Hart Field Day

What's the Hart Field Day all about?

Our main Field Day held in September each year attracts hundreds of visitors from all over the Mid North, South Australia and interstate. With a rolling program of half hour sessions conducted simultaneously throughout the day, highly regarded specialists speak at each trial, backed up by a comprehensive take-home Field Day Book included in your entry fee. Tailor your own program for the day to hear about the trials that most interest you.

In addition to our extensive trials, our Field Day also features a marquee of cropping and agribusiness related displays and a lunch and refreshments marquee.

Plenty of parking; buses and group bookings welcome.

On-site catering available.

Hart, where good farmers gather
Why visit Hart?
Hear from us and other growers in this short video

2023 HART FIELD DAY
September 19

The annual Hart Field Day is almost here!

Our team have put together a diverse program covering a wide range of topics (20 in total) and have secured some outstanding guest speakers to present at every session, in fact, we have more than 30 of them.

As a result, this event is some of the best value for money you'll find.

Click on the images below to download our field program, site map and list of sessions and guest speakers.

Let us help you get the best value you can out of the day - click here for all our HOT TIPS!

The Day's Proceedings

There’ll be coffee and food to purchase throughout the day, starting with some delicious bacon and egg rolls from 9am and finishing with a bar & BBQ from 3:30pm, all brought to you from some fantastic local sporting clubs and businesses.

Coffee, Food, Bar & BBQ

You’ll be able to check out plenty of machinery on display from our Platinum and Event sponsors, Rocky River Ag Services all day, plus an impressive gathering of Hart sponsors and industry representatives in the main marquee who will be on hand to share their expertise. Watch out for a couple of great giveaways, too!

Machinery and other displays at the Hart Field Day

In the media...

UNDERSTANDING RISK MANAGEMENT ON THE FARM
September 6, 2023

When making big decisions on the farm, there are some definite strategies to make the process easier, that is the word from farm management consultant, coach and facilitator Danielle Lannin England (pictured).

Danielle will be among the session presenters at the Hart Field Day on Tuesday, September 19, where she will give an insight into factors to consider when making important decisions.

“When we talk about risk in agriculture, we often think about production risk, and while that is a key risk, there are other risks around personal and social factors that we need to manage as professional farm business owners,” Danielle said.

“Part of it is getting your head around managing risk because we will never eliminate risk, but you can manage it.

“Let’s face it, there is no reward without risk.”

At the Hart Field Day, Danielle will share her top three tips for managing risk, including:

- Having production and financial plans in place.

- Having a team of advisors around you to support you in decision making.

- Knowing where you want to go in your farming career, and being confident in yourself and the decisions you make. Read the full story here...

DRY SEEDING TRIAL GIVES EARLY INSIGHT INTO IMPACT OF SOIL MOISTURE ON WHEAT AND CANOLA
August 30, 2023

With bigger farms to crop and drier autumns, dry seeding is becoming more common on Australian farms.

As a result, the impact of dry sowing on wheat and canola plant establishment and yield is being put under the microscope in a series of trials being undertaken in South Australia, including one at the Hart trial site.

Early observations of the trial will be the talking point for University of Adelaide associate professor Dr Glenn McDonald and Hart Field-Site Group researcher Kaidy Morgan (pictured together below right) at the Hart Field Day on Tuesday, September 19.

Dr McDonald said the trials aimed to give some clear data to assist farmers make decisions and weigh up the ‘risk and reward’ of dry sowing.

“People talk about controlling depths of sowing to help improve establishment under dry conditions, or farmers may increase their sowing rate to compensate for the expected poorer emergence,” he said.

“But through this trial, we’re trying to put numbers on some of those risk management strategies.” Read the full story here...

DIGGING INTO THE 'HART' OF DECISION MAKING - BALANCING RISK AND REWARD ON FARM
August 23, 2023

Balancing risk and reward on-farm is something most farmers do regularly.

Whether they stop to think about it or not, it is most likely underpinning most decisions they make every day.

‘Risk and reward’ is the theme of this year’s Hart Field Day on Tuesday, September 19, and Hart executive officer Sandy Kimber (pictured) says the group is challenging farmers to consider their own decision-making strategies.

“Farmers are balancing risk and reward all the time, sometimes without even realising it,” she said.

