From Strength to Strength: Operation Grain Harvest Assist Eyes Future Expansion
A program connecting Australian Defence Force veterans with grain harvest jobs is looking to expand its reach, as workforce shortages put pressure on the industry ahead of this year's harvest.
Operation Grain Harvest Assist (OGHA) was first established during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions prevented the usual tens of thousands of backpackers from entering Australia, leaving producers short of the workforce they needed to bring in a "bumper crop".
OGHA Founder Lieutenant Colonel Garry Spencer AM says it was an ABC Landline special on this issue that sowed the seeds for the initiative, leading to a partnership with Grain Producers Australia that connected former ADF members with farmers in need of skilled and disciplined workers.
“(ABC's) Landline was the vector if you like," Garry said, speaking with FlowFM's Jessica Dempster on the Country Viewpoint.
"It let us know that a bumper harvest was coming and that grain growers were not sure how they're going to get the harvest in because as a nation we'd locked out the tens-of-thousands backpackers who play a key role in bringing in the crops.”
Garry said the program led him to think about his fellow former defence veterans, who he believed would probably be very useful to the farmers in need.
“It got me thinking, well what can we do to help?” he said.
“I had 23 years in the Defence Force in armour, tanks and combat vehicles, and my thinking was I knew stacks of former tank drivers who with some training could definitely become harvester operators.”
Garry said he figured ex-servicemen would make ideal harvest workers thanks to their strong work ethics, discipline, and familiarity with using sophisticated equipment
“They could add a lot of value out there in rural and regional Australia, they're quick learners, very smart, carefully selected and very well trained ... definitely capable of helping with the harvest.”
Through the mobilised efforts of OGHA and GPA, around 300 veterans ended up answering the call that first year, with interest in the program remaining ever since then.
Garry said the response to the program, and the scope of former servicemen who put their hands up to help, blew him and the farmers away.
“The talent, the interest in working in agriculture, was just astounding,” Garry said.
“We had a former warship captain, the former chief RAAF test pilot who had flown every F18 Hornet before handover, a Qantas pilot who'd flown worldwide for 35 years, and five former armoured colonels.”
Garry said the program was met with great support from the grain industry as well, which helped keep the initiative going year-in-year out.
"We got great support from the grain industry - from the growers - they were delighted to have us, and that support has continued on," Garry said.
Following its successful first year, OGHA went on to run a foundation training course for veterans in Horsham in 2022, residing for several days at Longerong College where they learnt the ins and outs of the grains industry and the operation of farm machinery.
Talking about the appeal of the program, Garry said many veterans have an existing connection to rural and regional Australia through their military careers
“We've got a lot of military training that goes on in rural and regional Australia, we've got a lot of military bases in rural and regional Australia, and we've got a lot of veterans who have spent time supporting people on the land,” he said.
“They're straight shooters, they're used to supporting people on the land, and they look forward to mostly the peace and tranquillity of rural and regional Australia.”
Six years on from the harvest that started it all, Garry said the program is now looking to extend its services, expanding to support younger veterans leaving the ADF and searching for a second career as well as retired servicemen.
“There's 5,500 to 6,000 young men and women who leave the Defence Force every year after an average of about eight-and-a-half years, and many of those people are looking for something else to do,” he said.
With this expansion comes a name change, with Operation Grain Harvest Assist set to become Veterans Supporting Agriculture in 2027 and onwards.
The program will also broaden the scope of its agriculture training, extending beyond just grain to include other industries like sheep, cattle and cotton.
"We've been doing a lot of planning and a lot of thinking about how we can add value for veterans and for growers and producers," Garry said.
“From next year onward, we're going to be expanding the scope of the program. We'll be under a new name - Veterans Supporting Agriculture - and we're going to be looking at sheep, cattle, grain and cotton."
Garry said the program has already seen several participants make the jump from grain into other industries, and is now developing pathways to help more veterans transition into agricultural careers, including through partnerships with industry organisations and a new mentoring network to support them as they leave the ADF and settle into regional communities.
He says the program plans to approach the Federal and State Governments, along with relevant defence and agriculture departments, to secure support for its expansion and help build stronger pathways for veterans into the agricultural sector.
"We hope to get strong government support, so we can help each other support this key industry for Australia, one that contributes to our prosperity as a nation - bringing in over $80 billion a year," he said.
In the meantime, Garry said the immediate priority is making sure growers facing labour shortages this harvest can be matched with veterans who are ready to work.
“We need to get information from growers on what they need and when they need it, and we also need to hear from veterans who are keen to assist,” he said.
Growers and veterans can register through Grain Producers Australia's farm-labour page at www.grainproducers.com.au/farm-labour.
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