Digging through the archives at work, turns out the attendees of the inaugural Hunks and Spunks competition consisted of pastoralists, prune producers, and Queensland's own Attorney-General! And yes, they all got on the phone for a laugh and a chat. www.theland.com.au/story/9291331 #AusAg #AgSky

🚨 Election Commitment Alert! 🚨 That's right folks, 2027 is edging closer and NSW politicians are getting the gameplans in place. A huge announcement from the Coalition - a $300m biosecurity package that has the tick of approval from the Invasive Species Council 👀 www.theland.com.au/story/9291414/

Between EOFY and the NSW state budget coming up in a matter of days, landholders are left waiting to see what pest program funding will remain past June 30, and the state's Ag Minister isn't offering up any clues. Read more 👉 www.theland.com.au/story/9290164/

Rural reporting makes a difference, and now, there's the pics to prove it! Back in 2024, I reported on regional pools across NSW with chipped tiles and ageing pumps, including at home in Cowra. Now, work's underway on a new, safer, swimming centre!! (Pics via Cowra Council)

Somehow found the most photogenic lamb on the southern slopes this arvo. Big props to Scott for understanding the brief of "can you hold them like a baby?" #AugAg #WearWool #SheepFarmers

“Survivors are still suffering trauma, survivors with disability or that are mentally not right, given the trauma they’ve been through, and the organisation is still running on the smell of an oily rag with nothing.” Aunty Lorraine Peeters www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

"“I'm sorry" he wrote as he transferred $15000 to his partner shortly before ending his life the day before her birthday." Heartbreaking aapnews.aap.com.au/news/i-m-sorry-cop-s-parting-words-before-taking-his-life/BAZxQCbpP

'"An Aboriginal heritage rock shelter that had been identified in the project's planning approval was damaged beyond recovery," he said in a statement. "We are deeply sorry."'

If there's public space with cows and calves bet that I'll be there respectfully keeping my distance with the weaners

"Nobody writes about good news anymore" 😤 😤 😤 😤 😤 😤 Fear not, online friends, there's good news for ag coming up bright and early tomorrow morning. Make sure you're signed up for The Land's daily newsletter to be the first to know! www.theland.com.au/newsletters/

I've been driving past David Marsh's place since I was on my L's, wondering who was taking such good care of the creek, and how I could get a cool 'Land for Wildlife' sign on my front gate, too. A few weeks back, I finally got to see behind the scenes! Read more 👉 www.theland.com.au/story/9246600

#EXCLUSIVE: Nearly a full month after Vodafone wrapped up their controversial "nothing's out here" ad, an eerily similar Instagram reel has been popping up on feeds, omitting one key word: 'actually.' (Screen recording courtesy of a tip off)

Keep an eye out for more coming on proposed animal welfare reforms in NSW, covering off everything from mulesing to teeth grinding, and why you soon won't be able to leave your kelpie in the ute tray on a hot day. www.theland.com.au/story/9245045/ #AusAg #AgSky #Mulesing

Quick three hour round trip to Crookwell this morning to update this story, with some powerful insights from rural nurses on the real-world consequences of workforce shortages in rural areas. www.theland.com.au/story/9241832/ #AusAg #RuralHealth

Asher hits the nail on the head. The anger, sense of betrayal, and genuine heartbreak at feeling like being left behind has broken the social contract in the bush. The amount of tears at kitchen tables I've witnessed from people begging government to just LISTEN is astounding.

While the NSW rural health system remains understaffed, and communities still struggle to engage full-time doctors, the Auditor-General's report found visiting medical offers had billed amounts equivalent to hundreds of hours per week. www.theland.com.au/story/9242352/ #AusAg #RuralHealth

In a classic journo blunder I am doing fractions and maths at 4pm on a Friday and none too pleased about it. Anyway, prepare the big story klaxon for Monday morning and let my mathematical suffering be meaningful. 👀

#MediaMovement: Eliza Spencer (@amelizajane.bsky.social) has been promoted to Senior Journalist at The Land. If you’d like to get media movements in your inbox, subscribe here: engage.medianet.com.au/media-moveme...

New title, same shenanigans. 🗞️ As always, send your feral pest tip offs, biosec stories, cracking rural life leads and dob in young farmers changing the game to [email protected] 📩 #AusAg #JournoNews

What came first - the emu or the egg? Vodafone's wrapped on April 18, after Ad Standards found a breach on April 15. Either way, rural communities are none too pleased. www.theland.com.au/story/9238691

One of those pinch-me moments, when research becomes a story becomes a piece pinned to a university wall. I LOVE working with researchers to help showcase the real-world applications of their study on and off farm. Don't forget I'm an email away 📩 [email protected]

brb touching grass 🌱 pls send all ag news tips, biosec gossip and other good ideas to [email protected] Hoping to tee up some road trips into Western NSW this winter to test out my winter camping gear, so if you know anyone who's shearin', sowin' or otherwise a legend up for a chat, HMU!

"The problem is having a private charity enforce criminal laws...That may have been acceptable in the early 1800s, but in 2026 in Australia it's certainly not." www.theland.com.au/story/9221879/ #AnimalWelfare #AusAg

Budget estimates digging up the stats that might otherwise get missed - with a breakdown of exactly how many Stock Welfare Panels have been conducted in NSW, and what their outcomes were. If you work in ag, this one's a must-read, with more reporting to come. www.theland.com.au/story/9218197/

Data revealed in budget estimates showed almost one third of cases referred to stock welfare panels ended in seizures, with a full breakdown of the numbers since the establishment of SWPs, all at the link below. #AusAg #AnimalWelfare #AgSky www.theland.com.au/story/9218197

This is a breaking news story.

