York, WA
CATEGORY: SUSTAINABILITY (GROWER)
West Australian farmer Kevin Davies doesn’t believe that a choice needs to be made between profitability and sustainability.
His family has been farming in the York district for more than 100 years and Kevin is determined his farming actions won’t stop further generations from working on the land if they choose to.
Every farming practice on Kevin’s farm is done with sustainability in mind, and working with the landscape’s resources.
He has moisture probes in his crops, and will adjust the level of inputs given the potential of the crops based on soil moisture rather than rainfall.
“By understanding the plant needs and soil constraints, I am able to reduce inputs while still reaching profitable yields,” he says.
“Through the use of moisture probes and soil testing, I have been able to target these needs.”
He also has a portable weather station fitted on his spray rig which gives real time information on conditions. This allows Kevin to spray in safe conditions and stop spraying if there is the chance of spray drift.
Kevin’s farming operation is also signed up to a quality assurance program which he says “keeps an independent eye on what is going on”.
“We are able to identify and justify the variety of inputs used to produce a healthy product,” he says.
“It allows us to have the ability to track grain from the silo to the paddock to the bulk handler.”