11 Apr Client Showcase: AgriRisk High Achiever Award – Field Day

On Thursday 31^st March Michael Stout attended the AgriRisk High Achiever Award Field Day put on by the Southern Valleys Cotton Growers Association.  The field day was held at ‘Daisy Lodge’ Carrathool owned by Peter & Caroline Tuohey. Peter & Caroline were the winners of the 2015 AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year award at the annual Australian Cotton Industry Awards.

              (Peter & Caroline Tuohey)

The field day allowed local cotton growers to see first-hand the Tuohey’s innovative approach that secured them the award.  Daisy Lodge has access to high security bore water and to the Murrumbidgee River. To reduce rising energy costs Peter & Caroline installed a 100kW solar system to run the two 50kW submersible electric pumps at the river. The Tuoheys are currently also constructing an 800 meg turkey nest dam to enable them to store water at opportune times.  To reduce the risks at sowing they are also trialing the use of degradable plastic when planting.

Like all great business leaders Peter & Caroline acknowledge that the key to Daisy Lodges success was their team. This core nucleus of their permanent staff and off farm advisors coupled with their range of systems and polices allows them to increase their work force with casuals at peak times to complete all operations efficiently.

 (Inside the Rivcott Cotton Gin)

Peter and Caroline with eight other local farmers were instrumental in the vision and constructions of the grower-owned Rivcott Gin at Carrathool.  The Gin is unique in a number of ways to suit southern cotton growers;

1.      it is exclusively owned by the growers who deliver cotton to it,

2.      it has been designed so that the cotton is dried twice before it is cleaned to allow a            better cleaning of the cotton,
3.      inline seed scales were installed so growers know exactly how much seed they have          produced,
4.      4. an extra process is allowing them to reclaim cotton from the trash,
5.      5. the gin has been designed so it can also be expanded in the future.

The cornerstone element to Peter and Caroline’s growth has been accessibility to capital with a sympathetic funding structure to provide the foundation and financial runway to make capital investments possible.  Robinson Sewell Partners can attest to their acumen on this front by being chosen as their key credit advisor and we have immensely enjoyed sharing the journey with them.