A farm built on rice - and family

Rice has always been at the heart of the Small family’s operation. The farm was established by Josh’s grandfather, who began growing rice in the 1950s. Today, Josh runs the fourth-generation enterprise with a mix of winter cropping, rice, and Merino ewes with a fat lamb operation, but rice remains the centrepiece.

Growing up on the farm, Josh remembers the moments of farm life well. “As a kid, I remember going on the header with Dad, working late, taking food down and having picnics in the paddock. A similar thing happens now with my own kids, they love being a part of the family farm.”

The Smalls have always embraced innovation, especially when it comes to water use and soil health. “We've made steady improvements to our layouts for water efficiency, time management and productivity,” Josh says. “These developments have been focused on water savings and efficiency, that’s been our biggest driver.”

Today, Josh has refined the rotation system his father used. Where lucerne once followed rice, Josh now uses vetch as a cover crop, or followed by wheat, before planting rice - always with soil health in mind. Lime application and regular soil testing have become standard practice.

“It’s about cost effectiveness and productivity, while also maintaining soil health for long-term sustainability.” 

Leadership and learning through SunRice

Josh and his wife Emily are deeply embedded in the SunRice network and the broader Riverina rice industry, particularly through its leadership and development opportunities. Josh’s grandfather once served on the Rice Marketing Board before moving into politics, and that sense of community involvement has continued with his mother a Director on the Murray Irrigation Limited board.

“SunRice has done an amazing job at building community leadership and harnessing what we have in the local area,” Josh says.

Emily currently serves on the RGA Board and has completed several leadership programs supported by SunRice, as has Josh. “It’s a way of giving back and helping shape the future of the industry we’re proud to be a part of.”

On the agronomy side, Josh says the support provided by Rice Extension, which is an AgriFutures and SunRice project available to all growers, has been game changing.

“The yields are just phenomenal now,” Josh says. “Even just this harvest, the crops are unbelievable. My dad didn’t ever think he’d see yields like this. That’s thanks to the work of Rice Breeding Australia, Rice Extension and on-farm management practices all working together.”

Josh and Emily run a Rice Extension Focus Site on their property, which allows for real-time trial feedback and discussion among growers. “Having farmers on-farm to discuss results and what else is happening out there has been fantastic – we’re all working towards the best outcomes together.”

The Smalls have also benefitted from SunRice’s GrowRice facility. “It was critical during and after the drought and even recently when managing cashflow,” Josh says. “Having that option to access funding for inputs when you wouldn’t necessarily be able to, allows you to make the most of an opportunity in a good year, even if cashflow is tight.”

Turning data into results

Like other local growers, the Smalls have access to the Rice Management Dashboard developed by James Brinkhoff of the University of New England and AgriFutures Australia in collaboration with NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and Rice Extension.

The real-time dashboard uses remote sensing from satellite imagery to provide growers with data points and crop predictions. Individual farmers use the platform in different ways, but the Smalls appreciate having the data at their fingertips.

“The dashboard is designed specifically to help growers make informed decisions about our crops. The predictions are particularly helpful for deciding how to approach milestones like irrigation management, panicle initiation, flowering and harvest.”

“We can see specific differences within a single paddock which helps with things like variable nitrogen application.”

The dashboard also stores and displays historical data allowing growers and researchers to compare data between crop years for patterns and enhanced predictions.

Facing challenges with a long-term mindset

Like all farmers, the Smalls have had their share of challenges from droughts to floods, changing input costs and evolving government policies.

“Climate and government policy are definitely the biggest challenges,” Josh says. “But we focus on what we can control; soil health, fertiliser use, water savings, and being as efficient as we can.”

One of the biggest efficiency boosts came 15–20 years ago when Josh’s father implemented a full water recycling system on-farm. Since then, Josh has continued to build on that system to maximise productivity. “We capture every drop of water we can – both irrigation and rainfall and reuse it.”

Josh believes rice remains one of the most environmentally sustainable crops in the long-term, and the Smalls are committed to making it work well into the future.

A community built on rice

 For Josh, being a SunRice grower isn’t just about farming, it’s about being part of something bigger.

“SunRice has brought our community together, not just growers, but all the people employed through the mills and across the wider business,” he says. “It’s such a significant employer in our region and that matters. It’s bigger than just one farm.”

When asked what advice he’d give to someone considering growing with SunRice, Josh doesn’t hesitate:

“SunRice speaks for itself. It’s been around for 75 years, delivers strong pool prices, and has helped build incredible small communities. The future is bright.”