Record Harvest for the Carmody Family of Clare Downs
One of the strongest harvests in recent memory has reinforced the value of precision harvesting technology for the Carmody family of Clare Downs, near Cascade in Western Australia’s Goldfields-Esperance region.
Following a standout 2025–26 season, the Carmodys successfully harvested their biggest crop since taking over the property in 2012, using a new John Deere X9 1000 combine supported by advanced Harvest Automation technology supplied through their local John Deere dealership.
George Carmody in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia
Brothers George, Tom and Jack Carmody, alongside their families, farm 5,000 hectares approximately 100km northwest of Esperance. Favourable seasonal conditions combined with strong agronomic management delivered exceptional yields across the program, including wheat averaging 4.1 tonnes per hectare and canola averaging 2.2 t/ha.
The season also marked the first full harvest using the family’s recently acquired John Deere X9 1000 harvester fitted with an HD40R front and Harvest Automation Ultimate package, operating alongside their existing John Deere S690 combine.
According to George Carmody, the decision to invest in the X9 followed positive experience with a demonstration machine the previous season.
"We estimated we needed three S Series-worth of harvesting capacity, so we decided to give the X9 a go with the S690. With just the two machines, we harvested our biggest ever crop in very good time."
Predictive Ground Speed Sets New Benchmark for Efficiency
The dealership-supported setup included Predictive Ground Speed Automation, Harvest Settings Automation, advanced camera systems, and the John Deere HarvestLab™ 3000 grain analyser, enabling real-time adjustment to changing crop conditions while maintaining grain quality and minimising loss.
Predictive Ground Speed technology automatically adjusted harvesting speed ahead of changing crop conditions using forward-facing cameras and biomass mapping data, helping maintain throughput and machine efficiency throughout the season.
George said the automation package exceeded expectations during extensive in-field testing throughout harvest.
"Losses from the X9 were incredibly low. We're very harsh critics, we tested and re-tested, dropped trays behind both machines during the day to make sure the automation was doing what it was supposed to, and it was completely accurate,"
George noted that while the system initially took some getting used to, the long-term consistency and reduction in operator workload quickly became apparent.
John Deere Harvest Machinery 2025
Integrated Precision Systems Streamline Operations
Beyond harvest performance, the Carmodys continue expanding their use of John Deere Precision Ag technologies across the broader fleet, including Operations Center™ and Modular Telematics Gateway (MTG) connectivity.
"Not all of our machines are John Deere yet, but we run them all on John Deere's Precision Ag technology. The MTG, the Modular Telematics Gateway, connects tractors, sprayers, combines, and other equipment so that we can stream machine and field data to John Deere Operations Center™," George explained.
"We rely heavily on the Ops Center to remotely monitor machines and check in from anywhere to assist our operators when they have issues, rather than driving out to the paddock. And we can use performance metrics to assess the machines on the go.
The integrated system allows the family to remotely monitor machinery, analyse machine performance, generate yield and protein maps, and streamline prescription mapping for future crop planning.