Arran was brought up on the family farm located west of the Northampton township in Sandy Gully, a farm which now specialises in the cropping of wheat, canola and lupins. Growing up Arran spent most of his time outdoors on the farm working sheep, driving tractors and being shown the ropes by his father and grandfather.

 

He attended his junior years of schooling in Northampton prior to attending Nagle Catholic College in Geraldton and then finally the WA College of Agriculture – Morawa, where his love and passion for agriculture grew further. Upon graduating from Morawa Ag he began an apprenticeship as a heavy diesel mechanic through AFGRI Geraldton, learning valuable knowledge on everything green.

 

After completing his trade, Arran made the decision that it was time to return to the farm and give it a crack. Just in time, as two months into his farming career, Cyclone Seroja struck leaving a trail of destruction but also a great start to the growing season.

 

Fast forward, and after two great and a sub optimal growing season under his belt, and experiencing the ups and downs of farming, Arran has seen the importance of community during tough times. This led him to join the Northampton Volunteer Fire Brigade at the start of the year.

 

Arran feels privileged to be the Rural Ambassador for Northampton in 2024. He advocates for bringing the community together especially in bridging the generational gap appearing in many small farming communities. As the Rural Ambassador for 2024, he would like to attract more young people into agriculture with events that appeal to all. This came to mind when he joined the fire brigade after a call for “young lungs”.

 

He believes that the Northampton Agricultural Show is a great way to showcase what we love about agriculture and why we do what we do. He enjoys supporting the Northampton Show through entering his farm produce yearly which has had him take home the LA Logan Cup for grain and fodder two years running.