Testimonial: Wool production & biodiversity working together for The McKemey Family - 'Willow Park'

Abstract

John and Helen McKemey and their children, Daniel, Hannah and David, own 'Willow Park' and nearby 'Karingal' and run the two farms as a family partnership. John's father purchased and developed 'Willow Park' in the 1940s. The McKemeys run a Merino wool and beef cattle trading operation as well as back-grounding cattle. They source 16-19 micron Merino sheep which cut around 3.6 kg wool/head. They buy cattle in spring, fatten them across the summer and sell prior to winter. They changed to a trade operation in 1999 from a prime lamb enterprise for the preceding 40 years. The McKemeys have progressively adopted high-intensity, short-duration ('cell') grazing since 1991. This testimonial describes their management and experience with cell grazing over the past 15 years, and the many positive changes they have witnessed for both farm profits and the environment.