The Prosperous Farmer

Mary O'Brien on best practice spray application

The Prosperous Farmer catches up with spray drift specialist Mary O’Brien following the Best Practice Spray Application Workshop in Naracoorte. Drawing on her experience as a former regulator and industry advisor, Mary shares practical, no-nonsense insights into responsible chemical use, spray drift prevention, and protecting agriculture’s social licence. From understanding inversion conditions and wind movement to choosing the right nozzle, maintaining accurate records, and managing water quality, Mary outlines the critical decisions that sit firmly in the hands of spray operators. She explains why compliance with chemical labels is non-negotiable, how good record-keeping can protect farmers, and why a few simple tweaks can prevent costly mistakes and industry conflict. TPF previously caught up with Mary O'Brien in Season 3, Episode 2 with 'Are You Bogged Mate?'. [Season 3, Episode 2 with 'Are You Bogged Mate?'.]

Chris Matthews, MGA Insurance on effective risk management strategies

Having a robust risk management strategy in place is part and parcel of a farming business, a fact Chris Matthews Principal of MGA Naracoorte knows well. Chris is a long time supporter of the MacKillop Group, a former chair and board member serving in its early years throughout the nineties. MGA Naracoorte is a long term sponsor and is currently a Gold Sponsor. In this episode Chris shares the highlights of his thirty year journey in the insurance industry, underpinned by his strong sense of community and connection with farming businesses. What does a robust risk management strategy look like? And when a crisis hits, where does a brokers role begin and end? *content relates to a major Limestone Coast fire event and may be triggering for some listeners.

Livestock advisor Michael Wilkes dives into smart, cost-effective strategies for managing dry feed during tough seasons.

Armed with a PhD in ruminant nutrition and physiology from the University of Adelaide’s Roseworthy College, and with experience in senior research roles at the University and the Thomas Elder Institute, Michael launched his own livestock nutrition consultancy in Naracoorte three years ago. In this episode Michael unpacks learnings from the Dry Feed to Dollars project as part of SA Drought Hub's Decision Making for Drought. He dives into smart, cost-effective strategies for managing dry feed during tough seasons, showing how targeted protein, mineral, and nitrogen supplementation can unlock more value from poor-quality pasture. Listen in for practical rules of thumb to boost feed utilisation, protect animal performance, reduce feed costs, turn dry feed into dollars and build more resilient livestock systems.

Dr Mel Fraser and Lee Menhenett on Nitrogen application: Setting up the Season

Nitrogen application doesn’t have to be a guessing game. In this episode, Dr Melissa Fraser and agronomist Lee Menhenett reveal how moisture, measurement and timing can transform your nitrogen strategy—and your bottom line. Mel and Lee break down the tools, data and on-farm decisions that drive profitable, resilient cropping. Packed with smart tools, practical insights and memorable one-liners (yes—rainfall is a tool, not just pub bragging rights!), this lively, insightful conversation is full of farmer-tested wisdom, good humour, and a reminder that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. The Mastering Nitrogen Application Seminar was held in July in Naracoorte. Shownotes: CliMate website : https://climateapp.net.au/ Yield Prophet Lite: https://www.yieldprophet.com.au/yplite/ Soil Moisture Probe: https://app.outpostcentral.com/remote/MFMGLogin.html CoTL Mesonet: https://cotl.com.au/mesonet

Durum wheat breeder Tom Kapcejevs, AGT takes a deep dive into two new releases of durum wheat varieties.

Tom Kapcejevs is a Durum Breeder with Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) MFMG sponsor, and Australia’s largest plant breeding company and market leader in wheat genetics. At the recent Southern Australia Durum Growers Association Crop Walk at Bordertown Tom took some time out to catch up with The Prosperous Farmer. Tom dives into the two new releases of durum wheat varieties - Rimfire and Banker - discussing their performance, their limitations, their yield, and how they stack up against common diseases for durum wheat. Durum wheat in the Limestone Coast is a positive story, with a strong domestic market with San Remo together with a growing export market. And what's with the variety names? And what do they have to do with the Melbourne Cup?