Boolah Trial Farm Field Day

Thursday 10 September 2026 | Victoria
Margin Matters

Why Margin Matters?

Rising costs, tighter returns and increasing complexity mean every decision must work harder to protect farm margin.

Margin Matters will focus on the practical choices, trial data and innovations that can help strengthen productivity, improve input efficiency and support more profitable farming systems.

From soil and crop performance through to business decisions, market signals and end-user requirements, the day will explore where value is created, where it can be lost and how stronger connections across the supply chain can help protect it.

This is closely aligned with Boolah’s established positioning around commercial-scale insights, direct access to trial participants and end users, and collaboration across the whole agricultural supply chain.

A free Field Day at the newest site in Boolah’s expanding national network of Australia’s largest commercial-scale Trial Farms.

Bringing growers, agronomists, researchers, trial partners and end users together to explore practical trial insights, commercial opportunities and the decisions shaping value across the agricultural supply chain.

About the Field Day

For the first time, the Boolah Trial Farm Field Day is coming to Victoria, opening the gates of Boolah’s Wilkur Trial Farm to growers and industry from across the region and beyond.

See commercial-scale trials in the ground, hear early findings and results directly from the people behind the work, and consider how the learnings could apply within your own farming system.

Through Trial Farm tours, expert presentations, panel discussions, trade displays and genuine paddock conversations, the day connects practical on-farm research with the wider supply chain.

2026 Field Day Program

Thursday 10 September 2026 | Wilkur, Victoria
Program subject to change

8:00 am | Registration, coffee, trade displays and networking

8:45 am | Welcome and opening address

9:00 am | Event overview and sponsor acknowledgements
An introduction to the day’s theme and what attendees can expect.

9:20 am | Guest presentation
Setting the scene for the day’s key focus areas.

9:30 am | Move to the Trial Farm

9:45 am | Commercial-scale Trial Farm tour
Explore trials in the ground, seasonal observations and practical insights from the work underway at Wilkur.

10:45 am | Morning tea

11:15 am | Trial Farm tour continues
Further trial insights, discussion and practical takeaways.

12:45 pm | Trade displays

1:00 pm | Lunch and networking

2:00 pm | Keynote presentation
A closer look at the factors influencing productivity, performance and margin.

2:30 pm | Panel: Margin Matters - Practical pathways to improving farm profitability, including the decisions, efficiencies and insights that can help protect margin.
Featuring:

  • Andrew Whitelaw (Episode3 and Agwatchers Podcast)

3:15 pm | Panel: Future Opportunity - Exploring how data, market signals and stronger supply-chain alignment can create new value for growers and industry.
Featuring:

  • John Woods (Grains Australia Chair and Grain Grower)

  • Rachel Kerlin (Senior Lead Agribusiness, Westpac)

  • Wes Lawrence (Founder, Managing Director, AxisTech Group)

3:45 pm | Networking drinks, trade displays and nibbles

5:30 pm | Event close

Who You’ll Hear From on the Day

Richard Flavel

Associate Professor at the University of New England

Associate Professor Richard Flavel is a soil scientist whose research explores how soil function, plant roots and nutrient availability influence crop performance.

At Margin Matters, Richard will bring the focus below ground, translating soil science into practical insights that can help growers improve input efficiency, productivity and farm margin.

Simon Fritsch

Founder, Agripath

Simon Fritsch is an experienced farm business adviser with more than 20 years’ experience across irrigation, dryland farming and grazing enterprises.

At Margin Matters, Simon will examine where margin is being won or lost in farm businesses, using financial and operational insights to help growers understand which decisions can strengthen performance when costs are rising and margins are under pressure.

John Woods

Chair, Grains Australia | Grain Grower

John Woods is Chair of Grains Australia and a grain grower based near Goondiwindi on the Queensland–NSW border, with extensive experience across broadacre cropping, agribusiness and grains industry leadership.

He previously served as Chair of the Grains Research and Development Corporation and has been closely involved in industry research, innovation and grower decision-making.

At the 2026 Boolah Trial Farm Field Day John will MC the event, in addition to facilitating the Future Opportunity panel.

Andrew Whitelaw

Co-Founder Episode3

Andrew Whitelaw has spent more than 20 years working across the Australian and European agricultural sectors, with a focus on market analysis, strategy and industry insight.

He is Founder and Director of Episode3, now part of the ACM Agri network, and co-host of the AgWatchers podcast.

Andrew will facilitate the Margin Matters panel, bringing a broad understanding of agricultural markets, commodities and the forces influencing farm profitability.

