Talking Gear Tuesday
Broadacre Contracting’s founder Dillon and the Broadacre Contracting videography team are out on the ground at Birchip in the Victorian Mallee.
Birchip is famously known for the pink bull in the middle of town.
Birchip is located on the southern edge of the Mallee region in north-western Victoria, known for its alkaline, clay-heavy and sodic soils.
Get the gypo out on the country, legends.
The team are catching up with Alex and Jayden Noonan from Noonan Contracting.
In this video, Dillon and Alex are having a proper yarn about the gear they are running, mostly Case IH gear and an Agrifac sprayer.
They dive into the family farm history and what it takes to run a full harvest outfit while farming 3,000 hectares of their own country.
If you are a grower looking for gear to hire or a contractor, Google Broadacre Contracting.
Made by farmers, for farmers. You can rely on us.
Watch the Noonan Contracting episodeWatch Talking Gear Tuesday
Noonan Contracting is based in Birchip, VIC, in the heart of the Victorian Mallee.
The business is owned and operated by two brothers, Alex and Jayden Noonan.
The boys run a 3,000-hectare broadacre farming operation alongside the contracting business, growing wheat, barley, canola and lentils.
The story behind Noonan Contracting is a bloody good one.
Looking in from the outside, you can tell the risk that the boys have taken.
The boys did not just step into a family farm that had been handed down through generations.
They have jumped into farming themselves and had to get creative to make it work.
That is why and where the contracting arm of the business was built.
Noonan Contracting was created to help carry the farming operation through and keep the dream alive.
It is a fair risk jumping into 3,000 hectares of their own country.
Building a contracting business is a solid risk in itself, and then having a spread on that contracting outfit across harvesting, spraying, spreading and cartage from Queensland to Victoria adds another layer again.
The contracting side of the business covers:
Harvest contracting with Class 8 Case IH headers and 45ft MacDon fronts
Spray contracting
Spreading, from manure through to powders and granular products
Cartage and haulage
From their home base in the Southern Mallee, Noonan Contracting will cover a fair stretch of country.
The team can work from Birchip and the Southern Mallee right up into Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales for harvest.
Their approach is to head as far north as possible to catch the early start, then work their way back down through the season, wrapping up around the Southern Mallee by mid-November.
In this episode of Talking Gear Tuesday, the boys tell us their farming country has not come through from the family.
They have dived into it themselves, which is a pretty big deal, and talk about some serious pressure.
To then create a contracting arm on the side to keep it alive, yeah, there is no such thing as work-life balance.
These boys are having a crack above the normal risk ratio.
That is the sort of story we like at Broadacre Contracting, because it shows what it really takes to make a broadacre farming and contracting operation work.
Overall, it is not a common story. This is one of those stories where your balls are on the chopping block.
That might be a bit rude and confronting to some, but that is the sheer scale of it here.
Noonan Contracting are running mostly red gear, well, Case IH headers for the harvesting part, and the business is set up out of Birchip, VIC.
In this episode of Talking Gear Tuesday, Alex Noonan explains that the headers they are running are two Case IH 8240 headers and one Case IH 9120 header.
The 8240s are Class 8 late-model machines, sitting around 1,500 to 2,000 hours, while the Class 9 9120 has done more work and is sitting around the 5,000-hour mark.
Two Case IH 8240 headers
One Case IH 9120 header
45ft MacDon flex fronts
Pickup fronts for windrowed crops
Chaser bins
Trucks and grain haulage
Across the headers, the team are running a mix of clip-on dual wheels and singles, and they chop and change depending on the season.
Need more of a footprint when it is wet? That is where the duals come into it.
Alex explains that two machines are set up with clip-on duals, which help with flotation and reducing compaction in the paddock.
The single-wheel setup is handy for transport, narrow laneways and tighter access areas, depending on where the team is working.
Noonan Contracting also run chaser bins and trucks as part of their harvest outfit.
This allows them to offer a complete harvest contracting package for growers who need more than just a header turning up at the gate.
Depending on the job, the team can run one or two headers into a paddock, or they can scale up and bring a larger outfit with multiple headers, trucks and chaser bins.
Alex explains that when they head north, they can have access to around four headers and plenty of trucks through their own gear and connections with other operators.
This gives Noonan Contracting the ability to roll in, get the crop off, handle grain movement and then roll out again as a full harvest outfit.
We see a lot of contractors structure their gear like this, and rightfully so.
Alex and the Noonan Contracting team are positioning themselves to be reliable and suitable for multiple job types, not just one straight-line harvest setup.
The boys have focused on building a proper harvest contracting outfit here.
Two Class 8 Case IH 8240s, a Class 9 Case IH 9120, chaser bins, trucks, and access to extra headers and trucks gives them a fair bit of flexibility.
From the grower’s perspective, it would give them more confidence knowing that if a front is to brew up and come rolling through, they can rely on the team to really ramp it up.
