Our own kind of Wonderwall
The movement of headers, windrowers, trucks and field bins across the northern part of the region signals the start of harvest and presumably the end of hay. It’s the time when the season has revealed its hand. This year, our region has been dealt a mixed hand. Early yields are proving patchy, with some crops exceeding expectations and others bearing the scars of frost, heat, or simply the luck of where rain did or didn’t fall.
For many parts of the Wimmera, harvest is still a few weeks away, with many paddocks of hay yet to be baled.
The contrast across farms and districts is a reminder that no two seasons ever play out the same way.
For BCG, harvest on our research sites is also under way at Manangatang and Ultima. Rain has brought that to a temporary halt – a pause that farmers everywhere know all too well, but we’ll be back into it as soon as conditions allow. Each site holds valuable insights that will inform next season’s decisions and add to our growing body of practical research for the region.
As we have spoken with farmers from different areas, there’s been plenty of discussion about yield surprises, frost impacts, and seasonal variability – a reminder that unpredictability is what drives innovation and keeps BCG firmly focused on helping farmers make sense of the season that was, and plan for the season to come.
Now, if you’ve been anywhere near Melbourne lately, you’ll know there’s another phenomenon taking hold, Oasis fever. I went and was starstruck. Three nights at Marvel Stadium have reignited a wave of nostalgia and connection, with the Gallagher brothers reminding everyone just how powerful it is when people come together around something they love. (Imagine if BCG could sell out a stadium like that -oh, to have such influence!)
But in a way, that’s exactly what we aim to do – not with guitars and anthems, but with research, ideas and extension activities. Our own kind of Wonderwall moment happens whenever farmers, researchers and industry come together to share insights, compare notes, and find ways to make farming stronger, more resilient and more rewarding. There’s real power in that collective energy – and it’s what makes BCG the organisation it is.
The recent visit of 17 CSIRO research scientists to BCG here in Birchip, reminded us of the force of that collective energy. They were keen to discover the ways in which they can partner with BCG to direct future projects and research with the end goal of benefiting practising farmers. While the work of the scientific community is often recognised for its ambition and rigour, it can occasionally be perceived as disconnected from the practical realities faced by others. This was not the case in this instance. Dr Ben Trevaskis and his CSRIO team were practical, positive, sociable and, willing to share and be guided, by BCG staff and farmers.
Their visit was refreshing and revitalising.
Few, least of all us at BCG, underestimate the challenges we as farmers face each year. We must learn to think of ourselves as scientists, estimating the odds, confronting the variations the weather throws at us, and using our increasing knowledge, resources and skills to inform our decisions.
BCG is one of those resources. Never forget that we’re here to help in any way we can.
We wish you a safe harvest, one that is as successful and profitable as could be achieved, whatever your circumstances.
