With only a 17-inch (425-mm), winter-dominant rainfall pattern, the grazing on Tarabah is planned through a six-month, southern hemisphere winter-spring growing season from early May through October, and the dormant season includes the rest of the year from November through April. During the growing season, 90-day recovery periods are planned (resulting in most pastures receiving two grazings), and two herds are managed—mature cows and mixed sex yearlings. This results in average grazing periods of only two days. During the six-month dormant season, all the animals are put into one herd and moved through all 97 pastures, taking only one selection over the dry season.

Calving now happens in June and July (instead of the area’s traditional fall calving season in March and April), the middle of winter. But in their mild Mediterranean environment, winter isn’t really winter. It’s the beginning of the green season, with calves hitting the ground as grass growth gets under way. By the time the bulls go out on August 20, the cows have had at least two months of abundant green grass, and, despite the demands of lactation, are in prime shape to conceive.

In 2001, the Coughlans were receiving approximately US$.50/lb ($1.10/kg) for their yearlings, and that was an all-time record high. With an unbelievably low cost of production of US$.10/lb ($.22/kg), they were understandably pretty comfortable and content with their profit margins. Five years later, cost of production is still the same, but price has risen to US$.80/lb ($1.76/kg) for a finished yearling (as a result of a continued market upswing combined with their organic premium).

Because of the winter and spring concentration of precipitation, dryland wheat farming, and over a century of continuous grazing, vast tracts of land in southwestern New South Wales have lost their perennials and reverted to grasslands dominated by cool season annuals. The Coughlans take photopoints every six months, and read transects every two to three years, and with this data (combined with everyday observation) are seeing some amazing things happen. For example, Kangaroo grass, a native warm season perennial of the genus Themeda, is making a comeback on parts Tarabah. It’s nearly non-existent for miles in any other direction. The Coughlans have created the niche, and long-dormant Themeda seed has responded.

When they began managing holistically in 1997, they set the ambitious goal of achieving 100 percent ground cover; and, in Michael’s words, “We are there.” The duck-billed platypus in the creeks are increasing in abundance every year, and echidnas (little porcupine-looking critters) are making a comeback. During his entire childhood on Tarabah, Michael never saw an echidna, and last year he saw ten.