Australian Simmentals - 50 years in the making

Here is the final instalment for Simmental's 50th Anniversary podcast series. Thank you for taking the time to listen to just a handful of the stories that have been a part of 50 years of the Australian Simmental Breeders Association. Last week we had a mother/daughter duo and this week we are sitting down with father/son. For this final episode, we are crossing the country to the far west of WA to sit down with Peter and Charles Cowcher. Charles has spent time on the board of the breed in the earlier years and has a deep love and continuing love for the breed. He’s still actively involved in their family business and alongside son Pete are passionate about the role of Simmy’s in their operation for years to come!If you have any feedback please feel free to get in touch with Felicity and we’ll chat to you soon.https://simmental.com.au/ 

We’re celebrating 50 years of Simmy’s here in Australia and as part of it we are chatting to people who have been a part of seeing the breed to where it is today. This week I am joined by Lis & Bec Skene, a mother and daughter duo who have had a love of Simmy’s their whole lives. Their 1400 hectare operation runs across three properties in Cecil Plains and Kooroongarra districts of Darling Downs in Queensland.There’s some great moments in this chat and quite a few laughs as well. Listen to hear all about the pride they take in their cattle, their life in the show business, and a love story.Tune in next week for another episode, and follow the podcast to stay up to date with the series.https://simmental.com.au/ 

Welcome back to the Australian Simmental Podcast, we have had some amazing guests so far and the stories have been remarkable. This weeks episode felt like we were just sitting on John’s verandah having a cracking yarn. John Burnett's family has been in the business for generations - they began purchasing their adjoining plots of land back in 1931, and almost a century later the Burnett cattle enterprise is still innovating.We chat about his family, of providing opportunities for each of their members, having belief in their business strategy and process and it’s a chat I feel like I could have just kept on having for hours and hours!Tune in next week for another episode, and follow the podcast to stay up to date with the series.https://simmental.com.au/ 

Welcome back to our latest instalment of the Australian Simmental Podcast, we’re celebrating 50 years and the next guest is someone who certainly has a few stories to share. This week we have a voice that has come with us for every episode so far.Peter Speers is a life member and former CEO of the Australian Simmental Association, his love of the breed has taken him the world over and we’re excited for you to hear more of Peter’s story. Tune in next week for another episode, and follow the podcast to stay up to date with the series.https://simmental.com.au/

Welcome back to the final episode in this first part of the Australian Simmental Association podcast. Over the past 8 episodes, we’ve sat down with various people that have been integral in shaping the breed into what it is today while also being a big part of the future opportunities for the breed.This week we’re sitting down with Cam Emerson and later in the episode we’re joined by his wife Carol. Cam and his wife Carol have spent most of their life living off the family property which is located near Coleraine in South-west Victoria. Cam had a successful career with the Swire Group, however when his brother passed away in 2003, Cam and Carol made the decision to return home and continue the family’s farming interests. In our chat, Cam shares more about the family business, his life and career with the Swire Group and the family’s ongoing involvement with the Simmental breed.This is our final episode in the first part of this podcast series, follow the podcast to get notified when the next episodes will be released.https://simmental.com.au/

My next guest is a master storyteller. His love of beef cattle started at a young age, where he would get out the black paint and paint over the white spots on his Friesian cow toys. Bill Cornell probably needs no introduction to many of you, his experience, knowledge and passion for genetics has shaped much of his life. In our chat, Bill shares his story, what has shaped him and his passions. The influence of faith into what he does and why. Bill has been incredibly involved across several breeds and he is passionate about supporting the next generation within the beef industry to have more opportunities.He has received a lifetime award from Angus youth for his services to the youth of the industry but we are here to talk about Simmentals, with all the choices at his fingertips why has he decided on Simmy’s himself, what does he see as the opportunities and why is he really excited to see the cohort of youth coming through the next gen programs.

We had the chance to sit down with Tom Baker at the Sydney Royal and then only a few weeks later I was calling through his neck of the woods so we sat down in his sale ring to chat about their farming business, their stud, and the love of Simmental cattle.The Baker family have a rich history with the Simmentals in Australia. Tom’s father Dale, was the first one to import semen in and they put semen in 500 hereford cattle. Their business is fascinating, from the commercial cattle through to the native flower business. At the 50 year celebration at Sydney in April, Tom was given life membership of the Simmental breed, so we thought we better sit down with this person that plenty of you will know a lot about.

