High performance spring 2017

HIGH Performance MAGAZINE

2017 Spring

Spring 2017

Contact details

Contents Welcome

3

Leanne Jackson has the ‘JDNA’

4

Recruiting the best of the best - Matt Duffy

6

George the Farmer

8

European tour

10

Take your accuracy to the next level

12

Growing role of data in agriculture

14

Meet the Enforcer

16

Stores update

18

For all editorial and advertising enquiries, contact: Michael Casey

Group Marketing Manager michael.casey@ hutcheonandpearce.com.au

Spring 2017

Welcome!

My thanks and congratulations to everyone involved in the planning and running of the event this year and well done to all H&P management and staff for making the special effort to attend.

Welcome to the 2017 Spring edition of High Performance Magazine.

In this edition of HP Magazine, you’ll meet our resident ‘TOP GUN’ and HR mentor, Matt Duffy, take a tour of Europe with our After Market Service team, catch up on the latest in store openings and H&P changes, and learn what it means to have the JDNA when we talk with Murrami farmer, Leanne Jackson.

What a big quarter and a great finish to the financial year!

It’s good to see all the summer crops are off – rice farmers have wrapped up another successful harvest and the cotton pick is completed and ground-ready for another big crop next year.

It’s also great to see our dryland customers have now successfully put their crops in the ground and, while it’s been a bit dry, things are looking to be well on track.

At Hutcheon & Pearce, it’s been a fantastic period of growth – both organically and through some recent acquisitions – and to be honest, I’m not sure I’ve seen it quite so buoyant.

We’re always looking for ways to contribute to our communities above and beyond the products and services we offer and I can think of many individual and group efforts we are making, such as our support for Ronald McDonald House and Country Hope.

Of course, with increased machine sales comes the increased need to stay true to the support we provide for the equipment we sell. This requires extra efforts to fill capacity in the workshops and respond to the increase in service required.

Another great source of pride is the JDNA blood drive.

I am really pleased to report that in 18 months we have reached our goal of saving 1000 lives and having passed the halfway mark this year, we’re well on track to saving another 1000 lives.

Luckily, providing excellent customer service has been a hot topic for us this past quarter. It was also the theme at this year’s Annual Employee Meeting (AEM) in Wagga Wagga in August where guest speaker Tom O’Toole of Beechworth Bakery shared his unique point of view on the customer experience.

To understand the impact this type of donation can have, take a minute to read Xavier Higgins’ story in this edition – I think it’ll have you joining us at the blood bank in no time.

Having some 250 employees gather in the one venue for a full-day meeting is a big undertaking but also a really valuable one. The AEM is a chance for everyone to reflect on the successes of the past year and gain some clarity about what’s coming in the next 12 months. It’s also a chance for staff to meet and mingle, and build the H&P family.

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The JDNA is a big source of pride for us. We all bleed green here and devote a lot of time talking about what that means for our employees, our customers and for our communities.

In the meantime, how about you join us in Henty?

Traditionally, it’s a great few days for us and this year we have extra few surprises for all the family. We’re very excited and, as always, we’d love the chance to say g’day before things get crazy again in the paddocks.

Thanks again for your continued support and all the best for the coming quarter!

Arron

Leanne Jackson has the ‘JDNA’ After several years away, Leanne Jackson has returned to Murrami to continue her family’s farming tradition.

Leanne shares her story as part of our new ‘JDNA’ TV commercial. We talked to Leanne about why she decided to take part in the campaign and what she enjoys most about farming.

It’s 2am, and Leanne Jackson is hard at work in the paddocks of her Murrami property, part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

Leanne is doing whatever it takes to make sure her rice and cotton crops get the water they need.

“I must admit I’ve grown to like irrigating. I like being out there fiddling with the water, making sure it’s all doing what it’s supposed to do.

“I’m there to try and achieve something; to get these little plants growing. I enjoy irrigating so much Chris calls me The Mermaid,” she laughs.

After growing up on the family farm, Leanne left to try her hand at a range of different careers, but returned to the farm five years ago.

“My family has been farming here for over 50 years.

“My grandfather has a farm here and my father has a farm next door and across the road.

“Dad bought his own patch of dirt when he was younger and brought me and my brother and sister up on the farm.

We’ve always been involved in the farm – holidays were spent driving the chaser bin, doing some rolling.

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“I only came back to the farm in the last five years so Dad could semi-retire. My husband, Chris, was really interested in being on the farm as he’d always been on farms in England.

He had the passion for it.”

Leanne’s family has always grown rice and wheat. Along with their five children aged 18 to 18 months, Leanne and Chris are continuing the tradition of growing rice as well as introducing newer crops, like mung beans.

