MEET Jane and Mick Craig, farmers on a livestock and cropping property in Harrow, western Victoria.

Twenty-three years ago, Jane and Mick flipped a coin to decide between travel or starting a farm (and a family). They’ve been on the land ever since. Jane and Mick’s family depends on the farm for their livelihood – a predominantly wool business with some livestock for meat production and canola, cereal and clover crops.

Good biosecurity is essential to the survival of their farm.

“If we don’t manage risks on our farm, whether it be Mother Nature or biosecurity, we can’t be sustainable as a family,” Mick said.

Monitoring and managing vehicles and people on and off the property, good fencing, biosecurity signage, good machinery hygiene, foot baths, quarantining, drenching, dipping, and daily animal welfare checks are part of their biosecurity practices. Jane and Mick also work with their neighbours to manage pests like rabbits and foxes, and closely manage weeds with chemical sprays and biological controls.

Jane and Mick consulted their vet to develop a biosecurity plan outlining the major diseases to monitor for, including lice, Ovine Johne’s disease and foot rot. They’ve also mapped out what to do if a serious outbreak like foot-and-mouth disease was to occur.

How you can make a difference too:

If you are sheep farmer like Mick and Jane or have livestock on your property, make sure you…

-   monitor your herd for disease

- know what you need to look for, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity including specific sheep diseases

- learn about Emergency Animal Diseases and how to report them

- apply for a Property Identification Code (PIC) to support effective traceability and action during emergency relief and recovery (a PIC is required for anyone who grazes or keeps livestock on their property and for livestock businesses such as saleyards or stock agents)

- manage your details on the National Livestock Identification System database, Australia’s system for tracking for disease control, food safety and market access

- manage the risk of pest animals like foxes and rabbits

- create a biosecurity plan

If you have a mixed farm, make sure you also…

- know your plant biosecurity requirements

- report unusual plant pests or diseases

- learn about weeds that are a threat to primary production and biodiversity and how to reduce weed risk