Drought doesn’t deter search for 2019 Farmer of the Year

Farmer Sam Coulton says with water scarce, the challenge was to become more creative and efficient in use of the resource. He supports the search for The Weekly Times Coles 2019 Farmer of the Year award, backed by The Sunday Telegraph.

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Boggabilla farmer Sam Coulton will be glad to see the back of the drought, one of the toughest he can remember.

Yet, the crop and cattle producer is still passionate about the agriculture industry and “wouldn’t work anywhere else”.

“Droughts come and go and they always will — it’s just part of it,” Mr Coulton said.

His family grows irrigated cotton, cereal crops and runs cattle on 809,371ha, stretching across six properties in northern NSW and southern Queensland.

Boggabilla farmer Sam Coulton runs a mixed farming operation across a number of properties.

The 2019 Farmer of the Year award is proudly sponsored by The Sunday Telegraph.

With water scarce, Mr Coulton said the challenge was to become more creative and efficient in use of the resource.

“You’ve just got to be prepared for it and do the best farming you can,” he said.

“Stick to your guns and make the best decisions you can in the circumstances. It makes you more efficient, because you have to be.”

He would like to see great farmers nominated for The Weekly Times Coles 2019 Farmer of the Year award.

The awards, proudly supported by The Sunday Telegraph, seek the best farmers in six categories — cropping, beef, dairy, sheep, horticulture and lifestyle — with the overall Farmer of the Year chosen from the category winners.

Finalists and winners will be announced in February. Last year’s winner was sheep farmers Tom and Phoebe Bull from Holbrook in southern NSW.

Originally published as Drought doesn’t deter search for 2019 Farmer of the Year