“It’s a great achievement to come out here and actually get the work done and to see something growing. We are carrying on the family tradition to keep the farm alive. We’re introducing new crops and new ways of farming and developing the farm with the latest technology so we can keep it going for the next generation.”

Leanne says no other career comes close to farming.

“At this point in my life, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“I’ve been there, done that. I’ve done office jobs, managed people, but being out here, having the freedom, the space, the ability to make decisions and see your hard work from start to finish – it’s an accomplishment.

“It’s the great sense of satisfaction you get when you see those little plants bursting through the ground. You think,

‘Wow, we’ve actually been able to achieve that’.

In the blood

“With the rice, you go to the supermarket and you make sure you always buy Sunrice because you know that that’s the rice you’ve grown. You know where it’s come from and it’s all our hard work that’s gone into getting it there.

Leanne and her family share their story in the new Hutcheon & Pearce TV campaign, something she was happy to do because of the long-standing relationship her family has with the company.

“It is lots of hard work; lots of long days and lots of juggling farm work with the household and the family, but the kids are coping really well. I like being able to bring them to work and have them help water or move machinery. There’s no other workplace like it.

“We have lots of dealings with Hutcheon & Pearce. We purchase the majority of our machinery through Hutcheon & Pearce and all our repairs, maintenance and parts go through Hutcheon & Pearce.

“We have two children who I think may be heading towards fourth generation farming. I think we’ll be keeping farming in the family for quite some time yet!”

Leanne says she feels proud of being able to help feed and clothe people around the world.

“With the cotton, I often think about all the places it goes because the majority of it goes overseas. You think, ‘Far out.

What’s it being turned into?’

“It’s incredible to think who you’re feeding, where the produce is going, what it’s being turned into. Like the mung beans, it’s not something that we, in our culture, really eat but it goes overseas and it’s their cuisine. It’s really interesting.”

“I remember my father buying John Deere headers when I was a child from the Narrandera branch and all the kids’ toys come from Hutcheon & Pearce, too!

“I would have to say that we’re a very ‘green’ family. Our generation has never bought anything other than John Deere, and the children are heading that way. They don’t know anything else. I guess you could say that it’s in the blood.”

www.hutcheonandpearce.com.au/campaigns/jdna/

Recruiting the best of the best

“We do get girls apply. When I go to schools, I say I don’t care what gender you are, if you make the grade then you get the job. We do have spare parts trainees who are females, but no mechanical apprentices yet.”

Hutcheon & Pearce invests in this program to ensure its apprentices hit the ground running.

While the beach volleyball matches and reflective sunglasses might be few and far between, the Hutcheon & Pearce TOPGUN Recruitment Program is serious about recruiting the best of the best.

Just ask HR Mentor Matt Duffy.

Matt spends a good proportion of his time between March and May each year visiting schools across the region to talk about career opportunities in the hopes of finding the best apprentices for the following year.

Travelling from Bathurst and Orange in the north to Shepparton in the south, Matt finds upwards of 60 applicants for the program, from which 25 are selected to take part in our TOPGUN day, this year held on August 23.

“The students are invited to our TOPGUN day where they are asked to complete English tests (spelling, grammar and comprehension), complete a basic diagnostic problem and complete a series of mandatory interviews.

“We invite trainers from TAFE to attend as they have a fair gauge when it comes to apprentices because they’ve seen so many. They often bring in a part and have a discussion about it to get a feel for the students’ mechanical aptitude and their learning ability.

“If the applicant has chosen only one branch, they go for one branch interview. If they’ve chosen four branches, they may have four interviews. The branches basically make the final decision about who they want and, on average, 12 to 14 are selected each year for mechanical apprenticeships and we put on between two and four spare parts trainees.”

Matt says that many applicants come from farming backgrounds and that most are male.

“It’s about providing the best customer service we can and keeping up with the technology in the machines. The game has changed and we need people who can perform.

Matt takes his job personally

“We’re getting very close to the point where our apprentices are only trained on John Deere equipment. Part of the Hutcheon & Pearce TOPGUN program was partnering with Riverina Institute (TAFE NSW) in Wagga, to make this happen.

“I do enjoy helping other people succeed and reach their full potential. My aim is to just be there, I guess. It’s a big tough world out there and sometimes the young fellas step into that sort of thing and don’t know the full extent of it. I try to help their transition from school to work, which can be a big thing.”

“We are trying to future-proof the business to a certain extent. We still want apprentices to get the ground knowledge, but we’re also looking to breed future diagnostic techs and people to work in hydraulics and electrics [areas of present skills shortage].”

