Cherie Reilly farms ‘Laurelville’ at Corack and ‘Moallaack’ at Swan Hill with her husband Richard, brother-in-law Neville and his wife Kate, and her husband’s parents Linton and Barbara. The Reilly’s have also recently purchased an irrigation property in NSW. BCG project manager Louisa Ferrier, caught up with Cherrie on Friday March 31.
Enterprise mix/farming system:
Corack and Swan Hill are broadacre farming businesses which are predominately cropping (80%) plus 1000 first-cross ewes and 120 Angus cattle. The cropping breakdown is generally wheat 30%, barley 20%, canola 10%, lentils 15%, vetch 15%, lupins 5% and fallow 5%. The family has also just purchased an irrigation and grazing property in NSW.
How are preparations for sowing going?
Most paddocks have had one if not two summer weed sprays and paddocks are being prepared with some windrow burning on lentil and canola paddocks. The 2016 oat paddocks were mulched soon after harvest to reduce stubble load for cropping. Fertiliser (MAP + SOA blend) has been ordered and is being back loaded at present to coincide with grain delivery to port. Seed has been cleaned and is ready to go and some minor maintenance on the Seed Master air seeder is happening. We are planning to begin vetch sowing within the next fortnight and we will continue to dry sow until operations are finished (roughly 20-25th May). Pre-watering is occurring on the irrigation farm.
How much rain have you received so far and has this altered your cropping plans? What are your expectations for the year ahead?
We have had 50mm at Corack and 70mm at Swan Hill from the beginning of January to the end of March. Not a lot will be altered – crop rotations will remain much the same due to paddock history and weed management. The fertiliser program will remain as planned (a replacement program after last year’s heavy crop will be required). If the autumn period is dry, urea applications after cropping may be pulled back.
The seasonal outlook is for neutral to dry. We do pay attention to the long-term forecast, however Swan Hill is on track for an average year after good amounts of summer rain. Corack has had some summer rain and there is also some subsoil moisture remaining after 2016. We will soil sample leading into cropping to determine how much and this will give us an indication of urea applications post sowing.
What is your biggest challenge at this time of year and how are you managing it?
Grain sales and marketing after the 2016 season. We stored a lot of wheat and oats for logistical reasons at harvest (and because of the low grain prices), so some of our experienced staff will be driving trucks for a few months which then means additional labour will be required to put the crop in.
We have been lucky to have great staff, including back-packers, working with us as this helps maintain morale and motivation on a day-to-day basis. It is hoped in the future we can keep attracting great staff to work on the farm.
Mouse numbers are being watched and we are currently looking at ordering mouse bait.
Learning the ins and outs of irrigation farming for the first time will be a challenge for 2017, but hoping this opportunity will also lead to further diversification of income streams in the future.
What motivated you to become a Board member at BCG?
I have had an interest and been involved in agriculture for a long time through study, work and the farm. Now that our children have started school/kindergarten I have more flexibility to become connected again and try and contribute to agriculture in other ways. It is also an opportunity for me to network with experienced people in the industry.
What are your aspirations for the role?
I think the future of agriculture is bright with new technologies and advancements in science. However sustainable rural communities are also a priority with farm sizes increasing, due to economies of scale, and corporate companies moving into the district. BCG has been fantastic at helping famers move with change, overcome challenges, and share ideas and it is even more important that BCG stays at the forefront of advancements as well as challenges in agriculture.
What’s the best farming (or life) advice you’ve ever been given?
Timing, timing, timing!
Plan ahead and be prepared for obstacles. Even though the general plan on farm (life) remains the same, every year throws up a different challenge and if you are prepared and on top of what you can control, you won’t stress as much over those things that you can’t control.
