IT has been a season like no other. Regular rain throughout summer and into autumn has resulted in lush, knee-deep kikuyu and white clover pastures across the Acacia Plateau, on the NSW side of the border just east of Killarney.
“It just seemed that every time we looked up when we thought we could do with a drink there was another fall of rain,” Mr Taylor said.
“I’ve never seen a season like it. Especially when compared to two years ago there wasn’t a blade of grass anywhere. I reckon this is as good as it gets.”
The Taylors are currently in the process of calving their 130 head herd running on 150 hectares of country known as Fernview and Never Despair. Mr Taylor said he was particularly keen to see the calves produced from Angus bulls sourced from Michael Duggan’s nearby Acacia Stud.
Once famed for its potato production, the rich red volcanic soils at the top of the watershed of the mighty Clarence River were switched over to beef production about 10 years ago.
“The cost of growing potatoes continued to climb while prices continued to fall,” he said. “This country can certainly grow very good potatoes but the fun certainly went out of it.”
Mr Taylor’s grandfather came out from England to Australia as a Dreadnaught Boy in the early part of the 20th century.
“He and his brother were working as timber cutters before they drew country in a land ballot,” Mr Taylor said.
