Fine-dining regional restaurants offer new opportunities for local producers; One of the nation's smallest and most unique farms; Mixing with the top dogs at the Casterton Kelpie show; 200 years of agricultural education.
How the merino sheep breed kick-started Australia's wool industry; Using mules to move livestock in feedlots; Port Stephens oyster growers face devastating QX disease; plus the world's tiniest tomatoes.
A not-for-profit group offering community and support to connect young people to farming; The quest to find new and better ways to harvest wool; New South Wales' most sustainable fishery, the Eastern Rock Lobster.
Finding a future for a coal mining town when the power plants close; Using overlooked fish species to aid sustainability; plus pollination plans as beekeepers deal with the deadly bee parasite Varroa mite.
What rising dairy prices mean for farmers amidst industry boom; A shortage of truck drivers slowing supply chains across the country; plus one man's determination to breed a better lamb.
High rise buildings made from timber; a livestock gene bank to preserve rare breeds; plus the distinctive designs of fruit and vegetable cartons.
New ways to reduce food waste; the farm growing Christmas magic all year round; and donkeys taking on the role of livestock guardians.
Fire danger ratings standardised across Australia; keeping the last commercial farm on a city's outskirts safe from urban sprawl; and how the gold rushes helped build the nation in our series 'Things That Made Australia'.
Worker shortages impacting the mango season; the commercial trial using seaweed to reduce cattle methane; and becoming an electric-vehicle minerals superpower.
The forgotten disease that could devastate the cattle industry; tiny drones doing the work of bees; decades of tree planting transform a sheep property; and the ghost town of Annuello comes back to life.
Meet the 2022 Farmer of the Year; the lucrative business of sexing livestock semen; and the high school growing a new crop of farmers.
Promoting excellence in commercial fishing; international challenges to finger lime farming; armchair travelling for farmers in the Faroe Islands near Iceland; and landscape painter Joe Furlonger.
FMD concerns over people entering pastoral properties in WA; a progress report on Inland Rail; and meet Australia's latest Landcare winner.
Agricultural waste being turned into a carbon rich soil improver; Controversial plans to stop over-fishing in WA fishery; and is the long awaited Inland Rail on the right track?
Modern pioneers raising buffalo for meat and milk; High tech indoor vertical farming powered by the wind; Carving up farmland to end a traffic snarl; plus researching the endangered Southern Right Whale.
How prawn farmers devastated by white spot disease became award-winning fish producers; the dairy producers going it alone; plus Clydesdale champions keeping a tradition alive.
Concerns over long-term bio-security funding; The big gamble of building a private abattoir; Carbon credits from planting koala habitat; and barbecuing beef for off-farm income.
How farmers in parts of New South Wales and Victoria are coping with relentless rain; The biggest glasshouse in Australia with even bigger plans for the future; plus the tiny school with its own grain business.
Veterinarians under pressure in an industry struggling to retain practitioners in rural and regional areas; A robot that could revolutionise the packing shed; plus the 89-year-old keeping community halls alive through music.
A growing market for Australian wine in India; Flooding and prolonged wet weather creates a live Christmas tree shortage; and boot-scooting breathing life back into the dance halls of Western Australia.
Filling the gap in the fertiliser market by reworking disused phospate mines; the secrets of some of Australia's leading horsemen and women; plus earning money from carbon captured in soil.
The virtual mother's group helping country mums; Farming off-grid; An online community sharing stories of disability in agriculture; and the bush market celebrating artisans and makers from across Australia.
Devastating flooding for farmers and communities in South Australia and Western Australia's Kimberley regions; Rebuilding from flood in central New South Wales; plus rejuvenated wetlands for birds.
Crunch time for the Murray Darling Basin Plan; More to cherries than a Christmas treat; Kids on camp honing cattle skills; plus imperfect produce becomes gourmet dried fruit.
Predicting outbreaks of the deadly Hendra virus; Celebrating diversity among Australia's farmers; Finding safe, affordable feed additives for carbon neutral cattle; and reaping the rewards of agri-forestry.
How different communities along the Darling River are managing recent flooding; Queensland's camel queen conquering social media; and Tasmania's wool growing maverick doing things her way.
Fighting chemical spray drift in the cotton industry; The quest for a national planning code for leaky weirs; Growing more rice using less water; plus protecting Indigenous culture for future generations.
Carbon credit concerns about agriculture; Livestock with a difference - farming rats; A remarkable journey from Cambodian refugee to successful mango farmer; plus Connecting the world's Punjabi community with farming.
