Agri-Phoenix Feature: Hayley Wolski

Name: Hayley Wolski
Age: 27 
Place: Chinchilla

I’m Hayley Wolski, 27. I was born in Chinchilla, went to primary and secondary school there, and I still live there now. I love to help my dad out on our family farm. He works so hard.  It’s pretty much a case of ‘all hands to the pump’ - if you are around and there is work to be done, you don’t really get a choice about pitching in. 

We grow a variety of crops including cotton which we have grown since 1993.  We now have access to a SunWater line and the Condamine River and Chinchilla Weir are our water source. We have been able to install quite a few centre pivots which are very efficient for watering. Having access to this water has helped us out in the tough times of the drought. 

My special place is the family farm “Heimat” about ten kilometres out of Chinchilla. It means a lot both to my family and to me that I can go out and help out on the farm. One of my all time favourite ways to slow down is just watching the sun sink over the horizon and feeling the cool sneak back after the sunset. There’s nothing more rejuvenating than relaxing your heart and your mind into a country sunset. 

I am into droning agriculture. I find it thrilling to see the land from a bird’s eye view. It is a helpful way to check on things too. I have been able to catch a few special moments with the drone. That’s pretty exciting for me and it’s great to share that special view of our place with others. I love the birdlife we get around our dam:  black swans, a few wedge tail eagles and plenty of cockatoos attracted by the dropped grain. 

I certainly appreciate how my Dad has invested his whole life into the farm. We’ve been able to purchase new equipment which makes the use of chemicals more efficient and reduces both wastage and keeps costs down. We are constantly looking for new ideas to keep the farm healthy and sustainable both from a business and an environmental point of view. 

That means diversifying. This year we’ve gone into forage and silage production. There’s quite a bit to learn about making quality silage. I love the fact that we are always learning and adapting our business to make it more financially viable in terms of what the land and our resources can support.