Best on field: The Weekly Times Coles 2025 Farmer Of The Year cowned

A multi-generational farming family from New South Wales has been named The Weekly Times Coles 2025 Farmer of the Year at a gala ceremony held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Eather family, from Bellevue Pastoral Company near Narrabri, was recognised for reshaping a traditional irrigated enterprise into a diversified future-focused agribusiness, driving gains in efficiency, sustainability and labour productivity.

Operating across several properties in the NSW Namoi and Riverina regions, the Eathers grow cotton, cereal crops, almonds and, more recently, citrus. Their expansion has been underpinned by a strong focus on soil health, water stewardship and long-term productivity.

The family earlier claimed the Innovative Farmer of the Year title.

The awards, which have been run for 14 years by Australia’s oldest and most

popular rural masthead in partnership with Coles, recognise the nation’s finest

farmers pioneering the future of Australian agriculture.

The proceedings were hosted by the Herald and The Weekly Times chairman Penny Fowler and MC’d by TV personality and Olympian Giaan Rooney.

Winners of The Weekly Times Coles 2025 Farmer of the Year:

• Overall and Innovative Farmer of the Year: Eather family, Bellevue

Pastoral Co, Narrabri, NSW

• Cropping Farmer of the Year: Thompson family, M&R Agriculture,

Minlaton, SA

• Horticulture Farmer of the Year: Candeloro and Ruffo families, Tripod

Farmers, Bacchus Marsh, VIC

• Sheep Farmer of the Year: Baldwin family, Bundilla Poll Merino, Young,

NSW

• Dairy Farmer of the Year: Ainslie family and Compass Agri, Woodrising

Dairies, Cressy, TAS

• Beef Farmer of the Year: Grose family, 3D Genetics, Bukkulla, NSW

Thrive is proud to support NewsCorp in delivering PR for this iconic awards program, recognising our nation’s farmers shaping the future of Australian agriculture.