Oaklands wheat crop a community effort
Nine headers were used to harvest an Oaklands wheat crop recently in the latest instalment of a prolonged community effort for the Billabong Crows.
Footy players from Oaklands jumped in the header on Friday morning to strip a crop of wheat.
The 230-hectare wheat crop was grown to raise funds for the Billabong Crows Football Club.
The club has planted a crop as a fundraising venture for the sixth consecutive year and it follows on from canola last season.
Club president Kevin Martin said the crop yielded around four tonnes to the hectare and was delivered to the Oaklands silos.
“It was harvested in a matter of hours,” he said.
Initially, the club had posted on social media calling for anyone in the area with headers to contribute by helping to harvest the crop.
In a show of true community spirit, members of the footy club rallied together and mustered up nine headers to get the job done.
Mr Martin said in a turnaround of fortunes, much of the harvesting around Oaklands was now finished or close to completion.
A few weeks ago, some operators were tipping that harvest could drag on longer into 2023, but the warmer dry days helped to speed up the process.
“This has been an unreal project for us,” Mr Martin said.
The crop is located on the side of the road just out of Oaklands. The roadside vantage meant people in the community could watch the progress throughout the growing season from sowing to harvest.
He said the footy club was so crucial for Oaklands, and there was a significant crossover between the farming community and those who loved their weekend sport.
He said pre-season training had already begun, and the club was hoping for a good year.
Mr Martin said the footy club was essential for the local community and helped to bring people together.
He said country towns thrived on the strength of the local footy club.
He started playing with the Oaklands club when he was 15. He has held the role of president for five years.
The paddock, where the wheat was grown, was donated by Andrew and Anne-Marie Bourchier.
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