Having seen the idea employed by a mate, Digby says the baler was salvaged from a farm dump and just needed a couple of repairs to one or two of the belts.

Ian says that nothing had to be mechanically changed to allow the baler to pick up the grain bags although the bag itself needs to be laid out in a straight line ready to go. Getting the bags laid out is as simple as hooking one end to a ute and dragging it out.

Five or six 250t bags can be rolled into one 500-600kg bale which can be collected with the telehandler and loaded onto a truck to be carted back to a central point. And while the McNeils have a growing stockpile of neat plastic bales awaiting a recycling solution, in the meantime, they aren't blowing across a paddock or consuming landfill.

The second innovation is some simple temporary bunding in the grain/fertiliser shed constructed using marine-ply and used spray oil IBCs. The IBCs are half-filled with water and fixed to the ply using some pipe brackets. Digby reports the setup has done a great job of containing 400t of their 2023 supply of fertiliser in the shed and can easily be shifted as needed.

Thanks again to the McNeil family for an inspirational tour of their setup and happily sharing their ideas and innovations.

If you have an Idea and Innovation for the Farming Ahead magazine, email a photo and some details to [email protected] or text it to 040111 FARM (040 111 3276).