When asked about the one point of difference between TOPGUN and other apprentice recruitment programs, Matt is direct.

“Apprentice training is our responsibility. That’s the one thing that we, as a company, realised and that’s why we’ve made all these changes.

“Back when I did my trade, TAFE is where you went to learn and work is where you came to work. That’s still the mentality of a lot of companies.

“At Hutcheon & Pearce that line of thinking is gone.

Not only do I pull my overalls on, I’ve built our own competency pathway that outlines what we expect them to know at each stage. I sit down with them twice a year and go through that, because it’s way too easy for apprentices to fly under the radar.”

“Our recruits are basically locked in for the following year by the end of August.

Meet Matt. Recruitment boss.

Mentor to all young Hutcheon & Pearce apprentices. Softie at heart.

For the past three years, Matt Duffy has been running the Hutcheon & Pearce TOPGUN Recruitment Program and important part of our culture of training and development.

From a mechanical background, Matt has been with us since 2010 and currently oversees the company’s 55 apprentices.

“I tend to have a fair bit of time with apprentices throughout their first year,” Matt explains.

HR Mentor Matt Duffy is pictured with apprentice Luke Wood from the Wagga branch.

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full apprenticeship, so to speak, but watching the changes, watching out for those lightbulb moments that happen in their heads where you can see that suddenly things are starting to make sense, is probably the best part of the job.”

“A lot of our apprentices relocate to take the job and many are quite young”.

Long-term security

The wellbeing of each individual in his care is something Matt takes personally.

Matt says that apprenticeships offer paid training and an opportunity to stay rural and close to home.

Matt also encourages other Hutcheon & Pearce staff to take care of the apprentices.

As well as recruiting the best applicants, Matt said there’s a reason the program kicks off so early each year.

“We recruit early because if I tried to take it into harvest and tried pulling the service managers out for interviews, you can be sure I would get told where to go! Our customers come first, always.”

“I travel around to all of our branches and often put on my overalls, grab them and grab a job. I can spend anywhere from four hours to three days with one apprentice, which gives me a chance to find out how they’re travelling both technically and emotionally.

“I try and support our techs as far as their coaching skills go, and we put them through a coaching and buddy program provided by TAFE. “We tend to try and support our techs to help the apprentices because I can’t be everywhere. When I talk to the apprentices about the mechanical side of the job, I don’t steer their training, it’s more about time management and prioritisation, so I also need to rely on the other techs to teach them the technical side.”

While Matt does find the job challenging – especially competing with universities to recruit the best and brightest – he enjoys seeing the competency and confidence of each apprentice grow.

“We haven’t been doing the program long enough to have completed a

“There’s also a very, very good chance of employment at the end of the training.

“Our apprentices are typically 17 or 18 but this year we have about five adult apprentices. Two got part way through uni degrees, one is a 35-year-old plumber, one is a 27-year-old welder and one is a 24-year-old quarry worker.

They’ve all told me they’re looking for long-term security and that’s what we offer.”

If you, or someone you know, is interested in an apprenticeship with Hutcheon & Pearce, visit www.hutcheonandpearce.com.au/ careers-employment

By George, that’s inspired!

“When my son, George, was two, he was obsessed with the farm and took any chance to get out outside and look at the machines or flick through any kind of trade or machinery based publication.

As I was soon expecting twins, I was trying to find some sort of farming App that might hold his interest and keep him entertained while he would inevitably be stuck inside with the babies.

“I couldn’t find anything except one-off stories about a farmer who milked a cow or collected eggs – it wasn’t really true to life and I couldn’t believe there wasn’t anything Australian based.”

This experience just happened to coincide with Simone and business partner, Ben Hood, brainstorming ideas for new opportunities in App development. Having both grown up on farms, the opportunity to capitalise on their skills and passion for regional living was too great to ignore.

When a heavily pregnant creative marketer, Simone Kain, searched the App Store for an entertaining and relatable distraction for her two-year old son, she had no idea that two years later she would be running a successful children’s entertainment company taking the nation by storm.

But in her frustration with the lack of Australian ag-centred stories, Simone had a moment of inspiration. Enter George the Farmer – a loveable larrikin from the land who shares his every day adventures and farming big ideas.

George fronts a series of highly coveted children’s entertainment products showcasing the beauty and opportunity in agriculture, instilling a sense of pride and hope in the next generation of farmers. He also happens to share the same name as Simone’s son.

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In the past month alone, there have been more than 3,000 downloads of the education resources reaching an estimated 40,000 kids across the country.

When asked why George and his wife Ruby are so popular, Simone says the secret is to make them true to life.