The clip-on duals make sense for reducing compaction.
In cropping, we are always learning and doing everything we can in our power to look after our country.
Lately, compaction and controlled traffic have been a big conversation, and many farmers and growers all around Australia are taking it seriously.
There are more growers focused on compaction and controlled traffic than not.
So having that option has positioned Noonan Contracting as a more favourable choice than not.
Let’s be practical. It is bugger all to rip some duals off for transport, then put them back on.
What, two days and a bit of space on the top of the drop deck?
As opposed to not having the option for growers and potentially not getting the job?
Mhhm, I know where the money sits in that decision.
What also stands out here is the ability to downsize or scale.
They can put one machine into a smaller job, or they can roll in with a full harvest outfit and take on bigger country.
That is a big deal for growers.
We all know not every season gives you time to muck around.
When the crop is ready to come off, the gear that turns up needs to get through it as soon as possible.
There is nothing more important.
All it will take is one hailstorm at harvest, and the show is over.
This is how Noonan Contracting have thought about their setup, and as a result, it has led to the sort of contracting outfit they are running today.
Headers, fronts, chaser bins, trucks, spraying gear, spreading gear, cartage and access to more gear when the job calls for it.
On top of the harvest setup, Noonan Contracting also have the spraying side covered with their brand-new Agrifac sprayer.
You will see that yarn in Talking Gear Tuesday Ep 8.
That adds another layer to the contracting business.
The crew are not just turning up for harvest and leaving it there.
They can support growers across more parts of the cropping program, from spraying through to harvesting, spreading and cartage.
Noonan Contracting are running 45ft MacDon flex fronts across their harvest setup.
In the video, Alex explains that they are running MacDon flex fronts with cross augers fitted.
These fronts give them the ability to handle different crop conditions and service a wide range of clients across harvest, especially when moving between regions and crop types as the season changes.
One of the 45ft fronts is running a standard MacDon drum, while another is fitted with an aftermarket Typhoon drum.
Alex explains that the Typhoon drum can be a bit better for direct heading canola when needed, although the standard setup still works well for them too.
It might just come down to playing with your timing and knowing what the crop is doing.
Noonan Contracting also run pickup fronts, which are mainly used in canola where the crop has been windrowed.
Alex explains that it depends on the job and the crop.
Bulkier canola crops may be windrowed and picked up, while other crops may be direct headed depending on the grower’s preference, crop condition and the yield potential for the season.
The team does not currently run their own windrowers, but they do have access to windrowing contractors.
Around their home area, they rely on local contractors for windrowing, and if a grower needed a complete package further north, Alex explains that they have access to other contractors across a wide area to help make that happen.
This part of the yarn is a good example of why harvest contracting is not just about owning a header.
This section is also a bloody unreal example of the reason why Broadacre Contracting is building the Talking Gear Tuesday videos and forums.
To share knowledge, show what has worked, where it has worked, when it has worked and why.
Perfect example.
The timing of drums matters
The timing of reel fingers matters
Crop condition matters
The grower’s approach matters
Direct heading or windrowing matters
The right front matters
The timing of drums matters.
The timing of reel fingers matters.
Both are related to the crop condition.
The grower’s approach and decision matter too.
They decide whether the crop is direct headed or windrowed.
The things that influence those decisions are whether the crop is bulky, thin, standing well, tangled up, or whether the season has thrown something completely different at them.
All of that changes how the job should be attacked.
The more tools, experience and knowledge we all have, the better off we are. Together, we are all so much better.
The 45ft MacDon flex fronts are a solid setup for broadacre harvest work.
One of the reasons for that is a lot of growers are on 3m controlled traffic with 40ft setups.
If you run a 45ft front, you can cut at 45ft, but if a grower wants you on 40ft, you can still work in with that.
So having a 45ft front gives you the ability to work across two different cutting sizes.
If you are only running a 40ft front, that is all you can do.
At Broadacre Contracting, when growers post jobs on our website, we nearly always see growers asking for 40ft fronts, but they will often say they will take 45ft fronts as well because they can work in with everything and not leave any soldiers behind.
So essentially, if a grower wants a 40ft setup, they may still take a 45ft front if the contractor knows what they are doing.
Running cross augers on the fronts also helps with feeding, especially in stringy canola.
They can be a saving grace in the right conditions.
I believe Feedstorm makes adjustable setups on electric actuators as well.
Something to note.
Anyway, moving on.
Add in the Typhoon drum conversation, and it shows the boys are paying attention to how the crop enters the machine, especially with canola.
That is where a lot of harvest performance comes from.
It is not always about horsepower or simply driving faster.
A lot of it comes down to feeding the machine properly, matching the front to the crop and understanding what is happening before the crop even gets to the rotor.
That is the kind of practical gear conversation we want to keep bringing out through Talking Gear Tuesday.