Life on the water taking a mental toll on fishers; The swamp saviours of northern Victoria; Supporting early childhood learning in the bush; and tension over a proposed workers camp near a small town in Western Australia.
The fashion designers with a passion for home grown wool; New hops varieties helping to create distinctive brews; plus how waste oyster shells are rejuvenating degraded waterways.
An encore of stories bound to make you hungry. Getting goat on more menus; The secrets of black garlic; Tasty, tiny tomatoes; The seafood provedore championing unpopular fish species and cuts; plus mixing rum and dairy cows.
The renewable energy rush dividing rural communities; Draining the silent flood of salinity in the wheat belt; Raking cockles in Shark Bay; and reviving Rawlinna: the largest sheep station in the country.
A special Anzac Day tribute to Australia's mighty war horse, the Waler; No limits for a determined cane farmer; and the WA wheatbelt's need for lime at odds with a top tourism destination.
The Australian wine industry limps to the end of one of its most difficult vintages; a spotlight on the outback kids taking to the stage to put on a musical; and the monthly water and climate outlook from the Bureau.
Growing more of a fruit that many people have never heard of - jujubes; Dark, starry nights in remote Western Australia; plus it's showtime for the cast of the outback musical.
A new weapon to help combat livestock theft; Over-fishing fears in World Heritage listed Shark Bay; The charity using farming to help mental health; and an artist's emotional connection to landscape.
Electronic tracking of wool bales from the shearing shed through the supply chain; Uniquely crafted furniture in the Top End; plus the shearing doctor with the best of both worlds.
An exclusive insight into the live export trade; Healing country and people in Western Australia's south-west; plus and honouring Sandy the Waler, the only horse to come home from the First World War.
The second part in our series on WA's live sheep export trade; Australia's new apple, the Bravo; Increasing production of the premium delicacy marron; plus remembering Australian country music legend Joy McKean.
The final instalment in our series on WA's live sheep export trade; A sky high future for mustering; Improving abattoir safety and efficiency through technology; and lifting the profile of persimmons.
Fighting the scourge of skin cancer in the bush; The retired cattleman changing lives in Cambodia one cow at a time; and sealing the final stretches of Australia's Outback Way.
Meet the Farmers of the Year; Western Australia's abalone rancher; How the destruction of millions of bees has affected farmers; plus reflecting on life on one of Australia's most famous outback cattle stations.
A special report on the methane busting seaweed that is crucial to efforts to reduce livestock emissions; A new plantation model for forestry on the Tiwi Islands; and private properties open their gates to farm camping.
Western Queensland is enjoying an incredible season after a decade of drought; Australian know-how transforming the care of buffaloes in Laos; and the young shearing boss recruiting new workers from all walks of life.
A training program changing lives on a Kimberley cattle station; and pushing new boundaries in the alternative meat market.
Ditching plastic for plant alternatives; Making money out of bee glue; plus shark-cage diving and the abalone industry.
Australia's crop prospects; The family cattle business enjoying the benefits of cutting carbon emissions; plus Australian research growing the beekeeping industry in the Pacific.
Safeguarding the future of Australia's spinach industry; Taking the centuries old tradition of drinking kava to the next level; plus the outback sculpture festival unearthing hidden talent.
The fallout from Victoria's ban on native timber harvesting; A country community backing its own solar energy project; Using the power of numbers for better cattle management; plus off and racing at the Boulia camel races.
Victorian logging ban exposes a rift among scientists; Nesting boxes reignite hope for endangered Cod; Cotton growers use "bank-less" systems to save water and improve efficiency plus a small town holds an annual rugby event.
A rise in meat allergies caused by tick bites; A livestock judge tells his story of foster caring; Pharmaceutical cannabis market hindered by driving penalties, plus the NSW timber industry questions its future.
Concerns over the environmental impact of commercial fertiliser; tourists experience the Roma saleyards, plus life aboard a live export ship.
Protecting valuable sandalwood from bushfires, a look at the history of canola, growing mushrooms in the old Holden factory, plus turning manure into granular fertiliser.
Encouraging workers to consider careers in agriculture, growing mushrooms in the old Holden factory, community opposition to the government plan to "re-wire the nation", plus the carpenter giving old shearing tables new life.
Farmers enjoy success with regenerative agriculture, dry-land rice farmers reduce methane emissions and water use, plus a visit to the Mount Isa rodeo - one of the country's biggest.