“When we developed George and Ruby we made sure the personalities were based on fun and quirky traits that our farming friends and family all have – which makes them very relatable. For example, there’s Nosey Neville – people comment all the time that they have a neighbour actually called Neville, who happens to be a bit nosey! But really, the characters are all a bit of fun and it’s nothing too serious.”

Except, George the Farmer has a serious cause.

“It’s a big issue. People are becoming more and more disconnected from their food and where it comes from.

“The idea was to develop this character that could entertain and educate kids across the country. Something that was fun and inspirational at the same time so kids might connect with agriculture. We didn’t want to be overly preachy but rather give them an opportunity to subtly learn about farming.”

However, when Simone and Ben began researching, they were soon shocked with the statistics they uncovered.

“The lack of knowledge of where food and fibre comes from is quite astounding. It’s a global issue.”

What started as a simple App, soon became two stories, a series of printed picture books, educational resources, videos and stage performances. And, yes, Simone and Ben write and perform their own songs in the show!

“We started realising the value of being able to use George as an education tool. He was really connecting with kids, parents and teachers and it was an easy and fun way to get messages across and connect everyone back to the source of their food.”

How can we, as consumers, form an appreciation of the importance of agriculture and what it takes to produce the clean, green food in Australia that we all demand and love to enjoy?

Kids need to know that agriculture is an important industry and career option for our future food security.

“There are some really innovative careers in ag and kids need to be supported in pursuing that AgriFutures, formerly Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation recently released a paper talking about the growing food demand but diminishing workforce capacity in ag.

We need to inspire kids to look at the opportunities... There’s engineering, distribution, science, technology…

I would love to keep broadening our reach and promoting those positive messages about farming.”

Don’t miss George and Ruby performing daily at the Hutcheon & Pearce stand at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

Having recently been awarded State winner of the AgriFutures Australia Womens‘ Award for her contributions to farming and ambitions with George the Farmer, Simone will soon be developing a new eductional resource focusing on innovative careers in agriculture for kids in Kindergarten through to Year 4.

And her ambitions do not end with the Australian border.

George the Farmer is currently working with a production house in Sydney to produce a television pilot to pitch to broadcasters in Australia and abroad later this year.

“Wouldn’t it be so cool for kids outside of Australia to think of us for good, healthy, nutritious food production?”

Sounds like a great idea to us!

This will be their first appearance in central NSW. There will be readings, singing, dancing and plenty of giveaways.

Make sure to bring your kids, a camera and your dancing shoes!

European tour Tour helps build knowledge and networks As part of the Hutcheon & Pearce commitment to professional development, 22 Parts Managers, Parts Interpreters, Technicians and Service Managers attended a 10-day tour of Europe in June.

Staff earned their spot on the trip as part of the Parts and Service Incentive Program, and many decided to make the most of the opportunity and bring their partners as well.

Group Aftermarket Manager Tom Hensgen said the tour was a healthy combination of professional development, team building and sightseeing elements.

“About three or four years ago we did a staff incentive trip to the US visiting one of the US-based John Deere factories and it went really well.

This time around we decided to do the European factories.

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“There were a couple of aspects to this trip. The first was getting the guys to the John Deere factories in Mannheim and Zwebrucken in Germany to see how the product is built.

“The Mannheim factory is the European tractor factory and the Zwebrucken factory makes combine harvesters and self-propelled forage harvesters.

We wanted to give the guys an opportunity to go through those, to meet with engineering and customer support staff to give our feedback and to hear what’s coming, what product fixes are out there and what’s in development.”

The group also toured two Kuhn factories in France, which showed everything from the foundry of parts to the complete production of machinery, and visited Sinsheim Auto & Technik, one of the world’s largest technology museums.

“We went on a guided tour of an auto museum in Sinsheim, which the guys found really interesting. It has 50 tanks, aeroplanes, World War I and World War II gear, 100 odd cars and 100 odd motorcycles. That was a quick stopover on the way through.”

“As well as the factory tours, networking is probably the other primary reason for the trip. There’s lot of engagement that comes with a tour like this.”

While much of the tour was spent visiting factories, the group also managed some sightseeing.

“Most people got the opportunity to tour London, whether that was on a London tour bus or a walking tour and on one of the nights we went to the London Eye, which gave us an incredible view of the city.

“The fast train through to Paris was probably a pretty new experience for most of the guys, seeing the countryside at speed and going through the English Channel, and we did a bike riding tour around Paris, which was really good.

“One of the prettiest spots was Heidelberg. We stayed in Heidelberg when we did the factory tour in Mannheim and we walked around an old castle there. It’s a great historic German city.

