Newdegate Machinery Field Days: Community crops fund local projects

Second generation Newdegate farmer David Butcher, who is president of the town’s community cropping group, has been instrumental in growing grain to fund essential community projects.

With many successful projects now completed, including a new St John ambulance building, the painted grain silos in the centre of town by Perth artist Brenton See as part of the Public Silo Trail, and the Newdegate skate park beautification, Mr Butcher’s 10 years of service have been “rewarding”.

Other important projects included country club and sporting centre upgrades, the community bus service and ongoing commitment to school camps to Canberra.

The Community Cropping Group, which is a sub-committee of the Newdegate Machinery Field Days committee was established in 2008 through sub-leasing of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Newdegate research station from the Shire of Lake Grace.

A continuous cropping program across the 1230ha of arable land 16km west of town has been toiled by local volunteers (12 to 15 members on the committee in a spread of different age groups) who plant, fertilise, spray and harvest a single variety of grain each year.

The grain is then marketed to fund future crop programs and community projects and this year’s return from its Maximus barley crop (planted on June 5) — although being a month behind a normal growing season — has been earmarked for improvements to the town’s bowling centre.

“We have raised close to $2 million in the last 16 years that has gone back to the community — there is no way the town could afford community projects without this income resource,” Mr Butcher said.

“When all of us get together at the station for harvest, it is a proud gathering of locals who have a common goal to improve our town and retain its residents, particularly focused on the younger generation.

“Sometimes it’s hard work, but there is enjoyment in working together.”

Mr Butcher said individual jobs were handed out to committee members and Natalie Thompson had been great in her secretary role in handling all the paperwork.

He said the cropping group discussed various funding projects which were then ratified by the Newdegate Machinery Field Days committee.

“We are also looking to sign a renewal 10-year lease with DPIRD to continue the community cropping program, and a reduction in the current annual lease agreement rate (about $70,000/year, up from a flat rate of $30,000 in 1999) would be great as it is community money that paying it.” Mr Butcher said.

“My wife Juliet and I, who raised four boys including Samuel and Edward, who both work off-farm, and Rupert and Jos, who work on the family farm’s continuous cropping program, understand the importance of life on the land for local families and young people.

“When we’re not looking after our production of wheat, barley, oats, canola and peas, we enjoy the social lifestyle of the Newdegate township,” he said.

Mr Butcher said growing crops in the Newdegate area had its “ups and downs”, but it’s been mostly reliable.

“This year has been unseasonally dry, and we need a kind finish to get an average yield,” he said.