Managing Climate Variability

Masters of the Climate

Innovative farmers share their insights and tips on farming in the face of a variable climate, including one of the worst droughts on record.

In their own words, these farmers talk about how they manage climate risk and adapt their farming practices. These interviews are available below, and in The Masters of the Climate booklet (pdf 3.1 Mb).

This site also features earlier interviews with these farmers from 1999, to show changes over time. The original Masters of the Climate interviews are available on the 'Masters 1999' pages.

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Recent Stories

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Making Hay While the Sun Shines - or Not
Bill Long has used Yield Prophet for the last two years on his farm at Adrossan, South Australia. Yield Prophet's prediction helped Bill decide not to cut his crop for hay despite the drought, saving $20,000.
Thursday, 16 November 2006

Both 2004 and 1999 Interviews

Chris and Sarah Roche with their children on their farm Reedsdale
Making Money from Moisture
  In the late 1990s, Chris and Sarah Roche found they could put a lot of confidence in the Southern Oscillation Index as an indicator of rainfall. These days on their mixed property in Gulargambone, New South Wales, their philosophy is to be ready to take every opportunity to capitalise on available moisture.
Thursday, 22 February 2007
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The Proof in the Pudding
Heat spikes in the month before grape harvest can destroy the flavour of the fruit. Margaret River winemaker Erl Happ set out to find the perfect location for his grapes and went on to win acclaim for his Three Hills Shiraz.    
Thursday, 22 February 2007
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What Happens When the Tap Turns Off?
Faced with losing most of his groundwater irrigation allocation, John Hamparsum is relying even more on weather and climate information as he increasingly turns to dryland cropping on his property near Tamworth NSW.    
Thursday, 22 February 2007
Brett Francis
Keeping Faith with Forecasts
South Australian farmer Brett Francis is putting his faith in a commercial 15 month outlook, comparing it to historical rainfall and yield data, and setting cut-off dates for sowing.
Thursday, 4 January 2007
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Getting Sweet With Climate Technology
An award-winning on-ground water efficiency program, Australian Rainman software and the Southern Oscillation Index are helping Queensland sugar cane farmer Doug Lee manage water for himself and his neighbours.
Thursday, 4 January 2007
John Ive
No Such Thing as Too Much Information
John Ive and his family have lovingly brought their 250 hectare award-winning New South Wales property back from the brink of environmental disaster using science.
Thursday, 4 January 2007
Tom Porter
Staying Positive When the Dust is Blowing
Tom Porter's ticket through the 2002 drought on the New South Wales' Hay Plains was investing in an irrigation bore to water a millet crop that proved to be vital feed for his merino sheep before the drought broke.
Thursday, 4 January 2007
Tony Boyd
One Hundred Per Cent Business the Odds of Success in Outback South Australia
A longtime advisor to the worlds casinos on the odds of making a profit from new games, Tony Boyd used the climatic outlook in his decision to buy - and nine years later to sell - his share in a 700,000 hectare cattle station.
Thursday, 4 January 2007
Bill Atkinson
Trash Blankets and Climate Predictions
Harvesting green cane, leaving the stubble on the paddock, and working with climate information has made the Atkinsons' sugar cane property in Queensland more sustainable.
Thursday, 4 January 2007
James Gardiner
Looking at the Ground Not at the Sheep
A shift in thinking to holistic management was key to the Gardiners surviving and thriving through drought in New South Wales
Wednesday, 3 January 2007
Bill Yates
From Grandad's Records to Cutting Edge Climate Forecasts
After he has gathered the latest climate forecasts from the internet, New South Wales farmer Bill Yates sees his morning two teapot discussion as an important step in fine tuning management during drought.
Wednesday, 3 January 2007
Ian Mclelland
Hightech Risk Management in the Wimmera Mallee
How do you keep born optimists and risk takers grounded?The answer, according to Birchip farmers Ian and Warwick McClelland, lies in the risk management program Yield Prophet.
Wednesday, 3 January 2007
Jeff Hoffmann
Drought Isn't About Rainfall
Drought isnt about climate or even rainfall, says New South Wales farmer Jeff Hoffman. Its about farming choices - where, what and how you farm.
Wednesday, 20 December 2006

1999 Stories Only

Nine of the original Masters of the Climate were unable to participate in the 2004 interviews. Their stories are available on the 'Masters 1999'  pages.