Morvenvale

News

Grain samples

Some new interest in grains this week, and its easy when talking to buyers to say “Checkout samples on the website”.
First up fababeans – the pic above represents 100 Cairo seeds above the ruler and 100 Doza seeds below – the Cairo variety are marginally bigger. The pic below also shows the size difference and colour variation – Cairo at the top of the pic and Doza below. 4% poor colour brings both varieties to a No2 grade. Click for fullscreen pic 2000pixel wide (0.5mb).

Desi chickpea pics below are Jimbour and Hatrick variety No1 grade CH1D . Excellent quality peas harvested before the November rain event. Click to see more detail.

Jan 10, 2012 | Categories:News | Tags: chickpeas, fababean, fababeans, farming, Grain shed, morvenvale, on farm storage | Leave A Comment »

Floods

The main drive into Morvenvale.(is closed):-)

Beneficial flooding means a good start to the next cropping season. Can’t do much with out water. Silos and grain shed are safe on higher ground. Click on pics below for panorama @ 2000×400. They are water running through a wheat field, and water leaving Morvenvale, cutting the Mercadool Road between Walgett and Collarenebri while running back into the Thalaba Creek / Barwon River.

Dec 06, 2011 | Categories:News | Tags: farmers, farming, flood, floods, morvenvale | Leave A Comment »

Dams full

An overflow of the Thalaba Creek arrived at Morvenvale after much anticipation the last few days. Will and David Ricardo are watching the house dam fill in just 5 minutes. Before and after pics below. We can expect to be cut off for several weeks.

A levy bank protects the house. It has another metre on it since the last big flood in 2001.

Dec 06, 2011 | Categories:News | Tags: farmers, farming, flood, morvenvale | Leave A Comment »

Harvest complete

Another season is over – the harvest is finished. We have had a dream run – its the way you wish all harvests could go. A few problems along the way were all overcome. The crops had a tough start, establishment issues and dry conditions early, but a solid finish on late rains of September/October. Generally we had short crops that didn’t put alot of energy into biomass or height, but still yielded very well. Best of all, no weather damaged grain unlike last season.

We finished almost 2 weeks ago, and have been busy helping neighboring farmers with our machines.

Many thanks to everyone who helped this season, including Jock, Jungle Jim, Jimmy Chappo, Rex, Connor, Ciaran, John, Niall, Frank, Canaan and Tom, Will,Vincent and Scott, and a big thanks again to Andrew and his crew from TBO harvesting, and truckies Kiwi Dave and Glen from Perry’s plus Gary and many more from GRW . Also Troy and Rob Yeomans for their 24 hour/callout/fix anything dedication. As always, thanks to the women folk who were either busy behind the scenes or put up without their men for the busy harvest. Also a special thankyou to Jacqui at the Tatts in Colly for some terrific meals, keeping the crew on their toes till late. Thank you all. We hope to see you back next season for another big harvest.
Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2012.
David and Peter Ricardo

Dec 04, 2011 | Categories:News | Tags: farming, harvest, harvesting, morvenvale | Leave A Comment »

Shed fills

The grainshed has been key to our chickpea harvest again this season, keeping the harvest flowing at pace. The angle of repose is a few degrees flatter this year due to a cleaner sample (no dirt or dust or weather damage) filling with grain right to the top of the 3 metre walls.

Dec 04, 2011 | Categories:News | Tags: chickpeas, farming, Grain shed, grain storage, harvesting, morvenvale, on farm storage | Leave A Comment »

Chickpeas Shine

Chickpea yields were very good averaging about 2.4 t/ha and the quality was great. Some early sales make it the most successful crop this season.

Dec 04, 2011 | Categories:News | Tags: Case, Case 8120, chickpea, chickpeas, farming, harvest, harvesting, morvenvale | Leave A Comment »

Wheat harvest

Yields averaged around 3.5 ton/ha and good protein were a nice surprise to the wheat harvest. 5 combines ripped the wheat off quick and beat the wet weather. It was a good job and we were all a bit surprised how quick it happened. A dozen trucks kept the grain away and turn around was good at local silos.