Bryan Monigatti is blunt when asked about the secret to good hay making: “Luck!” he said dismissively, referring to the many elements out of his control in any hay season.
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Still, the Strathallan farmer and contractor must have a few secrets under his hat, after having successfully produced fodder for decades and having picked up a gong in the annual Feed Central fodder awards.
“It’s about when to cut, when to rake, when to bale,” he said.
“But of course 90 per cent is out of your control.”
That includes the weather, although he is happy with the season so far and hopes the wet winter will push along the crops.
Hay making for the Monigattis is a family affair, and this season Bryan intends to ramp up the family involvement by extending his contracting business.
Bryan and his wife, Beverley (who is a dab hand on the self-propelled Speedrower), will be joined by daughter Dakota and son Tayden in the expanded business, which now includes a New Holland 1290 baler, a New Holland harvester and 520-horsepower New Holland tractor.
Bryan and Beverley farm about 400 acres of lucerne and about 500 acres of cereal hay on the home block, and crop a further few thousand acres in the Deniliquin district.
The enterprise collected a gong in the recent Feed Central fodder awards for making lucerne, the second time in recent years they had been recognised.
Feed Central managing director Tim Ford said the awards were an opportunity to acknowledge the expertise of hay growers who create excellence in the industry.
“Making hay is not easy and making good hay is exceptionally difficult and these awards acknowledge the excellent management and hard work that goes into it,” Mr Ford said.
“It is a pleasure to recognise the best of the best and some of the results this year have been exceptional, which is what we need as an industry. We want repeat buyers and the quality feed being recognised in these awards is testimony to what the industry is capable of.”
The awards are judged on large square bales.
Bryan Monigatti from Strathallan says timing is the key in hay making.
Dakota Monigatti at the controls of the Manitou telehandler.
Dakota Monigatti has been working on the family farm for about five years and is keen to do more contract work. She intends to tackle the Canadian or United States harvest some time in the future.
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