What is our story? – The Mahonys

Peter and Nikki were both raised "on the land" (a Merino sheep run in Western Queensland and a stud beef cattle property in Central Queensland).  Our respective mothers taught us by correspondence and School-of-the-Air www.longreacsde.qld.edu.au/, before we attended boarding schools and University (Agricultural Economics) where we met & married.    We have four children and are very involved in local community and other businesses. 

We were brought up to love and respect the land and like most farmers strive for maximum production whilst protecting and endeavoring to improve soil, plant and animal health.  The land is ours for but a short time and our guiding purpose is to make it decidedly better under our guardianship.  Our grazing system integrates regular rest so that beneficial grasses flourish, ecosystems thrive, and the carbon in our soil increases on a daily basis. 

We also acknowledge there can be no positive environmental outcomes without economic stability and security of tenure.  Driven by this passion and increasingly restrictive Government regulations on good land management, we are now part of a move to reshape and rebrand the image of Queensland and Australian food & fibre producers as dynamic, professional, productive and sustainable managers of the environment.

Our interests & skills

We are dedicated parents & partners, and between us have a wealth of experience in building small businesses. Specifically rural farm work, sales and marketing ,stock handling, environmental monitoring, cell grazing, property / vegetation mapping, biodynamic practices, staff management, office administration and book-keeping.

We have a diverse range of interests in sport, history, literature, photography, nature, travel and outdoor pursuits, including water-skiing, hiking and rock climbing.

Rural Host Family – Our starting dream was to spread the good news of rural Australia one family at a time.  We offer work and work-experience to internationals and Australians of all ages.    We have participated in rural exchanges & internships and enjoyed stories and experiences shared with many a "Grey Nomad" www.thegreynomads.com.au  Contact us if you want to register your interest or find out more.    

Our environment: Agriculture & Mining – Peter has a strong interest in mine-site rehabilitation projects. He started a business called AXM in 2005 and undertook off-farm work in property mapping using GPS & computer software.  www.axm.com.au

Biodynamic practices are trialed on our grazing country and gardens, Envirofund projects have been undertaken to improve the health of the land (fencing waterways, improving watering systems and installing “leaky weirs”), and in 2004 we gazetted a Nature Refuge on the property

Community, Family & Health – Families thrive in strong close-knit communities and we have both been heavily involved in our local area, more recently contributing through early childhood development, school reading programs and religious education.  We are also involved in natural health education (Brain Gym & Edu-K: www.braingym.org.au ) and family dynamics (www.au.cl.thepmrc.org/ ). 

Travel – We have previously traveled through Argentina, Brazil, Europe, India, United States, and Australia.  2009-2011 was spent in France, learning new language, education techniques, music and more about farming in a rapidly shifting global economic & social climate.