Canola season has arrived, along with a reminder to keep the photos roadside
South Australia’s paddocks are turning yellow, which means two things.
Canola is flowering and some people need their annual reminder about how fences work.
Grain Producers SA says reports are already coming in of people jumping fences and wandering into flowering canola crops in pursuit of the perfect picture. .
Yes, canola is pretty. Yes, a blooming crop makes a cracking backdrop for the socials.
No, the farmer did not plant several hundred acres of canola for your spring photo shoot.
GPSA Chief Executive Officer Brad Perry said farmers understood the appeal, but the message was simple.
“Enjoy it, photograph it and share it, but stay on the right side of the fence,” Mr Perry said.
“We are already hearing from grain producers who have had people jumping fences and walking into their canola crops for photographs.
“These paddocks are not public spaces or photo sets, they are working farms and the crop is a valuable part of someone’s business.”
Apart from damaging plants, unwanted visitors also pose a biosecurity risk, with footwear and vehicles able to carry soil, weed seeds, pests or disease material between properties.
There are safety risks too, with machinery operating and other hazards around working farms.
“A fence and a closed gate are there for a reason. Unless you have the landholder’s permission, please don’t enter the paddock,” Mr Perry said.
Farmers are more than happy for people to admire the annual splash of yellow across country SA, preferably from the other side of the fence.
So go nuts and fill your camera roll with yellow. Pose beside it. Pose in front of it. Get the kids in there. Get your new profile pic sorted.
Just keep the fence between you and someone else’s crop.
Consider this your annual canola season public service announcement.
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