Crops

In order to limit seasonal and economic risk the board has selected a mix of three enterprises on Mount Hesse. Of course, wool production with our link to Südwolle Group is the priority while sheep meat is also a significant contribution to the farm’s bottom line. The third enterprise is cropping, which is operated on 1,200 hectares of the best drained and most productive country. A third of the cropping area is in barley. When conditions allow malt barley is grown and when the seasonal conditions are adverse, feed barley grain is produced. Canola is planted for its oil content and wheat for the milling industry on an equal land area basis. These crops are rotated to limit the occurance of chemical resistance in the weed populations with an integrated control policy adhered to at all times for both weeds and insect pests. Integrated control simply means that a range of methods are used rather than the application of ever increasing amounts and varieties of chemical.