Family first for Jugiong sheep farmer

A YOUNG farmer from southern NSW is proudly following his father’s passion for the land, writes JOHANNA LEGATT.

Rising son: Jim Honner checks one of the sheep paddocks at his farm near Jugiong in southern NSW. Picture: Dannika Bonser

WHEN Jim Honner’s father, Michael, died from a heart attack three years ago, the then 21-year-old was well and truly thrown in the deep end.

Jim had grown up in Jugiong, on the southwest slopes of NSW, and had been surrounded by farming his whole life, but keeping his Dad’s well-oiled Merino operation, Marian Partnership, ticking over was no small feat.

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“I had spent all my summer holidays working on other people’s farms, so I didn’t know what happened operationally as much on my own farm,” Jim, now 24, said.

Jim was studying agricultural economics at the University of Sydney when his Dad died, and he had hoped one day to work in marketing for the Australian Wool Innovation.

But life had other plans.

“When Dad died, it really changed things as you could imagine,” Jim said. “It was a pretty traumatic time for the family and I had to step into that role pretty quickly because with livestock you can’t just do nothing.

“I felt that the farm was where I needed to be.”

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When Jim first took over, the family was essentially running two Merino farms that were 8km apart: the first one was 501ha in size, while the second one was bought a few years before Michael died and was slightly larger at 509ha.

“This second farm got us up to 2500 acres (1011ha) in total, which was enough to support the family,” Jim said.

“When I took over it was Merino ewes, and we were joining a few to crossbreds and a few to Merinos at both ends.

“We were joining about 3000 ewes all up on a total of 2500 acres. We were also running wethers on the second farm, as well.”

HELPING HAND

WITH the guidance of his godfather-turned-mentor, David Lawrence, Jim took over the reins.

David also helped Jim streamline operations slightly.

“On the first farm we now have all our self-replacing ewes, so we are joining all our Merinos over Merinos,” Jim said.

“On the second farm, we join all Dorset rams over Merinos, and sell them as suckers.

“All up we’re now joining 4000 Merino ewes a year instead of 3000.”

Jim Honner in one of the sheep paddock at his farm at Jugiong, NSW. Picture: Dannika Bonser

Jim also swapped out the wethers for more lambs, producing between 1400 to 1500 prime lambs and about 2200 Merino lambs a year.

“It was a change of strategy, so instead of running wethers we decided to run ewes so we can join more ewes and get more crossbred lambs,” he said.

“We’ve also got more replacement ewes coming through the system to drop the age of our flock by about a year. By the time we have lambs, we are looking at 8500 to 9000 sheep all up.

“So really we are just continuing what Dad had set up and following his passion for land.”

When there is plenty of feed, Jim takes cattle on agistment, but this year’s drought has put paid to that.

“We haven’t taken any at all this year. If we get some sort of spring season, we may be able to run a couple, but probably not likely.”

Jim has also doubled the farm’s cropping operation, which he uses for feed and pasture development.

“We just graze out the oats as feed to put weight on our lambs, and then buy in barley,” he said.

“The sheep have needed feeding every couple of days, so there has been no break from it.

“It’s very intensive. We were very lucky to get away with minimal feeding in the past couple of years, but this year we’ve needed to really feed the sheep.

“Still, we’re doing better than most.”

QUALITY ASSURANCE

HIS chief concern is maintaining the quality of his breeding stock — something his father was renowned for.

“Dad’s ewes are very productive and fertile ewes,” Jim said. “They average over that 7kg of wool cut a year. We also have Steve Phillips from Yarrawonga Merino stud to help us with the genetic side of things and that is where we buy our rams from. He has been another great mentor too.”

The farm produces 18 and 19 micron wool, which is exported to China. “That success comes back to Dad’s quality of breeding stock here,” Jim said.

Keeping across the numbers is of great importance to Jim, and he relies on his mum, Jackie, who has a strong accounting background and has stressed the importance of sound financial management.

“I have learned how important it is to budget, what inputs you’re looking at, what you’re supposed to be spending money on,” Jim said.

“Mum and I get on really well, which is good. It would be a lot harder if we didn’t.”

He has enjoyed some inadvertent success online, too, with his ‘Thank a Farmer for Your Next Meal’ online merchandise store.

Originally set up to share his own farming photos on social media with uni mate Sam Johnston, the venture has grown to include 55,000 followers on Instagram alone.

“When we first started, there was very limited exposure of agriculture on social media but now that is changing a bit with the drought,” Jim said. “The site is about the city consumer base being exposed to a farming family and seeing where their food comes from.”

Despite the site’s popularity, Jim remains a farmer at heart and has no intention of moving back to Sydney.

“I really enjoy producing the end product: the fleeces, obviously, and then the lambs,” he said.

“You turn around and see your work for the year and it makes the hard work worth it.

“I am getting a lot more out of this than my uni degree.”