FARMGATE NEWS
Written & Published By
SEPT-OCT 2026
Your bi-monthly newsletter that brings community together
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Ready for the HAY BOOM? P7 Ideas to help you with your
DARE TO DREAM Make It Happen P3 Roger Groocock farms 3000 acres at Bordertown and he has a long history of researching soil adaptability, mixing deep clay with sandy top soil, to improve soil health and reduce hydrophobic soil issues. See his story on P4-5.
FARM GATE NEWS The Farmer’s Newsletter
PHONE 1800 088 528
GRANT SHEDS PO Box 29, Monash, SA 5342
FARM SHED
Solutions EMAIL info@grantsheds.com.au
FAX 08 8583 5402 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au
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What Makes Country Life So Good?
A beaut, late winter, country scene at Sue & Roger Groocock’s farm near Bordertown in the upper South East of SA.
COMMUNITY
Open Garden “Mallee Oasis” Riverland Rose & Garden Festival 9-18 October 2026 Program: www.riverlandrosesandgardens.com.au/fes)val-program See open dates for Ali and Danny’s garden below. It’s been a few years since we last opened our Monash garden for this week long Riverland event but … we’re doing it again this year! If you’re a gardening fan and have time in the October event period we’d love to share our garden with you. Others say, “It’s one you won’t want to miss!” Our 1.3 acre “Oasis in the Mallee” is an established 40 year old garden with a blend of ornamental plantings, colourful blooms and native shrubs within its mallee scrub surrounds. It features 400 roses (Danny counts them not Ali), irises, day lilies, hippeastrums, bouganvilleas, trees and spacious lawns. It also features rustic garden art, old farm trucks, windmills, ponds and play areas that add charm.
We’d love to share it with you and if you pop in, please make yourself known to us as we’d love to say G’day. Meanwhile enjoy these photos from last time.
Enjoy these photos from our last Open Garden event Above: Ali with Peter & Jacque Schulz, Loxton. Right: Kristen, Es & Jeff Niejalke of Pinnaroo. Below: Danny & Jeff having a yarn.
Sue & Barry Watson, Pinnaroo farmers.
Our garden will be open 10am - 4pm on these dates
Grant Telfer Statue STOP PRESS: The longawaited installation and unveilling of the statue of our own “Local Monash Legend,” Grant Telfer occurred in late August.
11th, Mon 12th Weekend 1: October Sat 10th, Sun 18th Weekend 2: October Sat 17th, Sun 42 Stratman Rd, Monash SA 5342 Address: 0417 872233 or 0429 835 485 Phone: *Pet friendly on leash *Mostly wheelchair accessible *Ponds = possible water hazards vans or motor homes. *Mini bus access: but not large bus, cara able to pick you up be may we & hoy But if that’s you, give us a privilege only) from Monash (Farm Gate News reader
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It was just a tad too late for photos for this edition but we’ll get them to you in our next edition. All the best
Ali & Danny Halupka
Owners-Grant Sheds
FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter PHONE 1800 088 528 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au
You Little Ripper... Grant Sheds
LOCAL AUSSIE LEGENDS Country Kid ... Big Dreams! Little Tacker Kade playing for the Penong United Tigers in his Eyre Peninsula home town.
West Coast Farming Lad, Now with 100 AFL Games Under His Belt
AFL Debut to 100
Gamer
with their daughter 2019 with family at Kade’s AFL debut. L-R: Sister in law Shelley & brother Broadie Jesse. & Harlee brothers and Mildy Stella, mum Tracey, Kade, dad
When 19-year-old Kade Chandler made his AFL debut wearing Melbourne’s number 37 jersey in 2019, it was a dream in the making. The country kid from Penong in South Australia grew up in a sheep and grain farming family with some serious sporting pedigree. Kade is one of four boys, all playing football at representative level. Dad Milton played more than 400 local games, while mum Tracey played senior netball for decades. The family was at the MCG for Kade’s debut in 2019 and together again when he played his 100th game for Melbourne - against Port Power in Adelaide in August 2026. Before that milestone, Kade spoke about the journey from Penong to AFL football. “I’m a dreamer. That’s the only reason I never doubted myself,” he said. Kade wasn’t highly touted, was small and only spoke to two clubs in his draft year. When he described himself as “very lucky” to have been picked by Melbourne, dad “Mildy” quickly pulled him up. “You create your own luck though, mate. You’re selling yourself short in that regard.”
2026 Kade with nieces Stella (7) & Ava (2) and his baby son Albie (5 months) after his 100th game for Melbourne, against Port Power in Adelaide.
