Matt is a sixth generation farmer based at Clinton Centre on the Yorke Peninsula, SA, trading as Kalimar Ag.
He farms with his wife Belinda, two daughters Esther and Abigail, parents John and Debra and brother James.
They currently crop about 4000 acres in a continual cropping grains rotation, producing wheat, lentils, barley, canola and beans.
Matt’s parents encouraged him to choose whatever career he wanted, but in the end he couldn’t keep away from the farm. He has been home on the farm for 13 years.
Though Matt has been taking on more and more of the farming management decisions, it’s still very much a family farm and everyone gets a vote.
“If the farm isn’t prosperous,” he says, “we all lose out.”
What is one thing that you’re continually striving towards as a grain grower?
As a grower we are always striving to improve our farming enterprise through nutrition, soil health and technology. We have been continually cropping for 20+ years (since Dad sold off the cattle and sheep) and been in a No-Till Farming setup for the last 17 years. The No-till farming system has really given us fantastic improvements in our soil structure which has helped return some areas of the farm to profitable. In the last 6 years we have been focusing on getting our nutritional balance right in the soils through Variable Rate fertilizer replacement programs which is also showing huge benefits.
We are always striving to make better use of what we have and hopefully leave the farm/soils in a better condition than what we started with.
What is one thing you love about your job or lifestyle in grain?
The one thing I love about this job/lifestyle is family. Just watching my girls’ faces light up when they get to go out with Daddy, Grandfather or Uncle Jims is fantastic. During the quieter time of the year you can be very flexible with your days allowing for more quality time together. And even during the busy times the fact that I can take them out on the header or for a ride in the truck means that I get to see them more. They could very well be the next generation to carry on the family farm if they choose to do so.
What is one thing you value about having mates in the grain industry?
The good thing about having mates in the same industry is that we are all in the same boat heading in the same direction. It makes it easier to talk about issues and problems that we tackle on the farm without having to go into a detailed backstory. They’re also able to help out and offer a fresh perspective. If the weather isn’t favourable it’s not just you feeling it, so it makes it easier to band together and push on.
