Five years ago, James Galbraith and his family became the fourth generation of farmers from the Galbraith family to run the farm that he grew up on.
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Now, James, his wife Belinda and their three children, Bella, Beau and Georgie, live on 300 acres of farmland off the Old Hume Highway in Sutton Forest.
They run cattle and sheep on the property, dubbed Medway Farm, and sell the grass-fed product directly to the community.
This week, Australia celebrates National Agriculture Day on November 21. The agriculture industry employs more than 1.6 million Australians - in jobs like retail, logistics, technology and science, as well as farmers like the Galbraiths.
Although James spent seven years in the Royal Australian Air Force after studying physical education at Charles Sturt University, where he and Belinda met, living and working on a farm was something he always knew he wanted to return to.
“After dad went through the ‘80s drought he wasn’t sure he would want me to come back to the farm because it was so stressful,” he said. “But it’s always been something I wanted to do in the back of my mind.”
The farming landscape has changed drastically since James’ mother and father oversaw the Medway property.
“There are so many more smaller farms now,” James said. “And people like us who are relying on it to make a living are doing it differently.
“We sell direct to the market. We get the processing done and sell the meat we grow straight to the consumer.”
Belinda, who previously worked as a journalist, does the marketing for the family business. She said social media, where they market their meat, plays a big role in the success of Medway Farm.
Although the Galbraiths acknowledged their work can be difficult in an increasingly technical world, they are proud to be part of an agriculture industry that contributes 1 in every 7 exported Australian dollar.
“It’s a challenge, but a good challenge,” James said.
“We’re only 45 minutes to the beach and 10 minutes from town – but look where we are,” Belinda added.