Around 40 to 50 farmers gathered at the McCann family's property near Grenfell to learn more about Ocean 2 Earth's approach to improving soil health and crop performance. The field day gave growers an opportunity to see the results of the company's products in action, following a couple of years of collaboration with the McCann family. Ocean 2 Earth business development manager Bayley Goode said the event attracted strong interest, with attendees particularly impressed by what they saw in the barley crops. "We had about 40 to 50 farmers show up on the day. I think they were reasonably impressed with what they saw, and there were certainly a lot of questions asked," Bayley said. He said interest in hosting the field day had grown after other local farmers began noticing the McCann's crops and asking what they had done differently during the season. "Farmers were sort of saying, 'What have you done this year?' and sending messages asking what they'd done to get the crops looking so good," bayley said. Ocean 2 Earth was founded on the idea of turning clean, wild-caught marine fish waste and timber residue into compost products. The business has since expanded its range to include products such as fish hydrolysates and liquid fertilisers, using fish-processing waste rather than whole fish. Bayley said the company's products were designed to work alongside existing cropping programs, helping improve the efficiency of traditional fertilisers and supporting biological activity in the soil. "What we're about is making traditional fertilisers far more efficient and converting that energy into the plant," he said. The company has been working with the McCann family for the past couple of years, with soil testing and product applications forming part of the collaboration. While the crops are showing encouraging signs, Bayley said the final results were still to come, with harvesting of the treated crops expected to provide a clearer picture of their performance. He said the crops appeared healthier and were showing potential for improved yields, with the barley attracting particular attention during the field day. Ocean 2 Earth plans to continue working in the Grenfell district, with Bayley saying the company was already speaking with a number of local farmers and was keen to connect with more growers. "We're certainly not going anywhere," he said. "We're using natural products to grow biology in the soil. That biology transfers energy far more efficiently into the plant, which has achieved excellent results." Bayley said the business was looking forward to seeing the McCann family's harvest results and continuing discussions with farmers across the region.
