What This Production Seed Grower Has Learned After 30 Years In The Field
In a time when agriculture faces more changes and challenges than ever before, there’s something to be said for staying true to your roots. Open pollinated seed canola grower Paul Schilling has done just that, with Nuseed proving fertile ground for a rewarding, long-lasting career.
After 30 years in the field, the time has almost come for Paul to hang up his hat. With his well-earned retirement on the horizon, Paul’s story is a testament to the dedication, ingenuity and resilience that sets Nuseed’s production seed growers apart.
From the very beginning, Paul’s journey as a production seed grower was built on authentic connections. He got his start in seed canola through a friend in the early 90s – a timely connection that led Paul to leading seed production and marketing company Dovuro Seeds.
He stayed with Dovuro for over a decade, honing his knowledge and nurturing an extensive network of peers and personnel that would go on to become friends – a network only strengthened with the acquisition from Nuseed Australia in 2006. Always one to see change as an opportunity for growth, Paul has proudly been part of the Nuseed family ever since.
“[The choice to stay with Nuseed was simple]. I was enjoying the people I was working with – you end up making friends with them,” laughs Paul.“[Interactions were] personal, and they knew their growers were their [biggest] asset. [Over the years] you learn a lot by growing certified crops, and [with Nuseed] you always knew what was happening in and around the industry.”
An appetite for learning and innovation has been Paul’s north star throughout his time with Nuseed. From the early days spent growing the first of Nuseed’s shorter height triazine varieties (“now that one was probably my favourite – it yielded really well, and I bulked it up from the very first crop”), to more recent varieties like ATR Stingray and Bluefin, Paul’s passion for open pollinated seed canola was matched only by his unwavering commitment to cropping best practice. It’s a match that has made Paul’s time with Nuseed rewarding in more ways than one.
“I’m lucky enough to have been on the front foot of what new varieties are coming through, because the team and I would be talking all the time,” he says, when reflecting on how Nuseed has influenced his production system over the course of his career.
“Along with being able to learn about new seed varieties, we’re also rewarded for doing things the right way. Making sure the seed is clean, making sure the head is clean, maintaining proper storage and keeping your paddocks clean – there’s always been a bonus in it for doing that little bit more and going the extra mile.”
After three decades of growing above and beyond with Nuseed, Paul’s getting ready to reap what he’s sowed – namely, time to relax with family, slow down and enjoy his retirement at the end of 2023.
As for the next generation of production seed growers about to step up to the plate? Paul’s parting words of wisdom couldn’t ring truer:
“If you can withstand the tough times – high interest rates, having a young family, both come to mind – the rewards are there. You’re not going to get rich overnight, but Australia is still a land of opportunity.”
