Their picturesque property is situated on the fertile river flats of the Little Manning River, approximately 25 kilometres west of Gloucester. Their main enterprise is dairy farming, which is supplemented by some beef cattle on the steeper slopes and in country away from the dairy.

In recent years the brothers have participated in training and incentive funding programs with the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA). The CMA has subsidised training and funding opportunities to assist landowners like the Frasers to implement sustainable grazing practices that improve production while at the same time protecting natural resources.

Stock access to water was identified as an issue on their farm with cattle having to travel long distances to the river – their only source of water.

With the help of financial incentives and support from the CMA, the Frasers were able to install a new stock watering system comprising a 90,000 litre header tank gravity feeding eight water troughs strategically located across their grazing pastures.

So now the new water supply means cows have continuous access to clean water, they can graze longer on their allocated pasture without the need to travel for water, and they no longer need access to creeks and gullies for water, reducing pressure on the sensitive riparian zones and minimising stream bank erosion and excess nutrient impacts on their waterway.

“The cattle don’t have to walk nearly as far now for water, and it has the double whammy of keeping them out of the river,” said Lindsay.

To further protect these fragile areas, the brothers have fenced off 450 metres of riverbank on their property.

Jim and Lindsay both live on the farm with their wives and enjoy the working relationship.

“We can tell each other where to go and it doesn’t matter,” Jim laughed.