Seen by many as harmful feral animals, the humble camel has been put centrestage by a forward-thinking farmer at a regenerative dairy farm in Queensland.
In a classic case of ‘use what you have’, Paul Martin is not only addressing Central Australia’s exploding and problematic population of feral camels, he’s successfully integrating them into a diverse and sustainable farming business in southeast Queensland.
As well as transforming camel milk into a large range of low-lactose food products and skincare products suited to sensitive skin, Paul is finding ways to minimise the impact the large hard-hoofed animals have on his land.
But for Summer Land Camels, it goes far beyond simply minimising damage. Managed correctly, camels play an important role in biodiversity and weed control and, according to Paul, offer sustainable solutions to the challenges of feeding our growing future population.