The Australian Farmer

INNOVATION IN PRACTICE

From Tradition to Innovation: Transforming Farming with Modern Practices

Australia has been exporting wheat grown on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia since the 1870s and it is this heritage that A.G. Schilling & Co. has inherited and continues to build on today.

South Australian-based agribusiness A.G. Schilling & Co. was established in 1964 but its origins date back to 1925 when the grandparents of current CEO Mark Schilling first established their farm. Fast forward 60 years later, having grown from an 800 hectare farm to 3000 hectares combining owned, leased, and share farming. The business is still a family owned and run operation. “There’s nothing better than being part of a family farm operation – it’s both your home and also your job, with a lifestyle most would envy,” Mark says. In 1992, Mark took on a management role within the business that was being run by his parents. Since then, he, and his wife Merridee, have taken on

multiple initiatives, all of them in keeping with their commitment to innovation. Their sons, Aidan and Rohan and five full time staff ensure the diversifica- tion becomes reality. When rising rodent bait costs became a financial strain for SA farmers about a decade ago, Mark part- nered with business acquaintance Wilhelm Rural from Adelaide, owner of the registered label “Last Supper”. This partnership enabled A.G. Schilling & Co., now trading under the company Their Last Supper Pty Ltd, to supply mouse bait for broader acre use directly to farmers and retail chains as an alternative bait to what was currently in store. Mark describes himself as a disruptor. “If I have identified a problem then it’s likely others have the same problem,” Mark says, admitting it is some- thing of a theme in his approach to business. When he needed a particular opener for his air seeder, he “googled” and found one that took his interest, which was manufactured in Canada. Purchasing a set for their own use subsequently began a busi- ness partnership importing Atom Jet openers. Thus began the import arm of A.G. Schilling & Co., now known as AG Culture Pty Ltd. The company employs three full time staff working solely on importing products that include the AWS Airbar, Needham Ag Technology and RedE Ag disc seeder parts.