John Richard has a remarkable story, we managed to grab him to sit down with him as he passed by the Simmental stand at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.His wealth of knowledge of the Simmental Breed goes right back to the very beginning, on his property at Kangaroo Valley in NSW, John placed some of the first semen into his cattle. Since then, he has seen plenty of the breed where he is still involved commercially at his property at Cassilis today.John is a big picture thinker, he's chased big ideas and turned them into a reality. Over his lifetime, there have been numerous adversities but with grit and determination, John has been able to turn these into opportunities.This episode feels like a history lesson as John talks through the ebbs and flows of cattle farming in Australia over the years.

Welcome back to another episode celebrating 50 years of the Australian Simmental Association.My next guest is Peter Cook or as he is more affectionately known Cookie. Calling the Central West of NSW home, Cookie shares with us his journey from jackaroo, to stud owner.In this episode, Cookie shares more about:His early interest and involvement in agricultureWhat initially interested him about the Simmental breedThe role that showing cattle had in his studHis family farming businessThe trends that he has observed in the breedWhere he thinks the current opportunities areWhere he sees the future of the Simmental breed goingThe importance and involvement of Youth in agriculture more broadlyEnjoy the chat!

Audrey Weightmann received a life membership at the award dinner and it was the most incredible response. Alongside her husband David and family, Simmentals have played a huge role in Audrey's life, providing them the opportunity to start again after relocating to Australia from the UK.Audrey Weightmann has dedicated a lifetime to the Simmental breed, at the Sydney Royal in April of 2022,  she was inducted to life membership which absolutely caught her by surprise and as she shares in this chat goes down as one of her life’s highlights with the Simmental breed.Audrey’s family sold their farm in the UK following a motorway being built right through it, it was as she left the UK that she had seen the first Simmental bulls as she migrated to Australia, alongside her husband David and family. It was their opportunity to start again in farming. Upon arriving in Australia, her family settled on WA for its temperate climate, a larger operation than back home in the UK and it was here that they set about a fresh start in farming. Finding a little spot called Margaret River, it was a town that was struggling, and since then the area has become renowned as one of Australia’s premier wine growing regions. Audrey has been a member of the Simmental society for 49 years, the breed she says “It’s been my life”. They have taken her around the world looking at the breed, she says the trips built up her memory bank and she is often reminded just of what her life has been.

When we sat down with Brodhi Carracher he was really excited to catch up with some of the great friends and people he has met during his time over the past 8 or so years in the Simmental breed. Brodhi’s love of animals started at a young age, he had the opportunity to get some animals of his own at the age of 10 with some help from his grandparents and this love has followed him ever since. Brodhi mixes his time as a fulltime vet with his growing Simmental stud, where he has been identifying opportunities and travelling globally to get the best genetics to suit his operation.  Is a young gun cattle breeder and vet. He mixes his time between wroking out of Warnambool (?) in the vert practice and juggling his growing herd of Simmy’s on the side. He’s a switched on operator who has identified opportunities globally to support the gentic developmenmt of his herd.

Join host Oli Le Lievre as he explores 50 years of the Simmental Association in Australia. In 2022, The Australian Simmental Association is celebrating 50 years. In this podcast series we'll be chatting with some of the people who have shaped the breed from the very first calves, to some of the most well-recognised studs and industry leaders. Gaining an insight into the people behind the breed and understanding what are some of the opportunities for those in the industry today and the next generation.Welcome to the first interview and I’m really excited that I’m sitting down with John Hopkins.. John’s father Henry is a founding member of the Australian Simmental Association and 50 years later John alongside his wife Nicole & daughters are still as passionate as ever about the breed.In this chat, John shares more about his journey and some of his learnings and reflections in the industry so far. John shares more about his operation and their stud, Wormbete Simmentals.John shares a little about:- their approach to getting younger bulls sale ready earlier- the importance of integrated pest management- how they are regenerating their property - the pride and love that he has for SimmentalsThis podcast has been produced and edited by Humans of Agriculture media.

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