SPA News

Combining her passion for nursing with her life in the shearing industry, Carol Mudford has created a unique path shaped by both care and community. Raised in a sheep and cropping family, she returned to the sheds during COVID, when a few weeks of wool handling turned into months - and eventually into shearing school and 18 months on the handpiece.

In the heart of Western Australia’s south west mixed-farming country, Rhodes Pastoral has taken a deliberate, long-term approach to building a resilient sheep enterprise. Farm Manager Michael Wright explains how the 15,378-hectare operation built feedlot, finishing pens, invested in on-farm water security, and focused on producing high-quality lamb. Genetics have underpinned this plan, with Rhodes Pastoral breeding its own Merino rams and operating a registered White Suffolk

Sustainability isn’t just about carbon offsets, biodiversity credits or planting trees - those projects are important, but they’re not where it starts. 

For the first time, recently, teams of Merinos from across Australia were benchmarked side-by-side in a single commercial setting as part of the recent Australian Merino Production Trial 2025-2027.

Catching up with producers provided valuable insights into their ram selections, with strong interest emerging in rams carrying carcase attributes and easy-keeping traits. Sheep Producers Australia CEO Bonnie Skinner joined the panel at Wellington to share perspectives on the future of the sheep industry. Producer input from across different regions highlighted the importance of diverse voices in shaping the direction of the sector, with every perspective contributing to the

Kamora Park Poll Merino Stud was established in 1963. Our team comprises of Colin & Julie, Wade & Mel, and Peter & Katelyn. Collaboratively, we oversee a 4,000-hectare property located near Sandalwood, in South Australia, an area with an average rainfall of 260mm. 

Their edge is relentless feedback-loop thinking. Every draft of lambs is benchmarked against processor data from Breakout River and Gundagai Meats