Happy Bunya Season

The bunya pines are dropping their heavy green cones. Thump! The air has a different feel to it. The frantic rush of Peak-Summer has eased, yet there is still warmth in the soil and life in the grass. Cicadas are quieter. The days are shortening, almost without us noticing. Welcome to what I call Bunya Season.

Our western four seasons of Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring do not quite capture these subtle but important shifts. If we are to truly connect with the land on which we live, we need to observe what is happening outside rather than relying on a date on the calendar. Seasons start and finish at different times each year. They slide and stretch. Recognising more seasons helps us respond more thoughtfully.

The Bunya Pine

Bunya Nuts

The bunya pine, Araucaria bidwillii, is one of Australia’s great ancient trees. Found naturally in parts of Queensland including the Bunya Mountains, it produces enormous cones filled with edible nuts. Historically, Aboriginal peoples gathered during bigger bunya years for feasting, ceremony and trade. Bunya Season was not just about food. It was about community, culture and connection.

That sense of gathering and abundance is part of why I like this name. And this year in particular has been an abundant bunya nut season.

I was recently facilitating a field day where I took along a bunya cone to share and have a feed. It was interesting to hear how some of the group use to eat the nuts as kids; raw, roasted, boiled in salt water or boiled in the corn meat water, while others in the group have never tasted this fantastic bush food significant to our area.

For me, Bunya Season sits between Peak-Summer and ANZAC Bickie Season. The grass is still growing at a fantastic rate IF moisture is present. Days can still be hot and steamy. There is often a softness to the light in the late afternoon.

Grazing Management

From a grazing management perspective, Bunya Season is a time of consolidation.

Here is what I am doing, the decisions I’m making and things I am keeping my eye on:

·       Did my season break during Jacaranda Storm Season, or was it later during Peak Summer, or has it not yet rained?

·       For me this year we had a good start to the season, though until a couple of days ago it had dried off significantly with our Rolling Rainfall starting to drop.

·       If the season hadn’t yet started, we would be destocking and closely assessing how much pasture we have and how long will it last with no rain. This is so important to note as the bulk of Summer has past, and the period left to grow grass is dramatically reducing each day if no rain falls.

·       I’ll be adjusting how fast to move the stock through paddocks based on how fast the grass is growing. Because it was starting to dry off and growth had slowed right down, I was stretching my rest period out, however with the good rain falling as I write this, I will be speeding up my rotation once again.

·       I’ll be monitoring parasites, especially cattle ticks and buffalo flies and taking action if needed to control. However, with grazing management, I’ve found that tick burdens have been greatly reduced.

·       From an animal nutrition perspective, energy and protein are mostly at luxury levels. Therefore, it can be beneficial to give stock access to minerals. With diverse pastures, animals are able to self-medicate, however periodically I will provide minerals with extra sulphur that has the benefit of lessening the effects parasites.

·       As throughout the year, I’m continuously monitoring the livestock’s manure to get an indication of the phase of pasture that is making up the bulk of their diet.

Bunya Season is also a reminder of preparation. Just as the bunya stores energy in its massive cones, this is the time I am storing grass; accumulating feed, grazing the pastures up and ensuring that I am carrying adequate feed forward. The feed we grow now becomes the base for the cooler months ahead when pasture growth slows down.

There is also something philosophical about this season. It feels like a gentle exhale after the intensity of summer. A moment to gather, to assess and to be grateful for what has grown.

I have described what Bunya Season is for me and how it relates to where I live. For those of you in different landscapes, your Bunya Season may look different. And you may even have a different name, a different indicator species. The key is to observe. What is flowering? What is seeding? How is your grass behaving? What are your animals telling you?

Whatever season you are having, may you take time to notice it.

Happy Bunya Season.