Australia’s agricultural leaders have been recognised at the 14th annual The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year awards, with the Eather family from Narrabri, NSW, crowned overall winner.
Hosted by Australia’s premier rural and regional news brand, The Weekly Times, in partnership with Coles, the awards highlight excellence, innovation and resilience across the nation’s farming sector.
Penny Fowler
Elevating farming excellence to the national stage
The Herald & Weekly Times chairman and News Corp Australia Community Ambassador Penny Fowler said the awards play a vital role in bringing farming achievements into the broader public conversation.
“From households to houses of parliament, we want every Australian to appreciate our extraordinary farmers because we all benefit from their efforts, yet too often they are overlooked,” Mrs Fowler said.
“Our farmers feed and clothe the world, and they do so with incredible, inspired innovation despite working land that includes some of the most inhospitable on the planet.
Mrs Fowler said The Weekly Times – The Bible of The Bush – and the Coles Farmer of the Year Awards have tracked the agricultural sector’s success since the inaugural event 14 years ago.
“The Weekly Times, together with our other mastheads, have told the stories celebrating rural and regional Australia for more than 150 years, weaving them into a rich and enduring tapestry that is uniquely Australian.”
Coles Group chief executive Leah Weckert said the awards were an opportunity to recognise the sector’s critical contribution.
“Farmers are the backbone of our rural communities and the future of Australian agriculture.”
Ms Weckert added that this year’s finalists were united by their willingness to innovate.
“This year’s finalists stood out for their strong commitment to embracing technology practices to build more resilient farming systems in the face of ongoing challenges such as natural disasters, rising costs and global uncertainty.”
Bellevue Pastoral Company takes top honours
The Eather family’s Bellevue Pastoral Company was named the overall winner and Innovative Farmer of the Year. Darren and Leanne Eather, alongside their children Julia and Tom, operate across multiple farms in the Namoi and Riverina regions of NSW.
Darren and Leanne Eather. Image: News Corp Australia
Mr Eather said he was proud to advocate for the industry.
“I love it,” Mr Eather said.
“We are challenged all of the time, we are working with family above and behind us, and you get to work in nature every day.”
Judges described the business as one of “the most sophisticated, diversified and productive farming businesses in the nation”.
Bellevue grows cotton, almonds, and, more recently, citrus, achieving record cotton yields while improving water efficiency, soil health, and workforce productivity at scale.
Recognising excellence across the country
The awards have honoured more than 80 winners and 250 finalists since their inception, spanning Tasmania and Victoria through to Queensland and Western Australia.
Other 2025 category winners include:
Dairy Farmer of the Year: Ainslee Family and Compass Agri, Woodrising Dairies, Cressy, Tasmania
Beef Farmer of the Year: 3D Genetics, Grose family, Bukkala, NSW
Cropping Farmer of the Year: M&R Agriculture, Thompson family, Minlaton, South Australia
Horticulture Farmer of the Year: Tripod Farmers, Candeloro and Ruffo families, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
Sheep Farmer of the Year: Bundilla Poll Merino, Baldwin family, Young, NSW
Profiles of the winners and finalists will be published in a special 32-page Farmer of the Year magazine, inserted in The Weekly Times on Wednesday, February 18, and across state-based mastheads including The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail and The Advertiser in the days following.
Top Image: The Eather family