We recently caught up with Sea Lake farmer, Grant Alday.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born and educated in Sea Lake. I completed an Advanced Diploma at Longerenong College. I have farmed ever since, other than working a cropping season in Canada. I loved working with and owning sheep from a young age. At the completion of year 12 I believed I would be involved in agriculture but I was unsure if I would come back to our family farm.
I now farm with my wife Bron who is trained to teach from early childhood to year 12. We have three children. Kate is 20 and is working towards being a doctor. Jenna is 17 and loves agriculture and plans to study Ag Science. Archie is 14 and is loving life. All three have owned sheep at some point and have helped with a range of tasks such as raking hay, rolling, carting hay, driving the chaser bin etc.
Tell us about your farm.
Our farm is spread along the Sea Lake – Lascelles road with 30km separating our furthest paddocks. Soil types and elevation vary significantly between and within paddocks which requires some thought to balance ideal crop choice versus logistics. Some paddocks will have lupins on the hills with lentils on the flats, however this won’t happen if it’s an isolated paddock due to the extra seasonal logistics. Another paddock will often have oaten hay on the lower ground due to high frost potential but never on the hills.
We grow wheat, barley, lupins, lentils, peas, canola, oaten hay and vetch hay. Small areas are brown manured or fallowed at times. We are prepared to cut cereal crops if there is a weed blowout or frost damage.
We run 100 – 150 ewes, mostly composite. They clean up screenings and off spec hay. Realistically they struggle to break even however running them has been a great learning opportunity for our children as they have learned about delivering lambs, dealing with predators, nutrition, disease, ordering tags, filling out vendor decs, weighing lambs, deciding when to sell etc.
We have two full time staff and have had semi-retired locals and international workers help us at peak time for many years. Employing people from other countries has been a positive experience as they bring knowledge and a fresh perspective. Many have been terrific hosts when we have visited them. We also employ baling contractors. We were very fortunate to have employed Col and Brett Radcliffe as baling contractors in 2011. I knew little of hay, Col generously mentored us to produce the best product we could.
The three of us who work full time can do the same jobs as each other however we all have different strengths, personalities and interests. Traditionally I haven’t spent a lot of time in the office but since having an extra staff member, I’ve made it a priority to improve areas of our business and my personal skills when it fits amongst busier times in the paddock.
What do you love about farming?
I love the changing seasons, the first lamb, the first Rainbow Bee-Eater to arrive, the variety of tasks and the satisfaction of finding a solution to a problem.
How did your sowing program go this year?
We chased subsoil moisture on some paddocks which resulted in low travel speed. We were pleasantly surprised by what established however there are some paddocks with a wide range of maturity. It’s likely there will be some tough decisions to make regarding hay cut timing and some barley paddocks may need patching out if head loss is a concern.
How do you make nitrogen decisions?
Several paddocks and soil types are tested to understand a starting point. Brad Bennett of Mallee agronomy updates our nitrogen and water use efficiency budgets throughout the growing season. Brad has access to our 11 electronic rain gauges which helps understand paddock specific water limited yield. We are very comfortable being aggressive with our N applications on wheat if the soil not hostile, is elevated and is being followed by a cereal.
What were your biggest farming challenges in 2023?
We had 4 t/ha of seed on the ground over a large area due to hail in 2022.
What is your biggest farming challenge in 2024?
Potentially grain prices. Also, in certain conditions access to some paddocks and markets is an ongoing concern due to local road restraints.
How do you approach farm safety?
We have been very conscious of farm safety over time however improving procedures, protocols and communication is a major focus of 2024. We have welcomed three visits to our farm by a consultant through the free Worksafe Victoria OHS Essentials program.
Bron has taken a year’s leave and amongst other business improvements, is developing a website specifically for our farm. The website can be used in audio version or converted to other languages. It covers OHS policy and farm procedures, induction documents and general farm information including maps and emergency management plans.
Are you doing any succession planning?
We have used a third party over many years to assist in adjusting our succession goals. We are at a challenging point at the moment with the age and wide ranging interests of our children. We have options and we’ll keep communication open and honest.
Are you doing anything new in 2024 on the farm?
Other than Bron’s website, we need to get more value out of the technology we have access to. We feel there are areas where we can improve on for example income and expense efficiencies.
How do you stay active on the farm?
I commit to doing something with someone I respect. I started playing hockey in my 40s and it was a great experience. This year I committed to a couple of half marathons with friends and family and the interaction leading up to the day and the events was great. I also listen to a wide range of podcasts and audio books which I think is good for me.
How do you approach risk?
I’m naturally averse to risk but I don’t feel we operate in that manner because we are active in assessing situations objectively. We have dealt with O’Callaghan Rural Management for many years—objectively analysing our business and opportunities. This removes the emotion and defines the limits to ‘take risks’. We have also been lucky to have confident and supportive friends and professionals whose values align with ours.
What are you looking forward to?
I have a date that I plan not to be the primary decision maker. I’m hoping we can create a workplace that a passionate young person would love to manage. I think I’ll enjoy the journey of chipping away at that. My intention is to do a lot of travelling from now until I can’t.
What is the best general advice you have been given?
Every year I find the prospect of the prolonged period of hay, desiccation and harvest logistically daunting.
Bron reminds me that I piece it together every year: “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time”