Italian and Indigenous cultures brought together at a hydroponic herb farm; the largest ever sustainability study of the red meat industry; plus enterprising equine vets in Victoria are set to launch a 'foal ambulance'.
NSW cotton operation makes world-first verified carbon-positive cotton; salt-affected farm turns to growing salt-tolerant plants for consumption; hemp building products; plus a new flight school takes off in Cloncurry, QLD.
A return to dairy farming in Far North Queensland; The remote station where cattle and conservation co-exist; Fighting ferals in Victoria's Otway region; plus changing lives through tiny acts of kindness.
The impact on the honeybee industry of living with varroa mite; Lumpy Skin Disease disrupting cattle trade with Indonesia; plus the big investment in Australian grown and made popcorn.
The army veterans finding a new mission through farming; Searching for the country's best high school agricultural programs; Protecting the Hunter's river red gums; plus the monthly weather and climate outlook.
The fifth generation farmers adapting to changing climates and markets; Tough decisions for sheep producers; Educating young people about consent; plus the agent selling vast cattle properties in northern Australia.
A biological alternative to traditional shearing; The sustainable food business turning farm waste into meals; plus the rare Australian made tractor popular with vintage machinery enthusiasts.
Tagging and tracking wild cattle and buffalo in the Top End; Fighting illegal fishing; White spot virus leaves the NSW prawn industry at a standstill; plus changing how goats are farmed.
An enterprising father and son growing tea; Lismore's ice cream factory back in business after flooding; A cowgirl on wheels breeding miniature goats; plus an outback postie delivering more than just letters. (Final for 2023)
What happened to El Nino? New technology giving lamb producers a boost; The brothers behind the largest organically certified land parcel in the world; plus fruit and vegetable farmers rebuilding from Cyclone Jasper.
Preparing animal industries for major disease threats; The plastic problem plaguing agriculture; Sweeter melons with a surprising benefit; plus saving the town vet clinic from closure.
Growing Australia's appetite for pistachios; A unique approach to tackling mental health challenges among dairy farmers; plus the farmers helping bring a fussy little bird back from the brink of extinction.
The entrepreneurial farmer determined to stay on his remote property despite incredible adversity; Scaling up production to get more jackfruit onto plates; plus shifting years of accumulated dung from under woolsheds.
Preserving farming land in a tourism mecca; Farmers reaping the rewards of taking water security into their own hands; the AFL superstar balancing footy and farming; plus a microscopic view of the tiny but mighty ant.
Tracing the barley in a bottle of beer to the paddock it was grown in; Differing opinions on dealing with dingoes; A heatwave harvest for WA wine grape growers; plus satellite mapping protecting old growth trees.
Nature's insurance policy against the deadly varroa mite; Worm castings finding favour in large scale farming; The tree planting project improving lives; plus remote graziers dealing with the pressure of life on the land.
We take you on a long weekend getaway without leaving home. Beautiful images from a remote fisherman in the Gulf of Carpentaria to the effect Australia's love of four-wheel driving has on our coastline.
Pinpointing the cause of mass cattle deaths onboard a ship bound for Indonesia; A controversial proposal to inject liquefied CO2 emissions deep underground; plus the remote grazing property defeating distance with technology.
Salmon giant Tassal expands to the Kimberley Coast; Regionally based medical schools helping to overcome rural doctor shortage; and burning invasive native scrub to create energy.
Livelihoods on the line ahead of planned changes to gillnet fishing; adding sparkle to Margaret River's wine region; plus an historic property dedicated to agricultural research commemorates the loss of two young men in WWII.
On the road with a mob of novice drovers; Growing the essential ingredient in gin; an historic tuna fishing clipper returns to Port Fairy; and vale to pioneering television chef Ian Parmenter.
Australian scientists fighting back against the destructive Fall armyworm; The impact of a desalination plant on aquaculture; Reviving the ancient trade for sea cucumber; plus the growing medicinal cannabis market.
A special edition of Landline, exploring 70 years of the ABC in the bush. On December 3rd, 1945, the very first episode of The Country Hour went to air on ABC Radio and so began a fine tradition of specialist ABC rural reporting. The launch of television in 1956 gave rise to a host of ABC programs such as Market to Market, A Big Country, Countrywide, and of course, a relative newcomer, Landline. Our entire program today is dedicated to examining this extraordinary archive of ABC programming as well as looking at the relevance of rural reporting in the 21st Century. Tim Lee reports.
