Central Queensland farmer's practical approach to productivity and decision-making

Matthew Peart is a fourth-generation farmer in Central Queensland’s Carnarvon Range, north-west of Brisbane. He and his wife Maryellen run Expedition Enterprises: a 9,000-hectare organic beef cattle operation there, as well as having a 40-hectare avocado enterprise inland from the Gold Coast.

“I like the wholesomeness of food that’s been produced in an ethical way, with the whole of the environment in mind.”

After taking over part of the family business in 2007, the Pearts continued reshaping how the operation was run, building on ideas Matthew was first exposed to in the early 1990s around grazing management and business performance.

The shift in approach was driven by a problem that had been building over decades.

“There was a term called pasture rundown and small areas started to bear off and grow no grass at all, and those areas gradually got bigger,” he explained.

“This is a problem that took 40 years to create. It wasn’t something you saw overnight – it was a very slow progression downwards."

Visibility underpins everything

Mr Peart said the first real step wasn’t changing the land but understanding the business itself.

“Nobody particularly liked the bookkeeping, but once we computerised the accounts, we could actually see what was making money and what wasn’t, and that got the ball rolling,” he said.

“That visibility underpins everything – know where the cash is, know your cost of production, know your environmental position. You need that foundation before you move forward.

“You also need a clear vision or goal to move toward, of how you want your land, business, people, animals and environment to be. This clarity helps guide decision making - does it bring you closer to that vision or further away.”

Mr Peart’s experience reflects one of the central findings of the  inaugural Farms in Focus report a survey of hundreds of Australian farmers conducted by Harvard University and the Commonwealth Bank. The report shows that farmers are increasingly turning to new land and business practices as they seek to improve the long-term financial resilience of their farms.

The Pearts’ transition to a new system wasn’t straightforward and often meant pushing against established practice.

“New ideas are great until someone actually has to implement them, then people are not so sure,” said Mr Peart.

“It was a bit of a lonely journey at times but there are good educators and like mindeds out there. We did a lot of our own research, monitoring what we were doing and working it out as we went.”

Over time, the Pearts moved from set-stocking to a rotational grazing system, fundamentally redesigning how the property operates.

“We went from about 10 paddocks to more than 70, and put in a significant water system to support that,” Mr Peart said.

“Rotational grazing is really about planning grazing and monitoring for full recovery – deciding what you’ll do, doing it, and then seeing what actually happened."

Almost half of graziers surveyed for Farms in Focus (46 per cent) have fully or partially adopted rotational grazing, with a further 47 per cent planning to adopt it.

For the Pearts, one of the earliest signs the change was working came from the cattle.

“The effect on the animals was pretty immediate, they got very keen on fresh pasture every few days, their behaviour changed quickly,” said Mr Peart.

That shift has translated into measurable gains for the business over time.

“We were running about 22 animal equivalents per hectare per 100 millimetres of rain, and we’re around 36 long-term now – so there’s been about a 50 per cent lift in productivity,” he said.

“Our costs largely came down, and our beef production gradually went up. That’s been the outcome over time.”

He said the gains weren’t about producing bigger animals but improving the overall system.

“We’re producing more kilos per hectare than we did before, even though the individual animal is smaller,” he said.

Not what you should add, but what you should stop

Mr Peart said the experience had changed how he thinks about decision-making on farm.

“Don’t be led by the shiny things, focus on where your returns are actually coming from, what’s really driving your business,” he said.

“Often it’s not about what you should add, but what you should stop doing - what’s actually hurting you, even if it’s widely accepted.”

For farmers considering a similar transition, he acknowledges the process can feel complex, but says progress comes step by step.

“Education part is important and you must make time for that.   It’s a journey and every step is a step in the right direction... so for other farmers considering it I’d just say keep going”

Looking ahead, he sees both challenges and opportunity for the sector, particularly as global demand and environmental pressures grow.

“It’s a strong time to be in food,” he said. “The world’s population has to eat, productive land is under pressure, and the weather is becoming more variable  -  it all puts a premium on getting this right.”