Farming is not so much an occupation for the Lyle family, but a way of life.
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John Lyle said the family’s “Ranken Park” property in Nea allowed for a diverse range of farming.
“I think it’s one of the few places in the world that you can grow a summer crop and a winter crop side-by-side,” Mr Lyle said.
“We can grow a variety of different things here and I think that’s what makes it so special.”
Mr Lyle said sharing his passion for farming with his family is a positive expierence.
“I find it very rewarding to watch my son Tim run it now,” he said.
“To see Tim’s six and eight-year-old kids come along and get involved with whatever we’re doing is what’s pleasing about farming for me now.”
The Lyles currently farm, cattle, durum, sorghum, hay and chickpeas, which Tim Lyle believes makes their area very unique.
“We get to do a lot of different stuff,” Mr Lyle said.
“Not to sound arrogant, but this area is just so unique and is always changing and making things co-exist is very important.”
Mr Lyle said changing and adapting to different farming methods was crucial.
“We have been no-till farming for a while now, which was a big change when we started,” he said.
“But I suppose for us our biggest change of recent times would be adding chickpeas into our rotation as that has allowed for a lot more opportunities.”
Mr Lyle said he couldn’t imagine ever living anywhere else.
“There’s nowhere else I’d go because it would only be disappointing,” he said.