Our Stories: Goode progress made at Barooka

But while tradition and history are important, the Goode family of Barooka, near Kingston SE, are keen on innovation and a constant push for improvement.

Involved in the farm now are Deane and Prue Goode, with their three sons - Thomas, Henry and William - Tom's wife Sarah and daughter Edwina, and Henry's fiancée Alana Rodgers.

The family runs 7000 adult Merino ewes and 2100 pregnant ewe lambs, alongside 280 Shorthorn cows and 525 hectares of cropping and hay production, with most feed retained for their own use.

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There is a central philosophy in the way they run their farm that stretches across the whole family.

"We're trying to do as many good things as we can and as few bad things," Deane said.

"If there is a better or more humane way, we will do it.

"Our property is not all about profit at all costs but it needs to be sustainable."

Livestock health was what first encouraged the Goode family to move to SA, after their cattle herd was struck by foot and mouth disease in Herefordshire in England.

Sam and Ann Goode were the first to arrive in SA on the ship Candahar in 1851, with sons Charles, Thomas, Sam and Matthew and daughters Elizabeth and MaryAnn.

The family made its mark on their new state, setting up businesses and even taking roles in politics.

Thomas and Catherine Goode established Thomas Goode & Co at Goolwa, which operated for many decades until late in the 20th century - the original shop still stands with a commemorative plaque on the front wall - while Samuel, Charles and Matthew operated Goode Brothers out of a site in North Adelaide.

Charles was elected MP for East Torrens in 1865, and was knighted for his philanthropic work in 1912.

Samuel had the earliest connection to agriculture in Australia, breeding sheep and operating farms where Regency Park and Norwood now sit, and was also the president of the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society in 1900, as well as holding the title of Lord Mayor of Adelaide in 1864.

The family embraced many new businesses, with descendants operating stores in Rundle Street and running paddlesteamers up and down the River Murray.

It was Sam's son Edward Goode that first came to Kingston SE, while travelling on his honeymoon.

He liked it so much he decided to buy a property in the district in 1886.

Initially starting out with 3240ha at Barooka, he and wife Alison Johnson raised seven children, as well as buying The Snuggery - a 17,800ha property about 20 kilometres north of Kingston, near Taratap.

The family also managed a 25,600ha property between Woods Well and Tintinara, which Deane said tended to be used as a winter grazing place for the stock.

"They used to drove mobs of 10,000 head there from Barooka each year, and it would take a few weeks," he said.

"Then they'd leave them there for the winter, and go up in spring and bring them out as there was no water available for the summer months.

"They might light up a patch of the property as they leave, so they know there will be green pick again next year."

During this time, the family also ran small businesses in Kingston SE.

As Edward got his SE property established, they were running 6000 sheep, 100 horses and 100 beef cattle

Over the years, the Goode family added to their holdings, including owning Conmurra until 1923, and Wangolina.

Edward's son Thomas took on the property in the early 1900s, as well as serving as the Kingston District Council chair for the longest-standing period to-date.

The third generation of the family to live at Barooka was Roger, and his wife Marion, who were the strongest supporters of the Shorthorn breed in the family.

While Shorthorns have been on the property for a number of years, it was during his stewardship of the property that the family established and operated the Barooka Beef Shorthorn stud, for about 50 years.

Roger also had stints as the federal president of the Beef Shorthorn Society, during the 1980s, and judged at shows right across Australia.

Deane said Roger was passionate about the breed but he was also suited to the breed leadership role.

"He loved to go and talk to people," he said.

While no longer operating as a stud, Shorthorns still have a central role on the property, including supplying the breed's branded beef label Thousand Guineas.

The Goodes sell the cattle as weaner or feeders, usually to feedlots at 400 kilograms to 500kg.

The breeding goals for their sheep and cattle are along similar lines - looking for moderate frames, good carcases and easy-doing stock.

While wool production is an important part of their business, first and foremost, the Goode family consider themselves to be lamb producers.

