Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year Nominees

Lindsay George oversees Livingstone Farm for Lawson Grains in the Kealandi Aggregation near Moree, where they manage 1200 hectares of dryland cotton on a three-year cycle. Notably, they've developed their own user-friendly Work Health and Safety (WHS) solution, showing a proactive approach. They also prioritise WHS in their mobile chemical batching trailer. With precision planting equipment and strategic machinery investments, they've seen significant gains in efficiency and yield.

Scott Balsillie manages Eastern Australia Agriculture's operations at Clyde in Dirranbandi and Kia Ora in St George. Clyde handles up to 2000 hectares of mainly irrigated cotton, while Kia Ora manages up to 4500 hectares of cotton. Flexible staff rostering accommodates the distance from local towns, and the farm actively engages in local school visits. Through implementing a bankless system, they've improved water use efficiency, which has positively impacted profitability, machinery and labour efficiencies, and fertiliser use. Consideration is also taken for the environment, allowing 8,000 megalitres of environmental flow to the Narran wetlands at the right time for native bird breeding.

The Von Pein family operates a 3240-hectare dryland grain and cotton farm on the Darling Downs in Queensland, implementing a sustainable long-term cropping program that prioritizes careful crop rotation to preserve moisture profiles and stubble integrity. Acknowledging the critical role of effective communication in their success, Luke manages the farm business and finances remotely from Brisbane, while Kurt oversees farm operations. Ross, their father, is also an integral part of the business.

Steve and Bridget McVeigh, McVeigh Ag, operate Loch Eaton near Dalby, Queensland growing 1000 hectares of irrigation cotton alongside a small dryland section. They also manage a farm at Warra spanning 17,000 hectares. Their strategic focus includes maximizing water use efficiency through innovative irrigation systems. They prioritize workplace health and safety by integrating SafeAg technology and maintain exemplary record-keeping practices. Additionally, they actively manage their carbon footprint and employ modern agricultural techniques for enhanced nutrition management.

Scott, Jo, and George McCalman operate 'Kuranda' in Gunnedah. Their farm covers 268 hectares of dryland cotton and 95 hectares under irrigation for sorghum, wheat, and cover crops in rotation. They prioritize soil health across all farms, employing an innovative cover cropping regime with various crops. Their machinery innovations, like a bespoke roller "crimper," safeguard soil health and moisture profiles. With a low-input approach, facilitated by maximum water use efficiency and a row configuration set at 2.4 meters, they've improved yield and quality while reducing costs. Their holistic approach includes using biological fertilizers, enhancing soil health and reducing reliance on synthetics.

David and Julie Bellato, along with their son Oscar, operate Greenline Farming in Coleambally. Their operation spans almost 845 hectares with 95 hectares of irrigated cotton. Over the past decade, they have consistently achieved high yields since integrating cotton into their farming system. Prioritising biodiversity, the Bellatos maintain native vegetation and collaborate with Landcare to protect threatened species like the falcon. Notably, they engage in on-farm fabrication of machinery, customising equipment such as bed shapers and spike rollers to suit their specific needs.

Dr Alice Payne is a Professor and Dean of the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT. Her research focuses on environmental and social sustainability issues throughout the life cycle of clothing. Her recent work, supported by the cotton industry through CRDC, has examined labour issues in the cotton value chain, as well as technologies to address the problem of textile waste. Alice is part of the Australian Fashion Council-led consortium designing the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme.

Dr Nicole McDonald has been a researcher within the Australian cotton industry since beginning a CRDC-supported PhD project investigating cotton farm workers’ experiences of job satisfaction in 2014. This research found an important relationship between how cotton industry workers feel their contributions are valued and their wellbeing is cared for by employers and their work engagement and job satisfaction. Over the past 10 years, she has pioneered cotton social science projects studying work engagement, diversity and inclusion, and the future of work culminating in an action research project through CQU, supported by CRDC, called SHIFT: Delivering Best Practice for Management of Future Workforce Skills.

Dr Lisa Bird of Tamworth and her NSW DPI team based at the Australian Cotton Research Institute (ACRI), Narrabri, have a critical role in the Australian cotton industry. Lisa and the team run the industry’s insecticide resistance program, supported by CRDC, which conducts surveillance and research across five of the six major insect pests of cotton (Helicoverpa, mirids, thrips, mites and aphids). Lisa and the team work closely with CottonInfo and have developed strong ties with industry consultants, agronomists and Qld DAF to ensure insect samples are collected from all regions.

Elsie Hudson is an Innovation Broker with the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC). Elsie began her career bug checking during holidays from the University of Queensland and advanced to agronomist in Narrabri. During the 2018 drought, she joined CottonInfo as a Regional Extension Officer, later becoming a Research and Development Manager, now Innovation Broker, at CRDC. In her role, she manages key research portfolios to deliver outcomes for growers, and leads major disease research through the Australian Cotton Disease Collaboration (ACDC). Elsie is based in Goondiwindi, where she’s a member of the Macintyre Valley Field Day committee.

Sharna Holman is a development and extension officer with Qld DAF, the industry’s biosecurity technical lead with CottonInfo, and a PhD student supported by CRDC. Sharna splits her time between Toowoomba Qld and Kununurra WA, where she is conducting her PhD research into a damaging pest for northern cotton, the cluster caterpillar, which will inform industry pest management practices. In her role with CottonInfo, Sharna has driven awareness of the importance of biosecurity, and through her effort, more than half of Australian cotton farms are now equipped with a biosecurity plan. Sharna is a passionate advocate for young people in agriculture.

Alexandra Trinder is a cotton consultant and Director at HMAg in Moree, where she manages large areas of irrigated and dryland cotton with impressive yields. She is actively involved in the Moree Young Aggies group, facilitating community fundraising and scholarships, and contributes to the Gwydir Cotton Growers Association as Treasurer. Alexandra founded the Gwydir Valley Young Consultants’ Group to mentor younger agronomists and serves on the board of Crop Consultants Australia, focusing on professional development and agronomic research projects.