A LONG way from the southern coast of NSW and her family's 2.85-hectare (12-acre) property, Roma beef extension officer Kiri Broad is helping beef producers deal with one of the toughest droughts they have ever faced.
Growing up feeding poddy calves and studying agriculture at high school, Ms Broad said her passion for the industry grew after deciding to pursue her studies further with an animal science degree at Sydney University.
"After uni I moved to Narrabri to work on a graduate program, and that's when a job came up with the DPI in the Gulf so I took the opportunity," Ms Broad said.
"I spent three years working the Gulf, Cape and west coast of Queensland as a beef extension officer where, I'm proud to say, our team started the first Climate Clever Beef project.
"We looked at the practices producers could implement to help exist in a variable climate and performed case studies on properties."
Ms Broad said the projects she undertook as part of her time in the north gave producers invaluable access to information about how to decrease stocking rates but increase weaning rates, lower age turn-off and have better weight gains for their cattle.
"We really focused on helping producers become more resilient, but also profitable, and through that I got involved with business analysis, which I really enjoy and I've been able to bring that knowledge with me to Roma."
Ms Broad said tax accounting was a whole other ball game compared with management accounting.
"Management accounting allows producers to gain a true picture of what's happening with their business and minimise their tax burden.
"It's two different systems of accounting and it's great to be able help people in other facets of their business."
Moving to Roma 18 months ago, Ms Broad said although she was working under the same title of beef extension officer, there were differences in the way cattle were farmed in the south.
"Compared to the north, we have the challenges of drought and what to feed when you've got nothing left and what to do with your cattle - how to market them and looking at options when producers aren't sure of their next move.
"I get a lot of nutrition questions and options of interesting feeds pop up every now and again.
"I had one guy feeding the leftovers of lamington coating to his cattle and some have tried grape marc.
"People who have never fed cotton seed before are looking at it as an option, or those who have run out of cotton seed want to know if they can feed chick- peas.
"It's been really interesting for me because up north we worked a lot with dry licks just because of the expense of transporting anything else, so the move has definitely helped me get my head around a whole different range of nutritional inquiries."
Currently involved in the second round of the Climate Clever Beef project,
Ms Broad is working with a group of 12 producers and land managers in on-farm trials.
"We really want to focus on demonstrating ways to reduce livestock greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon sequestration in the soil," Ms Broad said.
"The producers I'm working with are all trialling different methods.
"Some are improving herd productivity by culling out breeders; some are looking at cropping regimes or land they've brought back from pasture and how that’s affected carbon in the soil and also supplementation programs, so you’ve got them on the earth for a shorter period, which potentially releases less methane over a lifetime.
“I love my job and it’s so varied – one day I might be out monitoring land condition, collecting weight gain data or sitting down with someone to do a business analysis.
“There’s always something new to learn and I’m really here to support or suggest management to producers.
“I don’t see it as telling people to do anything, but I have the ability to pass on research and information and it’s up to them to pursue or implement it.”
Ms Broad recently attended the Sefton and Associates and Future Farmers Network northern carbon bus tour in March and said she would be bringing back the knowledge she gained about carbon farming to the Roma region.
“It was great to head out to Wambiana and Trafalgar stations and get an update on the grazing trial out there.
“It’s an important trial and it’s showing producers that heavy stocking doesn’t always mean dollars.
“It’s also interesting to see how different industries are showing common problems and we can certainly learn from one another.”