Perhaps the biggest challenge came earlier, when chasing that dream meant leaving his close-knit family and going to boarding school in Adelaide. “I remember calling mum and dad the first night … just bawling my eyes out. I just wanted to come home because I’m a massive family man. “But I knew it was a sacrifice I had to make if I wanted to chase my dream.” There were, as Mildy puts it, “a bit of tough love” and some road bumps along the way. But Kade knew what he wanted. “I wanted to play AFL and I knew that going to Adelaide and putting myself out there was the only way to do it.” Today Kade loves Melbourne Football Club, the supporters and playing on the MCG, and has re-signed with them - despite the strong pull of home in South Australia.
2019 Kade Chandler - before warm ups of his AFL debut with the Melbourne Football Club.
Kade, you may be across the border, but there are plenty of people back home proud of the down-to-earth country bloke you are. And for other country kids with big dreams, perhaps Kade’s story says it best:
Dream Big The road might not be easy - but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it.
FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter PHONE 1800 088 528 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au
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Curiosity, C
LIFETIME OF ASK These days around two thirds of the operation involves cropping, while one third is sheep. In a good year they run about 1400 Merino ewes but dropped to just 600 following last year’s difficult season. This year, however, has brought some encouragement. Lambing is progressing well, with Roger expecting a percentage of around 120 to 130 per cent. “We’ve had a very good start to the year,” he says. “Because we’ve got lower numbers, the feed supply’s been more than adequate.”
3 x 9m beams, UB 15m x 27m x 5.1m Hay Shed built for Roger Groocock in 2022. It has protect wall iron & rails bumper Bale area, traffic high front columns prevent damage in this quickly. r rainwate clears system gutter fast-flow Grant Sheds unique
For Roger Groocock, farming has never been about simply doing things the way they have always been done. It’s been about passion, curiosity and a fearless commitment to asking questions: is there a better way, what are farmers elsewhere doing, and perhaps most importantly, what happens if you try something different? This curiosity has taken the South Australian farmer around the world, earned him a Churchill Fellowship and led to decades of experimentation managing sandy soils. And at 77, his investigative mindset shows little sign of slowing down.
arable land is sand over clay and then the other area is sand more than a metre deep.” Much of Roger’s working life has been spent managing the soil on a farm his father established after a chance encounter on a train. “He had come back from England as a young fellow on his own and was travelling from Adelaide to Melbourne on the train in 1932 when he met a bank manager and they got talking about farming,” Roger says. “So, the bank manager said he had country on his books that he could show him and Dad never went any further,” said Roger. For more than two decades, the Groococks worked the land before the family was dealt a devastating blow in 1957 when Roger’s father was killed in a tractor accident. One of four children, Roger was just eight years old. The property was then managed by trustees, and worked by Roger and his brother Alan, until 1979 when Roger and Sue took over the reins as a young married couple. They spent the first five years clearing land and bringing more country into production. “When we started, it was 40 per cent cleared and the rest was scrub,” Roger says. “But we knew the key to success was getting that extra land under production.”
A second-generation farmer, Roger and his wife Sue manage just under 3000 acres north of Bordertown, producing crops 2016 15m x 22.5m x 5.4m alongside Merino sheep in 2021 15m x 45m x 5.4m an area where typical rainfall is 450mm a year. “We’re on a 2022 15m x 27m x 5.1m changing landscape,” Roger 2026 12m x 24.3m x 6m explains. “Two thirds of that
4 Great Grant Sheds For Roger
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Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Hay-Machinery Shed Hay Shed with cantilever front
FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter PHONE 1800 088 528 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au
The decision to reduce sheep numbers has also reinforced Roger’s thinking about adequate hay storage. For him, having hay at hand isn’t simply something to keep livestock fed through the next season. It’s an insurance policy.
Having Enough Hay Storage Is Like An Insurance Policy “Having enough hay for an extended period, more than two years, you can’t leave it out in the open. It’s got to be under a roof,” he says. That thinking has led to an investment in a series of Grant Sheds, which are used for hay, grain and machinery. The machinery sheds allow key equipment including the air seeder and tractor to remain hooked up and under cover, saving time and protecting valuable machinery. “With all the electronics on machines now, there’s so many joins in from one machine to another to another,” Roger says. “And all the joins, they are a risk.” But it is the soil across the farm that has occupied much of Roger’s attention for decades. About 30 to 40 years after the initial land clearing, water repellence began emerging as an issue. The solution initially involved clay spreading, with enough clay incorporated into the topsoil to allow rainfall to infiltrate rather than run off.