“The tour ended in Munich, so we had a really great last night at a traditional German beer hall. Everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

Long lasting benefits Back in Australia, participating staff are noticing the benefits of the trip.

“The factory tours gave the guys an overview of how good the processes are in the background and how thorough the quality control and testing is throughout.

“I think it really gives them a lot of confidence in the product, and they can now be a lot more confident in talking to customers and really describe how things are built and the quality processes that underpin it all.”

The benefits, Tom said, extend beyond product knowledge.

“We had staff from about eight of our 12 dealerships on the tour. Through getting comfortable with each other on a personal level and learning about each other’s skills, they all now feel more comfortable communicating within the business.

“Now, if they’ve got any issues, they know they can ring someone else that they’ve talked to before and can put a face to a name.

“We really do a lot of these things at Hutcheon & Pearce to encourage inter-branch communication and problem solving.

“We try to do a combination of product training, management training and informal networking because we know that every one of our employees has a different skillset and by leveraging staff knowledge within the organisation, there’s an unlimited supply of knowledge around the company.

“Rather than trying to cram all that into each individual, if everyone feels comfortable talking within the Hutcheon & Pearce organisation, it solves problems for customers faster.

“It also builds that family, that community, where all staff feel part of the team and the wider strategy. The more supported they feel, the better the satisfaction employees will have within their jobs and that’s what we want.”

Take your accuracy to the next level

Software modelled at demo days Partly to educate existing customers, the demonstration days also allowed other interested parties to come and take a closer look.

Next time you’re out driving in the region, take a closer look and you might spy evidence of the Hutcheon & Pearce RTK network dotted across the landscape.

RTK (real time kinematic) satellite navigation is a technique used to enhance the precision of positional data derived from GPS.

“If people have already invested a lot of money in their GPS receivers and they’re looking to maybe buy a bucket, they can make their existing receivers control the height of their scraper blade or pan.

Relying on a single reference station, RTK provides real-time corrections to John Deere machinery, providing our customers with centimetre-level accuracy.

“When you compare that to buying a new laser system, which is the traditional way of levelling land, it’s massively cost-effective.

Each base station consists of a set of solar panels, a 74kg battery, a power source controller and a GPS receiver linked to an aerial on top of a telescopic tower (built by Hills Hoist), covering anywhere up to a 40km circle.

“With this, you can make water run in one or two directions or you may want to create a series of little tiny movements so the water will run, but you’re going to only move the minimum amount of dirt.

The base station then provides a known location, or reference point, and sends out a signal to the tractors in the area to aid precision planting – tractors can use that data to get within 2cm accuracy. That means, if you’ve planted two rows of plants 15cms apart this year and next year you want to plant in between those rows, this technology allows you to do exactly that to within 2cm.

“In fact, using GPS on a multi-fit plane as a leveller versus laser, you’ll move two-thirds less soil.

The agronomic benefits alone – being able to control your wheel tracks so you’re only compacting certain areas of the soil – make this technology a gamechanger for many farmers.

Currently, there are 54 bases in the Hutcheon & Pearce RTK network, with another nine planned.

Four or five neighbouring customers interested in subscribing is all it takes for Hutcheon & Pearce to install a base in that area. The annual subscription fee is $1100, compared to an installation cost of around $30,000.

If you’re looking to take your field accuracy to the next level, contact TECSight about joining the RTK network:

www.hutcheonandpearce.com.au/ technology-solutions

Farmers from across the Hutcheon & Pearce territory learned how GreenStar systems can manage their field levelling needs at demonstration days held in late July and early August.

Demonstration days in Finley, Darlington Point and Condobolin explored iGrade and T3RRACutta software. TECSight and Precision Terrain Solutions experts were on hand to take participants through each step from land survey to 3D modelling and implementation.

As TECSight Integrated Solutions Manager Andrew Watt explains, iGrade is John Deere’s advanced approach to levelling, drainage, grading and plan generation, while T3RRACutta is Wizard-based software that guides users through the landforming process.

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“T3RRACutta software is a third-party product made by Precision Terrain Solutions. Used in-cab through a tablet device, T3RRACutta talks to the John Deere tractors and receivers and controls the height of the land forming bucket or blade.

“When the GPS receiver is located directly above the blade, it won’t only give you a point looking down and where you are in terms of east, west, north or south, it also captures elevation data.

“It then creates a 3D model and from that model you can use the software to basically redesign your rice field, your cotton field, or drains for your broadacre stuff.

“Held on our customers’ properties, the four demonstration days showed everything from start to finish in terms of a land survey, a design and then an implementation.”

