Photographer Kim Storey’s new book Little Farmers pays tribute to bush kids

Farmer and photographer Kim Storey has self-published her pictorial tribute to bush kids in a new book called Little Farmers.

Sid Jackson helps feed the animals at his family farm in Coolagolite NSW. Picture: Kim Storey

When farmer and photographer Kim Storey took her camera into pig pens and cattle runs to see Australian bush life from where our smallest farmers stand, she was soon convinced our agricultural future is in safe hands.

Funny, cheeky, hardworking and often dwarfed by their own Akubras, these “little farmers” had their own egg businesses, judged the poultry at local ag shows, and trundled next to their parents for hours on a tractor.

They cared for motherless “poddy calves”, helped feed hungry stock and were first out of the ute on gate duty.

Storey has self-published her pictorial tribute to bush kids in a book called Little Farmers.

On her travels, she found little Sid Jackson of Coolagolite in southeastern NSW feeding a calf. Sid told Storey when he grows up he wants to “bang the posts in and dig a paddock with the bulldozer”. He also wants to collect the eggs by himself and “wear a work shirt”.

Matilda Uebergang, North Star NSW with her chicken called Brown Blossom. Picture: Kim Storey

Charlie and Max McGlynn at Camooweal QLD. Picture: Kim Storey

Jade, Ruby and Isabelle Blair, of Little Billabong in the Riverina, like winning prizes at ag shows with their frizzle chooks. They’ve also got their own mini cattle stud with a bull called Fiddlesticks. Understandably, the girls’ parents help them with the stud.

Storey photographed the Mudford kids, Harry, Sarah and George, riding triple bareback on a pony at Cassilis in central west NSW.

On a hazelnut and alpaca farm in Porepunkah in Victoria, Storey found Magnolia Crea cuddling a newborn alpaca.

“It would just walk up to her. It’s amazing how some kids just have such an affinity with animals,” Storey said.

Sophie Christensen at Glengarry West in Victoria. Picture: Kim Storey

Harry, Sarah and George Mudford at Cassilis NSW. Picture: Kim Storey

Jock and Dan O'Ryan in Berridale NSW. Picture: Kim Storey

Magnolia Crea at Porepunkah in Victoria. Picture: Kim Storey

Young Nate Cowley of Pinnaroo in South Australia quietly let two Angus bulls approach and sniff him.

“You’ve really got to be experienced with animals of that size to just wander up to them and not be intimidated,” Storey said.

Henry, Jack, Tom and Darcy Geppert in Cobar NSW. Picture: Kim Storey

The Little Farmers book by Kim Storey.

In NSW, Matilda Uebergang of North Star showed off her beloved chook, Brown Blossom, while Jock and Dan O’Ryan of Berridale posed up with the sheep which they help care for.

Storey herself grew up on a sheep farm in Bathurst and now has her own farm at nearby Eugowra. Little Farmers is a follow-up to Storey’s first book, What Does A Farmer Look Like? As she travelled Australia marketing that book, Storey took the chance to photograph the local farm kids.

“Not all of them want to be farmers when they get older, but some of them are just born to do it. You can just tell from meeting them. They’re already very invested in it,” Storey said.

“They do register the hardship and emotion attached to fire and flood, but they’ve got a really good understanding of the cycle of life and death and how things work and they grow up really resilient.”

Little Farmers is $69.95 plus postage from kimstoreyphotographer.com.au where stockists are also listed.