Managing Climate Variability

From Grandad's Records to Cutting Edge Climate Forecasts

Bill, Anne and Andrew Yates
Garah, New South Wales

  • 540mm average rainfall
  • 11,000 hectares
  • Producing wool, beef cattle and rotated crops.

For 100 years, Bill Yates's family has kept a record of their property's climate and its impact on farming decisions. The records help Bill and Anne avoid complacency-it's easy to forget climate history.

These days, Bill uses cutting edge forecasting tools to back his ever-more opportunistic management decisions, while keeping one eye firmly on those old records and successful practices.

He watches models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to get a 15-day weather outlook, pays daily visits to the Centre for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies and checks the Southern Oscillation Index weekly on The Long Paddock.

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Climate Management Tools Used

  • Three generations of climate records used to build knowledge of climate variation over time.
  • Close monitoring of short term forecasts and computer models for opportunistic decision making, using web sites with weather and climate interpretations.
  • Weekly tracking of the Southern Oscillation Index with different scenarios planned to respond to changes.
  • Pastures in perennial rather than annual grasses.
  • Early de-stocking, especially of cattle, if conditions indicate low rainfall.
  • The 'two teapot discussion' each morning to discuss and process information from different points of view.

Complete 2004 Story (pdf 114 Kb)

Complete 1999 Story