'This is a book about the human aspects of life on the land - the stories of success and failure, life and love, of hardship and celebration - and the passion and gritty determination that characterised every family I interviewed.' Author Deb Hunt sets out to discover what makes what makes Australian farming families tick. She travels tens of thousands of kilometres to properties at either end of the country, from a vast, dusty cattle run in outback Queensland to the wheat belt of Western Australia and dairy and sheep farms in Tasmania. She introduces us to eight families who survive, even thrive, on the land despite fires, floods, personal hardship and uncertain economic times. We see a different sort of family life, where the kids are expected to pitch in, the classroom is often the kitchen table, the nearest maternity hospital is a five-hour drive, and generations live and work side by side. We meet the French family, whose connection to the bush goes back seven generations, Philip the Philosopher, who by 29 was managing a property of more than one million hectares carrying 20,000 head of cattle, and the outspoken Roma Brittnell, who was awarded Australian Rural Woman of the Year in 2009. Inspiring, moving and sometimes challenging, these stories provide a window into a way of life that defines the Australian spirit at its best.

Deb Hunt sets out to discover what makes what makes Australian farming families tick. She travels tens of thousands of kilometres to properties at either end of the country, from a vast, dusty cattle run in outback Queensland to the wheat belt of Western Australia and dairy and sheep farms in Tasmania. She introduces us to eight families who survive, even thrive, on the land despite fires, floods, personal hardship and uncertain economic times.

'This is a book about the human aspects of life on the land - the stories of success and failure, life and love, of hardship and celebration - and the passion and gritty determination that characterised every family I interviewed.'Author Deb Hunt sets out to discover what makes what makes Australian farming families tick. She travels tens of thousands of kilometres to properties at either end of the country, from a vast, dusty cattle run in outback Queensland to the wheat belt of Western Australia and dairy and sheep farms in Tasmania. She introduces us to eight families who survive, even thrive, on the land despite fires, floods, personal hardship and uncertain economic times.We see a different sort of family life, where the kids are expected to pitch in, the classroom is often the kitchen table, the nearest maternity hospital is a five-hour drive, and generations live and work side by side. We meet the French family, whose connection to the bush goes back seven generations, Philip the Philosopher, who by 29 was managing a property of more than one million hectares carrying 20,000 head of cattle, and the outspoken Roma Brittnell, who was awarded Australian Rural Woman of the Year in 2009.Inspiring, moving and sometimes challenging, these stories provide a window into a way of life that defines the Australian spirit at its best.

Agriculture makes an important contribution to all Australian consumers and to the national economy, exporting two thirds of total production. The face of Australian agriculture has changed over the past two centuries as farmers have developed resilience and adapted to environmental and economic trends. The challenges have been many and varied: changes to land use and farm management practices in response to climate change, water restrictions, farm debt, financial and health pressures on farmers, reliance on seasonal and migrant workers, as well as variable productivity and international competition. This book examines the current state of the agriculture sector and the environmental and economic outlook. What is the future of farming in Australia?

As the largest group of natural resource managers on the planet, farmers are at the interface of the changing relationship between humans and the environment. Typically organised around what might be considered the most basic of social units, for generations the family farm has survived wide-ranging exogenous challenges, frequently preserving the line of succession to the next of kin. Now as we face major questions about how we use land and the impact of our land use on the global environment, farming once again faces a challenging and uncertain future. This book draws on the experiences of farmers in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Japan and the EU to examine the special features of family farms and, in particular, the tradition of succession which has enabled them to continue to have such a strong presence in the world today.

On the land and in country towns the battle to survive goes on forever. The world needs foodstuffs and textiles but squeezes out the communities which provide them. Young people leave, farmers sell up, towns die, football teams combine, communities keep reinventing themselves.

Want to avoid the heartache, financial loss and family breakdown caused by poor succession planning? If you're a member of a farming family, you already know what a big deal succession planning is and how most people shudder at the mere mention of it. No doubt, you've heard countless horror stories of succession planning gone bad. But there are also plenty of success stories where succession planning has helped everyone get what they want. In this book, author Ayesha Hilton and lifelong farmer Nick Shady will help you and your family create your succession plan with as little stress and confrontation as possible. In this practical guide, you will learn how to: - Get started with the succession planning process - Communicate with your family to minimise conflict - Deal with fairness and equity issues - Get the right experts to help you with the process - Avoid becoming one of the disaster stories shared in the case studies By following their practical guidance, you and your family can create and implement a sound succession plan that meets everyone's needs. This book is essential reading for all farming families.