Eather family finalists for Farmer of the Year honour

A firm focus on innovation has placed the Eather family, of Tarriaro, in the spotlight as finalists in The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year awards.

Darren and Leanne Eather, along with children Julia and Thomas, operate Bellevue Pastoral Company and will vie for top honours as Innovative Farmer of the Year.

The Eathers conduct their operations at Tarriaro as well as in the Riverina near Carrathool and Deniliquin. Combined, they employ roughly 55 permanent employees as well as 20-30 contractors.

Speaking to The Courier about the awards, Darren said it was completely unexpected.

“We don’t do it for the accolades,” he said.

“To be recognised is a real honour.”

Darren said it was particularly special to be featured in the innovation category.

“I’ve never thought of myself as an innovator.”

The third generation on the farm, Darren, the son of Warren and Lyn Eather, is proud of the continued advancement and diversification of their operations.

Coming from a livestock background, the Eathers embraced cotton and now have advanced again into horticulture.

Regenerative activities also form a big part of what the Eathers do.

“We make sure that we have all the credentials and accreditations,” Darren said.

The Tarriaro property is your typical North West operation – cotton, wheat, chickpeas and canola – and now boasts citrus.

About 168,000 orange trees have been planted, with the ultimate goal of 185,000 trees.

It’s an area that could open up the Tarriaro operation to great opportunity. With it, the Eathers have purchased land closer to town and hope to establish a packing facility.

As the Eathers forge their own path in agriculture and horticulture, a new generation is also bringing fresh ideas and perspectives.

Julia and Thomas have taken a great interest in the operations, something Darren relishes.

“That’s what makes it so special,” he said.

“First up I was working with my dad and wife.

“When Leanne and I took over, we were doing cotton.

“Our role is to help guide the next generation.”

Darren and Leanne are unable to attend the awards celebration, being held in Melbourne, However, Julia and Thomas will proudly represent the Eather family on Friday, February 13 at the MCG.

Farmers will be honoured across six categories – beef farming, cropping, dairy, innovation, sheep and horticulture.

The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year Awards – which have been running for 14 years – recognise Australia’s greatest agriculture industry leaders throughout the previous year on three key farming principles: productivity, innovation and sustainability.

This year’s finalists are pushing the boundaries of modern farming, transforming efficiency, sustainability and staff satisfaction across the industry.

From the finalists announced this week, one winner will be chosen in each of the six categories, along with an overall champion to be crowned.

Editor of The Weekly Times James Wagstaff said the extraordinary work being done across Australia by farmers made selecting finalists more challenging than ever.

“I continue to be blown away by our Australian farmers and how they rise to the challenge of keeping pace with our fast-evolving world, nailing efficiency, using AI and other emerging technologies across all aspects of operations – from data collection to reducing labour-intensive tasks for staff,” Wagstaff said.

“The excellence of our finalists this year is top-notch, with Australian farming practices continuously setting benchmarks worldwide.”

More information on The Weekly Times Coles 2025 Farmer of the Year finalists can be found at theweeklytimes.com.au and in The Weekly Times print edition from Wednesday, February 4.