Based in Berrigan, Glen works alongside his brother Noel and father, Kelvin, as part of the Namarang Farms Partnership. The multi-generational farming family has been in business for more than 100 years, with Glen and Noel responsible for the farming operation.
In winter the family grows wheat, canola, barley, faba beans and vetch, while the summer cropping programme is based around maize and cotton.
The scale of the 14,000-hectare farming operation means Namarang Farms employs 13 full-time staff but increases to as many as 25 during busy harvest periods. The business runs five combine harvesters, with the AF9 and AF10 joining three Case IH Axial-Flow 8250 combines late last year.
“The transition from the 8250s to the AF series combines has been straightforward but there is obviously a big difference with efficiencies and the potential for higher productivity,” Glen said.
The new machines are fitted with 50-foot fronts but the variance in capacity has been noticeable during cereal harvesting. With the AF9’s 16,000-litre grain tank and the AF10’s 20,000-litre grain tank, Glen estimates there’s a 15- to 20-tonne-per-hour difference in volume when the two machines are working at maximum capacity. He adds that he believes when the AF10 is running at full capacity, it can manage about 1.7 times the volume of an 8250 combine.
The increased productivity has helped reduce the pressure on labour and with the combines’ improved efficiency, from its higher capacity and larger grain tanks, he says it helps the whole harvest programme flow more effectively, from combine to silo.
Among his favourite precision tech features are the radar spreaders, which he says have made stubble management easier, along with the improved automation and feed-rate control.
“The spreaders do a great job, with minimal management,” he said.
“The automation is a big improvement too. You can press a couple of buttons each time you turn the combine around in the paddock and the machine looks after its speed, grain loss and everything for you.”
For Glen, the performance of the machines is only part of the equation. The relationship with his Case IH dealer, O’Connors Shepparton, has been equally important.
For him the 2026 season is shaping up strongly. Namarang Farms currently has around 4000 hectares of canola, 4800 hectares of wheat, 2600 hectares of barley, 300 hectares of faba beans and 100 hectares of vetch in the current winter program, with harvest expected to begin around late October or early November.
“At the moment, I couldn’t be happier,” Glen said.
“Yield-wise, it’s currently shaping up as the equal best season I’ve ever seen in our area since 2020.”
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