If you are a grower looking for harvest contracting, spray contracting, spreading, cartage or haulage, Noonan Contracting are based in Birchip, VIC, in the Victorian Mallee.
From their home base in the Southern Mallee, the team can cover a fair stretch of country.
Their harvest run can take them from Victoria right up through Northern New South Wales and into Southern Queensland, depending on the season, crop timing and the work available.
Harvest contracting with Case IH headers
45ft MacDon flex fronts
Pickup fronts for windrowed crops
Chaser bins
Trucks and grain haulage
Spray contracting
Spreading, including manure, powders and granular products
Cartage and haulage
The business is built around being flexible for growers.
Some jobs might only need one machine, while other jobs need a full harvest outfit with headers, chaser bins and trucks.
In the video, Alex explains that Noonan Contracting are open to building new relationships with growers and taking on work where it fits their program.
At the end of the day, contracting is built on trust, respect and reliability.
The gear matters, but so does communication, timing and doing what you say you are going to do.
That is what growers are really looking for.
If you are chasing harvest contractors, spray contractors, spreading contractors or cartage support around Birchip, the Victorian Mallee, Northern New South Wales or Southern Queensland, Noonan Contracting are definitely a crew worth having a yarn with.
Broadacre Contracting filmed this episode of Talking Gear Tuesday to show the real people, gear and stories behind agricultural contracting in Australia.
This episode with Noonan Contracting is not just about walking around a few headers and saying, “Here is the gear.”
Anyone can do that.
The real value is in the story behind the gear.
Why they run it
How they set it up
What they have changed
What problems they are trying to solve
How they balance contracting with farming
What risk sits behind building the business
With Noonan Contracting, there is a lot going on.
They are running Case IH headers, 45ft MacDon flex fronts, Typhoon drums, cross augers, pickup fronts, chaser bins, trucks, spraying gear, spreading gear and cartage gear.
On top of that, Alex and Jayden are farming 3,000 hectares of their own country around Birchip.
That is a serious operation.
But what makes the story even better is that the boys have not just stepped into a big broadacre farm and cruised along.
They have had to build, push, contract, travel, take risk and make it work.
That is the sort of story we like showing at Broadacre Contracting.
Because this industry is full of farmers and contractors having a crack, backing themselves, building businesses, running gear, chasing seasons and doing the hard yards that most people never see.
Talking Gear Tuesday is about bringing those stories out.
It is made for growers, contractors, machinery operators and anyone in agriculture who wants to see how other people are setting up their gear, building their businesses and getting the job done.
If you are a grower looking for contractors, or a contractor looking to be found by more growers, Broadacre Contracting is building a place for Australian agriculture to connect.
From harvest contractors and spray contractors through to spreading, hay, earthmoving, cartage, haulage, fencing and more, the goal is simple.
Help growers find the right contractor
Help contractors find the right work
Help the industry back the people who are out there doing it
Broadacre Contracting is made by farmers, for farmers.
If you are looking for ag contractors, harvest contractors, machinery operators or rural contracting businesses across Australia, Google Broadacre Contracting.
You can rely on us.
Post a tenderBrowse harvest listingsWatch Talking Gear Tuesday
These resources may help growers and contractors watch the episode, find harvest contractors, list equipment, post jobs or learn more about the Broadacre Contracting directory.
If you are a contractor running quality gear and you want to feature on Talking Gear Tuesday, or you want to get verified on the Broadacre Contracting directory, give Dillon a call.
Call Dillon on 0439 300 380 from 6am to 9pm.
Cheers legends.
Call Dillon: 0439 300 380Contact Broadacre ContractingWatch Talking Gear Tuesday
Who are Noonan Contracting?
Noonan Contracting is a family-run broadacre farming and contracting business based in Birchip, Victoria. Alex and Jayden Noonan run the contracting business alongside their own 3,000-hectare farming operation. Where is Noonan Contracting based?
Noonan Contracting is based in Birchip, VIC, in the Victorian Mallee. What services does Noonan Contracting offer?
Noonan Contracting offers harvest contracting, spray contracting, spreading, cartage and haulage. Their harvest outfit includes Case IH headers, 45ft MacDon fronts, pickup fronts, chaser bins and trucks. What headers does Noonan Contracting run?
In this Talking Gear Tuesday episode, Alex explains that Noonan Contracting runs two Case IH 8240 headers and one Case IH 9120 header. Where does Noonan Contracting work?
Noonan Contracting can work from Birchip and the Southern Mallee up through Northern New South Wales and into Southern Queensland for harvest, depending on the season and available work. What is Talking Gear Tuesday?
Talking Gear Tuesday is Broadacre Contracting’s video series where we sit down with growers, contractors and ag operators to yarn about gear, businesses, risks, lessons and the real stories behind Australian agriculture. How do I find ag contractors through Broadacre Contracting?
You can use Broadacre Contracting to browse equipment listings, view harvest listings, post tenders and connect with verified contractors across agriculture.
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