Schutz hay in demand

Their Eudunda location is proving ideal for producing top quality hay, with the family recently winning best feed test hay in the country at the Feed Central National Hay Quality Competition.

The competition attracted more than 1000 entries, with Cameron Grundy, Naracoorte, and Rob Mills of Booleroo Centre also winning national awards for best lucerne hay and best vetch hay respectively, along with their state prizes, while Tom Hunt of Clover Leaf Contractors, Yahl, had the best visual appearance cereal crop in SA.

The Schutz's top cereal hay recorded outstanding metabolisable energy and protein results.

The Winteroo oaten hay was automatically entered in the awards after being listed for sale on the Feed Central website.

"We knew the paddock wouldn't make export grade but we still cut it, conditioned it and put it in the shed until the following July," Mr Schutz said

"We listed it on Feed Central, and they came on-farm to test it and get the feed analysis to advertise it online for anyone to buy."

Mr Schutz said the strong feed test results were largely attributable to their location at Eudunda.

"Because of our location, we always grow quality, but not so much quantity," he said.

"I've been out and checked this year's oat crop and a week away from cutting, it's only knee-high and it's going to test well.

"We also farm at Booborowie, and the oats are thick as a brush and very high, but it'll have less feed value.

"We'll grow twice as many tonnes up there, but the feed test is completely different."

The couple farm 750 hectares at Eudunda and Booborowie.

The Eudunda property averages 375 millimetres rainfall, and despite tracking below average this year, Mr Schutz said their crops were looking good.

"The season so far has been good, but we just need a rain or two," he said.

"We haven't had a big rain - 25mm in one hit - in about eight weeks. It's always been 10mm, 15mm and that's just getting us through."

In addition to the 120ha of Brusher and Winteroo oats sown this year, the family also grows cereals and legumes, run Merino ewes and about 100 sows in their piggery.

Mr Schutz said hay had become a major earner, but being a one-man operation had its limitations.

"Last year, hay was by far our best money-spinner, but you need manpower to grow it and, to a certain extent, you need to own some of the equipment yourself," he said.

"There are real agronomic advantages in that you cut your ryegrass down, that's the main reason people are going into it now. There's also less risk, and it takes out frost.

"In the past three years, I've lost a third of my crops with frost. It hasn't been a total wipeout, but I've calculated that in three years, I've lost one harvest, so frost is a big thing, but with oats it doesn't matter.

"It doesn't get rust, your sprays are a lot less, but when it's time to bale, you've got that immediate workload."