Henry currently manages Dukes Plain in central QLD, which he leases from a resource company, with his wife Anna, and three young children. Henry grew up on a family cattle property in the Central Burnett area of QLD and studied at university in Brisbane, before returning home to manage the property.
After completing succession in 2012 Henry took over the management of the family business. Following this shift, Henry attended GrazingforProfit® (GFP) in 2013. Wanting to implement what was learnt at GFP, Henry and Anna started the 3-year ExecutiveLink® program the same year.
During ExecutiveLink®, the business had many breakthroughs. Major destocking due to drought in 2014 lead to the decision to move from the home property to manage Dukes Plain, in partnership with the Joyce Family. Then followed turning the business profitability around, improving the land condition of the family property before deciding to sell it, and reconciling with family after a difficult succession.
At Dukes Plain, Henry manages a time-controlled grazing system on 3425ha using the RCS grazing principles. The property is certified organic and used to trade organic and conventional dry cattle. Henry has also learnt different approaches to vegetation/biodiversity retention and the practical application of biodynamics and radionics, through managing Dukes Plain.
Henry repeated GrazingforProfit® in 2016, attended RCS Grazing Clinics and Keep In Touch Days, as well as Low Stress Stockhandling and KLR Marketing schools, Quantum Leap 1 and 2, Dawson Program and Biodynamic workshops.
Henry was fortunate to have a mentor through transforming the business and this has inspired him to help others use the knowledge and skills available through RCS to take control of their business and achieve what they want in life.
Henry’s specialties include:
Profitable Paddocks is our educational newsletter sent to your email inbox every quarter.
Click the Bell for the latest blogs.
Dennis Donohoe, farm manager with Aminya Pastoral, is a seasoned producer with decades of experience, and his story is a testament to how even minor changes in farming practices can lead to significant improvements in productivity and land health.
Once you have ownership as to why planning is important, the next ingredient is to work out where and how you will do your planning. When you write something down you change your relationship with the content. I cannot emphasise enough the power of getting your thoughts and plans out of your head onto paper or the computer.
The season in SA and Tassie is particularly tight right now with little or no useful rain since early January and a generally failed 2023 spring prior to that. Right now, across southern Australia and much of the eastern NSW, you won’t need to drive far out into the countryside to see cattle and sheep grazing (and lying on) hay and silage trails lined across paddocks.
Martha Lindstad and partner Robert James are farm managers on ‘Karalee’, Enngonia NSW. Both have travelled different paths to being where they are. Martha is originally from Norway, growing up on a three hectare farm before travelling to New Zealand and eventually the Pilbara in Western Australia. It was here that she saw the benefits of sustainable farming for the country and livestock.
The Prince’s RCS mentor, Raymond Stacey, sees a strong future ahead for Simon and Laura. “The Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes project is about supporting graziers to manage their country and businesses better,” Raymond said. “I see an operation here where they’re working hard on their planning and putting their plans into action to leave their country, business and people in better shape.”
Join our mailing list
