Roger Landsberg – Primary Producer Award

Project Profile

Issues

“Trafalgar” has been in the Landsberg family since 1913 with Roger and his wife Jenny taking over the management of the property in 1987. Since this time, Roger has been an early adopter of many broad-scale management changes integrated across the whole property. Today, “Trafalgar” is a highly productive, profitable and diversified business, less impacted by drought.

Project Detail

Queensland beef producer, Roger Landsberg has been nominated for a National Landcare Award for his integration of conservative management practices on his 33,000 hectare cattle station, 60 kilometres south-west of Charters Towers in the Upper Burdekin catchment and his work as a local landcare champion.

‘Trafalgar’ has been in the Landsberg family since 1913 with Roger and his wife Jenny taking over the management of the property in 1987. Since this time, Roger has been an early adopter of many broad-scale management changes. As a result, ‘Trafalgar’ is a highly productive, profitable and diversified business, less impacted by drought.

Roger has also been an vocal advocate for landcare in the region, liaising with government to coordinate funding for field days and research studies and speaking to and on behalf of other landholders at various forums. Roger was the inaugural chair of the Dalrymple Landcare Committee and was also the driver behind the formation of the Balfes Creek Catchment Group of 15 graziers. The group developed worked with the CSIRO in the study of the salinity issues in the catchment.

In 1987, ‘Trafalgar’ was carrying 4,300 head of cattle and experiencing severe drought. By 1995, through careful planning based on stock and rainfall records, Roger was generating the same gross margin from 2,900 head of cattle as in 1987 with a much larger head count.

To improve land condition, Roger introduced an extensive rotational wet season spelling program with stocking rates based on carrying capacity, allowing perennial grasses to reinvigorate, set seed and new seedlings to establish.

Roger led five local landcare groups between 1998 and 2003, managing a large riparian zone management project with 80 local graziers covering 1.2 million hectares.  Roger then led the groups to tackle parkinsonia and rubber vine in the catchment. Under the Landsberg’s management, ‘Trafalgar’ has recorded a 46 per cent reduction in methane emissions and ground cover has increased from being devoid in 1987 to not dropping below 50 per cent from 1995 to 2009.

Keen to diversify, Roger purchased a bulldozer to control weeds and commenced contract weed control work in 2005. The farming enterprise now also incorporates tourism, with up to 800 teenagers from the USA visiting ‘Trafalgar’ annually as part of the “People to People” program to experience life on the land. ‘Trafalgar’ is used as a best practice case study in land management. In 2009, the property was selected by CSIRO scientists for a fauna survey and ‘BioTools’ biodiversity workshop for graziers.

Roger is constantly looking at ways to improve and adapt his farming enterprise. With a post-graduate Certificate in Rangelands Management, Roger is now looking to complete the Master of Rangelands Management.

Roger Landsberg is one of 88 finalists in the National Landcare Awards to be announced in Canberra on 24 June 2010. Commencing in 1991, the Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and groups that make a valuable contribution to the land and coast where they live and work.

Photography

Roger Landsberg