"Lambs underpin the whole business," Henry said.

For the past 20 years, the Goodes have been using Glendemar bloodlines, as part of their goal for mature carcases with a moderate supply of high quality wool.

"We haven't jetted a sheep in 40 years, and we never will, because we haven't needed to," Deane said.

Their breeding goals are "plain, long, straight sheep, with great fecundity and lots of lambs", he said.

In the past three or four years, they have been achieving 120 per cent lambing rates, with an 86pc lamb survival when compared to scanning rate.

With their ewes and ewe lambs, they generally produce about 10,000-11,000 lambs each year, but only need 2000 replacement ewes.

Deane says this gives them plenty of opportunity for strict culling, which in-turn can improve the overall flock immensely.

They are also able to sell their surplus of breeding ewes in the spring, which forms a substantial part of the business income.

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To achieve, and improve, their lambing rates, they have been in the process of breaking up paddocks to create more "maternity wings", focused on land with good shelter, fodder and away from laneways.

Henry said privacy was the goal for their lambing ewes, particularly the ewe lambs.

He said they have been addressing their mob size, looking at mobs of 100 for twin-bearing ewes and 175 for singles, while for ewe lambs, these mob sizes will get as low as 50 to 100.

He said they have a focus on high eye muscle areas and fats, which have a correlation with fertility, and a goal for early-maturing sheep.

Henry said this benefited them doubly, with them able to turn off wether lambs from six months old to a year old, at a 21-22kg carcaseweight.

But the same benefits in producing fast-growing wether lambs, also enable them to join their ewe lambs, bringing more fertile sheep into the flock, earlier.

With such a strong focus on their ewes, they have matched this recently with an increased investment in rams.

"We've really noticed that in the flock in the past three or four years, the improvement we're getting," he said.

With the shift in breeding direction 20 years ago, the Goodes were able to make a big management shift 16 years ago - the last time any sheep on their property were mulesed.

Henry said this decision was predominantly based on animal welfare, but there was also a benefit to their business and the bottom line.

"We want high welfare and to look after our animals as best we can," he said.

"We could see the market direction - a lot of garment companies are demanding non-mulesed wool, and we can see in the future there will be more and more demand."

As part of the decision to cease mulesing, they have been able to gain a Responsible Wool Standard accreditation - the first SA farm to be accredited and one of a small number in SA that have seized the opportunity.

Henry said there was a premium for their wool as a result.

Deane said their breeding proved they could still breed a good sheep that did not need to be mulesed.

For the past six years, the Goodes have been shearing every six months, and presently achieve a 65 millimetre to 75mm long, 19 micron to 21M fleece twice a year.

They also aim to value-add wherever possible.

A few years ago they joined with Australian Wool Network on its DNA label - supplying wool for the Limestone Coast.

Each garment has a swing tag and when a customer scans a QR code, they are taken to a site that shares something of the Goode family history.

They have also supplied wool directly to a Norwegian company for high-end clothing.

The move to direct their breeding to cease mulesing as part of an animal welfare push also links to their management of the property as a whole - fixing the cause rather than the symptoms.

Deane said they have been limiting the use of chemicals, such as insecticides and pesticides, and selecting "softer" options whenever they were needed.

"We were doing integrated pest management for years when it didn't have a name," Deane said.

"If you get the nutrition right, the pests don't bother you."

He said this has benefited their soil fertility, which has then flowed through the entire system.

"We don't want to treat the symptoms - we'd rather go back to address the cause of the problem and fix the cause," he said.

"If soil is healthy, the grass is healthier and the sheep eating it are going to be healthier.

"We try to build the soils and then everything else will flow on."

This includes the use of biological fertilisers and monitoring trace elements.

Deane said part of the original inspiration for their shift in farming practices came from fellow sheep producer Lance Lines.

"Every time we (saw him) he'd teach us and show us the soils and minerals and health," he said.

