October 2026

In this issue:

CEOs Message

Farmers dig into new ideas at FarmLink

Member Spotlight - Stephen Hatty

When more nitrogen doesn’t mean more grain

Confinement feeding as a stock management tool in good and bad times

CEO’s Message

Building on Research, Looking to the Future

As harvest begins for many farmers, I have been thinking back to the FarmLink Field Walk held in September 2026, reflecting on the year that has been and what lies ahead in 2027.

The past year has been one of continued consolidation and steady growth for FarmLink. We have continued to work closely with our members and the wider farming community, while strengthening our links with the organisations that undertake and fund agricultural research.

I continue to be heartened by just how much agricultural research is being undertaken across our region. It is important work for farming across our state and the country, and we need to make sure it can continue.

Governments are looking closely at spending, and funding for agricultural research is under pressure. That matters to all of us. We know what it means to manage costs in our own farming enterprises and businesses. Good research also needs to be properly funded if it is to continue. If Australia is to keep developing new technologies, improved crop varieties and better livestock management, we need to support the research that helps farmers deal with the challenges ahead.

FarmLink is sponsoring an advertisement in the upcoming Temora High School yearbook (pictured). I wanted it to encourage young people to think about a future in agricultural research or science, and to keep asking questions, exploring ideas and making discoveries.

Young people will play an important role in farming, and we need to show them where agricultural research can take them. AI will also have a useful role in research and on-farm decision-making. But it is still only a tool. It cannot replace human ingenuity, practical experience or the ability to read the land where we grow our crops, graze our livestock and produce food for our country.

In 2027, FarmLink plans to launch a closed-loop AI program that will give farmers easier access to more than 20 years of verifiable FarmLink research. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. We need to make the research we already have easier to find and use, so farmers can apply it to the decisions they make on their own farms.

I hope you enjoy this edition of FarmLink FOCUS. As always, please contact me if there is anything you would like to explore or discuss. And if you are in the area, come and visit our experimental farm. We would be pleased to show you around and share the story of a site that has been part of our region’s agricultural history since 1912.

Until next time.