"Once you start, you won't stop... you get a bit of an itch to grow it." Listen to 2017 Monsanto Cotton Grower of Year, Matt and James Toscan about their journey with growing cotton at Darlington Point, NSW.
Tony, Joyce, Matt and Daisy Toscan who farm at Darlington Point, NSW as the Cavaso Family Partnership, were awarded the prestigious Monsanto Cotton Grower of the Year Award for 2017.
With seven years’ experience, the Toscan family might be relative newcomers to cotton farming, but their 12 bales per hectare yield proves their rapidly growing expertise. Success at Cavaso Farming can be attributed to a number of innovative moves. The family use siphon and bankless irrigation on a cotton and wheat rotation, employing minimum till and controlled traffic approaches. They are dedicated to streamlining their operation by reducing the number of crop varieties and employing Integrated Pest Management, encouraging beneficial insects and protecting bees.
The family are focused on environmental improvements to their 4,200-hectare property, have implemented biosecurity best practice and have attained myBMP certification.
Matt said “what I love about the cotton farming community is that it is very open-minded about knowledge sharing, technology and new ideas. My family only began planting cotton 7 years ago and other growers were really generous with their time and experience. It helped us grow.
"Growing cotton has been a great experience, we're living the dream."
