The first winter crop since 2016 in the Garah district, north of Moree and west of the Newell Highway, is on the receiving end of a very long fallow.
In places it's the best ever with chickpea bushes planted mid June now flush with pods. There's waist high barley turning golden and the wind whispers through the awns.
Stafford Burey and his cousin Richard farm 6000 hectares on the family property Rosedale partner on a neighbouring black soil farm with Dick and Elaine Browning.
This season's rotation includes Commander malt and Moby forage barley varieties to come off in mid October with predicted yields at this stage being three to five tonnes a hectare.
There's Lancer variety wheat, which will come off in November and Hatrick chickpeas after that with all grain sent for storage in either Moree or Goondiwindi with AWB/Cargill, Manildra or CHS Broadbent.
A 550ha paddock of Durum variety has been planted on the understanding of its susceptibility to black tip during a wet finish.
Oaten hay, cut green and milky, has already yielded "crazy" well, with 730 big square bales, 600kg each, coming off 47ha.
To capitalise on the commodity Stafford has sourced low interest government loans to build five hay sheds for sensible storage.
Two new big square balers purchased in the last year, along with another self propelled windrower have assisted with the demands of contracting, which has kept the farm afloat during recent lean seasons.
There are faba beans, too, which make excellent feed for the 1000 sheep remaining on farm.
"I'd like to get 5000 more after the harvest as non-selective herbicide but the price for ewes is so high."
Getting all this crop out of the paddock and into safe storage, however, will involve critical planning and quick decisions.
Now that the race is on to secure a harvest as the forecast for a wet start to summer begins to look ominous.
"Moree really needs this harvest," says Stafford.
The investment in equipment has been marked with a new red header bringing to four the number available on farm.
To keep grain away from the busy machines there are two bagging machines and a dozen 100m bags to complement a 150t mother bin.
"The bags are only a temporary measure," says Stafford.
"I believe trucks will be hard to get. Our main focus is to keep the headers going, ours plus contractors.
"It needs to be zoom, zoom, zoom because mother nature can be cruel.
"It's happened before and we can't afford to have a crop that downgraded."