“It has a huge benefit over laser, because laser is just one point– you’ve got a beam and you can only tilt that one way or another – whereas with GPS, you can change it as many times as you like because it’s based on your position on the ground rather than looking for a straight beam.”

The return on investment of this kind of landforming software becomes clear in a wet season.

“Last year being as wet as it was, with a lot of water sitting on fields, the broadacre guys wanted to make drains to get the water off their land, and they loved this program.

“The return on investment is huge.

You could invest $20,000 or $30,000 in this system and then in one wet year that could save you $200,000 or more in lost yield from having that water just sitting there.

“We had one customer who said it saved him $500,000 last year alone.”

For more information on iGrade or T3RRACutta, call the TECSight team on (02) 5924 5111.

Growing role of data in agriculture With the world demand for food and fibre rising alongside the global population – expected to hit 9.6 billion people by 2050 – emerging technologies and data-driven practices will be increasingly used to ensure food and fibre security.

We spoke with TECSight Integrated Solutions Manager Andrew Watt about the role digital technology and big data will play in agriculture now and into the future.

“Large companies including John Deere are using that data to develop better products and to increase performance and reduce down time so farmers can grow more with less.

There’s no doubt that the agricultural sector has gone digital, but what are the benefits to individual farmers and consumers alike?

“While there are some questions about who owns the data, I’d say at the moment, nearly 100 percent of the time, that information is being used for the greater good.”

Andrew Watt explains that digital ag allows farmers to move from macro to micro management.

Andrew said most of his clients aren’t particularly concerned about the governance of data.

“You go from making decisions based on a series of paddocks to decisions made on a per square metre basis. Efficiencies and productivities follow because you’re controlling your inputs and you’re optimising your soil types based on data.

“I very rarely get customers coming to us saying, ‘Where is my data going? You can’t have it.’

“Unless you have 40 years’ experience working on the one farm, that’s never going to be possible, and with the corporate nature of the sector and the large-scale farms we have now, it’s difficult to have that hands-on knowledge.

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.

“It’s not just knowing what the soil is doing and what your inputs are like, but also capturing yield information down to that small level so you know what return you’ve got so you can grow more with less.”

Beyond the individual farm performance, Andrew said companies are very interested in the data being generated by farmers.

“Big data wise, chemical companies, machinery manufacturers, financial institutions, insurance agents, all those advisers to growers, are trying to capture as much of this data so they can make their products more competitive in the market.

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“Sure, we’ve had that but it’s not a common theme.

That kind of talk usually only comes up at industry days.

It’s like the industry has created its own fear campaign.

“There may be some farmers in niche, competitive markets who might want to control their own data from farm gate to consumer and track it the whole way, but the general farming population that are just trying to make more with less see their data sharing as a responsibility to help the industry get better – to prepare now for future generations.”

The use of data along the supply chain has benefits for consumers as well, who are increasingly choosy about the products they buy.

“I think it’s that food safety and security thinking. As a consumer, if you can look at the farmer’s face on the packet and see some accountability there and know where it’s come from, it’s got to put you into a good state of mind as to who and what region you’re supporting.

“That traceability and that story are more important now than ever.”

Easier than you think For all the access the sector may have to collecting data, only a very small percentage use it.

“It tracks quite closely to an early adopter rate, which is seen in any industry,” Andrew explains.

“You’ve got 80 percent, the majority who will take up a technology that’s been proven in the market, and 20 percent that are early adopters. Of those, maybe only five percent are using the entire spectrum of precision ag to improve their results – so it’s about one percent of the whole.

“I think it’s our responsibility to progress the 80, to encourage them into the top 20 and make that the norm.

“That’s what I see happening. Gone are the days of people just not worrying about their yield maps. I’d say all people worry about their yield maps now whereas that was a top 20 percent thing five years ago.

“That comes down to accessibility to technology, not just in the machines but in satellite data and in rainfall data.

“Some people think it’s all too hard, that they don’t have the latest tractor or the best GPS system, or that they’re too old to learn new things, but it’s far easier than everyone thinks.

“The science is done. It’s been proven. It’s easy.

“It’s our role at Hutcheon & Pearce to take the pressure off.

Our Precision Ag team is here wholly and solely to fill the gap between decisions and implementation. We’re not going to come and make the decisions for you, but we’re going to help you make things happen in the paddock where it counts.”

If you’re interested in learning how you can use digital agriculture to improve your yields, or want to hear more about how John Deere uses your data, call the TECSight team on (02) 5924 5111.

Blood donors leave a lasting legacy Ask anyone that rolls up their sleeve for the cause why their efforts matter, and they’ll tell you: blood donation quite literally changes lives. Not just the lives of people that receive it but also the lives of their families and friends.

artery in his arm and inflicted extensive muscle and nerve damage. So severe was the damage that Xavier needed to be airlifted to Sydney for immediate treatment.

