For the past 95 years the Houghton family have been proudly farming in Gogeldrie at Farm 1687.
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Today, husband-and-wife team John and Michelle run the farming operation with their son William and daughter-in-law, Tanisha.
Tanisha's father also works on the farm full time after relocating from Newcastle.
When asked what it's like running a business with family, Michelle laughed before explaining family life and business are hard to keep separated.
"There are lots of challenges working with your family and it is hard to separate family and business," Michelle said.
"It can be hard to turn off the conversation about the farm, John could constantly talk about farming."
However, this passion is an asset to the business. Growing up on the farm provides an impressive knowledge of the way it performs and the local seasons.
"The best part of family farming business wise is that William has grown up here and has an extensive knowledge of the farm," Michelle said.
"John also grew up here and knows every spec of dirt and how it behaves under certain conditions."
In recent years, corn has been the staple crop with rice and cotton grown when the water allocation allows and livestock purchased when the opportunity arises.
After purchasing the farm next door (Farm 1686) in 2019, major works were undertaken to remove the Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI) drain which ran along the boundary.
- Read this story and more farming stories in the 2022 MIA Farming Guide online here.
This saw outlets removed on both farms and one 60-meg outlet installed to service both resulting in better water efficiently saving water time and money while offering flexibility with crop selection.
"It also reduced the costs we pay to MI and it reduced the amount of outlets MI has to service," John said.
"Our main aim is to be flexible with our cropping plan and be able to change cropping enterprises quickly to adapt to climatic conditions or market prices.
"To be successful at this we need to get water on and off paddocks quickly which can be achieved with the larger outlet."
While a future focus sees upgrades and improvements to the farms and succession plans being made, the family are also looking back at the past and planning how to celebrate 100 years of farming in five years.
"It's exciting to notch up 100 years in business. But there's also a pressure that goes along with it, who will be the one to end it? John's father would often say "I know you'd be the one to bugger it all up," Michelle said laughing.
While the comment is taken in a lighthearted nature, the future of the farm will depend on the circumstances at the time.
"It's a hope that it will stay in the family but we also realise the farm is a business and once we retire the decision will be up to William and Tanisha," Michelle said.
"That's the raw edge of farming, William wouldn't be able to do it without us and we can't retire without him."
However, for now, the farming operation continues much like 95 years ago albeit with some technological differences.
- Read this story and more farming stories in the 2022 MIA Farming Guide online here.