The face of Australia’s smart farming revolution – sustainable agriculture goes hi-tech

Sixth generation farmer James Heaslip went to uni and worked as an auditor and business analyst before returning to the farm that has been in his family for 152 years.

Sixth generation farmer James Heaslip with dog Luna on his Apilla property. Picture: Brenton Edwards

A century and a half is a long time in business but one South Australian farming family is still going strong on the same rural property pioneered in 1872.

Sixth generation farmer James Heaslip says a lot has changed over that time with technology, finances and education now key to ongoing longevity.

It’s something he is committed to achieving for the next generation who takes over the land at Appila in the state’s Mid North, including his and wife Kara’s unborn child, due any day.

The 36-year-old returned to the farm six years ago to help manage the mixed enterprise – broadacre dryland cropping and merino sheep – 3000 hectare property with his younger brother William and dad Jim.

He went from boarding school in Adelaide to university, studying commerce and accounting before qualifying as a chartered accountant and working as an auditor and business analyst.

Mr Heaslip believes the skills he learned while away from the farm are critical in modern farming.

James Heaslip says a lot has changed in farming over his family’s time on the land. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“Farming has changed significantly – even in the six years since I have been home – and it is so important now to have financial acumen and be able to understand numbers … you’ve got to have a good understanding of your profit drivers and gross margins just to be able to be competitive and remain competitive,” he says.

“The sheer upfront costs now involved to get a crop in the ground is enormous and has increased significantly in the past few years … the rise in fertiliser, fuel, labour, chemicals, machinery has been incredible, especially since Covid.”

Mr Heaslip says agricultural technology is making farming more efficient and sustainable. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Changes in farm technology are beyond what his forefathers could have ever imagined.

“The ‘ag tech’ space is vast and growing; we use technology on the farm for everything from auto-steering in our tractors, to auto shut-off on boom sprays which both saves on input costs and allows for a more sustainable practice,” he said.

“We’ve soil testing and yield mapping with water-use efficiency a major profit driver … in a challenging year it can be the difference between growing a crop and not.”

Mega machinery makes sowing and harvesting easier. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Mr Heaslip also sees plenty of untapped opportunities as approaches to farming evolve.

“There is a big shift in focus to sustainability in agriculture … it presents a massive opportunity, especially here because SA farmers are already doing plenty right and practising very sustainable farming,” he said.

“There are amazing opportunities in renewable energy farming … not really massively changing what we do but just being able to recognise what we do, record it and improve on it ... there is a big opportunity in carbon base-lining but to be able to leverage this, we really need to be on the front foot.”

Originally published as The face of Australia’s smart farming revolution – sustainable agriculture goes hi-tech