“Weighing downside risk with upside reward can be quite straight forward, but sometimes it’s complex, particularly as the number of variables or unknowns increase.

“At this year’s event, we’re encouraging farmers to consider their own risky decision-making strategies at all of our session topics, whether it be variety selection, time of sowing decisions, nitrogen and chemical applications and timing, or others.” Read the full story here...

More Hart Field Day info to come soon!

Hart Field Day enquiries:
Sandy Kimber | Executive Officer | admin@hartfieldsite.org.au | 0427 423 154

2022 HART FIELD DAY
September 20

Celebrating 40 years of Hart!

The wrap up...

HART CONTINUES 40-YEAR SUCCESS STORY

It was a milestone, 40 years of the Hart Field Day last Tuesday.

And with loads of nostalgia and plenty of optimism for a bountiful harvest, about 550 visitors gathered across the trial site to hear the very latest research and trials information, all based on a successful format that has truly stood the test of time.

Since its humble beginnings in 1982 on the property of the late Kevin Jaeschke who passed away earlier this year, the Hart Field Day – or Hart as it is affectionately known – has cemented itself as one of the leading agronomy field days in the country.

Hart planted the seed for a number of similar events that have since formed across Australia, and the success of the 2022 Hart Field Day showed it remains relevant to growers still today.

Hart Field-Site Group chair Andre Sabeeney said a highlight of the field day was hearing attendees reflect on the changes in agriculture over the past four decades, and the chance to look over some of the historical trials still going at the site today.

“There were a number of nostalgic conversations especially when attendees could look over some of the older crop varieties, and it was just fantastic to see the smiles on their faces as they wandered through,” he said. Read the full story

What was on offer...

The Day's Proceedings

Field Program
Sessions & Speakers
Site Map

On-site coffee, food, drinks & bar facilities

Hot tips - get the most out of your day at Hart

In the media...

GETTING TO THE 'HART' OF BARLEY HEAD LOSS

Head loss remains one of the top three traits barley researchers and breeders would like to see a genetic solution for, but in the meantime, there are a number of factors growers can consider to reduce the risk.

That’s the word from University of Adelaide associate professor Matthew Tucker (pictured) who will be presenting as part of the Hart Field Day rolling program on Tuesday, September 20.

Matthew and his team, in collaboration with Dr Kenton Porker at FAR (Field Applied Research) Australia and Dr Rhiannon Schilling at SARDI, have been undertaking eight South Australian Grains Industry Trust-funded field trials across South Australia, focussed on head loss in barley.

Their findings show that cultivar (variety) choice, historical observations and harvest-time factors, including the fire danger index, all provide useful indicators about the risk of head loss. Read the full story

HART CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF FARMER-LED GRAINS RESEARCH

It is hard to imagine a group initiated four decades ago with the idea of advancing agronomy research in the field and hosting an event to share the findings, could be still relevant today.

But that is exactly the case for the Hart Field-Site Group – Hart as it has become affectionately known – which this year celebrates its 40th year.

Hart has cemented itself as one of the leading agronomy field days in the country, has been the inspiration for many other now well-known groups who have modelled themselves on its successful formula, and remains relevant and important to growers and agriculture as a whole.

It was from humble beginnings in 1982 on the property of Kevin Jaeschke and his son Michael that Hart was born.

Kevin passed away earlier this year, but much of the success of the Hart group and its annual field day and associated events was a result of his infectious passion for advancing agriculture in the Mid North. Read the full story

HUGE FIELD DAY PROGRAM AS HART CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF LEADING TRIALS RESEARCH

In its milestone 40th year, the Hart Field Day returns on Tuesday, September 20, with a huge program showing exactly why it has cemented itself as the leading agronomy field day in Australia over four decades.

An extensive rolling program, with leading researchers and industry professionals will give visitors an insight into the latest trials research and results all right there, in the field.

Lunchtime speakers will be Dr Allan Mayfield and Dr Andy Barr looking back over the 40 year evolution of the Hart Field-Site Group and key game changers in agriculture, taking us back to the very roots of Hart and its beginnings.

Hart’s first ever trial undertaken in 1982, focussed on herbicide tolerances to medic pastures. These herbicide tolerance trials have remained on the program ever since, and will feature as a highlight of the 2022 event, having now grown to include up to 50 herbicides and 17 varieties across 11 crop types. Read the full story