Wagga Wagga builder Xavier Higgins, his wife Alana and three children can testify to that.

Following that, during further surgery to repair three major nerves badly damaged or severed in the accident, Xavier required yet more units of blood.

On the morning of Monday 27 February 2017, Xavier started the day like any other but within hours of being on site a freak accident had severed an

1065+

Lives Saved!

Hutcheon & Pearce team members who have taken part in the Red Cross show they have the JDNA! Already half way through this year we are well on the way to reaching our latest target of 1000 lives saved in 2017.

Join our RED25 team and help support the effort!

Call in to your local branch for more information.

There’s always time to save a life!

16 | High Performance Magazine

The trauma was immense and Xavier lost more than half of his blood.

During treatment and the initial surgery, he required multiple blood transfusions and received approximately nine units of blood.

Thankfully, Xavier recovered well from surgery and has since begun his rehabilitation and road to recovery. He

is now able to carry his children again and life has regained a sense of normality for the Higgins family.

Xavier and Alana’s gratitude is difficult to express but without the blood donations they would be facing a very different future.

A post on Facebook shortly after Xavier’s initial surgery says it all: “Please, if you are fit and healthy, get to the nearest blood bank and make a donation. It doesn’t hurt, you get lots of treats and a great milkshake and you may just save a life. Xave lost more than half his blood on Monday and wouldn’t be here if the donations weren’t readily available.”

It’s here...

Meet the Enforcer Excitement has been building at Hutcheon & Pearce as we gear up for the 2017 Henty Machinery Field Days, and our launch of the long-awaited special edition John Deere tractors – the Enforcer.

“We are all really proud of the growth and continued success of Hutcheon & Pearce,” Group Sales Manager Andrew Sands said.

“To celebrate, this year we’re offering two of the best performing tractors on the market today and the best tractor ownership package, with the Enforcer bonuses.

“Henty will be the first opportunity to get up close and see first-hand just how impressive these new machines are.

Our expert team will be on hand to discuss details, and of course, we’ll have a special Henty Field Days offer for anyone that wants to be among the first to get their hands on one of these beauties.”

The 6195M and 7210R Enforcer limited edition tractors are only available in Australia from Hutcheon & Pearce and have been designed to meet the versatility demanded by modern farming operations.

John Deere’s engineers have built these machines with improved economy and increased power, and design details aimed to maximise comfort and reliability.

The 6195M has an CommandQuad Plus Transmission, Mechanical Front Wheel Drive with Triple Link Front Suspension, and common rail 6 cylinder 6.8 litre engine, and comes complete with the optional John Deere 683 self-levelling 3-function loader and heavy duty 2450mm loader bucket.

The 7210R is the big brother to the 6195M and boasts an impressive E23 Transmission, Mechanical Front Wheel Drive with Triple Link Front Suspension, and common rail 6 cylinder 6.8 litre engine. It also comes complete with the optional John Deere H480 self-levelling 3-function loader and heavy duty 2750mm loader bucket Hutcheon & Pearce is also offering a four-year/2000 hour limited warranty, special finance packages, and optional special maintenance plan to deliver real ownership and operating benefits. We’re also offering a host of unique ‘Make My Day’ Enforcer bonuses including an Engel fridge, $500 Hunt Green voucher, badging and decals, Enforcer seat cover, jacket and cap.

“This is something that reflects our values of quality equipment, customer support and supreme performance and value and it just makes sense to offer it at Henty.”

Stores update There’s been a few changes and new additions to the Hutcheon & Pearce stores line-up over the past 12 months. We’ve opened new stores in Forbes, Coleambally and Orange, and Temora has had a facelift.

There’s a new team in Condo and all stores have been busy getting better acquainted with the farming needs of their communities.

One of the bigger store changes started in late 2016, when we opened Hutcheon & Pearce in Orange at the former Hart’s Machinery and Mowers site.

Laura O’Donoghue stepped out from behind the John Deere Finance desk to manage the branch and team of 11. She’s loving her new gig and is happy to be stepping up the service in Orange. We sat down with Laura to get the low-down on Hutcheon & Pearce Orange.

18 | High Performance Magazine

Q A

When did the Hutcheon & Pearce Orange store open?

Q A

H&P acquired Hart’s Machinery and Mowers (previous John Deere dealership) in November 2016.

What can customers expect from the new store?

We want our new store to be a place where the whole family feels welcome. With the increased number of lifestyle properties around the beautiful Orange and Bathurst region, our customers are often not familiar with machinery so we invite them in to experience our products hands-on before making their decision.

