Representatives
Research Committees
Agri-Risk
Innovative Grower of the Year Award
(scroll down for previous
recipients)
 2007
Barb and Ralph Grey, “Bindaree”, Garrawilla Partnership,
Mungindi NSWLike many cotton growers, Barb and Ralph Grey from Mungindi were faced with the problem of filling vacancies on farm. In an effort to develop an effective and efficient team, with low turnover, Barb and Ralph had a self-described ‘light bulb moment’. They decided to base their recruitment on personality and attitude not skills and knowledge as they perceived it was easier to teach a person cotton-growing skills than undertake to change a resolute attitude. Faced with the worsening labour shortage crisis, Barb and Ralph decided to recruit farm labour from South Africa. So successful was the placement of their first migrant couple, the Grey’s subsequently recruited more South Africans and a Zimbabwean. Although the team of South Africans and Zimbabweans, prior to working with the Grey’s, had never grown a cotton plant, their agricultural and a positive ’can-do’ attitude, have now embraced all things cotton. Over the past three years, Barb and Ralph have managed to grow consistently higher yielding crops than previously achieved, improving the whole farm physically, and advancing water-use efficiency and yields with the introduction of technological improvements. Having addressed the issue of recruitment, attention was then turned to the matter of retention. The Grey’s quality workforce created much interest and enquiry from fellow farmers, such that there was a fear of losing this valuable resource. Consequently, Barb and Ralph are in the process of developing Workforce Partners (Qld), a recruitment company focussed specifically on helping farmers and businesses in regional NSW and QLD to resolve their skill shortages, by recruiting South Africans and Zimbabweans who are looking to migrate to the rural sector in Australia. Coupled with the energy and expertise of Peter McCleary, a principal of recruiting company HRM Partners, Workforce Partners has helped Barb and Ralph to capitalise on the principle that good people are the most important asset of a business. |
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2005 - “Milo” Gwydir
Valley, NSW Queensland Cotton High Achiever of the Year Award  The Milo group of properties consists of Milo, Glenwood, Mimosa, Ingle Plains, Newport, The Glen and the lease of Woodpark North and South. Cotton is the major focus of the business with some other cropping including cereal grains, oilseeds and legumes and cattle run on areas not suitable for cropping. The properties total over 12,000 hectares with 5,000 hectares of irrigated and 4,500 hectares of dryland cropping. ‘Milo’ is a good example of a corporate enterprise where technology has been embraced and instrumental in improving productivity. Farm Manager, Tony Bailey and Agronomist Chris Maunder installed a network of c-probes to monitor water infiltration so that it can be applied to the crop more efficiently. These probes are linked back to the main office computer via radio and CDMA. The property also makes use of thermal imaging, especially after rain, to determine where to start irrigating. ‘Milo’ has an extensive water system where weirs are cleverly used for storm water management. All storages have been measured using Beeline technology and EM surveyed and sensors have been placed on two of the property’s twelve dams to determine leakage and drainage. Tony and Chris have done some outstanding work in the area of soil management. Wheat and barley are used in rotation to help dry and repair soil, gypsum and chicken manure have been trialed to help overcome imbalances and all fields are soil tested annually to maintain their health. ‘Milo’ is strong in the area of integrated farm management and is continually on the look-out for new technology to improve production with the results shown this season through impressive yield figures of up to 13.5 bales per hectare. Magnet is used across the farm as part of Integrated Pest Management and a yearly tree planting operation is undertaken on country that cannot be irrigated or where buffers are required for the irrigation fields. |
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2004 -
Geldard Family, Condamine, Queensland Queensland Cotton High Achiever of the Year Award Columboola Cotton owns two and leases one dryland property in the Miles/Condamine area of Southern Queensland and grew the first module to leave the Murilla Shire in 1989. The three farms, Cullingral, Noonameena and Elgin, total 2550ha of which 2348ha is cultivated. Columboola Cotton is the only dedicated dryland cotton grower amongst this year’s finalists. Coolumboola Cotton has, for the past 10 years been working on a dryland farming system that has made massive efforts to improve water use efficiency. The most notable changes made are: • Altered row spacings (2m centres with a 3m traffic lane) • Combining strip crop rotations with narrow strip farming to utilise runoff • Development of machinery to ensure cost effective and ideal timing of all operations Columboola Cotton views significant investment in technological and human resources as essential to managing a good cotton farm. Columboola Cotton staff are trained in the use of all machinery, monitors, recording and safety procedures as well as system theory and implementation. The operation believes the Australian cotton industry will redefine levels of efficiency and surge further ahead as technology becomes cheaper and more reliable. Columboola are strong advocates of Best Management Practices (BMP) and believe its principles are extremely important in improving the public perception of the cotton industry and the safety of all people and industries. |
