Yammatree family trust
Committee for Wagga recently caught up with one of our newest members, Brenton Henwood from Yammatree Family Trust.
Chatting with Brenton, it’s clear a love of family, the land and primary production has resulted in Brenton and his four siblings joining their parents, Raymond and Pam, in working together in the family operation.
Brenton and his siblings grew up on the family farm “Yammatree” at Bethungra and Wagga Wagga provided a base for the whole family and business operations. Today the entire family live locally with the members of Brenton’s generation enjoying the lifestyle that comes with raising their own families in the area.
Brenton’s grandfather, Stan Henwood, was the first in the family to enter the livestock industry, ‘He always had a love for both the land, and the foundation of what it means to be a primary producer - to create something from scratch.’
From Stan’s first property “Kooringal”, known to Wagga Wagga residents as the suburb of the same name, the family now operates numerous properties throughout Eastern Australia.
Weather rolling in above a Hay paddock on a Yammatree property
‘Throughout the generations, the focus of the business has remained the same - to provide quality angus beef, lamb and wool for domestic and export markets.’
Yammatree Angus Breeders
Whilst the business ideals have remained the same, the markets have changed. Today purchasers are looking for a more uniform product with a heavy reliance on consistency of weight, size and marbling. Nonetheless, Yammatree’s success continues, placing first and third in the 2019 Domestic Angus Steer Class at the Royal Melbourne Show.
When asked, Brenton is most proud of the growth in the family business and that all five members of his generation successfully work together in the family operation.
Like all farmers, Yammatree has faced the challenge of various droughts since 2001. They continue to improve the efficiency of their operations and ‘drought proof’ as much as possible through the use of farm infrastructure and systems.
Yammatree is keen to increase their involvement in the business community and expand into sectors outside of agriculture such as property development.
‘As a family we’d like to use our balance sheet to look at opportunities within the region. We are big believers in the future of the Wagga Wagga economy and the growth story’.
Yammatree Angus Steers
‘Wagga Wagga is an area people are looking to relocate to. Cities are now viewed as less liveable - particularly given the current circumstances - and the benefits of living in the country are becoming more obvious. COVID-19 has enhanced the reputation of major regional centres as a place to live.’
‘The current government infrastructure projects provide Wagga Wagga with a massive opportunity. As a primary producer we believe the freight hub at Bomen will be a huge boost for the local economy, as well as assisting us in getting our product to the right locations.’
Stan Henwood ‘was quite involved in the community and as the next generation of our family business looks to the future, we see ourselves following in his footsteps and taking a lead in this area.’
‘In joining Committee for Wagga, we can provide a voice for our city, enhancing the opportunities available to Wagga Wagga for the benefit of future generations.’
A fodder crop at a Yammatree Property