ABOUT US
LONGTRAIL FARMS IS A DIVERSE AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE STEEPED IN FAMILY HISTORY, BUT WITH A MODERN CORPORATE STRUCTURE.
The Dabinett family have farmed in the Southern Mallee region of South Australia for more than 100 years, but their ever-expanding Longtrail Farms business continues to evolve using the best agricultural practices and latest technologies and equipment.
Today, Nick and Emma Dabinett together with Wade and Hannah Dabinett, manage the 10,000-hectare aggregation of irrigation and dryland properties in the Parilla district, with water underpinning the corporate-structured farming business.
Irrigation has been integrated right across Longtrail Farms' diverse portfolio of commodities, which include grains, oilseeds and legumes, potatoes, lucerne seed and hay, plus forages for its sheep and cattle.
This new approach, along with a firm focus on land, water and environment sustainability, has further strengthened the future prosperity of the horticulture and mixed-farming enterprise.
Longtrail Farms prides itself on being an attractive, stable employer in the region, with employee safety and professional growth a core value of the business. Strong communication between the business' teams is important to management, while stakeholders are considered key players to business success.
"Longtrail Farms has historical, generational family farming roots, but now as a family corporate, we encourage all employees to seek career growth within the business." - Wade Dabinett
OUR VALUES
WORK HARD, MAKE SOME MONEY, HAVE SOME FUN
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FORWARD FOCUSED
We acknowledge our heritage whilst remaining focused on the growth and future prosperity of the company.
We plan our season and execute our strategy on time.
We're early adopters and embrace new ideas
RESPONSIBILITY
We prioritise employee safety and professional growth because our people are the heart of our business.
We take seriously the sustainability of our land, water, livestock and environment.
We are proud of our farms and equipment and this is reflected in all operations.
TRANSPARENCY
We communicate freely between teams.
We update stakeholders with timeliness and accuracy.
We make informed decisions and commit to our choices.
TIMELINE
1886 - WHERE IS ALL BEGAN
David and Louisa Dabinett migrate to SA from England, farming briefly in the Mid North, before making the move to the Mallee in the 1920s.
1922 - A TRAGEDY
Youngest son Charlie was the first to farm at Parilla, branching out after his father was killed in a horse accident near Lameroo.
1932 - WWII
With wife Ida, Charlie bought the Longtrail Road property at Parilla, where they had cropping, sheep and cattle.
Their son Max reflected that much of their early farm work was by horse and cart, and while "the farming kept us upright, there wasn't much money to be made". Max and brother Lyall fought in WW2.
1946 - MAX & MARIE + 4
Max and his wife Marie took over the family farm, growing wheat, and grazing sheep and cattle with a few pigs. They have four children Valerie, Margaret, Lynton (Beau) and Russell.
1954 - THE MOVE TO PINNAROO
Charlie and Ida move into Pinnaroo, while the family continue to buy up local farms to help facilitate Lynton and Russell's return to the farm as MC Dabinett & Sons.
1968 - GOODBYE CHARLIE
Charlie passes.
1987 - THE MOVE TO PINNAROO 2
Russell and his wife Leanne take over the home farm on Longtrail Road. The property adds to farms Russell bought between 1975 to 1985 in partnership with brother Lynton. Max and Marie move to Pinnaroo.
1996 - BROTHERS BRANCHING OUT
The brothers decide to farm separately. Russell and Leanne forge ahead with a significant irrigation development plan. They invest in water entitlements and irrigation infrastructure with plans to grow potatoes and carrots, alongside their existing mixed farming enterprise.
Over the years, the family also dabbled in other crops such as onions, sunflowers and linseed, with limited success.
2002 - THE POTATO PROGRAM BEGINS
Russell and Leanne's son Nick begins working at Longtrail Farms, managing the family's 300ha potato program.
2011 - WADE & THE CROPPING PROGRAM
Russell and Leanne's son Wade returns to Longtrail Farms, after a stint in the grain trade, storage and handling industry, to manage the business' 5000ha cropping program.
2020 - THE NEXT GENERATION
Nick and Emma Dabinett together with Wade and Hannah Dabinett, take over ownership and management of Longtrail Farms, and integrate irrigation across multiple commodities on-farm.
2022 - A FRESH START
Longtrail Farms becomes Longtrail Pty Ltd. Nick, Emma, Wade and Hannah Dabinett join forces with Adrien and Kate McCabe and Luke and Judy McCabe to grow aggregation, Acquisitions of farms and water licenses follow, including property Geraldton Park at Karte.
"We have taken a more balanced approach to the different enterprises and irrigation isn't just one enterprise, it underpins our whole diversified farming portfolio."
HERITAGE IMMORTALISED
While the business has taken on a more corporate approach in recent years, the historic contribution by the Dabinett family has been immortalised in the Longtrail Farms logo. The logo isn't just any old tractor, it is a Series 2 Field Marshall - the first tractor Max Dabinett purchased and operated on the home farm on Longtrail Road. A tractor that is still in operation today. So while Longtrail Farms is constantly evolving and upgrading, there is always an appreciation of where the business has come from.