Wes Lawrence

Founder & Managing Director, AxisTech Group

Wes Lawrence is the Founder and Managing Director of AxisTech, an Australian agrifood technology company helping bridge the gap between emerging technology and practical on-farm adoption.

Raised on a mixed farm in Western Australia’s Great Southern, Wes combines hands-on agricultural experience with more than 20 years in hardware and software development.

His work focuses on using mapping, devices, connectivity and data to give producers greater visibility across their operations, improve decision-making and use resources more efficiently.

Wes will join the Future Opportunity Panel at the 2026 Boolah Trial Farm Field Day.

Dean Ganino

Barrett Burston Malting

Dean Ganino is a senior leader with Barrett Burston Malting, one of Australia’s major malt producers and a long-standing participant in the Australian grain supply chain.

His experience spans raw materials and supply-chain management, connecting Australian barley production with the quality and requirements of domestic and international malt markets.

Dean brings an important end-user and supply-chain perspective to the Future Opportunity panel.

Stuart Tighe

CEO and Co-Founder, Boolah

Stuart Tighe is CEO and co-founder of Boolah, an Australian agricultural business spanning farming, supply-chain services and commercial-scale research. With more than 20 years’ experience in agriculture, Stuart is driving the expansion of Boolah’s national Trial Farm network and Regen4real sustainability framework.

At Margin Matters, Stuart will bring a whole-of-supply-chain perspective, exploring how practical innovation, better data and stronger connections between growers and end users can help create more resilient and profitable farming systems.

What to expect in 2026

  • Expert speakers and industry panels

  • Practical trial farm insights, with the opportunity to see them in person

  • Real conversations with people across the supply chain, from growers to end users

  • Meaningful discussion around profitability, performance and progress

About the Trial Farms

Boolah’s trial farm model is designed to test, learn and report at commercial scale.

It provides a practical environment for exploring different practices, technologies and input products, helping turn ambition into action through real-world trials and data-backed insights.

By showcasing trials and on-farm learnings in a commercial context, the field day helps connect paddock decisions to broader supply chain outcomes, including sustainability, traceability, profitability and long-term resilience.

Southern Field Day Bus Tour
Pallamallawa to Victoria return
Monday 7 September – Friday 11 September 2026

Join the Southern Field Day Bus Tour and experience five days of practical learning, industry insights and valuable connections across Victoria.

Designed for growers travelling from northern NSW, this all-inclusive tour includes the inaugural Boolah Trial Farm Field Day, the BCG Field Day, and visits to leading agribusinesses and farming operations including:

  • NDF Disc Planters

  • Whitton Malt House

  • Wumbugal Ag Connex

  • Ravensworth Feedlot

  • Lawson Grains

Limited spaces available:

This all-inclusive tour will depart from and return to Moree, cost is $1,000 per person, with transport by CDC Buses. Places are strictly limited to 35 participants.

To enquire or register your interest, please email: trialfarms@boolah.com.au.

Plan Your Visit and Frequently Asked Questions about the Event

Thank you to our
National Platinum Field Day Partner

Thank you to our
Long-Term Trial Farm Partners

Looking back at 2025

The 2025 Boolah Trial Farm Field Day held in Pallamallawa at the NSW Trial Farm drew more than 400 growers, agronomists and industry leaders for a full day of panels, presentations, networking and discussion.

The strong response reinforced the appetite for practical, commercially relevant conversations that connect what happens on farm with what matters across the wider supply chain.

MEDIA PARTNER

About the Trial Farms

Starting in 2021, the Dimboola Trial Farm now hosts 18 active trial participants across 434 hectares and acts as the test bed for different practices, technologies and input products that can help achieve our sustainability goals.

In addition, the second trial farm in Donald, Victoria was launched in 2025, with plans to expand into other areas of Australia in 2026 and beyond.

Whether it’s tracking carbon sequestration, trialling low-emissions cropping systems, or implementing agtech software, the trial farm model has been designed for testing, learning, and reporting - translating ambition into action. 

Crucially, the value we create is shared as we showcase cutting-edge trials and real-world practices aimed at helping growers meet evolving sustainability, traceability, and low-emissions targets.

As our trials continue to grow, we’re expanding into new regions with the intention of building out trial farm network to cover each major grain growing region in Australia.

If you're looking to strengthen your supply chain involvement, improve environmental performance, or simply connect with others leading change in Australian agriculture — this is your opportunity.

TRIAL FARM PARTICIPANTS

PLATINUM INDUSTRY SPONSOR

Visiting Moree for the event?

You can find dining & accommodation options here.

Please contact us if you have any questions or enquiries — trialfarms@boolah.com.au