‘I just got under the storm’: Angus White, Bears Lagoon

Bears Lagoon farmer Angus White says he was “lucky” and got 50mm in a recent storm but otherwise would have had a dry sub-soil moisture profile.

Angus White, Bears Lagoon, sowing canola and barley. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Getting some rain on the Anzac Day long weekend has given Angus White a bit more confidence for sowing his crops.

Angus grows crops and has a 2500-head sheep feedlot on his 283ha Bears Lagoon property.

He said he got 50mm of rain on the Anzac Day weekend, whereas most others in the area only had 35-40mm.

“I just got under the storm and was lucky. The rain seemed general for the area, but not far away missed out,” he said.

He said he received 80mm in November, but hadn’t measured anything until the 50mm a fortnight ago.

Angus had already sown vetch and canola prior to the rain, and was currently sowing barley and wheat. He hoped to be finished by the end of this week.

“I was a bit hesitant planting canola, we have no sub-soil moisture, there was no summer rain, prices aren’t great, but my agronomist thought it would be best to stick to rotations for weed control, so that is what I have done. I hope it pays off,” he said.

“Barley prices are a bit better than they were last year, but I also have the option of feeding it to lambs through the feedlot rather than selling. But I am at the point of not being able to buy in any more lambs until spring because the rain has made the lamb market jump.”

“It will be interesting to see what grain prices do between now and harvest.”

Angus said he hoped for more rain in 10 days time.

“I’m hoping the 50mm will get us through until it starts raining in June, like is forecast,” he said.

“We held off sowing barley and wheat so we could get some of the green up (weeds) and we did a knockdown spray first.”

Angus said sowing was a bit different to last year, when he had a full moisture profile.

“But with direct drilling now, we’re all growing better crops with less rainfall.”