16 Jan 2011: Latest update – harvest finally finished yesterday after 11 weeks of breaking records. Records like longest harvest, wettest harvest and number of machines bogged was offset by the biggest harvest to date.
Thanks to the Ricardo Farms team, Jock, JungleJim, Rex, Gerwin(Kev), Jimmy, Orch, Lachlan, Darragh, Ross, Mark, Reuben, Canaan, Frank and Will. Also a big thanks to Andrew and his crew from TBO Harvesting and Matthew Harris of Plainview Harvesting. Vincent, Bill and Scott, Nobby, Davidge Transport and Murray Bulk all helped to carry the load. Many thanks to you all – we hope to see you back again for a big 2011 season. Cheers David and Peter Ricardo
2 Jan 2011: Updates have been few and far between over the last month – there hasn’t been alot of good news to blog.
Harvest was about 60% complete when the rain came in the last few days of November. By Dec 10th, 210mm of rain on Morvenvale caused major flooding with devastating results to remaining crops. Yields were cut in half and grain quality downgraded to feed.
Harvest will continue into January as the fields dry out.
Morvenvale silos and grainshed in the distance
Getting around by 4 wheel motorbike
chickpeas sitting in flood water
Wheat germinates in the head
Wheat in floodwater
Feel your pain guys. Have not been able to touch our wheat the last month since it’s been so wet. Not only that, we have lost all 3000 acres of cotton due to floods. Good luck with rest of harvest!