Agricultural
16 February, 2026
Cultural Exchange at Crestview Farm
Last week, at Mt. Molar, a group of seven French farmers got to see what it was like to work the land around here.
“They look a lot like us, except they’re very French,“ Chris and Louise Bazely’s granddaughter whispered as her Grandad was speaking to the group.
The majority of them were from the north of France, around Normandy.
The climate there, is much more like Victoria.
So they were fascinated to hear Chris talk about wheat and sorghum yield, and a discussion about Roundup.
(Roundup no longer used in the French agricultural industry.)
But as Chris said here its almost quadrupled from how much used to work.
The farmers weren’t here from any association, diplomatic nor industry mission.
They were simply farmers on holidays, checking out Australian farms.
The afternoon at Crestview was a bunch of ag nerds, talking about what it was like to farm on other ends of the world.
The French farmers, who have recently driven their tractors into Paris, en masse, to protest a new EU deal were very eager to hear about how farmers here lobby and join associations to consolidate political power.
They also discussed genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and were interested to hear how we’d regulated them.
They discussed the big issues facing agriculture.
Chris and Louise’s son, Will said it was input costs, and off shore manufacturing leaving us at the mercy of other countries.
Chris said the seasons are also a big risk here.
A lighter note came when ‘fall armyworm,’ was mistranslated as a ‘fool army worm,’ to the confused looks of many of the visitors.
They huddled around buckets of seeds and grains, intently inspecting and chatting with Chris, who was more than happy to share his knowledge.
Then afterwards, the group was taken on a tour of the Bazley’s Mt. Molar property.
They jumped with excitement when one of the tour group shouted “Kangaroo!” and they all turned to see a wallaby hopping outside the window.
They left with smiles, laughter and an invitation for Chris and Louise to look them up if they’re ever in France.
Next they were off to Warwick for a few nights of farm stays.
What a thing though - farmers on holidays, checking out farms.
Life on the land isn’t so different, on either side of the globe.
Nor is it hard to understand that fact when it’s on the other side of a language barrier.