And while Mum and Dad are comparing the different models of equipment, we have plenty of toy versions for the next generation to play on!

We offer the full range of John Deere and Kuhn equipment, and our key products also include Gator Utility Vehicles to increase farm safety, lawn care equipment, tractors from 23 to 200hp and hay equipment.

Because our region is quite diverse in terms of farming – with grazing, winter crop production, viticulture and fruit trees – we are encouraging factory-ordered equipment so we can tailor specifically for individual farming needs.

There is a little bit of a wait, but everyone feels better knowing that the equipment is perfectly matched to our customers’ requirements.

H&P has also invested heavily in the service department to ensure we can provide the best aftersales support in the district. John Deere is a premium product and we strive to offer a premium service.

We also offer H&P Rental, which is great for customers requiring that extra tractor during harvest or when moving away from the equipment ownership model of farming.

Q

Small acre and hobby farms are important to the Orange community. How are you specifically catering to their needs?

A

Just 260km from the Sydney CBD, Orange is becoming a popular spot for small acre farms for those with 9-to-5 jobs in the city to enjoy on the weekends.

It is a newer style of business for us but it is just as important as the bigger machinery.

We open Saturday mornings and have on-farm demonstrations over the weekend to help those fresher to farming get a good feel for our products.

Q A

What can you tell us about the staff?

We have 12 staff in total – two in admin support, two in spare parts, one in sales, six in the service department and me. Most of the staff are local to Orange and have strong expertise in the agricultural sector and a passion for the farming life. In fact, most of our smoko conversations centre around tractors, farming, hunting and fishing!

I think we have a dynamic staff mix with both business and technical knowledge, but our true strength is the capabilities of our service technicians.

Q A

What is the real H&P difference?

Our store really benefits from the support of the 11 other H&P stores, from advice in parts, service and sales to greater access to equipment and componentry. It’s fantastic feeling like part of the family and having that resource behind us.

Q

What’s been the most exciting/ satisfying part of this process for you?

A

I really love being involved in our local community and getting to know our customer base. The ag industry has some of the most genuine, hard-working and honest people and I am thankful for their support.

I also really enjoy being able to help other women feel comfortable around machinery so they can be just as involved with the farm as their husbands.

Great Gifts & More!

Call in to your local store and see our great range of toys & gifts.

John Deere Maintenance Kit (LG266) for D100, D105 and D110 $61.61 (inc.GST) (Part Number: LG266)

John Deere Split Cowhide Driver Glove (CPLP42389) $14.51 (inc.GST) (Part Number: CPLP42389_CFG)

John Deere TOY 21 INCH BIG SCOOP DUMP TRUCK (35350) $69.95 (inc.GST) (Part Number: 35350)

John Deere TOY 38cm BIG SCOOP EXCAVATOR (35765) $26.95 (inc.GST) (Part Number: 35765)

John Deere PINK TRUCKER CAP (JOHPT) $20.00 (inc.GST)

John Deere TOY POWER TRIMMER (35813) $29.95 (inc.GST)

(Part Number: JOHPT)

(Part Number: 35813)

ALBURY PO Box 823 222 Travelstop Way Albury NSW 2640 Phone: (02) 6058 6800 COLEAMBALLY 32 Bencubbin Way Coleambally NSW 2707 Phone: (02) 6954 4280

CONDOBOLIN 1a May Street, Condobolin NSW 2877 Phone: (02) 6891 2222

FORBES Angus Clarke Drive Parkes NSW 2870 Phone: (02) 6862 1666

ORANGE 26 Scott Place Orange NSW 2800 Phone: (02) 6362 9988

COWRA PO Box 160 64-68 Young Road Cowra NSW 2794 Phone: (02) 6341 4800

GRIFFITH Cnr Oakes Rd & Irving Place Griffith NSW 2680 Phone: (02) 6969 5300

TEMORA 101 Kitchener Road Temora NSW 2666 Phone: (02) 6977 1100

LAKE CARGELLIGO 63 Canada Street, Lake Cargelligo NSW 2672 Phone: (02) 6898 1305

WAGGA WAGGA 57 Moorong Street Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Phone: (02) 6933 7900

NARRANDERA 120 Irrigation Way Narrandera NSW 2700 Phone: (02) 6959 1522

TECSight® Support Centre (02) 5924 5111

FINLEY 16 Riverina Highway Finley NSW 2713 Phone: (03) 5883 1655 Buy from a local dealer that knows the importance of backup service, fast delivery of parts and sells only quality machines.

www.hutcheonandpearce.com.au

High Performance Magazine