Hay Matters

From Baling to the Board Room with Harry Divall


Listen Later

Podcast Highlights

In the latest episode of Hay Matters, brought to you by LocalAg and Feed Central, Steve Page catches up with Harry Divall; hay contractor, grower and AFIA board member. Harry shares his path from livestock work in Goulburn to running a growing hay operation across West Wyalong, Stockinbingal, and Crookwell. He shares the ups and downs of learning how to make quality hay, how he manages seasonal risk, and what he hopes to contribute to the fodder industry.

  • Harry left school early and started fencing and working cattle near Goulburn before setting up a mixer on the family farm to boost weight gains in steers and heifers
  • Cold conditions limited hay production at home, so his family expanded west and bought their first baler, a Massey 2270XD, in 2016
  • He now operates two Krone balers and produces between 15,000 and 25,000 bales a year, depending on the season
  • With farms spread across Goulburn, Stockinbingal and West Wyalong, he uses geography to manage weather risk and extend the cutting window from September to January
  • Crop rotations include oats, barley and vetch out west, with canola, oats, barley and lucerne on the Stockinbingal farm
  • Harry adjusts his plan each year, converting crops to silage or grain when conditions aren’t right for hay
  • Shed storage now holds over 2,000 bales, but he’s also experimenting with tarping, aiming to protect quality from the bottom up
  • As a new AFIA board member, Harry wants to make learning resources more visual and hands-on, helping others see what good practice looks like in the paddock
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Hay MattersBy Feed Central