Farmers keep wheels turning

A little more than 12 months ago Steve Russell was carting hay to drought-stricken graziers struggling to feed livestock, but today the owner-operator can be found loading wheat, grain and chickpeas onto the back of his big, shiny Kenworth truck.

The produce is bound for market and Mr Russell couldn’t be happier about the change in season.

“It was shocking, it was so dry and nothing would grow, stock were starving, and people were buying produce to keep the animals alive,” said Mr Russell about the drought.

“It was just ridiculous how bad it was and probably I benefitted out of it through carting hay for people, but it’s really good to see that it’s turning around so much in such a short period of time.

“After the rain, it’s beautiful now and there’s grass everywhere.”

Mr Russell is thrilled to now be doing work for farmers that will hopefully have a positive impact on their balance sheets rather than the costly exercise of buying feed.

“We’ve not long finished harvest and it was brilliant,” said Mr Russell.

“I mean for me, as the carrier, it probably wasn’t quite as good as 2016 but it was a good harvest for farmers.

“Going back prior to that there was nothing.

“Farmers were probably thinking about walking off their places and thinking how much longer can we be doing this for?

“Now it’s much more positive, I spoke to some people the other day for the first time in about a month and they’re going really well now the season’s changed – I think it’s great.

“There’s a change in attitude with people.”

Mr Russell is based in Narrabri and has been driving trucks for the last 20 years.

He also admits to somehow getting the nickname ‘Stinky’.

“When I was a young fella I started driving trucks for Lex Gordon,” he said.

“I meet a lot of different people, and I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my wife and daughter.”

Life on the road can be demanding but Mr Russell often has his trusty companion Ziggy, his pet dog, by his side and is known for his upbeat personality that definitely boosted spirits during the drought as he delivered hay to farms across the North West region.

“The bucket’s not always half-full: there’s always a positive somewhere, it’s not all negative.

“Yes, there are only certain things you can do for people but I just try to listen to them and care about them.

“I have my beliefs and do really like talking to people.”

As well as carting grain, Mr Russell said it’s been wonderful to have work from locally-based businesses.

“Mainly at the moment I’m doing fuel carting for Woodhams who are tremendous people to work for and great at supporting local.

“I’ve been going from Newcastle back to Narrabri mainly and also other places,” Mr Russell said.

“It’s mostly farmer-based work: if the farmers aren’t planting crops or doing what they’re doing with fuel, I don’t get to cart fuel. It’s all reliant on people on the land doing alright.

“I think there are things happening in Narrabri that people are positive about at the moment, but I’m hoping it’s not short-term, like the gas and rail.

“But it’s definitely positive because farmers have got some money to spend now, and Narrabri doesn’t survive without farmers.

“They can have the gas and the rail and the coal, but the farmers are what started Narrabri and they’ll finish Narrabri.

“All these other things will probably go eventually but there’ll always still be farming here.

“I do think the gas people or the coal people or the rail people are spending a bit of money and employing people which is good, and it all helps people survive.

“Like the shops in town, in Narrabri, would probably not have survived if it wasn’t for the other people and industries coming in and spending, ” Mr Russell said.