Clay and a
KING QUESTIONS “So, I decided, well, why not mix it in deeper or delve clay from below the shallow water repellent sand which promotes the establishment of delving?” That led him to experiment with applying more clay and incorporating it deeper into the soil profile, while considering the nutrients required to make the changed soil productive. Copper, zinc and manganese were added in, along with potassium and phosphorus. Roger’s interest eventually led to a Churchill Fellowship focused on innovative ways of improving the health and productivity of sandy soils. In 2007, he and Sue spent six weeks travelling through the United States and Europe, visiting farms, manufacturers and research centres. In South Carolina, Roger saw the spader working on sandy soils, while in the Netherlands he visited the manufacturers. In Denmark, he investigated sandy soil reclaimed from the sea, including an operation where compost had been used to build fertility and water carefully managed to keep plant roots above salty groundwater.
“When he asked me to coach him with his Churchill Fellowship, I never envisaged Roger having such an impact on Australian soils as he did with clay spreading and the Spada Ken Solly machines.” The trip also took him to England, where he visited research centres and saw the results of decades, and in some cases centuries, of soil research. “I hardly slept,” he says. “It was absolutely full bore.” Sue notes listening to Roger and the scientists he met was like watching verbal ping pong. “It was back and forth with ideas and comments, and it was amazing,” she recalls.
15m x 27m x 5.4m Machinery Shed built in 2016 & later extended. Sliding doors each end create a secure and easy drive-through shed. A 9m beam on one side provides side access when needed & a 1.2m Grain-Fertiliser lining each side creates endless uses for this shed Roger is proud to own.
to sandy soils and also developed into a business. After seeing the spaders in Europe, Roger and Sue were offered the Australian distributorship and began importing them in 2008. “We thought we’d do it for five years and see how it goes, but you know 18 years later we’re still doing it,” he says. The business has allowed Roger to meet farmers across Australia, particularly in Western Australia, and hear about their own innovations and experiences. This exchange of ideas remains as important to Roger as the machinery itself, and that curiosity was evident long before the Churchill Fellowship. Without his father to teach him, Roger says he sought out older farmers and mentors, finding people he could ask about the subjects they knew best. “I had half a dozen guys that I would talk to about a subject that I
thought they were the best,” he says. Now, the future of the Groocock farm is being considered for the next generation. The couple’s two sons and a daughter have forged careers away from the farm, and Roger says the future is likely to involve leasing the property. But that may be a while off yet. While many of his farming mates are telling him it’s time to retire, Roger still has plenty he wants to investigate, particularly around biological activity in the soil. “There’s things that I want to do with the biological side where I still want to be involved in that,” he says. “I just believe it’s going to be a really hot topic in the next phase of agriculture.” So, for the moment, succession planning can continue in the background. The passion for farming remains, the curiosity continues and there is still work to be done.
The trip reinforced the Groococks’ approach
Great Results Every Time “Great Job! Builder and crew great to have around.” “For this recent build, Steve (the builder) has done another fantastic, professional job. We are very pleased with our sheds. Steve is great to work with.” Roger Groocock
FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter PHONE 1800 088 528 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au
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Trusted Since 1952
Years 1952 - 2022
1952 - 2022
Years
We Welcome New Members To Our
GRANT SHEDS FAMILY s r ea Trusted Since 1952
Y
1952 - 2022
Joining the ranks of Respected Farmers who own a Grant Shed are the following landholders. As you can see, the “Grant Sheds Family” come from a broad geographic area. Many farmers have invested in multiple Grant Sheds and are proud to recommend us to family and friends. Key: Multiple Grant Shed owners are identified by a red asterisk *, their name in blue and the number of sheds they own is in blue brackets ( # ) Trusted Since 1952 Thank you for your ongoing faith in our sheds and your trust in the relationship you have with us. Said another way:
