Hi everyone, I’m Chelsea, from Colinroobie, New South Wales, 36km north of Narrandera. I farm alongside my parents Tracey and Glen, and my brother Luke. Our grandparents Keith and Viki are also still working on farm too. We have a total of 3240 hectares of which 2470 hectares is cropping country. We run 1200 merino ewes and 25 Border Leicester Rams producing first x cross lambs.
The current rotation program sees us growing canola, wheat, barley, lupins and oats. A lucerne clover mix is also sown for feed for the first cross operation, this rotation works best for us and we adjust the rotation as required.
Our average rainfall sits around 425mm per year and this year we calculated 216mm within the growing season with 401mm of rain during 2024 to date. This season has been challenging with low rainfall and a frost event in September. We have had an expectational year from the cropping perspective, despite the challenges faced within the season.
We have just finished harvest for the 2024 season, cleaning up of the harvest machinery is in progress and regaining focus on the livestock enterprise is taking priority. Filling feeders and shifting stock between paddocks is keeping us busy. Summer spraying will start shortly and we are just waiting on a clear break in the rain.
Our main challenges are the increasing input costs to manage weeds, pest and disease before, during and post-harvest while grain prices remain low, providing a lower return. A key opportunity we see as Australian wheat growers is the venture to produce high protein wheat to feed the increasing population, with a high-quality product for human consumption.
We are proud to be Aussie grain growers. We feed the world high quality, sustainable crops while facing a variety of seasonal climate challenges. It’s a rewarding industry that connects our family to the land, supporting local communities and promoting resilience and adaptability to overcome unpredictable circumstances.