There’s nothing quite like the enthusiasm of a happy farmer. Without denying the raft of difficulties in farming right now, we wanted to start this newsletter on a lighter note.
During the month of March, the ECTOL team travelled to Tasmania to visit several long-term customers. From croppers to cattle, and a first harvest for Rusty Roof Vineyards, these operations all had something in common – farming in harmony with nature is important to them.
Each farmer shared their story of transition towards more natural inputs, as well as the driving forces that prompted them to pull back on synthetic chemical use.
“Doesn’t that just get you excited”, says Nick Mills from Panshanger Estate, as his first shovel in a mixed species pasture turns up an abundance of earthworms.
“Having the right rotation and rest periods is vital for soil and crop health,” he adds.
Whilst the team at Panshanger still apply granular fertiliser on-farm, particularly when nitrogen requirements are high, they have noticeably reduced application rates in recent years.
Instead, Nick strongly believes in applying speciality nutrients and trace elements early in the growth cycle to optimise his crops. Using a boom spray, his program includes calling on a blend with 5L/Ha each of ECTOL Protect and Grow, NitrotainTE27 and ECTOL MicroMax.
Previously, conventional farming meant applying high volumes of chemical fertilisers to guarantee higher yields, and on the other hand, farming ‘more naturally’ leant itself to certified organic operations.
In 2025 however, it seems the term ‘conventional farming’ may become a space where farmers can achieve more with less – including a balance of synthetic and specialty nutrients, and a focus on soil health that goes far beyond the surface. And it’s this sweet spot that is getting our farmers energised.
In Central Castra, Martin Gaffney believes there’s “no happier sound” than his herd of black angus cattle grazing on lush pastures, treated with a blend of 5L/Ha of ECTOL STARTER and ECTOL MicroMax in November, followed by 10L/Ha of NitrotainTE27 in February 2025. On Martin’s property, they have concentrated on reducing and removing the use of synthetic fertiliser over several years, a goal that was reached two years ago.
Martin’s cattle are finished on farm, with an average weight of up to 600kgs, before being sold to various markets.
At the Rusty Roof Vineyard in Spalford, agronomist Tim Walker is completing his first harvest, after turning his hand to viticulture during the Covid-19 period.
“Can you feel the weight in that bunch, this is what gets us pumped”, said Tim as he described the change he’d seen in his grapes from ‘chicken and hen’ bunches in previous years, to plump, juicy, heavy grapes this year. Tim shared his long-term relationship with ECTOL and why his personal use (and success) with the range, leads to confident recommendations with his clients.
We will be featuring a wide range of stories from our Tasmanian growers in the coming months and are grateful to each farmer who spent time with us during this in-field trip.
So, stay tuned as we follow the genuine excitement of our farmers, as they turn the dial towards more natural farming, without compromising costs or outputs.
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