“The most profitable farms were those that spent more time working on their business than in their business,” Professor Ross Kingwell said in his presentation at BCG’s Main Field Day at Nullawil last week.
In his ten-year profitability study of 250 Western Australian farmers, Professor Kingwell said the most profitable farmers were those who consistently looked for answers and work-life balance: “The study highlighted that profitable farmers were those who always have their antenna up, are always curious, always questioning and they weren’t workaholics. Farming for them was a social activity, not just business activity.”
Professor Kingwell’s presentation was a highlight for many of the 400 growers and advisers who attended the event.
Fatigue management
His message weaved seamlessly with Eyre Peninsula farmer Mark Modra’s, whose presentation followed Kingwell’s and focused on the importance of fatigue management and “knowing your capacity”.
Mr Modra attributes a farm accident, where he sustained a serious head wound and five broken vertebrae, to fatigue. He told attendees he is no longer willing to compromise his health and well-being to meet the demands of farming.
“When we are fatigued, we make mistakes. We get tunnel vision and things in our peripheral vision are missed,” said Mr Modra. “It also affects our mood, our reflexes, our ability to communicate appropriately and we are more likely to take short cuts.”
Farmer Rodney Pohler from Nhill said both the farm profitability and the farm safety presentation had important messages for attendees: “The field day was excellent, as always. Ross Kingwell’s presentation tied in nicely with Mark Modra’s with a focus on not being a workaholic.”
Keith farmer Tim Morcom added: “The fatigue presentation highlighted that it’s a topic very much overlooked, it’s all common sense but not necessarily common.”
Livestock profitability
For farmer Andrew McLean, from Keith, he too felt the farm profitability was a standout. “Ross Kingwell’s comment about livestock and it’s negative affect on profitability in Western Australia reaffirms what we are doing on our farm,” he said.
Adjuvant Trial Mr Pohler was also impressed by the adjuvant trial: “It is good to see it in person. Some adjuvants were more targeted towards grass or broadleaf weeds so I learnt you need to know your main target.”
Research and genetics
A reoccurring theme of the day was the importance of research funding from levies and government, investment in genetics and the affects for farm profitability.
“The unlocking hyper yielding cereals discussion with BCG’s Dr Yolanda Plowman and The University of Melbourne’s Professor James Hunt drew a large crowd and highlights the importance of ongoing research. BCG Senior Manager of Extension and Communication Grace Hosking said.
“The smart disease management, NVT and long coleoptile wheats sessions further cemented the importance of research and investment in genetics.”
Health and wellbeing
Health and wellbeing were focusses at this year’s event, with East Wimmera Health Service, Central Mallee Health, Headspace, WorkSafe and Agriculture Victoria on-site together with Northern District Community Health who provided health checks and advice throughout the day.
BCG’s Demi Taylor said the purpose of having a health focus at the field day was to offer busy farmers and advisers convenient access to these crucial services.
Student stream
Over fifty students from five schools attended the field day with a focus on education as well as highlighting career opportunities in the agricultural industry.
North Central LLEN’s Agriculture Education Project Co-ordinator Susan Gould was impressed by the student stream and engagement with students:
“It was successful day and the enthusiasm of the students and the staff enhanced the good vibe,” she said.
“The careers panel was the perfect mix for the student audience.”
Ms Gould added: “I love the altruistic and community-focus of BCG, breaking down some of the traditional competitive and individualistic notions of agriculture.”
Bringing research to life
BCG staff and collaborators also enjoyed bringing research and extension topics such as optimising canola establishment, future proofing Australia’s supply chain, active versus passive nitrogen application decision making, on-farm biosecurity, the interactive trial and the pulse session to life on the day.
All were well attended and created much discussion with presenters both during, and after, the sessions.
Building connections
BCG CEO, Fiona Best, said: “The BCG Main Field Day is our way of connecting with farmers, to share the work we do for them and their surrounding communities. It’s an educational event showcasing the latest research and thinking in crop production and farming more generally. Bringing together such a diverse range of quality speakers is a highlight for BCG as an organisation and we thank our attendees, presenters, collaborators and sponsors for being actively involved in the day.
“We are grateful to the Watts family for hosting the event on their farm and thank them for this invaluable support.”
BCG membership
For more details, or to become a member, call BCG on (03) 5492 2487 or visit www.bcg.org.au/memberships.
Funding
This event was part funded through the BCG managed North West Broadacre node of the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, which is supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 20 September 2024.
