Luke Stuckey is a third generation Angus bull breeder who manages the Leawood Angus Stud in Flynn, Gippsland. Founded in 1944, his family has spent 80 years building up the genetic quality of their herd based on renowned New Zealand bloodlines. Today, his bulls command a premium price he says wouldn’t be possible without the secure water that supports the business.
Walking around the green paddocks and herd of healthy, beefed-up young bulls, it’s clear to see why Luke loves farming alongside his partner and parents in central Gippsland.
“What we love most is the reliability and consistency of rain fall where we are,” he said.
“In average or above average years, we can really capitalise on what falls from the sky to grow dry land summer crops or lucerne pastures and our river water to grow late summer/autumn fodder crops that provides a bank of feed for cold winters,” he said.
The Stuckey family run cattle on around 1,000 hectares as well as some leased property in the area and it’s their water entitlement on the Latrobe River and bore water that makes it all tick.
Luke says they use water wisely across the farm with a focus on quality and efficiency.
“Our stock water comes from our bores or on-farm dams that we fence off and plant out with shrubs and small trees to improve water quality,” he said.
Across our paddocks, we deliver stock water using a reticulated trough system that provides clean, reliable and accessible water that enables our animals drink more, eat more and gain weight quicker,” he said.
The farm has 40 hectares under flood irrigation and a reuse system to capture the excess water to irrigate another 40 hectares using spray irrigation. Luke says they’ve recently invested in automating their flood irrigation system and it’s delivering big benefits.
“The upgrade has enabled us to water more area in a watering cycle and be more efficient with our water and time,” he said.
“You can run everything on a smartphone. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I was able to turn the pump on and set up four pipe and riser units to water while I was playing footy for the day and everything ran smoothly,” he said.
With climate change bringing more erratic and unpredictable weather conditions, Luke says they’re focused on setting up the farm in a way that helps them ride out the challenging times better.
They’ve moved away from high pressure irrigation to a lower pressure system that is helping them reduce fuel use and building up resilience in the roots of their business, literally.
“Like water, good soils are the foundation of our thriving farm and we’ve been working hard on improving soil health and structure across the property,” he said.
“Over the last three years we’ve been using a wider range of including locally produced poultry manure, kelp products, humates and implementing a consistent liming program. These actions, combined with a smart grazing strategy, help build nutrient rich soils that can retain more moisture and grow wholesome feed,” he said.
The Stucky family also have significant fodder reserves stored underground that can last for periods of up to 10 years to reduce their risk during dry conditions and he’s cautiously optimistic about the future.
“We think there’s a bright future for cattle production in Gippsland, especially highly valued Angus cattle that always seem to hold their worth over and above other breeds even in tough seasons or difficult market conditions,” he said.
Luke is in his twenties but has a wisdom beyond his years and progressive approach to sustainable farming that saw him selected as one of eleven young farmers to take part in the Angus Australia GenAngus program.
“The program is designed enhance our leadership skills and provide the tools and knowledge to be able to make a powerful difference in our community and our workplace,” he said.
“It covered everything from mental strength building and understanding ourselves as individuals to financial literacy and marketing. I got so much from it, and I’m inspired to apply my learning to improving the business,” he said.
Luke feels lucky to be surrounded by a great farming community who are willing to share their hard-earned experience and act as mentors.
“For young farmers like me, it’s so important to find someone you can use as a sounding board. It doesn’t matter if they’re in a different commodity, farmers with more years under their belt may have experienced similar challenges and can help provide advice or ideas for solving your problems,” he said.
Legacy is important to Luke, and he wants to leave the farm in a condition that future generations can be proud of too.
“We’re playing the long game and want to manage the soils, water, and surrounding environment carefully so we can grow and sustain a truly great Angus bull stud,” he said.
Luke believes Southern Rural Water gets the valve of the high-quality agriculture and its regional benefits.
“The Latrobe is a bit different to the Macalister Irrigation District, and Southern Rural Water understand us as farmers and are flexible to our specific needs,” he said.
We feel supported and that kind of strong working relationship makes our job much easier which helps us no end.”