When Future Cotton Leader graduate George McCalman returned home to the farm after a break, he decided to focus on getting the family farm myBMP certified, finishing a journey his father Scott started before the process was streamlined.

George, Jo and Scott McCalman, who operate ‘Kuranda’ near Gunnedah, were this year nominated for the AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year award. Their farm spans 268 hectares of dryland cotton and 95 hectares under irrigation, where they grow sorghum, wheat, and cover crops in rotation. Known for their focus on soil health, the McCalmans employ an innovative cover cropping regime with a mix of crops to enhance their farming practices.

Taking on the certification process during quieter times, George said it was a good opportunity to help his parents to finalise certification. “We had already started the process a while ago, but once I came home, I made it a focus. It was surprising how smooth it went in the end,” George said.

He noted that the farm already met many of the myBMP requirements, with some additional steps needed to tidy up. “It was just about cleaning up chemical sheds, putting up a few more signs, and getting our bunding in place,” George explained.

Scott praised Cotton Australia’s improvements to the myBMP process, which have simplified the process for certification of growers. “The way they’ve structured the modules now is very sensible. A lot of what we already had on the farm allowed us to pass without needing to spend a lot of extra money,” he said.