Wind woos Walkaway man

Countryman
Thursday 3/7/2008 Page: 44

Walkaway farmer Bruce Garratt doesn't notice the 15 big white wind turbines dotted over his property and hasn't once seen a dead bird under one. "Neither have my neighbours. We've never worried about them, and it doesn't affect our farming at all. The sheep and the cattle use it as shade," he said.

"As for their noise, it's not a worrying noise, more of a soothing noise. They are just another bit of the farm." The turbines have been on the farm for four years. The wind farm has helped Bruce and his wife Andrea to stay in farming, particularly over the past couple of years, giving them an extra income boost, while a private company leases part of their land.

Their farm is on 1800ha spread over two properties and they leasing another 600ha. While the farm is ideally located close to Geraldton, Bruce reckons it's unfortunate that land is becoming so dear. If the farm can't make its own repayments then he says there there is no point expanding it. Like many other farmers in the district Bruce has dropped his sheep numbers and has stopped breeding them all together.

The Garratts still breed cattle but also buy and sell them too, having 160 head of cattle at present and turning over 160 of them last year. "I don't know whether we will buy anymore sheep this year but I will buy cattle if I can get them for the right price," Bruce said. "Cattle are easier work. less hassle while sheep seem to take more people to work.

The Garratts are cropping 480ha canola, 320ha barley, 350ha wheat, 340ha lupins and some hay and so far they have had a pretty good start besides a couple of hiccups with seeding. "Our canola, wheat and barley got in really well. We lost probably 12ha of wheat and barley seeded on the white sand. When we got those strong winds it cut the crop off," Bruce said. "We might go re-seed it; it's not too late for barley.

"We might not get much crop but at least it will cover the ground." It was the first year Bruce had seeded the property on his own. He said it was a bit different sitting on the tractor all day and night. The Garratts normally deliver 3500 tonnes each year.

"In 2007 it was about 1400 tonnes so it was certainly an improvement but it was nothing like what we should be. We've just got to hope that this year is better." Drought was tough but Bruce has always loved farming, starting on a family set up south of Walkaway before taking over his father- in-law's property, shifting only 20km.

"When we left our family partnership, my father-in-law gave me an opportunity to farm at his place," he said. With 107mm falling on the Walkaway property, Bruce reckons it has been a good start this year, but he is always realistic.