John Gladigau, chair of Grain Producers SA, launched the “Harvesting the Crop” Facebook group in 2013 with a simple purpose: to connect farmers. The community began as an informal space for peers to compare crop notes and share farm photos, dad jokes, and tips. Now it’s become an engaged and active community of over 100,000 followers including 20,000 from outside Australia.
The organization works closely with and advocates strongly on behalf of Australian grain producers. It establishes a safe environment for them to discuss the successes and failures of their agricultural career. Gladigau acknowledged that he never dreamed the caucus would grow to the extent that it has. The platform helps bridge the isolation many farmers experience in their daily operations, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among its members.
A Thriving Community
The “Harvesting the Crop” bunch has become beyond just an online environment. Today, it functions as a lively hub where Black farmers can meet, share their experiences and help each other succeed. Gladigau expressed the importance of this connection: “I think people value it very highly.” The collective creates a low-key environment similar to house parties.
“It’s like going to a really good field day or meeting people down at the pub and just sitting around and talking about things, but in a really comfortable environment.” – John Gladigau
Members always provide the good, the bad, and the ugly on their experiences—insights gained and challenges overcome. Louise Smith operates a mixed farming enterprise in Maggea, in South Australia’s Mallee region. She is grateful for all the information she has at her fingertips. “It’s a very good page to be following for the little bits you do pick up,” she noted.
Smith’s story is a great reminder of the tangible value that the group can provide. She remembered a recent breakdown in which another member responded with the necessary pieces for her equipment upon seeing a post about it. “We had a breakdown and two days earlier we had seen a post of someone looking for a part for their header and someone piped up and said, ‘I have an old header I’m wrecking,’” she explained.
Celebrating Creativity
To keep members’ spirits up as they headed into their demanding harvest season, Gladigau set up a friendly photo contest among the group. The event proved hugely popular with over 700 entries and about 8,500 votes cast on the finalists. Categories included “bogged and busted,” “best looking farm dog,” “she’ll be right” (bush mechanics), “fields of green and gold,” “machinery selfie,” and “lunch box legend.”
Tye Griffiths captured the top honor in the “she’ll be right mate” division. His winning photo captured an emergency pulley replacement in action. Ebony Doering took first place in the inaugural machinery selfie contest! She captured this incredible image of her property near Dutton, in mid-north SA. Yet, farmers’ creativity was not the only talent shown in this competition. It was the resilience and resourcefulness of farmers that shone through.
Acknowledging Hard Work
The stunning photographs submitted during the competition each feature tales of grit, grace, and gumption—personal stories that all too often remain hidden. As Smith articulated, “Farmers put in a lot of effort in what they do and a lot of it goes unseen.” And by doing so, through programs such as this annual competition, their members can show off these successful attempts to a larger audience.
“We’re producing food for the world and this was one way to show the world what we as farmers do and make that connection.” – Louise Smith
She knows that keeping such a big group together can be hard. He recognized that, in some ways, it’s gotten away from him—with good reason, of course, considering the vibrant and dynamic nature of the community and its growth.
