A Cracking Evening at the Hectare Trading Roadshow and Farm Walk

There’s something rather special about an evening on the farm. Add a farm walk, good conversations, plenty of useful advice and a BBQ at the end, and you’ve got a pretty good combination.

That’s exactly what we enjoyed at the Hectare Trading Roadshow and Farm Walk at Little Roll Right, hosted by Tom McFarlane.

It was an evening packed with farming, learning and catching up, with plenty of interesting conversations along the way. We were delighted to be there and spend time with farmers and others from across the agricultural industry.

Events like this are a fantastic way to bring people together, exchange ideas and hear what’s happening on farms. There’s always something to take away from seeing how other businesses operate and listening to the experiences of those working in the industry every day.

An evening at Little Roll Right

Hosted by Tom McFarlane, who took us on a tour of the beautiful Little Roll Right, talking us through the farm and how they run the business.

It was a chance to see the farm first-hand and hear directly from Tom about the work involved in keeping everything moving.

The relaxed setting encouraged plenty of conversation, giving farmers the chance to compare experiences, ask questions and catch up with others from across the sector.

Retentive farming with Jake Freestone

We were lucky enough to hear from Jake Freestone of Overbury Enterprises who collaborates with Green Farm Collective, talked about the work they are doing around regenerative farming. Jake gave us an insight into what they’re achieving on the farm, with discussion covering soils, water and how they can make better use of the resources available. It was an interesting look at how regenerative farming is being put into practice, with plenty of ideas for everyone to consider.

Agronomy advice from Kieran Walsh

Kieran Walsh of Grounded Advice also offered valuable insight into agronomy and what’s happening out in the field. There was plenty of discussion around the current challenges farmers are facing, with attendees comparing experiences and sharing how they approach farming in practice — which doesn’t always follow the textbook. Hearing how others are dealing with the day-to-day realities of life on the farm can be incredibly valuable, providing practical ideas, reassurance and different perspectives.

Getting the best price for your grain

The Hectare Trading team demonstrated their platform and talk through the options available to farmers when it comes to selling grain.

The team showed the platform in action and explained how farmers can use it to monitor the market and identify opportunities when it comes to marketing their grain. Grain marketing is an important part of any farming business, and keeping up with market movements can help farmers make informed decisions about when and where to sell. It was particularly useful to see the platform demonstrated in a real farming environment, followed by plenty of questions and discussion from those attending.

Good conversations and good company

One of the best things about events like this is the people they bring together. There were, of course, talks and demonstrations to get stuck into, but there was also time for Bertie to catch up, meet new faces and talk about what’s happening across the industry.

That’s something we really value about being involved in agricultural events. Supporting the industry means being present, listening and staying connected to the people working in it every day.  You can learn a lot from a presentation, but you can learn just as much from a conversation while walking around a field or standing around a BBQ.

And then came the BBQ…

After the farm tour and talks, it was time to put the serious farming discussions to one side and get stuck into the BBQ. There was meat from the farm, rolls from Jake and plenty to go around, all washed down with drinks from Kaleb’s Bar.

Thank you for a brilliant evening

It was a brilliant example of what agricultural events are all about – bringing people together, exchanging knowledge and supporting one another across the industry. We were very glad to be there and look forward to plenty more evenings like this.