In this episode, Dave Stead from Anasazi Consulting and Phil Smyth from Nutrien Coorow explore the growing array of weather tools and apps available to farmers. With advancements like smartphones and subscription-based services, farmers now have unprecedented access to weather data - but navigating the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming.

Dave and Phil share insights on how to leverage these tools effectively to make informed decisions on-farm. They discuss the rise of localised weather stations, the benefits and limitations of popular apps like CliMate and Meteorlogix, and the importance of understanding trends in weather models.

This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Shannon Beattie.

• Meteologix: Weather for Australia - Swiss Quality Weather Forecasting
• Bureau of Meteorology developments in long-term forecasting accuracy – the implications for autumn sowing - GRDC
• Farming Forecaster: helping farmers make decisions on livestock production - CSIRO
• My Climate View: Innovative climate tool expands to support more farmers - CSIRO
• Five forecast tools to help you make better decisions - Meat & Livestock Australia
• MyClimateView: how past and projected climate data can support on-farm decision making - SW WA Hub
• Your weather questions answered - SW WA Hub
• Australian Bureau of Meteorology
• Yr - Served by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and NRK
• Windy: Wind map & weather forecast
• DPIRD weather stations
• CliMate
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Join Carly Veitch, farm management consultant at AgAsset and President of the Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants (AAAC), along with Ian Donaldson, senior manager of rural valuations at Rabobank, as they delve into the dynamics behind soaring land prices.

In recent years, land values have surged, and with increasingly variable seasons, buying land is becoming a tougher choice for many. Carly and Ian discuss the factors driving these price hikes, the challenges this poses for farmers, and the various options for expanding land access. Ian also shares insights into how pricing differs across regions, particularly in mixed farming areas in the eastern states.

This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Shannon Beattie.

• Hub news - Drought Hub

In this episode, Coorow farmer Rod Birch and Yuna farmer Jess Grove share their experiences managing extreme seasonal variability in Western Australia’s northern wheatbelt. With 2023 marking the lowest rainfall on record, and 2021, 2022, and 2024 presenting vastly different conditions, Jess and Rod discuss their strategies for adapting to these challenges, capturing gains in productive years, and building resilience for drier ones.

Jess explains how her 2023 experience led to important adjustments, such as avoiding high-risk crops like canola and lupins in the absence of summer rain and switching to shorter-season varieties when rains finally arrived. Meanwhile, Rod shares how past good seasons allowed him to strengthen his business through strategic investments, and how thorough planning helps him make well-ranked decisions, even under adverse conditions. His approach, grounded in “optimistic realism,” emphasizes balancing risk, reducing costs, and prioritising long-term resilience.

Jess and Rod also delve into practical measures like improved water-use efficiency, addressing soil constraints, and enhancing technology to keep input costs low during lean years. Both Jess and Rod highlight the value of community connection, with initiatives like the “barefoot bowls day” that Jess organised to relieve stress and foster support.

This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Shannon Beattie.

• Reducing costs and forward planning during a dry year (Video) - Rod Birch
• De-Risking the Seeding Program – AG Excellence Alliance
• RiskWi$e - GRDC
• RiskWi$e - The National Risk Management Initiative - Grower Group Alliance
• De-risking seeding program – Adoption of key management practices for the success of dry and early sown crops – Baseline Survey Report (PDF)
• Hub news - Drought Hub