SNAPSHOTOWNERS: Ash and Emma MoonLOCATION: Pyramid Hill, VictoriaFARM SIZE: 1700 hectaresANNUAL AVERAGE RAINFALL: 380mmSOIL TYPES: Tragowel clay, Macorna clay and Yarrawalla loamENTERPRISE MIX: Broadacre irrigated (50%) and dryland cropping (50%); flock of 300 Merino ewes producing first-cross lambsCROP PROGRAM (2019): Cereals 50% (Scout wheat, Spartacus barley), legumes 25% (PBA Hallmark XT (PBR) lentils, PBA Samira […]
Have you considered using a standing crop to fill the late spring and summer feed gaps? Feeding sheep can be time consuming and often requires extra resources and double handling of feed – especially when you could be taking a break. A ‘Standing Crop’ refers to a cereal crop that has been sown and grown […]
Property: “The Ranch”, Scott and Jillian Vaessen, Tabbita in NSW Enterprises: Cropping (wheat, barley, canola, field peas, oats for export hay and vetch) and livestock (trade lambs) The value of hosting some of the nation’s best cropping nutrition researchers on his farm was “the sum of the parts” according to Tabbita grower, Scott Vaessen. Scott […]
Andrew Frank farms with his wife Nadine and parents Allan and Marilyn. As well as managing their cropping and sheep enterprise, Andrew keeps busy with four young children; Chloe, Ebony, Petria and Charlie and community involvement. Andrew, Nadine and the kids live at the home block at Carron (between Watchem and Donald) and he says […]
Why did you decide to pursue a career in agriculture? What is it about the industry that attracted you? I struggled to pick a course when I finished year 12 but ultimately I think the decision came from a mixture of nature and nurture. My immediate and extended family are in the farming game and […]
Griffith grain grower Phil Bourchier, like many of his peers, bases his on-farm decisions on personal experience, district practice and advice and knowledge from a mix of outside sources, all the while keeping a keen eye on his bottom line. “You have to make ends meet. It is always good to try something new, so […]
Jake Gleeson’s post-secondary school ‘gap year’ at BCG has been an eye opening experience, and one that will stick with him for many years to come. A great team member, Jake’s work has consisted of soil sampling, sowing, spraying and harvesting trials, taking hundreds of biomass cuts, being an excellent team player and supporting the team […]
The Mallee is a world-away from the lush green hills that surround the western Gippsland farm where BCG extension manager Ciara Cullen grew up. Despite this, a genuine interest in grain growing and a willingness to embrace community life made the transition from Gippsland to the Mallee relatively easy for Ciara when she started working at BCG six […]
Gregor Knight farms with his father Malcom at ‘Golden Wattle’ in the Quambatook district. His sister Jane helps out on the farm at various stages during the year as well. How’s harvest going? Pretty good. We are happy with the yields so far (as at December 19) and we haven’t had too many machinery breakdowns. […]
Case study: Ryan O’Shannassy ‘Prooinga’
Location: Manangatang
Farming mix: 100% cropping
Greg and Lois Hose run ‘Donelle’ – a mixed cropping/livestock farm – with Greg’s son Adam and employee, Ian ‘Dave’ Batters. The farm comprises separate farming blocks at Traynor’s Lagoon, Marnoo East and Swanwater. In 2007 Greg embarked on a business venture with fellow Merino breeder, Scott Nicholson from Campbell’s Bridge who shares similar production […]