Powered by our People: Dan Skerman – Agronomist, Dalby QLD

“My family have been farming on the Darling Downs for 50 years,” said Dan.  

“Alongside my parents Ross and Merryll, brother Josh and cousin Luke, and our wives Chloe, Amanda and Michelle, we all contribute to the business in various ways. For me, it’s being able to stay abreast of the latest products, research and technologies, while learning from other growers who I’m working with as their advisor.” 

With such a strong family farming background, it was inevitable that Dan would build his career in agriculture.  

“After studying Ag Science at the University of Queensland, spending my summers bug checking and a season on a farm in Canada, I started as a full-time agronomist with Total Ag Services in Dalby in 2005. A few years later, the business was acquired by Landmark, and subsequently became Nutrien Ag Solutions Dalby.” 

“I made the decision to go part-time about 12 years ago, which enabled me to keep a few clients in the district close to our farm, and freed up my time to contribute more to our business.”  

Pictured: Skerman farming family

Each year, the Skerman family grow 100-500 hectares of dryland cotton and another 40-100 hectares of irrigated cotton, planting into long fallow fields that have at least a three-quarter to a full profile of moisture. Dan uses soil coring and EM38 soil mapping to monitor soil moisture profiles to inform planting decisions.  

With a focus on planting the most profitable crops, the family also grow a variety of grain and legume crops, including sorghum, mung beans, barley, wheat and chickpeas.  

“We try to maximise our yield potential by using variable rate fertiliser applications. This helps to even out our higher water holding capacity soils and our lower, wetter field sections. Long term yield data, EM data, NDVI imagery and historical satellite images are all used to refine these management zones,” said Dan. 

“We’re always looking to improve the way in which we do things, with a big focus on agronomic improvements based on research and learnings from other growers. We’ve been benchmarking our yields and profitability for over 40 years; and use a drone for surveying dams and monitoring crops. This has been very handy in quickly identifying any disease or plant stand issues in crop, informing our management decisions.” 

The family have been long-term supporters of industry research, hosting a number of variety and crop management trials on their farms. 

“Partnering with research bodies to host trials has enabled us to see firsthand how new varieties and crop management techniques can work in our farming system. It’s a fantastic way to stay across the latest research and contribute to the industry.” 

“I’m also able to share those learnings with my agronomy clients, and other growers in the area,” said Dan. 

Safety is also a priority for the Skermans, with the purchase of side-by-side utility vehicles to reduce the risk of rollover injuries to casual staff and the family. 

“There are also a number of simple procedures we’ve implemented, such as using bottom opening silos and ensuring that full face masks are used when handling the fumigation trays. Enclosed chemical fill systems also minimise the exposure and risks associated with chemical handling,” said Dan.  

Skerman Farming has recently embarked on the cotton industry’s Best Management Practices certification, myBMP and expect to be fully accredited in the next few years. The family are long-term members of the Darling Downs Cotton Growers Association, with Daniel currently serving as Treasurer. Ross has been involved in a number of industry roles over the year, and Luke was previously the Chair of the Grains Research Foundation.  

Skerman Farming are finalists in the 2023 AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year Award, which will be announced at the Cotton Industry Awards dinner in Toowoomba in August, taking place as part of the Cotton Collective.