LUCINDALE'S Di Giorgio family is a true example of hard-working immigrants who have carved out their destiny from scratch.

Today, the family has moulded a successful, multi-dimensional business.

    AT A GLANCE
  • Who: DiGiorgio family
  • What: sheep, cattle and wine
  • Why: from the ground up
  • Where: Lucindale, South Australia
  • Report: KATE DOWLER

Steve and Rita Di Giorgio arrived in Australia from Italy in the early 1950s and bought a 160ha bush block at Luncindale in South Australia's then developing South East.

They worked on other farms by day and cleared their own land by night.

Like many at the time, Steve started a contract land-clearing business and this helped the family purchase more land and expand their holdings to 9000ha.

Now, with their children Nanni, Frank, Anna and Nicky and their families, the Di Giorgio name is synonymous with agriculture and viticulture in the South East.

The family run commercial sheep and cattle, the Sterita Park Angus stud, and Di Giorgio Family Wines at Coonawarra.

The family has marketed its own wine since 1998 and in 2002 bought the second-oldest Coonawarra winery, Rouge Homme.

On the farm, Nanni's approach is to focus on the key profit drivers, such as fertility, and to not select for single genetic traits.

"We just keep doing what we're doing and try to do it better," Nanni said, summing up the family's farming ethos.

In their cattle operation, the inclusion of a stud has boosted the family's reputation for quality cattle production.

Sterita Park Angus stud started in 2002, yet last year its annual bull sale cleared 30 bulls for an average of $4500, the highest in South Australia.

Di Giorgio cattle are a feature at the Naracoorte saleyards where the family sells about 700 weaner steers and 450 heifers each year.

Nanni said they started the stud, which has a sharp focus on fertility, to give greater control of genetics that performed best in their commercial herd.

He also keeps an eye on rib and rump fat and the traits that affect growth.

Nanni runs 1800 females, including 200 stud cows. Angus are the mainstay, with some black baldies and 150 Hereford cows also in the mix.

Nanni said his autumn-calving operation relied on a good spring flush, and calves that could grow well and be sold straight off their mothers.

Turning the calves off pre-Christmas enables the pastures to carry cows through to the next calving.

"The best money for us has been to turn them off at eight to 10 months, averaging 380-440kg, if the season allows," he said.

In the sheep side of the business, Nanni runs 16,000 first-cross ewes for prime-lamb production.

"We try to sell most direct over-the-hooks at export weights and deal a lot with Tatiara Meat Company," he said.

Nanni is trying a new cross - Dohnes over first-cross ewes - as replacements.

"They have a great wool type and hopefully the Dohnes will improve wool quality and lower micron," he said."

Lambs are turned off at from 21kg upwards.

One thing the Di Giorgios don't do is chase markets.

The Lucindale stocking rate is about eight dry sheep equivalents per hectare.

During dry times the Di Giorgios backed off their stock numbers slightly.

"Careful selection of genetics is paramount," he said. "I only use an AI sire that I've seen or a trusted friend has seen."