SpaceX's constellation of satellites are dreaming big to provide internet to all corners of the Earth, with some regional Aussie and NZ farms already taking advantage. Australian telecommunications carrier Connected Farms will pilot using Starlink's mobile backhaul service to provide connectivity fence to fence on farms for technologies including robotics, ag tech, mobile phones, and home offices. Compared to NBN Co’s satellite service, latency and internet speed is shaping up to be much faster with Starlink, a potential game changer for farmers.
Barely a quarter of workers in the beef cattle and grain farming workforce are women, but more and more women are starting to break into the male-dominated sector. Australian Livestock Agents Association director Warren Johnston says there has been a lot more interest from females wanting to enter the industry, whether as a livestock agent or on the rails, as an auctioneer. Hear from women making their mark in this article.
University of Adelaide scientists have put their heads together and developed a new simple, inexpensive and fast method to detect and measure very low concentrations of agricultural lime in soils - generally a time consuming and difficult exercise. Have a read about the research and future trials all about helping farmers improve their soil management in the future.
New Zealanders' overall attitude towards the primary industries is on the up with appreciation for farmers increasing, according to a recent online survey. There were a range of reasons driving this view, but the dominant one (expressed by 32%) was the belief of how critical farmers are to the economic wellbeing of New Zealand by providing jobs and exports.
Pasture-raised beef is a cornerstone of the New Zealand and Australian meat industry. But do consumers understand the benefits they get from grass-fed meat? Comparing digestion differences between pasture-raised New Zealand beef to grain finished beef and a plant-based alternative, new research indicates there are differences in meat quality relating to health and digestion, depending on how the animal is raised.