Hinkley Farming: The best of the best in cropping and farming

IN AN industry so dominated by scale, cropping farmers Matthew and Rachel Hinkley are punching well above their weight.

Best of the best: Matthew and Rachel Hinkley, and their sons William, 9, Thomas, 8, and Joel, 6, at Derrinallum in Victoria’s Western District. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

IN AN industry so dominated by scale, cropping farmers Matthew and Rachel Hinkley are punching well above their weight.

The couple, from Derrinallum in Victoria’s Western District, grow just 1460 hectares of wheat, canola and barley but it’s what they are achieving with efficiency, yields and profits that stands them head and shoulders above their peers.

The former agronomists have brought new skills and ideas to farming, and in just 13 years have increased the size of their operation by 400 per cent, lifted returns on assets to 10 per cent — well outperforming the share market — and pushed yields to rival the best in the land.

This feat has been achieved through a scientific and business approach to farming. The Hinkleys believe there is as much work to be done in the office, managing the financial aspects of the operation, as there is out in the paddocks.

For this forward-thinking approach and desire to get the most out of their land, we are honoured to crown Matthew and Rachel Hinkley The Weekly Times Coles 2017 Farmer of the Year.