One unique way into increase your farms sustainability
One unique way to increaset the sustainability of your farm is to increase the biodiversity of the animals you are actually farming.
The appropriateness of animals farmed will depend upon several things, including:
a/ Matching the type of animal with the property’s capacity to sustain it (considering environmental and physical site conditions, as well as the impact which stock might have causing changes to those site conditions).
b/ Economic considerations (considering what potential exists to sell the produce, potential profit, competition, etc).
There are an ever increasing variety of animals which might be considered for farming. Here are some of the less obvious options:
Alpacas &/or Llamas (for meat & fibre)
Apiary (bees for honey and pollination of crops)
Aquaculture (for meat, for stocking purposes)
Examples:
- yabbies
- native fish
- ntroduced fish (e.g. salmon, trout, redfin)
Cattle (new varieties)
Examples:
- Highland
- Bison
- Water buffalo
- Miniature varieties
Camels (racing, rides, tourism)
Goats (for meat, fibre & dairy products)
Examples:
Poultry & Game Birds
Examples:
- Free range eggs & birds
- Partridges
- Quail
- Pheasant
- Guinea Fowl
- Squab
- Turkey
- Ducks
- Ostriches
- Emus
Deer (Velvet, leather, venison)
Sheep (for dairy products)
Earthworms
Rabbits (meat & fibre)
If you want to learn more methods to increase your farms sustainability I recommend: BAG215 Sustainable Agriculture
