Leeswood

Luke Whiteley operates the irrigation machinery at Leeswood in Meander, Tasmania. He has been operating RM’s since 2015 alongside his father who has been using the RM’s for over a decade. Leeswood is a sheep and cattle farm producing beef and lamb to be sold into local and mainland market. Their irrigation system supplements the rainwater available in the fertile Meander Valley, allowing them to run greater levels of stock and safeguarding their income against dry seasons.

Tell us about your operation: 

We run a sheep and cattle farm with 1300 Coopworth breeder ewes and 90 breeder Angus Hereford cattle. We buy a few store lambs in here and there try to turn over about 2500 lambs a year. 

How and why do you irrigate? 

We irrigate to grow pastures and fodder crops to fatten our lambs and cattle. We also irrigate to make our hay silage. It depends what the season is like sometimes we will be irrigating from October through to March, however, sometimes we only irrigate through December and January.   We irrigate with RM hard hose irrigators; we own 3 of them now. We operate them 70m apart because the spray is about 35m. We irrigate of a night because there is less wind and off peak energy is available. 

How do you get on with the RM’s? 

RMs are really easy to use, they are an excellent machine! Very simple computers to operate, the older generation can use them easily. So very good machine to use. The RMs help us a lot especially now we own three of them. We can run so much more stock as we are irrigating so much more compared to what we did before we had them. So very good investment! 

Have you had any issues with the RM’s?

No issues at all only wear and tear, we have had them for 12 years and own 3 now, excellent machine hardly any maintenance to do on them. 

How are Agline and RM to deal with?

Dealing with Agline and RM, excellent to deal with. I have really only been dealing with them for the last year or so, but my father has been dealing with them for 12 years. Excellent to deal with! You ring up want parts, not a problem to get them, even if it is from overseas. Very, very good service so we will be definitely going with them again.