SEPWA

SEPWA SEPWA was established in 1993 to represent wheat growers in the Esperance Port Zone.

🌾 Getting ready for harvest?EFOM’s final session for 2026 is focused on some of the practical people, safety and farm-of...
26/08/2026

🌾 Getting ready for harvest?

EFOM’s final session for 2026 is focused on some of the practical people, safety and farm-office issues that come into sharper focus as harvest approaches.

Please join us on Tuesday 8 September, 9.30 am–1.30 pm at the Esperance Civic Centre.

The morning will include:

Farm safety without the overwhelm
Stephen (Steve) Filetti and Lorraine Filetti from RuralWise will work through a practical approach to farm safety and the important role the farm office can play in keeping safety information, processes and records organised and usable.

What happens when WorkSafe visits the farm?
Grass Patch grower John Sanderson and Condingup grower Kris Perks will share their experiences of WorkSafe educational audits earlier this year — including what was looked at and what they learnt from the process.

Harvest safety: training people for the job
Troy Smith from Real Skills Ag Training will look at practical ways to build safety into machinery and operator training, including how short training videos can help provide clear and consistent instructions.

Visa delays affecting skilled casual staff for harvest
Esperance grain grower Mic Fels will open a discussion on the challenges farm businesses are facing this year in securing skilled seasonal staff, including delays being experienced with visa processing.

There will also be time for Q&A with the speakers and an opportunity to help shape the EFOM program for 2027.

We’ll finish with a light lunch and informal conversation about harvest meals — sharing how different farm businesses approach keeping everyone fed through harvest

🌾 A full day of paddock discussionSEPWA’s Condingup–Beaumont Field Day is on Friday 11 September, with a full day of tri...
24/08/2026

🌾 A full day of paddock discussion

SEPWA’s Condingup–Beaumont Field Day is on Friday 11 September, with a full day of trials, crop discussion and practical experience from across the district.

Starting at Condingup and working through to Beaumont, the day will take in topics including:

• a local grower’s experience purchasing Chinese tractors
• early-sown winter and spring wheat, barley, lentils and oats
• SEPWA’s GRDC N Banking vs N Demand trial – two years on
• SEPWA’s GRDC Milling Oat Variety & Agronomy Trials
• SEPWA wheat varieties and discussion on declining wheat hectares
• Syngenta’s Victrato as a crown rot control option
• field pea NEM inoculant options
• TT canola varieties and fungal disease management
• CBH On-Farm Trials.

We’ll finish at Beaumont Hall with a BBQ provided by Rabobank.

đź“… Friday 11 September 2026
⏰ From 9.00 am
đź“Ť Starting at Kyarra Farming, Meyer Road, Condingup

See the flyer for the full program and field day locations.

This field day is proudly supported by SEPWA, Viridis Ag and Rabobank.

🌾 September field days are coming upSeptember will be an interesting month across the Esperance Port Zone, with SEPWA an...
19/08/2026

🌾 September field days are coming up

September will be an interesting month across the Esperance Port Zone, with SEPWA and our collaborating partners bringing together a series of field days, field walks and practical sessions.

For now, here are the dates to put in your diary:
8 September – EFOM Session: Harvest Safety – What’s Working?
9 September – RAIN Field Day
10 September – DPIRD EDRS Spring Field Walk
11 September – Condy–Beaumont Field Day
18 September – Grass Patch Field Walk
21 September – Cascade GRDC Harvest Setup Workshop
23 September – NMFIG Field Day

We’ll be sharing individual event details and agendas over the coming weeks.

🦺 Harvest safety: what’s working?EFOM’s final session for 2026 is coming up on Tuesday 8 September, with a practical dis...
18/08/2026

🦺 Harvest safety: what’s working?

EFOM’s final session for 2026 is coming up on Tuesday 8 September, with a practical discussion focused on preparing for harvest.

The session will look at:
• safety compliance on farm – what’s working
• how this year’s WorkSafe audits went
• what should be on the agenda as harvest preparations get underway.

It’s a good opportunity to hear what others are doing, ask questions and make sure farm safety preparations are on track before harvest.

đź’» Catch up on AI in the farm office

If you missed Dimity Smith from GRO Events at EFOM’s July session – or would like to revisit her presentation – the full two-hour Zoom recording is now available in the EFOM resources section of the SEPWA website.

Using real-world examples, Dimity explored how AI platforms such as Claude and ChatGPT can be used in the farm office, including opportunities to automate tasks and save time and costs, alongside some of the limitations and important considerations around financial information and data security.

👉 Watch the recording by logging in to the EFOM resources page https://sepwa.org.au/efom/

11/08/2026

Growing innovation, together. 🌱

The Chris Reichstein Initiative is supporting grower-led innovation across the Esperance Port Zone by connecting growers with expert knowledge at the moments it matters most.

Designed to support practical, locally relevant opportunities, the initiative helps growers explore new ideas and optimise existing practices, while sharing valuable learnings across the region.

Funded by bequest funds from the Mt Burdett Foundation and SEPWA, and managed by SEPWA, the initiative honours Chris Reichstein’s lasting commitment to growers, practical progress and the future of agriculture.

