THIS IS HOW ACHMEA KEEPS FARMERS FARMING

Working with what the land gives you: potato farmer Garry Kadwell on farming, soil and long-term thinking

“You can make the best laid plans,” Garry says. “You’ve got to be quite ready to move with what comes up and adjust as you go.”

That mindset shapes the way Garry farms at Kadwell & Co Gourmet Potatoes in Crookwell, NSW, adjusting to the season in front of him while planning well ahead.

When we spoke, rain had changed the week.

“This rain is going to change the direction of the whole season,” Garry says. “In a really positive way.”

This time, the rain meant they could stop irrigating to soften the soil for harvest and get back to digging once the weather cleared.

Looking after the land

Asked what drives him, Garry says he has wanted to farm since he was a kid. “My purpose before was to expand the farm and get modern machinery and it was all about production,” he says.

“Whereas I feel my purpose now is to help other farmers understand more about working with nature and looking after what we have. We are just custodians of our land, we never own it.”

“We’re just here for a period of time where we’re the caretaker,” he says. “And I’d like to help other people understand that concept, that if you look after the land, the land will provide back.”

“It’s sustainability in many ways,” he says. “It’s about keeping moisture on our farm so we can have production longer in the dry periods. It’s about our animals’ welfare so they can be in sheltered country.”

Soil, water and long-term planning 

“If we get our soil health right, we get our plant and our animals health right,” Garry says

The farm tries not to use chemical intervention unless it is a last resort, relying more on manure, compost and integrated pest management to keep things in balance. “If we get holes in our leaves or we get some superficial damage to the plant, we don’t worry about it,” he says. “At the end of the day, does it really matter?”

Garry says his conservation work began with planting trees alongside his grandfather, then expanded to remnant vegetation, wetlands and the river system. According to Garry, around 40 per cent of the farm is now in conservation and ecological zones, which he sees as part of the broader farm system.

“It really is pinpointing the natural assets on your farm, enhancing them and taking them to their full potential as part of your entire farming operation,” he says.

He describes building a wetland on a natural underground waterway, planting reeds and other vegetation, and watching more frogs and birdlife return. Garry says the headwaters of the Crookwell River once ran red with soil, so he set about slowing the water with shallow ponds, logs and rocks, and fencing stock out so the area could recover.

“The river system is probably one of the most vital parts of a farm,” he says. “So if we can protect that and keep the water clean and clear, that’s a great asset.”

Farming at a crossroads

Garry says input costs have risen sharply over the past decade, particularly since COVID, while farmgate returns have not kept pace. In his view, that is making it harder for farmers to stay profitable and continue investing in long-term work on the farm.

“The hardest part is that the input costs have risen rapidly,” he says. “But what we produce hasn’t gone up at that same level.”

He describes farming as being “at a bit of a crossroads”, and says growers are being pushed to think differently about markets, efficiency and direct relationships.

Food, connection and what farmers can show each other

Garry also talks about how far removed many people are from where food comes from.

“We’ve lost sight of what’s really important in our agricultural and our food production,” he says. “And that is nutritious, dense food that has qualities that will enhance our health and our wellbeing.”

Working with chefs, including at Aria in Sydney, has given Garry a chance to see what happens to the produce after it leaves the farm.

The farm business also includes Garry’s partner, Nicole, who leads the Hampshire Downs sheep side of the operation. Garry describes her as “visionary” and says she has taken an innovative approach, including building direct relationships with processors.

Nicole plays a practical role here too, cooking different potato varieties and helping work out their best use with chefs and customers.

“It’s nice to see what you’ve produced be cared for, and to see people get excited about it too,” he says.

For Garry, that connection comes back to purpose. Farming has to be about more than production or money. It is about loving the work, looking after the land, and doing it in a way that feels true to the farm.

“If you’re doing it well and you’re doing it uniquely, you’ll always find your way forward financially.”

This client story is brought to you by Achmea Farm Insurance, insurer of Kadwell & Co, Gourmet Potatoes since 2014.

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