ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A popular local grazier has had to come to terms with the fact that all the knowledge he’s gained during his farmer career is probably going to die with him after his youngest son revealed he doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps.
At 68-years-old, Miles Culter had entertained the idea of retirement in the coming years – ushering in a transitional period whereby he’d teach one of his boys the ins-and-outs of primary production for a couple years before stepping off the ship.
The future of the 45 000 ha ‘Caldwell Park’ via Betoota is now unsure.
“My two older boys never showed any interest in the job,” he said.
“The youngest did but he’s since found his calling as a fucking mortgage broker down in Brisbane. So I guess there’s no other option than to sell the place and move into town? My daughter said she’s interested but that’s not how things work out here,”
“If she married a bloke who wanted to take the place on, I’d think about it. Ideally, I’d want the oldest to take it on, keep the family farm in the family but you can’t always get what you want.”
When asked if he’d be open to the idea of teaching the next generation how to create food and raw materials, Miles said he’d be more than happy to – but ultimately lacks the educational prerequisites to teach other people.
Most of the agricultural teachers at North Betoota TAFE College and the Royal School of Agriculture in the Old City District have tertiary teaching qualifications, leaving many people with actual agricultural knowledge out in the cold.
“I could teach a course in animal husbandry, I’ve raised a few animals in my day. I’ve grown a few crops as well. Tell you what, there’s not too many young blokes coming out of ag school who know the pros and cons of direct drilling on the back of 200 points,” said Miles.
“But I can’t because when I did my leaving certificate in 1968, I didn’t get a very good score because all I wanted to do was come back here and be a farmer,”
“All I can hope for now is that the buyer is local and not foreign!”
More to come.
