Learn by Osmosis: Growing a Farm and a Future with Chris Kilby

About this episode

Chris Kilby discusses managing a challenging farming season and the importance of decision-making and community support.

How do you make the right decisions when the season turns against you and the pressure is on? In this episode, Chris Kilby shares how he’s managing a dry and challenging season near Trundle, offering practical insights into decision-making, risk management, and keeping a farming business moving forward when conditions are tough. Chris explains how they’ve adapted their cropping plans after missing key rainfall windows, shifted focus to feeding and protecting their core breeding ewes, and made early decisions to reduce stock numbers. He walks through the realities of confinement feeding, water security challenges, and the significant effort involved in establishing reliable infrastructure under pressure. You’ll also hear about the mental side of farming through dry conditions, the importance of community and connection, and why continuous learning and surrounding yourself with the right people can make all the difference. Local Land Services Mixed Farming Advisor Rohan Leach, sat down with Chris to bring you this chat. Nominate a Mate: If you'd like to nominate a mate (or yourself) as a potential future guest on the podcast, you can do so here: Nominate a Mate…

People in this episode

Host: Rohan Leach

Guest: Chris Kilby

Topics covered

• farming
• decision-making
• risk management
• community support
• mental health
• infrastructure

Keywords

• farming
• dry season
• risk management
• breeding ewes
• confinement feeding
• water security
• community

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Central West Local Land Services

Places: Trundle

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