The fourth-generation farmer, based on the outskirts of Ouyen, has been cutting 1200 hectares of vetch to be baled for hay.
Mr Trigg has been farming in the district for more than five decades.
His great-great-grandfather settled in the region in 1906.
Having experienced good and bad years, droughts, mice plagues and bumper seasons, Mr Trigg says this year’s hay crop is picture perfect.
“The vetch is magnificent, it’s going to be one of the best on record,” Mr Trigg says.
“It’s the biggest vetch crop I’ve seen, some of it is one metre high and it’s thick.”
He attributes the bumper season to his rotations, while optimal rainfall at the right time has also helped.
“We’re getting very good fertiliser with our rotations,” Mr Trigg says.
Vetch not only adds value to his farm as a cash crop but also provides valuable nitrogen to the paddock.
For this very reason, there has been a surge of hay production within the Mallee in recent years.
“More and more people are cutting hay,” Mr Trigg says.
“Last year was huge for hay but it wasn’t the year for it.”
Mr Trigg says another trend is for many Mallee farmers to turn to lentils this year as part of their paddock rotations.
“We tried lentils around five years ago but it’s too difficult to grow in the Mallee.”
He says the weather will be pivotal in determining the outcome of this year’s harvest and at this time of year, it is a balancing act.
“I’m a little bit concerned about the predicted rainfall.
“While we need it for our cereals, we don’t want big rain. We’ve still got a little bit more room for absorption, if we got around 10mm I’d be happy.”
With harvest fast approaching, Mr Trigg says the outlook for both this year’s hay season and harvest is promising.
“It’s exciting and will potentially be a great year.
“Hopefully we can get it over the line but things can go wrong pretty quickly, especially when it comes to vetch.
As for the region’s cereal crops, things are also on track for a great year.
“The cereal crops are also magnificent, the best I’ve seen in a long, long time.
“It’s like this across the board – everyone’s crops are looking very good, it’s good for the district.”
