FFN Opinion – Go West Young Man

Future Farmers Network directors regularly give their opinion on the latest news, events and issues in agriculture for an article for Australian Community Media. Here’s the most recent yarn from FFN Director Tim Flynn.

On the other side of those big blue mountains exists a land of opportunity!

That’s what I believed growing up in Central West NSW. If I worked really hard at school, then one day I would get to work in one of those high rise buildings, catch the ferry to work everyday and maybe even have a water view. Either I was wrong, or the times have changed, or maybe… Both? Right now the land of opportunity is western side of the mountains, it is regional NSW.

Current conditions have created the perfect cocktail of opportunity for young people to head west. Just like the pubs and cafes here, regional NSW is open and ready to serve today's special cocktail:

Ingredients:

1.      Govt stimulus – including the future drought fund.

2.      Record low interest rates

3.      Record livestock prices

4.      Above average rainfall.

5.      Greater Sydney area in COVID-19 lockdown.

The recipe:

1.      Mix all ingredients together, shake or stir it’s up to you.

2.      Take 5 minutes out of your busy day at home in lockdown and think about how these conditions can benefit you.

3.      Repeat until desired outcome is achieved.

Young professionals don’t have to slave away for a seven-figure shoe box, they can buy themselves a beautiful big house on a small block of land for around half the price. In this modern world with the ability to work remotely will most likely be able to keep their job.

In the rare event that you can’t keep your job when you move out here. Just have a look around, there are industries you never knew existed with well-paying and rewarding roles and as long as the perfect cocktail ingredients are all available there will be more and more jobs going up on SEEK every day.

Today I sit in my home office, peering over my computer screens at a small mob of young steers, fat and happy as they graze away on the fruits of above average rainfall for the autumn. It makes me happy because it's nearly the end of winter, the moisture profile is full, and the warm weather spring brings will bring plenty more feed with it. The steers also make me happy because of those record livestock prices I was talking about, it probably won’t mean much to you but did you know the EYCI has cracked $1000c/kg!

I suppose what I believed growing up is still true – there is still a land of opportunity on the other side of the big blue mountains, you just have to look at it from another angle.

Anyway, I’d love to tell you more, but you know that above average rainfall I was telling you about? Well it’s really wet and I’m off to town to buy my first pair of adult sized pair of gumboots…