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The Roseworthy Farm

Crops | Dairy | Deer | Feedmill | Piggery | Sheep

The Roseworthy farm consists of 1500 hectares of which 89 hectares is leased and the remaining area freehold. The land occupies areas both sides of the Wasleys/Gawler Road from the Mallala Turn off at Kangaroo Flat to the Wasleys township. In 1883 the farm started with an area of 334 ha. This land is still part of the existing farm. Over the years the farm has acquired additional land which was necessary to maintain demonstration farms of a relevant and in more recent years viable size and to service the needs of teaching and research.

Roseworthy operates in a farming area where traditionally the enterprise mix consists of cropping a range of crops and a percentage of pastures, supported with a flock of merino or merino cross sheep. The sheep play an integral role in the management of weeds and stubbles.

The Roseworthy farm mix is similarly based to the surrounding area, but grows a broader range of crops than most farms, and has diversified into a range of other enterprises which extend the opportunities for learning and research. These include a feedmill, piggery, milking herd, sheep and deer.

The Roseworthy Farm typifies the conditions in the more favourable rainfall area for cereal and sheep production in South Australia. The average rainfall is 440mm with 330mm (75%) occurring during the crop growing season of April to October. The rainfall and temperature distribution is representative of the Mediterranean-type climate.

The soils are typical for a semi-arid region with a mixture of solonized brown soils, red brown earths and grey calcareous soils.

The farm was traditionally covered in mallee scrub and was in the early days described as arable and land thickly covered with peppermint, native pine and mallee scrub. In 1881 over half of the original farm area was still covered with mallee scrub. Today only small remnants of the native flora remain. Regeneration and planting of native species is now being carried out.

Natural water supplies at Roseworthy are very limited. In the early days water was quite often carted from rivers in the district. The farm and Campus are now totally reliant on SA Water domestic supplies.

The Farm Services Department which services the needs of the Faculty has the responsibility of managing the farm enterprises in a commercial framework.