Practicing what you preach

As a qualified agronomist, he knew all the answers weren't necessarily in the books but in hands-on farm experience.

So he made the decision last year to join his brother Terry and father Lindsay to farm full-time on their 4000 hectare 'Terrabulla' property north of Karlgarin, plus another 3000ha of recently leased land.

He had always wanted to go back to the family farm, but like many young farmers coming through the ranks, he didn't want to return empty-handed.

"I thought I would always come back to farming but I didn't want to come back with nothing to offer," Kelly said.

"I had to bring back something to benefit the farm so I studied agricultural science.

"But then I also didn't want to spend four years at uni and not use it, so I went out and got some practical experience too."

After completing his studies at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2008, Kelly moved to Merredin where he worked as a Landmark graduate agronomist for two years.

Then the opportunity presented itself in November 2010 to move to Cunderdin and manage a new DKT branch opening up, allowing him to remain involved with Landmark agronomy and merchandise.

It was a job Kelly thoroughly enjoyed but eventually he felt it was time to put his knowledge to the test and return home.

"I wanted to put into practice everything I was telling other people to do," Kelly said.

"Not many young people can just be a farmer these days, they have to have a cash flow off-farm too."

Which was why Kelly is continuing to work as an agronomist with a mixture of private clients and local store work to keep his eye in with the industry.

When asked why he decided to return to the farm in what turned out to be an average year in the region, Kelly was unperturbed.

"I definitely have confidence in farming," he said.

"I just see so much potential.

"I know what we can grow with all our technology and how farming businesses can be sustainable.

"We've become so efficient at rearing livestock and growing grain, but we just need a good run from the outside factors like good rains and better prices."

In 2012 the James family cropped 3000ha of wheat, barley, canola and oats and finished with a below average cropping year.

They were also kept busy with their leased 450ha property in Collie for their livestock operation, which is home to about 370 Hereford-Simmental cows.

The yearlings produced at Collie were brought back to the James' 450-head on-property feedlot in Karlgarin, where they are usually fed mixed grain from January through to July.

If the cattle prices are good, the James' also buy in cattle for the feedlot to beef up their income.

Sheep also share the paddocks with about 2000 Merino ewes - 1500 are mated to Merino rams while the remaining 500 are joined with White Suffolks for prime lamb production.

"We used to do a lot more crossbreeding, but at the time we didn't really think it was worth our while and went back to mainly Merinos," Kelly said.

"But since all the uncertainty around the live export market we thought we should diversify a bit more.

"Live export put a base in the market, especially for wethers, but it won't affect us a hell of a lot because it's not a huge part of our operation."

Kelly admitted he was more concerned with what's in the ground rather than what's roaming it, as he was focused on the cropping side of the business.

But he admitted that stock had a role to play in their operation particularly in the dry seasons

He also pays close attention to the state of the agricultural industry and believes farmers need at least two successive years of average rainfall and prices, to allow the industry to recover.

"I think the industry needs to let those who want to get out, get out on their own terms," Kelly said.

"There are a certain percentage of farmers that don't want to keep farming or don't have the means to keep going.

"They want to get out but the price has to be good for them to do it.

"We need at least two good years to allow that to happen and the cash to start flowing again."