Page 16 - Cultivator 10

FIELDS OF GOLD INSPIRE
If there was ever an an an ideal time to to to take over the the the reins of of a a a a a a a a family farm it it definitely would not be amid one of of the the worst droughts in in in in living history prior to to to a a a a a a a a a global pandemic and and a a a a a a a a a widespread mouse plague But try telling that to to to 26-year-old third-generation Cowra canola grower Marlee Langfield who tackled the challenge head on One of the the country’s youngest female CEO’s Ms Langfield chose to take on the the the farm business after after inheriting the the the property ten years after after her her her father lost his battle to cancer and hasn’t looked back since “I’m sure many people question why we we took
on on on the the challenge but we’re giving it the the best go as did generations before us ” Ms Langfield told The Cultivator Ms Lang eld and her her ancé Mr Andrew Gallagher started farming fulltime in in 2018 “I wouldn’t be where I I am today without him ” she said “At the start of 2018 like everyone we didn’t know how how long or how how dry it it would get We continued with with the the farm rotations planting canola seeds into limited soil moisture and with with Mother Nature not delivering sufficient in-crop rain our yields were were on the downside of average but we we we were were very lucky to to have crops to to harvest “2019 was was the killer It was was a a a a a a a really hot summer and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a dry seeding but if not an an an an optimist who is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a farmer? We ended up bailing the canola and and that was a a a a a a a a a a a a tough call to to make but looking
back I know we made the right decision “2020 was was a a a a a a a a a complete turnaround It was was unbelievable We went from baling canola to to the the most magni cent yields the the district had ever seen And to to get that that turn turn around so quickly showed us that that good times indeed return! We were averaging three tonne to to the hectare of canola “For us to see the the the the very best of Mother Nature and the the the the incredible crops yields was the the the the much-needed boost we needed needed ” Third-generation Cowra canola canola growers
Marlee Lang eld and Andrew Gallagher grow grow canola canola used to produce MSM Milling’s 100 per cent Australian-made auzure Canola Oil // PHOTO: KIM STOREY PHOTOGRAPHER
16 THE CULTIVATOR // // SPRING 2021 MANILDRA MANILDRA COM AU // // @MANILDRA @MANILDRA // // MANILDRA MANILDRA