WORKING with nature not against it and having a genetically diverse herd built on decades of data collection is paying off for Landscape Beef at Keith notching up the highest aggregate score for a team of three animals for the second year in a row in the Southern Grassfed Carcase Classic.
The trio of carcases scored 249.04 points to put them at the top of the 36 exhibitors.
James Darling says the Southern Grassfed Carcase Classic is a "must" on the annual calendar receiving precise, comprehensive carcase data on individual animals that aligns with their on-farm performance data.
Landscape Beef runs a closed herd of 4250 Duck Island composite cattle, including 750 autumn calving and 750 spring calving females.
The composite was developed to take advantage of hybrid vigour and have several breeds complement each other with their beef traits.
"We say diversity is strength because that is how nature works and what we want to emulate," he said.
"We want to enhance the natural landscape rather than imposing a monoculture,"
Mr Darling and his partner Lesley Forwood have been practising progressive environmental management on their properties long before "regenerative agriculture' became popular, resting paddocks for long periods of time and being flexible about turn off times.
Many of their paddocks have a significant amount of native vegetation as well as a diverse range of plant species. "We believe cattle are very good at choosing what is best for them," he said.
Landscape Beef also produces its own silage and hay.
Mr Darling says the results of the carcase competition are very pleasing, especially the 10-11 month old vealers in class 1- steer or heifer 180-260kg carcase weight which they entered for the first time.
Landscape Beef had seven of the top 10 animals in that class, including the winner which was a heifer.
He said some of the 16-17 month old animals in class three- single steer or heifer 340.1-420kg were a "bit disappointing" but the cattle had been delivered at the end of the most significant heat wave of the season.
Timely access to kill space at Teys Australia was another big problem this season with bigger steers in the second load drafted off on weight rather than finish, to avoid going over the 420kg cwt limit.
"Landscape Beef have been consistent performers in a range of classes over the years, we only just missed out on the team of 10 by a smidgen," Mr Darling said.
New entrants Tim & Lise, Henry and Prue Cartledge, Menalpyn, Meningie, also had a night to remember winning the best team of 10 with a consignment of 39 Black Simmental cross heifers which were delivered in late November.
Their aggregate score was 810.04 points with Landscape Beef second on 805,12 points.
Tim said they had followed the competition closely for many years but had not had suitable cattle until these 16-17 month old cattle which "picked themselves" after not testing in calf.
"They were a nice group of heifers which we thought were good enough to go into the program," he said.
Menalpyn runs a herd of half and three quarter Black Simmental with the other half or quarter Angus with a strong emphasis on AI using United States genetics.
Tim says they have always had carcase quality and particularly marbling as a priority in their breeding program so it was good to see this vindicated in the results.
"Consistency was the most important pleasing thing and that we did it with Euro crosses off grass with 18 that were MSA marble score two or better and all marble score one or better," he said.
"Some people said to us when we were breeding bulls being a Euro breed we should allow the Angus to bring the marbling but we didn't want our cattle to have to rely on anyone to have these traits and wanted the Simmental to also bring marbling."
