Four generations helping harvest at Little River

Better-than-expected yields have made a tougher than usual harvest rewarding. See how one family’s crops have performed.

Headers came to a halt for the Richmond family of Little River with hot weather and windy conditions sweeping through the region.

Matthew Richmond is a fifth-generation farmer and said the 2024 harvest had experienced plenty of hold-ups.

The forecast temperatures of 42C on Monday meant the headers had to stop, but he estimated harvest would be finished by the weekend.

“We hope to get going again on Thursday,” he said.

Before the hot weather arrived, he was harvesting Beaufort red wheat and was happy with the early results despite a dry season.

“It went alright for us. We didn’t get much in-crop rainfall,” he said.

Matthew Richmond (centre) with his uncle Craig Richmond, father Tom Richmond, 87, his daughters Peyton & Ava, both 7 years old. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Matthew Richmond pictured harvesting wheat, with his uncle Craig Richmond at Little River. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

The 120ha crop of red wheat achieved yields of around 2.5 tonnes/ha.

Typically wheat would yield closer to 4 tonnes/ha in the region.

“We had 45mm of rain in the middle of October, which was late for us, and other than that, we really didn’t get much growing season rain,” he said.

Matthew said barley crops had yielded 4 tonne/ha and the canola returned 1.1 tonnes/ha.

“We have another 70ha of crops to harvest, and it has been a stop-start year,” he said.

Matthew said the family grows canola, wheat, barley and oats and runs sheep.

“Things could have been a hell of a lot worse given the season we have had so we are reasonably happy with the results,” he said.

“And we have to have a couple of days off now, but that will allow us to recharge and get going again on Thursday,” he said.