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IPM is a broad-based
approach to controlling pests.
It incorporates biological,
chemical and cultural controls.
Using IPM is beneficial as it
helps us to grow healthy crops
while minimising the impacts
on the farm’s ecosystem. We
aim to increase the number
of beneficial bugs, therefore
it is important that pest
management techniques are
not harmful to such species.
IPM enables us to maintain
beneficial bug numbers. When
using IPM, timing is crucial
and can be affected by the
changing weather.
Matt Grech
23
Theresa Park, Camden, NSW
Grech Farms
Potatoes (crisping varieties)
and cabbage
Young grower profile
planting and harvest dates, crop
monitoring as well as organising
employees. Whenever there are
key decisions to be made, my
Dad and I do this together.
No day is the same – some
can be very stressful while
others can be rewarding. On
most days, harvesting is done
in the morning while irrigation
is ongoing throughout the day
and night, especially during
the warmer months. Other
jobs include spraying, crop
monitoring and tractor work. I
have been using the LiveFarmer
app, which keeps all my crop
records and keeps track of all
activities carried out on the
farm. Some of my day is spent
entering data into the app.
From a young age, I was always
interested in farming and was
fortunate enough to grow up in
a farming family. When I was
younger, I used to help my
Dad out around the farm. At
the age of 17 my family
purchased another farm in
Cooma, leaving me to become
the full time manager of the
farm at home. Taking on this
role enabled me to realise how
much I loved farming.
I am the full time manager of
the Theresa Park farm. This
includes organising freight,
record keeping, machinery
maintenance, scheduling
Theresa Park, Camden