Brigalow wheat harvest underway while barley is baled as silage and hay

The partnership planted earlier than they would have liked due to good moisture, while taking the risk on possible frost damage late in the growing season.

The barley was planted from Anzac Day onwards, while the wheat was planted from early through to the middle of May.

According to Greg Dalgliesh, prior to the March rainfall the seasonal outlook was terrible, however the moisture certainly gave them some optimism.

The partnership selected the Compass and Planet barley varieties which started the growing season as a "standout" crop and was looking good.

For their wheat planting, they chose the newer Pacific Seeds Reliant wheat variety along with Borlaug 100 and Lancer varieties. Greg said they were impressed with the Reliant variety and the only challenge growing it was the lack of rain.

The winter harvest is drawing to an end for the family after their wheat and barley only received 11mm of in-crop rain in early June.

The Dalglieshes decided rather than run out of moisture and not see their barley crop to the finish line, they would cut their losses and bale it for silage and hay.

Greg said that although traditionally they are grain farmers and liked to leave ground stubble, due to the season, silage and baling their barley was the way to go.

Their returns from their silage crop yielded 16 tonne/hectare which the family sold directly to the feedlots for $120/tonne.

"We were happy with this result, as we no longer had the pressure or stress on waiting to receive storm rains to finish the crop through to the final stage," Greg said.

The balance of the crop was baled, producing 13 bales/hectare which the partnership advertised through their Facebook and signage at the property's entrance.

"We started selling the bales for $500/tonne while there was the demand, and then dropped back to $450/tonne," he said.

The family is now nearing completion of harvesting their wheat varieties which are yielding 1.6 tonne per hectare.

They entered their Reliant variety in a Pacific Seeds competition which they won, being judged as the most impressive crop in such drought-difficult times.

In a normal season, the family would forward sell 60 per cent of their crop but this year they held back and only starting marketing their crop once the harvest began.

They have sold into the domestic market for $410/tonne to Horizon Commodities, Dalby.

Greg said now they are in their final stages of harvesting, it had been straightforward as there was no pressure applied for yield.

"The only storm rain received through the harvest was less than 10mm," he said.

If there is a seasonal break, the family will look to plant 1200ha of sorghum.

"It really is our bread and butter crop, and in a half decent year we can yield up to 5 tonnes per hectare," he said.

In addition to farming, the Dalgieshes run 30 Droughtmaster breeders with an Angus bull on their creek country.

Once the calves are weaned, they are finished on oats and when they reach 500 to 600 kilograms live weight are sold at the Dalby Saleyards.

Due to the earlier March storm rain, they still have a run in their stock dams.

Greg said his parents bought their 2024 hectare farming country more than 60 years ago. It includes some country that had been held by his mother's family.