On a wet winter's day I met with Don Bruce and his wife Rae at their property at Cumnock, which is situated in the Central West of New South Wales.
I was grateful to the rain because it meant that I could spend a long time with Don in what otherwise would have been a typically busy day in the life of a farmer. Don is a fourth generation farmer in Cumnock and raises sheep and cattle as well as canola and oats. He is passionate about farming and believes that to be successful as farmer it has to be in your blood. Long experience on the land, together with inherited wisdom from his father and grandfather, means that he is in tune with the seasons and the best way to utilise his land.
It is through his long connection with Landcare - he was the inaugural chair of the local branch , Little River Landcare Group- that he has become involved as a mentor with the Archibull Prize.
Not only does he bring his passion for the land to this role but also his forty years experience in working with groups of handicapped children and also with high school and university students in providing them with practical exposure to farming.
Don recently visited the Alice Betteridge School at North Rocks which is taking part in this year's Archibull Prize. From their website, the "Alice Betteridge School at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children at North Rocks provides educational and therapeutic programs for children aged 4-18 years with both sensory and intellectual disabilities".
His face lights up as he describes how he got around the fact that the students he was talking to were either unable to see or unable to hear what he was explaining. He set about engaging the senses of touch, smell and taste. The students were able to touch and smell wool filled with lanolin. Don took canola seeds and plants and rolled oats for the children to handle. He answered questions from the students and whilst he had no expectation of how long he would be there, the fact that he was at the school for four hours probably speaks for itself!
Don exemplifies the passion and energy that the Farmer mentors bring to the Archibull Prize.
Thank you Don and Rae for your hospitality.
