Nick Ruddenklau is the Farm Manager at Epasco Farms, a 14,500ha mixed farming enterprise in Condingup, east of Esperance, WA. He’s also the lead producer in ASHEEP & BEEF’s ‘Optimising age of weaning cattle’ project, a Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) facilitated by Dr Enoch Bergman from Swans Veterinary Services. As the three-year project enters its final season, Nick shares his learnings so far.

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has announced 18 new Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS) projects to commence in 2026. These projects equip beef, sheep and goat producers to test and prove what works on commercial properties – building skills and enabling faster adoption of proven practices across the red meat industry.

Interested in finding out what MLA has upcoming in 2026? Here is your round up of upcoming events and activities.

Producers across eastern Gippsland, Victoria are actively seeking ways to lift the productivity, fertility and long‑term performance of their breeding herds. While most use Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) when selecting bulls, very few commercial beef producers in the region are applying genomic testing to their heifer selection decisions. As a...

This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS), delivered by the Barossa Improved Grazing Group (BIGG), will showcase practical, high‑impact weaning strategies proven to support lamb health and farm profitability in tough seasons. The project will establish three demonstration sites, each trialling different approaches including early weaning, weaning into containment, and targeted pellet...

The BredWell FedWell (BWFW) program is a hands-on, one-day workshop, demonstrating how effective breeding and feeding strategies can improve on-farm productivity, with a particular focus on key profit drivers.

Producers across SA’s Barossa Valley and Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges are increasingly turning to containment feeding to manage pregnant ewes during dry seasons and protect groundcover and pastures. While containment has proven to be an effective management strategy, long‑term use has highlighted new challenges: nutritional deficiencies, rumen health issues, variable...

Producers across the Southern Slopes region of NSW have long relied on subterranean clover as the backbone of their pasture legume base. However, with increasing climate variability, declining legume persistence, rising soil acidity and animal health issues such as bloat and oestrogen‑related disorders, relying on a single species is becoming...

Producers across the Esperance region of WA face an ongoing challenge in managing micromineral deficiencies (a well‑known issue in the region’s extensive sandplain soils). Copper, cobalt and selenium deficits are common, and producers regularly invest in supplementation options without clarity on whether products are working, whether stock are being over‑...

Livestock producers in the Esperance region of WA are increasingly seeking resilient, profitable pasture options that complement mixed farming systems and reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen. While vetch – especially RM4 vetch – has become a benchmark performer in local grazing and cropping rotations, it comes with challenges including high...