Merced Farming’s cotton success a family affair

CROPPING FARMER OF THE YEAR 2018: CALIFORNIAN dreaming has become a rolled gold Aussie reality for the Kahl family in the cotton fields of northern NSW.

Cotton boll: Matt, Sam and Daniel Kahl with their father James in their cotton crop near Wee Waa in NSW. Picture: Joshua Smith

CALIFORNIAN dreaming has become a rolled gold Aussie reality for the Kahl family in the cotton fields of northern NSW.

This farming success story began in the 1960s when Paul Kahl took a gamble and relocated his family more than 12,000 kilometres from their home in California to Wee Waa in an effort to farm with more freedom.

It’s a move that proved more than successful, with the family now operating seven properties totalling 7500 hectares.

The Kahls grow cotton as their primary crop — producing up to 20,000 bales or 4500 tonnes in a full production year — as well as wheat, corn, mung beans and running 300 Angus breeding cows.

The operation is now a true multi-generational family affair. Paul passed on the management of the business to his sons, Robert and James, in 1976, and they have now been joined in the business by James’ sons, Daniel, 28, Sam, 27, and Matt, 25. They work with 20-23 permanent workers and place significant importance on up-skilling staff.

In fact that’s where Daniel got his inspiration for his Nuffield scholarship studies in 2017, where he looked at where the next generation of farm managers would come from.

In an impressive commitment to the future, the Kahls have this year kept all their staff employed — despite tough seasonal conditions and only a third of their normal crop area planted — and caught up on crucial maintenance and capital works.

In addition to the focus on staff, the family’s farming philosophy is centred on sustainability and achieving the maximum output. This year, due to low water allocations, they are expecting to produce just 6500-7000 cotton bales.

“Our primary operation is growing cotton, but we want a diverse rotation so we can spread risk,” Daniel says.

“Our decision-making is based firstly on what we have the least of. So this year … that is water and we want to work out what the best return per megalitre of water is rather than the best return per hectare.”

It’s a plan that makes dollars and sense, and positions Merced Farming as the deserved winner of The Weekly Times Coles 2018 Cropping Farmer of the Year.

WINNER Cropping Farmer of the Year 2018

MERCED FARMING , The Kahl family, Wee Waa, NSW

ON FARM: THE KAHL FAMILY