EO Report: October 2025
By Gabby Carrivick, Executive Officer
As we head into October and look forward to some warmer weather and the start of harvest, it’s been another busy and productive period for the West Midlands Group (WMG). Our focus remains on supporting members through practical, regionally relevant research and engagement that builds resilience across our farming systems and communities.
Over recent weeks, WMG’s strong industry partnerships have been on full display. Our hosting of the Dandaragan GRDC Harvest Set-Up Workshop brought growers together to share ideas and prepare for a safe, efficient harvest season and is a great example of how collaboration and experience-sharing keep our region ahead of the curve. Last week’s Kayanaba Rd NVTs and Legumes Tour continued that momentum, giving members a first-hand look at variety performance in local conditions and helping inform crop and variety choices for next season.
At the same time, our involvement in the GRDC RiskWi$e initiative continues to ensure that West Midlands growers have a voice in national conversations around on-farm decision making and risk management. These opportunities remind us of the value of being part of a wider network that recognises the realities of our region’s farming systems.
WMG has continued to build strong connections across research and industry this month. A visit from DPIRD’s new Executive Director for Broadacre Systems, Dr Kaara Klepper, and her team opened valuable discussions on future collaboration and innovation for our region. At the same time, our attendance at recent Feedlotting Workshops in Moora helped indicate the ongoing appetite among our mixed farming members for practical, profit-focused insights in the transition from live sheep export. Engagements like these, together with our participation in the CBH pre-harvest meetings and the AAGI Experimental Design Workshop, help keep WMG closely linked with both industry and research partners while ensuring our own trials remain rigorous and relevant.
Behind the scenes, the team continues to make good progress on WMG’s strategic priorities. We’re broadening our collaborative RD&E work to address emerging local challenges, tightening internal systems around governance and financial management, and strengthening member engagement through events, digital platforms and targeted communications. These areas might not always be visible day-to-day, but they’re essential to maintaining WMG’s strong foundation and long-term capability.
While a lot of the work I have been undertaking over the past month has involved being in the office, on the phone or in front of a laptop, I relish the chance to head out to several of our trial sites when the opportunity arises. The team were recently completing peak biomass cuts at our GRDC funded, GGA led Grain Legumes Project chickpea site and I was pleased to see the significant progress the chickpeas have made in this later stage of the season, despite the very wet start. Our field observations and results to date are positioning this site as a key demonstration for coming seasons considering the increased interest in high value grain legumes recently.
As harvest approaches, our focus is turning to finalising this season’s trials, collecting data and preparing for our 2026 research and extension activities. It’s a busy but exciting time, with plenty of analysis, planning and engagement ahead, and no shortage of opportunities to continue building on the strong work already underway.
Finally, I’d like to thank our staff, members and partners for their ongoing support and involvement. The collaboration and openness across this region are what make WMG such a strong and connected group. Here’s to a safe and successful harvest, and a return to some warmer weather.
