Celebrating local excellence: Andrew Polkinghorne named ‘Grain Producer of the Year’

Local Lock farmer, Andrew Polkinghorne was recently named as the GPSA Grain Producer of the Year at the 2025 South Australian Grain Industry Awards. Many of us who have had the pleasure of working with Andrew, understand his passion for agricultural innovation and technology.

GPSA recognised Andrew for “his forward-thinking approach to farming, global research on grain industry trends, and lessons applied in succession planning processes within his family business”.

In addition to his role as founding member of Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation (EPARF) and an inaugural AIR EP Board member (2020 to 2023), Andrew is currently a Director of local grain handling and export business, T-Ports Pty Ltd, a South Australian Grain Industry Trust (SAGIT) Trustee, Councillor on the District Council of Elliston, and most recently a recipient of the 2023 Caroline Welsh Churchill Fellowship.

AIR EP Executive Officer, Naomi Scholz and GPSA Grain Producer of the Year, Andrew Polkinghorne at the GRDC Updates in February.

AIR EP were fortunate to have Andrew present his Churchill Fellowship findings on “Investigating how farmers use fluid fertilisers on calcareous soils in their farming systems”, at the Member Days held in Wirrulla, Kimba and Ungarra from 11 to 13 February.

Andrew presenting his Churchill Fellowship fluid fertiliser findings and catching up with Bruce Morgan at the recent AIR EP Member Day, Ungarra.

Visiting Belgium, Netherlands, England, Canada, and the USA, Andrew explored alternative forms of fluid phosphorous, storage and application systems, and farmer use patterns, to see how new practices and technologies could be adopted by Australian farmers in the future, particularly on calcareous soils.

Local farmers and advisors were interested to understand whether the fluid P applications may be beneficial for soil types other than just calcareous soils. In Andrew’s experience, it helps with plant vigour and getting the crop out of the ground quickly. His general rule of thumb is “if you can’t grow lupins, then you are likely to get a good response to fluid P”.

Beyond the fluid fertiliser learnings, Andrew highlighted many differences in farming systems between Australia and overseas, such as the scale and complexity of farming in the UK. Many farmers expand into value-adding and farm diversification to generate additional income.

An interesting example of this was the development a pelletising plant using grain waste and by-products to supply fodder and alternative markets. Andrew also provided a brief overview of integrated sowing systems that farmers in the EU are adopting as a result of herbicide and pesticide restrictions across the region.

In reflecting on his tour, Andrew could see the level of importance the US and Canada place on local agriculture. After visiting the UK however, it really drove home the importance of grower groups and the role they play in promoting local agriculture.

“Farmers need to support them (grower groups) to help raise the profile of agriculture in Australia – especially as there are so many pushing for changes that will be detrimental to our industry and farming systems,” Andrew Polkinghorne, 2023 Churchill Fellow.

To find Andrew’s full Fellowship report, visit the following link: https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/andrew-polkinghorne-sa-2023/