What does a crop farmer do?
Russell inherited financial caution from his parents, and it has served him well. “We nearly had a good crop last year, but two or three days of very hot weather knocked probably half our yield off. If it’s not extreme heat it could be rain or hail – a lot of it could have an impact as to what your final yield is.” His grain profits also depend on world prices and how the Australian dollar compares to the American dollar, which are all governed by weather elsewhere, plus diseases, wars and transport issues. “You can’t plan for those ups and downs? To a large extent you’re a price taker.” But Russell finds farming satisfying, with a measure of control you don’t get in the city. He slaughters his own sheep, for example. “It’s all prepared for you [in the city], but I can go out and say, ‘Well, that’s a nice one, I’ll put him on the hook.’ You’ve got the choice and you know if you’re producing good meat or not.” He’s also very aware of his responsibilities as a landowner. “You’ve got to b
