Agriculture
Patient Pop hands over header reins

BRINEY Wright is back hanging out with her pop as they strip grain in paddocks around Bridgewater and Arnold.
The Longerenong Agricultural College student arrived at the farm to drive the header over crops as  grandfather John tackles his 56th harvest.
The Wright family has been farming in the area for 170 years and John had has first paddock as a 13-year-old.
Fifth generation Briney has been hanging around harvest since she was even younger.
The love of farm life started sitting on John’s knee as he drove harvest machinery.
Now, John leaves the long hours of driving to Briney. 
“I’ve been hanging out with pop since I was little,” she said.
“I started shifting trucks and bins and water carts when I was 14 ... and loading B-Doubles.
“Pop’s a good teacher and a patient teacher.
“You could say our roles have swapped around the last couple of years.”
Briney, who turned 18 last week, said it was important to be aware when driving headers.
“And you have to make sure there’s food to eat and also that you drink plenty of water,” Briney said.
And being in the cabin for up to 13 hours, music is helping harvest the crop that John says is averaging up to four tonne a hectare.
“There’s the radio hooked up to bluetooth for good bops ... Taylor Swift and (Canadian pop band) The Weekend,” Briney said.
From the sidelines, John still has wisdom and advice for his grand-daughter eyeing a career in agriculture.
“Don’t leave any soldiers,” he says, making sure every stalk goes through the harvester’s blades.
And he says Briney is on top of the task. “She’s more patient than me.”
John says no two harvests are the same with October’s rains putting work on the headers behind by two or three weeks.
“And the crops would have been yielding better if not for the rain a couple of weeks ago,” he said.
When he first tried his hand, if there was around 10 bags an acre, that was a good return. That was in the days when grain was shovelled into large bags, not the augers and truck bins used today.
“They were heavy things to lift for a 13-year-old,” he said
“The yield is double that now ... different techniques have helped with higher yields,” said John who has been direct-drilling for 25 years.
Briney’s keen on driving the header each harvest but is also eyeing a possible career in wool buying after industry placement over the past eight weeks. She had been encouraged by Longerenong teachers to explore the wool industry and spent time with buyers in Melbourne and also the Australian Wool Testing Authority.
“In Melbourne I was stuck in an office ... I’d much rather be in the field,” she said. “Melbourne wasn’t for me.”
Briney also gained experience as a shearer during her first year at Longenong.
 

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