“We build bloody good sheds for bloody good farmers!” *Brian Hudson (2) *Roger Groocock (4)
Kym Stephenson Ben Dal Broi *Sam Dodd (2) Paul McNicol Paul Kretschmer Shane Rivett Stephen Berris *Dennis Hilder (3) *Peter Burdon (2) Peter Graetz Tony & Mary Whitehead Robert Chant Alan Twigden Quentin Willson *Nathan Todd (2) *Malcolm Smith (2) Michael & Phillip Costa *Kai Smith (4)
Tanunda Bordertown Geranium Griffith Meningie Meningie Wirrabara Avenue Range D’Estrees Bay Willippa Beachport Cambrai Millicent Millicent Bordertown Penneshaw Culburra Lucindale Swan Reach Fowlers Bay
Penong
Extension Hay Shed Hay Shed Fertiliser Shed Hay Shed Garage Machinery Shed Hay Shed Garage Lean-to Ext’n Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Hay Shed Hay Shed Hay Shed Machinery Shed 1 x Sliding Door Hay Shed Machinery Shed Garage
*Ed Neumann(5) *Will Bennett
9m x 3m x 4.2m 12m x 24.3m x 6m 12m x 18m x 5.1m 7.5m x 12m x 3m 18m x 27m x 5.5m 9m x 21m x 3m 7.5m x 18m x 3.9m 12m x 16.2m x 6m 6m x 15m x 3.6m 9m x 24m x 4.2m 7.5m x 12m x 4.2m 12m x 25.2m x 3.9m 12m x 32.4m x 6m 12m x 32.4m x 6m 12m x 24.3m x 6m 9m x 18m x 4.5m Added to shed 12m x 24m x 6m 15m x 60m x 6.3m 10.5m x 16m x 4.2m
Broadie Chandler *Broadie Chandler (2) Mark & Glenda Walter *Stephen Rover (4) *Kai Smith (5) *Kai Smith (6) *Kai Smith (7) *Simon Rowe (15) Cameron Schiller Ben Rushton David Henderson Jake Gosling *Michael Phillip Costa (2) *Scott Fraser (9) Sid Hanson *Nigel Noack (2) *Leith Eichner (2)
Mundulla Tarcowie Ceduna Ceduna Lameroo Alawoona Nundroo Nundroo Nundroo Burra Waikerie Bakara Well Glendambo Kuitpo Swan Reach Wilmington Jamestown Truro Penneshaw
Hay Shed Sliding Door Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Garage Garage Hay Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Bulk Grain Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed Machinery Shed
18m x 54m x 8.2m Added to shed 9m x 12m x 3.6m 12m x 28m x 4.5m 9m x 10.8m x 3.6m 9m x 18m x 4.2m 12m x 15m x 3.6m 12m x 24m x 4.2m 12m x 20m x 3m 12m x 21m x 3m 6m x 12m x 3.6m 12m x 14.4m x 4.2m 12m x 24.3m x 5.1m 15m x 30m x 4.2m 6m x 12m x 3.6m 20m x 48m x 6m 12m x 18m x 5.1m 7m x 14m x 3m skillion 12m x 24m x 4.2m
Glendambo
Ceduna Ced Ce C edu
Port Augusta Wudinna Lock Elliston
Peterborough
Kimba
Streaky Bay
Crystal Brook Cleve
Burra
Cowell
Cummins
If you would like the same pleasure and peace of mind, let us help you plan your new farm shed. Phone us on
Tumby Bay
Maitland
Adelaide
Minlaton Kingscote
Mildura
Kap ap Kapunda Ga G a ler Gawler
Port Lincoln
Griffith NSW
Renmark
Port Wakefield
Loxton
Murray Bridge
Pinnaroo
Ouyen
Goolwa Coonalpyn Keith
Bordertown
Naracoorte Robe M Millicent
1800 088 528
Mount Gambier
87% bought a ‘Grant’ shed due to their own past experience or the experience of someone they know and trust in their advice. P6
49% = Existing Grant Shed owners buying from us again.
38% = Referrals
from existing Grant Shed owners & people who have always known of Grant Sheds.
FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter PHONE 1800 088 528 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au
The secret lies in the unique combination of our 70 years with a culture of understanding and caring for farmers and building great sheds that you and we are proud of. Thank you for putting your trust in us to build your new Aussie-Tough shed.
Have A Loeok At Thes . Beauties..
Ideas
To Help You With Your
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READY FOR THE HAY BOOM? With bumper crops reported in most districts, now is THE time to get your hay storage in order.
Farmers know:
Unprotected hay loses quality and value within 12 months Protected hay holds quality and value for 5 years and more
Hay Shed Design
From A Respected Farmer’s Perspective With the wisdom of Rodney Lush, Keith SA 4
Size Planning
540 Bales
Span:
Popular sizes are 12m & 15m sizes in C-section framing 18m, 21m or larger in MEGA shed sizes Length: No-one ever regretted going longer than originally intended Height: Rodney opted for 6m height which was minimal additional cost but hay sheds start at 5.1m and go through to 9m height. Capacity: More farmers think that storing at least 2 years worth of hay for their livestock feed is now imperative 4
Ideal Bay Widths
3 x 8.1m wide bays is ideal for 3 bales per bay without wasting space “We wanted to have 3 bales across each bay, not lose half a bay that we couldn’t access with a tractor or a bale of hay and we didn’t want to have to be absolutely perfect with our stacking or bale size.”
