RUNNING a contract harvesting and windrowing business has given young Millicent producer Tom Bell the chance to be independent while still working on his family's farming enterprise.
At 23, he has joined his family on the land, with his father Greg and uncle Andrew, farming in partnership in the Lower South East.
His cousin Sam, who starts his first year of study at Marcus Oldham College, in Victoria, later this year, has also been back on the farm since he finished school.
"The contract harvesting business – Bell Harvesting – is something independent that I can go off and do," Tom said.
"Financially, I have learnt a lot, and it has also been good dealing with so many different people and learning about that side of business as well."
Unlike many of his peers, instead of studying an agricultural-related degree Tom completed a Bachelor of Commerce in International Business at university, a course which he said gave him a broad overview of management, marketing and accounting.
Doing this course, he also had the opportunity to study several agribusiness subjects.
"It's been good in terms of having a bit of an understanding of business," he said.
Tom purchased a Case 8120 header with a draper 2151 front and 12-metre width three years ago, the same year he returned to the family farm.
A year later, he bought a MacDon M205 windrower with a 10-metre front.
Since starting contract harvesting, he has aimed for a target of at least 400 rotar hours a year on the header, in order to "pay it off".
Tom starts harvesting at Port Pirie, Port Broughton and Riverton, before windrowing in the Victorian Mallee and then returning to the Lower South East for the last few months of the year.
"From October to January, it's a pretty busy time of year," he said.
"We don't usually start (harvest at home) until early December, when I'm still away, but I'm able to help out after that."
Full report in Stock Journal, January 31 issue, 2013.
