From seed to feed to milk: The world of agronomy at AG Warehouse

At AG Warehouse (a part of Saputo Dairy Australia), our agronomy team has the opportunity to oversee the whole production cycle – everything from growing a variety of pastures and crops to working directly with farmers and designing animal health and nutrition programs. Our customers are very diverse, ranging from dairy producers to sheep, beef and cereal growers on a wide variety of soil types, so there’s always something new to learn.

Our agronomists form a close-knit team, many of whom have worked together for a long time and count each other as friends as well as colleagues. Here to tell us more about life at AG Warehouse are agronomists Scott, Harold, Rebecca and Hannah.

Scott Travers

Tell us a bit about your role and the customers you work with.

I didn't realize the diversity of this role before I started! My customers work with everything from beach sand to heavy cracking clay, and we also have areas of peat, red soil and shallow, coastal saline soils, which are challenging.

Additionally, I work with irrigation farms. We grow a range of crops, from pastures, winter cereals and lucerne, to fodder crops such as turnips, forage brassicas, chicory, millet, sorghum and maize. Working with such a wide variety of crops means fertilizer and chemical programs need to be tailored to suit the individual paddock’s requirements. My advisory visits range from irrigation planning and soil sampling to assessing the effects of current farming activities and future planning.

Any particularly interesting projects you are involved in at the moment?

I’m actually currently working with a group of farmers from outside of my traditional area. They’re in a slightly warmer climate, which has a few challenges that I don't experience with my usual customer base. They are in a known African black beetle (ABB) area and I have found ABB for the first time locally, so I'm keen to learn from their experiences and get on top of this problem before it becomes too costly.

Not only am I helping the farmers in this area, but I am also seeing some new ideas and management techniques come up that may be applicable in my usual area as well. It's always interesting to see another approach to solving a problem.

How would you describe the culture at AG Warehouse?

The stores that I work from have a number of long-term employees, so the team culture is well established. We know the customer base well and what’s expected of us, and we get together regularly to socialize and have a laugh. Ultimately, we enjoy each other’s company, and I think this generates success because our customers can sense the positive environment.

Harold Hanlon

What’s an interesting project that comes to mind when you think about the work you’ve done for AG Warehouse?

A couple spring to mind. Currently, I’m evaluating different cultivars of maize that generate the maximum production in cold weather climates. This includes the energy, starch and grit within the cob, and results from the feed tests that can increase milk production and help with increasing the in-calf rate. Maturity and dry down times directly correlate to harvest times so we can get the paddock back into production quickly.

In the past, I found it really interesting when I was evaluating different application rates of gibberellic acid onto ryegrass pastures and measuring the dry matter (D/M) responses for data intern. That helped with the label registration of gibberellic acid on ryegrass pastures.

What do you find unique about the team and culture here at AG Warehouse, and across the wider Saputo Dairy Australia family support in general?

We’re a close team and everybody wants each other to succeed in their area. Something that helps a lot with that is having direct access to management, including the procurement team. That’s not always the case everywhere you go. It means we can make decisions quickly, which benefits us, and more importantly, benefits our clients.

If you have any agronomy questions, you can just send out a group email to the other agronomists across our network and it’s not surprising for nearly everyone to chime in with a helpful answer. They’ll tell you their experiences – what has worked or not, and the reasons why. That supportive culture is very satisfying and enjoyable. Guiding graduate agronomists through their first couple of years and seeing them develop personally and professionally is also very rewarding.

Rebecca Bingley

What are you enjoying most about your role at AG Warehouse?

Probably that there are so many different facets to being a pasture agronomist! We get to not only manage growing a pasture/crop, but also implement animal health and nutrition programs for farmers. Before starting with AG Warehouse, I was focused solely on growing a singular crop for the farmer and now I get to assist in planning a 12-month feed and nutrition plan for both their crops and their livestock (dairy, beef, sheep). I enjoy being able to 'close the circle' and be part of a bigger picture for the producers.

I also have the pleasure of working with multiple teams within the stores. Each team continually works on maintaining and improving their relationships. Our team culture is important for driving success within the individual stores, and all staff members have the opportunity to express themselves, demonstrate their strengths and improve on any weaknesses.  

Tell us about some of your current projects.

Right now I’m working with farmers to develop soil health management programs – we’re altering age-old practices to better influence and improve their farm’s soil. I am currently managing a trial site that is utilizing a variety of innovative fertilizers for farmers to be able to visit and physically view numerous options for their farms.

It is amazing to work and create relationships with farmers each and every day. When we improve the soil health, the carrying capacity and profitability of the business is often significantly increased.

Hannah Thorson

What’s your favorite aspect of life at AG Warehouse?

Firstly, the agronomy team is really supportive, versatile and forward-thinking. Everyone is a phone call away and happy to help, and the diversity of knowledge and experience adds to our success. There are multiple occasions over a season where we get together and share knowledge and discuss future opportunities that will benefit the company and our customers. We’re always networking with people in the industry and have regular agronomy team meetings in various locations.

The huge variety in our day-to-day jobs also keeps things interesting. We do everything from soil testing and provide fertilizer recommendations, to checking crops and pastures for weeds, pests and diseases. We spend days in the office and field days out on farms, so there is a lot of variability from day to day.

Give us an example of a project you’re working on.

Currently, I am working with a dairy producer to see whether gibberellic acid applied to a paddock containing dock prior to a broadleaf weed spray will increase the success of control both immediately and over a longer period of time. This is interesting to me because dock is a huge problem in flood irrigated pasture in my area, and if we can improve control whilst also increasing pasture production with gibberellic acid over winter, then it's a win-win for the farmer.

Are you passionate about agronomy and looking for your next step? Keep an eye on our careers page where our latest openings are listed!