Callan’s Story.

Growing up, I saw how hard Dad worked on the family property that’s been in our name since 1903 - long hours and selling down assets just to keep things moving. At the time, I didn’t see a future in it, but once I started my own family, my thinking changed. Now, going to work every day where I grew up doesn’t feel like work - it’s something I really value.

We made the call last year to go 100% citrus, pulling out all our red grapes and soon the whites too. The wine grape industry has been struggling for years, and the prices just aren’t viable. With citrus, we get paid for the effort we put in, so it’s about focusing on one thing and doing it properly - putting in those 1%ers makes all the difference. Market conditions are definitely making it harder to stay profitable though, it’s a high-input crop, and the only way to get ahead is to do the little things right - extra pruning, foliage sprays, fertigation - to get more fruit into Class 1 because that’s where the best profit margins are.

Drought doesn’t affect us quite as much as the dryland farmers, but a drought in the Murray River catchment area can really hurt. Water allocation restrictions are the toughest part - when that happens, we’re often forced to lease water at much higher costs as prices can jump from around $20–30 a megalitre to well over $100. Rain is always welcome for soil health, but we’re in a lucky position to own 100% of our water and have solid strategies in place to manage any restrictions. The markets, though, can change in an instant - flooded one year, tight the next - so staying adaptable is everything.