His sons have dubbed him something of a "soil hugger", a term he has somewhat embraced, but he says the proof in his passion for soils comes through in the fact that the soil is productive - with 3 tonne a hectare lupin crops the norm - and the sheep and cattle are having few health problems.

"It is a long-term thing," he said.

"You've got to have the passion for it and be patient enough to see it through - it doesn't happen overnight."

While Henry and Deane have much of the oversight of the stock, the cropping and pastures have largely been the responsibility of Tom, who returned to the farm about nine years ago, with wife Sarah, after completing a diesel mechanics apprenticeship.

He still maintains a mechanical business, while also keeping the machinery on Barooka operating.

Tom and Sarah also have one-year-old Edwina - the sixth generation of Goodes to live at Barooka.

While Sarah grew up in Adelaide, she says the South East life has drawn her in.

"Everything is bigger and brighter out here and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else to bring up Edwina," she said.

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Will is working as an electrician in Adelaide, but comes home when he can, and has plans to return to the farm as well.

"Always as a boy, I loved being on the farm and working here," he said.

"I'm keen to get back and see how far we can grow."

As well as working on the farm, Henry is also a member of the Sheep Connect SA Advisory Panel, helping guide the direction of Sheep Connect.

He was invited to take on the role in 2019, as part of a move to connect with younger members of the industry, and said it was a great way to "keep myself in the know" about what was happening in the sector.

"It's a good way to network with other producers across the state, and Australian Wool Innovation and Livestock SA and keep my finger on the pulse," he said.

In recent years, the Goode family have been able to take advantage of the strong wool and lamb returns, and expand the property.

They initially bought a 330ha property about 500km away at Simpson in South West Vic, and have since added on a neighbouring block to Barooka.

"It puts us in good stead, with three boys coming back to the farm," Henry said.

They discovered the Vic property through Deane's enjoyment of exploring the landscape on his frequent trips to the Melbourne wool sales.

The block has double the rainfall of Barooka, with a 1000mm average, and "hasn't gone dry yet".

They take all their wether lambs to the block at 10 weeks to finish them, which frees up room at Kingston SE for ewes.

They have a manager on the property but Henry said a member of the Goode family visits the property every two to three weeks, particularly as they work to improve the soils and pastures, in line with what has already been achieved at Barooka.

At this time, they are running about 4500-5000 lambs on the 330ha, and have invested in a new shearing shed there, but as they improve the pastures, there is the potential to double the carrying capacity.

Deane said this new shed was another benefit for their location, given its proximity to Melbourne.

As they attend wool sales frequently, he said they often speak with buyers who want to see the properties where the wool originates, but baulk at the distance to Kingston SE.

He would eventually like to build a visitor's centre at the Simpson property, alongside the shearing shed, that can be used to show off Australian wool, meat and skins to international buyers.

The family is also increasingly embracing tourism, which ties in with their love of the local area and its history.

Prue, who grew up on a family farm at Penola, has a history in hospitality and retail, but is also taking up the reins of tourism.

A few years ago, she and Deane bought a historical house in Kingston SE, with plans to restore it for their own use.

Instead, once it was finished, they began using it as a holiday rental.

They have since added to their portfolio, buying the oldest house in Kingston SE as an additional holiday rental, while Prue has plans to incorporate their shearer's quarters - generally only occupied during the twice-yearly shearings - into their tourism.

"I think this area is a bit untapped," she said.

"There's a lot to show off around here."

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Deane and Prue also have plans to restore the original homestead at Barooka and preserve it for future generations.

While the family has achieved much since arriving on the shores of SA in 1851, they still maintain a drive for improvement.

"Nothing stands still here," Deane said.

"We're pushing the parameters all the time.

"Just because we're shearing 65-75mm of wool twice a year, we're going to aim to get to 90mm.

"If we get to 120pc lambing, we'll want to get to 130pc.

"We're aiming to breed better sheep every year and push the barrier every time."