Hooke family crowned best sheep farmers
Victorious grazing family - Marcus, Cassandra, Diane, Bill, Tom and Sarah Hooke of East Loddon Merinos are officially Australia’s best sheep farmers after taking out the The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year award in the sheep section. Image: The Weekly Times.
By JAMES WAGSTAFF
Victorious grazing family - Marcus, Cassandra, Diane, Bill, Tom and Sarah Hooke of East Loddon Merinos are officially Australia’s best sheep farmers after taking out the The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year award in the sheep section.
Tom and Marcus Hooke are forging a new path in Australian farming.
On the vast, sundrenched Hay Plains – recognised among the most traditional Merino sheep country in the nation – the brothers are reaping the rewards from putting a modern spin on wool production.
Along with their parents Diane and Bill, the Hookes operate the East Loddon Merino business, comprising 11,000 ewes run across three farms totalling 25,900 hectares, at Wanganella and Booroorban, south of Hay.
With degrees in agricultural science and business in their back pockets, the Hookes have repositioned their flock to focus more on profitability while being in step with today’s societal demands.
“The last thing I wanted to do was go farming because I like sheep and because Dad’s a farmer,” 34-year-old Tom said.
“That didn’t sit well with me.
“I saw it as a good opportunity to run a business in which you make your own luck, reap the rewards and suffer the downfalls.”
