JAMES

I’ve lived here all my life. My parents, Alan and Pam, bought their farm across the road in 1966. Like many country kids, I went to school in Sydney and then up to university in Armidale to study rural science, which is where I met Sarah. We bought Fairview in 1996, just before we got married, and have been running our own business for more than 10 years now. We started out buying a block and have just kept adding onto it. We also lease another place from Sarah’s parents, who bought on the other side in 2006. That’s where our on-farm cottage is. Being across the road from my parents works really well. We have our own equipment and stock, but we do share — I probably borrow more from my dad than the other way around — and we work well together. We run 2600 hectares, mostly winter cropping. At one point we were farming more, but with the drought and other considerations we decided to downsize slightly and take a different turn, adding value to what we grow. When I started farming, I thought it was all about growing bigger, increasing productivity and efficiencies. But with the cycle of drought, it didn’t matter what we did. Lambs were the first thing we sold direct. The season starts in March, then again in May, and the lambs leave the farm from July onwards. Quality is really important to me — I individually weigh and fat score every lamb that leaves this property. Getting the customers’ feedback is invaluable. I love it when they tell me that it’s the best lamb they’ve ever eaten.