This long-standing community event continues the tradition started by the late John Sykes and provides an opportunity for farmers to review the previous season and identify key issues impacting grain and mixed farm businesses in 2026.
Riverine Plains extension and capacity building manager Lynn Macaulay said that in keeping with the informal feel to the day, this year’s discussions would be audience-led, offering attendees an opportunity to discuss specific areas of interest to support their decisions in the upcoming year and beyond.
“Sykesy’s Buraja meeting is a unique and highly regarded event that allows farmers to work through challenges from the previous season and to hear what’s working — and what’s not — on neighbouring farms and in local trials.
“There are always new insights and experiences shared on the day, opening up opportunities for farmers to explore potential changes to their operations, for increased efficiency and profitability,” she said.
The day will start with the traditional harvest debrief, facilitated by Chris Minehan from Rural Management Strategies, which will tease out the highs and lows from the 2025 season. This discussion will uncover which varieties performed, which inputs made the difference, any rotational differences, as well as the benefits of a systems-wide approach to input use and variable cost control.
Soil moisture profiles are currently low across the region and Agriculture Victoria’s Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Boyd will discuss the key learnings from local soil moisture probes in 2025, including what farmers can do in 2026 to optimise soil moisture.
Dr Felicity Harris, senior lecturer in crop science at Charles Sturt University, will address how to stay on top of barley yield scenarios based on soil moisture and rainfall. She’ll be covering the benefits of varietal spread on maturity and other agronomic management practices to optimise yield.
There will also be a panel session featuring founder and managing director of Feed Central Tim Ford, AGnVET agronomist Nick Grant, Dale Boyd and Felicity Harris.
Buying and selling hay based on quality, finding the right hay market and clients, and cropping inputs for maximum results are some of the key areas for discussion during this session.
Sykesy’s Buraja meeting will be held on Wednesday February 4, at the Buraja Recreational Ground Hall, from 8.30am-1.30pm, with a complimentary barbecue lunch included.
For more information, and to RSVP, visit riverineplains.org.au/events/sykesys-buraja-meeting
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