Learn more about how the initiative is supporting innovation in our region.

🗂️ Tomorrow: help in the farm officePlease join us tomorrow for Help in the Farm Office, the second session in EFOM’s 20...
27/07/2026

🗂️ Tomorrow: help in the farm office

Please join us tomorrow for Help in the Farm Office, the second session in EFOM’s 2026 series.

The session will bring together practical examples from people working through different ways to manage the farm office role, including using AI to improve efficiency, engaging a personal assistant, sharing the role within a farming partnership, working effectively with a bookkeeper, and bringing the next generation into the office.

Agenda

How is AI being used in the farm office and where is its main potential?
Dimity Smith, GRO Events

Why a personal assistant was the best fit for my farm office management
Lisa Jeitz

Sharing the role — how a farming family is navigating the office in a partnership
Emma and Megan Graham

How I work with a bookkeeper and why it works
Jane Wandel

Handing over the farm office — bringing the next generation in
Jan Biven

EFOM sessions are designed to support the people managing farm business administration across the Esperance Port Zone, with practical discussion, shared experience and useful tools.

Tuesday 28 July
9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Esperance Civic Centre

We hope to see you there.

🌾 Could crop stubble play a role in WA’s fuel future?DPIRD and Curtin University are inviting farmers in the Esperance a...
23/07/2026

🌾 Could crop stubble play a role in WA’s fuel future?

DPIRD and Curtin University are inviting farmers in the Esperance and Ravensthorpe regions to share how they currently manage crop stubble and their views on its potential role in renewable fuels.

The confidential survey takes around 10–15 minutes, and the findings will help inform WA’s Advanced Biofuels Strategy.

This is an opportunity for local growers to help shape how crop stubble is considered and valued in future industries.

Start the survey:
https://curtin.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5tF4yBcZ1xl1NMW

Participation is voluntary, and respondents can skip any question.

🗂️ Need help in the farm office?Please join us next Tuesday for EFOM’s next practical farm office session, Help in the F...
22/07/2026

🗂️ Need help in the farm office?

Please join us next Tuesday for EFOM’s next practical farm office session, Help in the Farm Office, the second session in EFOM’s 2026 series.

This session will focus on practical ways to manage the farm office role, including how AI is being used, where a personal assistant or bookkeeper can fit, how families are sharing the role, and how the next generation can be brought into the office over time.

Agenda

How is AI being used in the farm office and where is its main potential?
Dimity Smith, GRO Events

Why a personal assistant was the best fit for my farm office management
Lisa Jeitz

Sharing the role — how a farming family is navigating the office in a partnership
Emma and Megan Graham

How I work with a bookkeeper and why it works
Jane Wandel

Handing over the farm office — bringing the next generation in
Jan Biven

EFOM sessions are designed to support the people managing farm business administration across the Esperance Port Zone, with practical discussion, shared experience and useful tools that can be taken back into the business.

Tuesday 28 July
9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Esperance Civic Centre

We hope to see you there.

🌼 WA grows the canola. Could we also capture more of the value?Western Australia produces millions of tonnes of canola e...
19/07/2026

🌼 WA grows the canola. Could we also capture more of the value?

Western Australia produces millions of tonnes of canola each year, yet only around 60,000 tonnes are currently crushed within the state. Most is exported as raw seed, with much of its value added overseas.

With governments placing renewed focus on fuel security and several major canola crushing projects being investigated in WA, could that begin to change?

Our latest SEPWA Newsletter explores:
• why interest in canola crushing is growing
• the major projects proposed for WA
• how renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel fit into the picture
• what it would take for more of WA's canola to be processed here at home.

The opportunity is promising, but it is still emerging. The article examines both the opportunities and the challenges that will determine whether these projects become reality.

đź“– Read the full article in the latest SEPWA Newsletter: https://sepwa.org.au/newsletter-autumn-2026/

📅 Please join us for EFOM’s next practical farm office session.The second session in EFOM’s 2026 series, Help in the Far...
16/07/2026

📅 Please join us for EFOM’s next practical farm office session.

The second session in EFOM’s 2026 series, Help in the Farm Office, will be held on Tuesday 28 July at the Esperance Civic Centre.

This session will focus on practical ways to manage the farm office role, including where AI may help, how outside support can fit into the farm business, how families are sharing the role, and how the next generation can be brought into the farm office over time.

The agenda includes:

How AI is being used in the farm office and where its main potential lies - Dimity Smith, GRO Events

Why a personal assistant was the best fit for my farm office management - Lisa Yeitz

Sharing the role — how a farming family is navigating the office in a partnership - Emma and Megan Graham

How I work with a bookkeeper and why it works
Jane Wandel

Handing over the farm office — bringing the next generation in - Jan Biven

EFOM sessions are designed to support the people managing the farm office across the Esperance Port Zone, with practical discussion, shared experience and useful tools that can be taken back into the business.

We hope to see you there.

Date: Tuesday 28 July
Time: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Esperance Civic Centre

Address

Melijinup Road
Esperance, WA
6450

Telephone

9083 1125

Website

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