Gary Simpson: ‘Farming’s in your blood’
FOR Strathdickie cane farmer Gary Simpson life on the land is hard to beat.
"There's just something about turning the soil," he said.
"Farming's in your blood."
It certainly is in Mr Simpson's blood, with both his father and uncle having been farmers in the Whitsundays.
Following in his family footsteps, Mr Simpson left school in 1981 to buy his uncle's farm.
Thirty-five years later and he's still at it.
"I don't know what else I'd rather be doing," he said.
It certainly hasn't been all clear sowing however, with life on the land not without its challenges.
"It's a bit like playing a sport," Mr Simpson said.
"You're up against the odds, you don't know what Mother Nature is going to throw at you next."
Mr Simpson remembers a flood in September 2010, a bad time of year as any cane farmer would know.
"The creek ran through and washed away the soil, washed away the plants; that was a hard one," he said.
Despite these hardships, life as a farmer is what Mr Simpson has always wanted.
"It's a good lifestyle," he said.
"There's a lot of self satisfaction.
"You're your own boss."
