EP Ag Chats - RiskWi$e Podcast: Season update 2026 - Grower reflections with Paul Schaefer

In this RiskWi$e episode, Jake Giles speaks with Paul Schaefer, a farmer near Pinkawillinie west of Kimba, about the unusually strong start to the 2026 season. Paul describes near-ideal conditions, with early rain building subsoil moisture, good April sowing conditions, and follow-up rain in May. He started sowing in mid-April and deliberately stretched the program to manage risk, especially on sandier country. While he expects an above-average season, he avoids setting a firm yield target because conditions on the Upper Eyre Peninsula can still change quickly. The discussion focuses heavily on fertiliser, nitrogen, sulfur, and seasonal risk. Paul has applied the fertiliser already on farm, prioritising lentil stubbles, cereal stubbles, and higher-potential medic country, while keeping profitability in mind given high input costs and uncertain commodity prices. He reflects on 2022, when crops yielded more than expected for the nitrogen applied, and hopes stored or mineralised nitrogen may again support yield this season. The biggest risk he identifies is frost, because it can cause major losses overnight, followed by the possibility of a hot, dry finish. Despite those risks, Paul is optimistic and interested to see what the farm can produce in what he describes as uncharted rainfall territory. * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.