The 290-hectare facility first opened in November 2019, and four years on it is now operating a full research capacity with six staff on site plus visiting scientists working on their projects.

The site takes work from across the organisation's national footprint, but it primarily translates lab work from the Black Mountain headquarters in Canberra and puts it into the field.

CSIRO first acquired the site for BARS in 2015 as a replacement for its historic Ginninderra Experimental Station, which was first established in 1958. The site was chosen as a nearby replacement for researchers to be able to work between lab and field.

BARS farm manager, Stuart Brown, said the facility is helping to secure the long-term future of farming in Australia's southern growing region.

"We primarily operate broadacre operations on the site, between experimental farming systems as well as trials of new crop varieties," Mr Brown said.

"The station is well positioned to provide us with invaluable data on whether or not new interventions and varieties can operate at greater scale outside of laboratory conditions."

BARS allows scientists to trial developments in digital agriculture, agronomy, and a number of broadacre crops.

"We've been thrilled by how the community has welcomed us since we first opened, and together we have a bright future in securing our mutual success," Mr Brown said.

You can find out more information about the BARS site at www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/industries/agriculture/boorowa-agriculture-station