An impressive 180mm of February rainfall has helped Bencubbin farmer Hugh Morgan and his family establish a lush sorghum crop over summer.
The good conditions will also enable him to get involved later this year with Wheatbelt NRM on our Optimising Fodder Options in Mixed Farming Systems project, after a freak storm in early 2020 curtailed his activities as a demonstration farmer.
Hail and heavy rain on February 25 last year heavily damaged infrastructure at the property he manages with his parents and wife Deanne, but consistent falls this summer have proven a massive help.
Hugh is keen to get new insights through the process and tap further into the network available through Wheatbelt NRM going forward.
“The biggest benefit I see to us is the fresh ideas, other people’s perspectives and forming part of a network,” he said.
“By being involved in NRM you get to do your own on farm trials and the sharing of knowledge, that’s what I like about it.”
Hugh is passionate about improving soil health and supporting the long-term sustainability of the property, parts of which he says have become degraded over time by overstocking.
He has already invested in saltbush trees for fodder along with his sorghum plantings, as well as native trees to shelter wind damaged areas.
He is currently ripping tree lines to plant fodder and salt tolerant shade species in July.
“The driving force behind it from my point of view is we’re trying to restore the landscape on the farm and the best way we thought to do that is to plant some native species,” he said.
We look forward to bringing you updates on how Hugh and his family’s trial progress in our eNews later down the line.
This project is supporting by funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.