12m x 24.3m x 6m Hay Shed built for Rodney Lush at Keith, SA. It has 3 x 8.1m bays, UB front columns and bale bumper rails
Why Shedding Your Hay Is So Important “We’ve been cutting hay and storing it outside for many years, with annual losses of at least 25% once we get through autumn. “We’re looking to preserve the quality of the hay so that if we have surplus after an opening break, we can sell it.” Rodney Lush, Keith SA
Some (particularly in MEGA sheds) opt to increase to 16.2m bays to reduce the number of columns & make manoeuvring tractors easier. Others prefer 9m or 12m bays particularly if intending to use as a machinery shed as well. 4 Why Strength Matters
1080 Bales
Bale Bumper Rails: Protect and avoid damage to the wall iron UB Front Columns: “My main concern was strength. I wanted strength where there is activity in and out. We’re building for the long term, so if the situation demands strength and quality, build it. That’s why we’ve built Grant Sheds.” 4 Why Grant Sheds?
“The service from Grant Sheds was excellent, always only a phone call away... the guidance, the design process, delivery & erection was terrific. The planning process, including council, all went according to plan, and then once the shed was delivered and the builders got here, I said, ‘Hi’ and ‘Bye’ in the morning and the blokes went at it and had it up in three days.”
“You see and Remember Strength & Quality Longer Than Price” Rodney Lush, Keith SA
15m x 40.5m x 6m Hay Shed built for Andrew Whitehorn, Koolunga SA. 5 x 8.1m bays, UB front columns and bale bumper rails
Hay Sheds Important This Year With huge crops across the state this year, any farmer baling hay will need on-farm, in-shed storage. Andrew Whitehorn says, “With so much paddock feed for livestock, the domestic market for hay will be low. If you leave your hay in the paddock and it reaches the 12 month mark, the market price drops dramatically. But hay that is baled right can retain it’s quality and price for 5 or more years.” Andrew Whitehorn, Koolunga SA
FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter PHONE 1800 088 528 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au
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“
COMBO SHEDS FOR
TIMES”
In these “ TIMES” there are things you can still control …
BON TIMES FREE US For S BEE R um W
hen mer 31st you or ! Octo der b y b e *T&C r ’s Ap 2026 ply
COMBO SHED #38
Future Drought Proofing … Protecting Your Valuable Equipment … On-Farm Fertiliser & Crop Storage (Grain, Hay, Almonds etc) ...
PLUS order by 31/10/26 to:
• Lock in today’s shed prices • Get higher up the build queue & • Enjoy “FREE BEER for Summer”
I ordered Chinese takeaway last night
As I got in the car, I heard the d saw a bag rustle. So I looked over an of the pair of eyes looking out the top inside. ck bag at me, then disappear ba . I was so I looked over and saw it again back scared I nearly shit myself. I ran d asked into the shop with the bag an going on. the server what the heck was It’s They said, “no need to worry. Peeking Duck!”
Sitting at a cafe, I decided to give the remainder of my pastry to two pigeons. I smiled when I realised that I had filled two birds with one scone.
Outrigger Frames
Allow you to open the full end of your shed for widest access 15m x 36m x 6.3m Drive-Through Machinery Shed with rolleasy sliding doors and outriggers each end. The doors roll out & onto the external outrigger frames to allow the ends of the shed to be fully open. Daniel Weckert, Brinkworth
Banter from the Back Paddock
Where classic Aussie sayin
gs meet questionable life
advice If you’ve ever stood aro und a ute tray, worksho p bench or pub bar long enough, you’ll know we Aussies have a language all ou r own. Some sayings ma ke sense. Some absolutely don’t . All of them deserve pre serving. Here’s this month’s pa ddock approved bante r.
“He’s got a head like a droppe d
pie
.” Context: When someone’s not exactly blessed in the looks department (use only with mates... and not your spouse!) “She’ll be right!”
Context: When something is mil but you’re choosing optimism dly concerning over effort. Example: Baling twine holdin g the gate shut? “She’ll be right.”
“Couldn’t organise a root in a
br
othel.” Context: Hopelessly disorg anised Example: Use carefully. De finitely pub use only. Got a cracker Aussie saying
yourself
? Email it through. If it makes us laugh, it mi ght make the next editio n. Email: info@grantsheds.com .au
GRANT SHEDS PO Box 29 Monash SA 5342 Email: info@grantsheds.com.au © Copyright New Horizons (SA) Pty Ltd, Trading as “Grant Sheds” No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. This newsletter is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering any legal or professional advice of any kind. The publisher disclaims any personal liability for the information, advice, recommendations and/or strategies presented within. It is up to the reader to comply with any local, state or federal laws.
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FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter PHONE 1800 088 528 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au