My lovely colleague Elizabeth Anderson got potentially THE sweetest story at the Show this year - a proposal on the cattle lawns 😭 💞 🌈 www.theland.com.au/story/9216341/

Chook in the pigpen! Nick 'Chook' Hreszczuk has added porcine producer to his resume in a in new venture. Puns ahoy at the link. www.theland.com.au/story/9216464/ #AusAg #AusPork

The Merino has been trotting around Australian pastures fairly well since colonisation, and while the process of grow sheep, shear sheep, wear wool, has stayed the same for nigh on 250 years, more has changed than you may think. 👀 #AusAg #WearWool #AgSky www.theland.com.au/story/9209892/

#BREAKING - a new vertebrate pest species has been confirmed in NSW, with biosecurity officers working to eradicate the new incursion. It's all hands on deck to get this cervid menace under control. www.theland.com.au/story/9208803/ #Biosecurity #AgSky #AusAg

Darling Downs farmer Brent Finlay puts it pretty simply: "If you talk to a farmer, they know how much a load of prime lambs or cattle are worth ... this hopefully sheds a light on what renewable energy assets could be worth to them." www.theland.com.au/story/9207267/ #AusAg #RenewableEnergy

What's that nugget of wisdom that you hold onto? Out on the road over the last few weeks, I put the question to livestock producers across the state's south, and heard some great advice passed down from family, friends and mentors. #AgSky #AusAg www.theland.com.au/story/9204841/

MEAA members at Australian Community Media (ACM) have endorsed a vote of no confidence in Antony Catalano, and welcome his forced leave of absence as Executive Chair of the Board following serious allegations of assault over the weekend. meaa.io/4lD3Z40

I couldn't find Nellie or Phoebe to see who had put these very lovely mixed cattle to sale but it's gotta be my fave sign up at Cooma today. #WeanerSales #AusAg #AgSky

Facebook callouts for the win! Young Lachlan Vallender was dobbed in by family and friends as a standout young farmer making waves in the Southern Tablelands, and with good reason. 🌿 Full story (and machinery vid) at the link below 🚜 www.theland.com.au/story/9195769 #AgSky #AusAg

Opponents have come out swinging against more paperwork, less action, after another review was announced. www.theland.com.au/story/9191703/ #AusAg #Biosecurity #AgSky

Big news in the carbon and ag space, with a new blueprint for "Healthy Country and Thriving Regions" released this week. All the deets, along with why the big supermarkets should pay up already, in the link! www.theland.com.au/story/9190150/ #AgSky #AusAg #CarbonFarming

Got cranky, wrote an op-ed about country women being the 'backbone' of communities, too often without the pay and assets to back it up. No representation without remuneration please and thank you! www.theland.com.au/story/9189716/ #AusAg #AgSky #WomenInAg

Reports are delayed, then left waiting for responses. On thorny issues, there can be long silence. News on "jobs for mates", gambling and a lack of response to parliamentary committee reports: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

We talk a lot about women in ag, but how much has actually changed? Turns out, one dedicated researcher has sought to answer that very question, and it may not be as warm and fuzzy as you think... www.theland.com.au/story/9185396/ #AusAg #WomenInAg #AgSky

Consumers are un-mooved by the prospect of US beef hitting Aussie shelves, after a 'beef launch' organised by the US Embassy earlier this week. With some rather colourful comments shared online, it's fair to say Aussie are making their feelings 'herd' 🥩🐮 www.theland.com.au/story/9184472/ #AgSky

City friends, may I introduce one of my new favourite country events I've discovered: the Young Woman competition. You can hear from some of the twelve amazing finalists, and check out the bumper gallery below 👀 www.theland.com.au/story/9180311/

🌳 Tiny forest, big impact. 🌳 There are so many different ways landholders are boosting biodiversity and productivity outcomes on farm - the latest is inspired by a dense, multispecies, forestry system known as Miyawaki. www.theland.com.au/story/9175702/ #AusAg #TinyForests #TreePlanting

There are some new players in town, and they're determined to bring together producers and policy makers to put regen ag principles in focus. 👀🌳 www.theland.com.au/story/9174447/ #AusAg #RegenerativeFarming #AusPol #AgSky

September 2025 👉 February 2026 Super gratifying to see this 20ha plot at Tirranna, near Goulburn, go from in the ground, to seeds for the 2026 season. AJ Gibson and his family tested these faba beans to see if they'd work in the rotation, and they're back for 2026! 🫘 #AusAg #FabaBeans #AgSky

Under new firearms reform, primary producers would need to be members of a gun club, & meet attendance requirements. But if you or your staff are on a station, or the local range is for .22s, not .308s, there are some problems on the horizon. www.theland.com.au/story/9171951/ #NSWpol #gunreform

Democracy manifest: state politics has dominated a double spread for this week's print edition of The Land! #NSWPol #AusPol

🏫 NSW state parliament is back for 2026 🏫 Trying something new for The Land News today, with a parly preview before the day kicks off. Seven pollies shared their priorities, and there's more in common across party lines than you might think. 👀 #AusPol #AusAg www.theland.com.au/story/9166061/

The surprise from people when I explain I'm bound by my employer's editorial code, the Australian Press Council guidelines, and the MEAA code of ethics when they call with an issue. Real reporters, freelance, big time, or at the local paper, have a strong ethical framework - for a very good reason.

Preach girl, preach. As always, an incredibly insightful and important read from @miasato.bsky.social