Boolah expands into Victoria with new commercial-scale regenerative trial site
Source: Adapted from The Weekly Times (Nicola Bell, 17 September 2025). Read the original article here.
A commercial-scale regenerative crop trial has launched in Victoria for the first time, marking a major step in Boolah’s national expansion.
The Henderson Family of Darcra Farming at Wilkur - Craig with sons Mitch and Ben.
The Henderson family of Darcra Farming at Wilkur in the Wimmera has partnered with Boolah - the NSW-based agricultural enterprise established by Stuart and Lyndall Tighe in 2002 - to host the new Victorian trial. Boolah already operates Australia’s largest commercial-scale regenerative trial farm at Pallamallawa, NSW, running 23 replicated, rigorous trials across 1000 hectares and a further 39 demonstration trials over 8500 hectares.
The Wimmera site continues Boolah’s mission to use verifiable data to drive profitable, lower-emissions farming systems. The Hendersons - Craig and sons Mitch and Ben - have dedicated a 500-hectare paddock to the trial, which spans medium clay-loam soils in a 350 mm rainfall zone. Sown to Tomahawk wheat, the paddock hosts four treatments testing different carbon-building and nutrient-efficiency products:
Loam Bio seed inoculant (carbon-building microbial technology)
Mort & Co Terrus Pro urea blend
Terrus Pro + MAP combination
Terrus Pro + Omnia Bacstim Seed biological stimulant
Boolah’s Head of Research and Development Brooke Sauer said the site builds on Boolah’s commitment to reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050.
“We must try things outside of the box and ensure it’s done in a verifiable way,” Ms Sauer said. “We’re pushing the ordinary farming system to do more with less.”
Craig Henderson said partnering with Boolah offered early access to innovation and information.
“It’s about getting a two-to-four-year lead time on some of these products so we can extend our margins and lower our footprint,” he said.
Mitch Henderson added that the family’s philosophy of continual improvement aligned perfectly with the project.
“We’re already using precision technology to manage weeds and spreading chicken manure we produce on farm,” he said. “These trials complement what we’re doing and help identify better ways forward without impacting gross margins.”
The Hendersons recently attended the Boolah Trial Farm Field Day at Pallamallawa to see firsthand how Boolah’s northern trials are demonstrating the power of data-driven decision-making in regenerative systems.
Boolah CEO and Founder Stuart Tighe said the Victorian launch is part of Boolah’s broader plan to replicate verified trial models across multiple regions.
“The growth into Victoria is about testing regenerative practices at different soil types and rainfall zones,” he said. “Our goal is to connect these real-world results into the Boolah Pure Network so farmers and end users alike can see measurable impact.”
Data from the Henderson trial will be released following the 2025 harvest, with the paddock to transition into barley in 2026.
Learn more
Explore Boolah’s trial farm network and upcoming events: www.boolah.com.au/field-day
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