EP Ag Chats

In this episode of Risk Wise, Jake Giles speaks with John Richardson from lower Eyre Peninsula about managing risk in a high-rainfall, waterlogging-prone farming system. John farms in partnership with his brother Stuart between Yallunda Flat and Tumby Bay, where variable soils, hilly country and poorly structured clay subsoils mean too much moisture can be just as limiting as not enough. He explai...

Jake Giles speaks with Ashley “AJ” Michael, a mixed farmer from Mount Damper west of Wudinna, about a high-potential but demanding start to the 2026 season. AJ discusses early sowing, wet conditions, fertiliser and fuel supply challenges, nitrogen decisions, sand amelioration, the move away from sheep, and the balance between managing costs and taking advantage of a strong seasonal opportunity. Th...

In this RiskWi$e episode, Jake Giles speaks with Paul Schaefer, a farmer near Pinkawillinie west of Kimba, about the unusually strong start to the 2026 season. Paul describes near-ideal conditions, with early rain building subsoil moisture, good April sowing conditions, and follow-up rain in May. He started sowing in mid-April and deliberately stretched the program to manage risk, especially on sa...

In this episode of the Risk-Wise Podcast, Jake Giles sits down with Paul Schafer from the Kimba district on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula to unpack how his farming business is evolving in response to changing conditions. Paul shares insights into his mixed farming operation at Pinkawillinie and Caralue, where wheat, barley and medic pastures have long been the foundation — alongside sheep. But...

In this episode, Jake sits down with West Coast farmer Jim Evans to talk about the journey of building a farming business from the ground up. After starting out in contracting—running spray rigs, headers and trucks across the country—Jim made the move into farming in 2000 following the ’99 drought. Over the past 25 years, he and his wife Janet have steadily grown their operation to around 35,000 a...

After a welcome burst of rain across the Eyre Peninsula, the Riskwi$e Podcast is back for 2026. In this episode, Jake Giles sits down with third-generation farmer Andrew Watson to talk about what it really takes to farm in a marginal environment. Andrew runs a mixed farming operation of around 15,000 acres of cropping alongside a growing feedlot enterprise — a shift that has helped the business na...

In this episode, Bruce shares his reflections on a season that’s been anything but ordinary. After enduring the driest 18 months on record, conditions flipped dramatically in June, bringing above-average rainfall but also fresh challenges with cold day time temps, and enough wind to last a life time. Bruce opens up about nutrient constraints—particularly phosphorus uptake under dry sowing—and the...

RiskWi$e: Chasing the upside - Grower reflections in a changing season: Todd Matthews Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RiskWi$e: Chasing the upside - Grower reflections in a changing season: Douglas Pearce Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RiskWi$e: Chasing the upside - Grower reflections in a changing season: Bryan "Bull" Smith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Giles chat with Todd Matthews a grower from Cootra on the Eyre Peninsula about their approaches to one of the driest starts in recent memory. The discussion delves into decision-making strategies regarding crop residue, paddock selection, and overall farm management amidst challenging conditions. Farmers share their experiences, including maintaining motivation, seeking advice from neighbour...

In this episode of 'Making the Tough Calls: Growers' Voices,' Jake Giles sits down with Dion Trezona from Streaky Bay to discuss the challenges and decision-making processes during the dry start of 2025. The conversation covers various aspects such as soil conditions, seeding strategies, crop choices, and livestock management. The farmer shares insights on balancing immediate needs with long-term...

In this episode of 'Making the Tough Calls - Seeding 2025,' Jake Giles chats with Minnipa grower, Bruce Heddle about the challenging 2025 seeding season. They discuss key changes in his farming approach, the decision-making process influenced by last year's outcomes, and the importance of flexibility and resilience in handling varying conditions. Key topics include changes in seeding timing, manag...

In this episode of 'Making the Tough Calls: Growers Voices,' host Jake Giles converses with Chris Lymm a mixed farmer from Wudinna, dealing with the dry start to 2025. The discussion covers the complexities of managing both livestock and crop enterprises in challenging conditions. Key topics include seeding decisions, risk management, and the importance of ground cover. Chris shares insights on pa...

In this episode of 'Making the Tough Calls,' Jake Giles talks with a Kimba farmer, Paul Schaefer about the challenges and decisions faced during the unusually dry start to the 2025 farming season. The conversation covers the impact of soil types, crop rotation strategies, and the importance of timely decision-making amidst uncertainty. Listeners will gain insights into the grower's cautious approa...

Kelvin Tiller (farmer), Michael Brougham (agronomist) and Royce Pitchford (agribusiness consultant) discussing different aspects of adopting strip and disc farming systems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we catch up with Jake Giles from EP Ag Research as he shares insights from his recent chats with farmers across the Eyre Peninsula. Jake reflects on the challenges of the 2024 season – from dry sowing and herbicide issues to limited rainfall – and looks ahead to the key considerations for 2025, including soil moisture, nitrogen levels, herbicide residues, and seeding strategies. T...

Welcome to another episode of EP Ag Chats. In early July, Dr. Kate Burke spoke at the AIR EP member morning events, addressing farmers on the crucial topic of decision making amidst uncertainty. These events were a part of the GRDC-funded RiskWi$e project, which aims to enhance growers' decision-making by balancing the probability of upsides against associated downside risks. The events were also...

On today's episode Amanda Scott, from the Regenerative Ag Alliance and Farming Together program at Southern Cross University, talks to Amy Wright, the regional agriculture landcare facilitator at AirEp and part host of this podcast, about how this podcast came about and what they learned along the way. This project is supported by FRRR, through funding from the Australian Government's Future Droug...

Today we speak to Tristan Baldock, a fourth-generation farmer from Buckleboo on upper Eyre Peninsula. Tristan speaks about his journey from university graduate to agronomist and now farmer owner of Karinya Ag.  Working as an agronomist ‘out of his patch’ exposed Tristan to a broad variety of agricultural practices on the Eyre Peninsula, which he sees as an invaluable time in his career, espec...

Today on EPAgChats Dan Bergmann, a young farmer from a property near Ceduna on the Far West Coast of South Australia, chats to Peter Kuhlmann, a third-generation farmer and well-known advocate and early adopter for broadacre agriculture in South Australia. Peter has held positions on a number of industry boards, is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, and a former winner of the A...

Andrew Baldock is a farmer from Kimba on the Eastern Eyre Peninsula. His path to farming is dissimilar to many, gaining a trade in the big smoke before returning to Kimba. He speaks about their farm business Tola Ag, what it is like being one component of a dynamic family farming business, and how he and his family navigate working together.  We also explore Andrew’s time as a Nuffield schola...

Today we hear from Lochie Siegert and David Giddings. Lochie, a young farmer from Wangary on the lower Eyre Peninsula (EP) interviews David Giddings, an experienced farmer from Wanilla on the lower EP.  David delves into how his farming career began and the role in which his father helped shape the scale of their farming business. Doubling their farming area since returning to the farm after...

Todays we hear from Amy Wright who is the regional Agricultural Landcare facilitator for the Eyre Peninsula. She interviews Bryan Smith the current chairperson of the AIR EP board. Bryan has been an active member of industry boards for the majority of his farming career starting out very early on at the grass roots level of his local Ag Bureau. Bryan speaks about his involvement on the South Austr...