On the distant hills about an hour north-west of Canberra, canola crops are turning yellow as if someone has switched on a light above them.

The district's biggest farmers, the O'Connor family are up to their shoulders in flowering canola.

Peter O'Connor said as he inspected early-sown canola with his wife Julie, ''It's the best I have seen it in years.''

For an experiment encouraged by the CSIRO the O'Connors planted 40ha of canola in April, a month earlier than usual.

As well as avoiding the worst of summer's fiery heat the early crop provided timely winter feed for sheep and although heavily grazed over July it has recovered strongly.

''It will get so yellow you won't be able to look at it,'' Mr O'Connor said.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times