The wide-open spaces associated with life on the land can come with a feeling of freedom.
But with it can also bring a sense of isolation as hours each day can be spent alone, checking stock or sitting on a header or tractor.
It's a feeling Jack Stallard knows all too well, and is something he is hoping to shine a light on in his role as the 2024 Wagin Agricultural Society rural ambassador.
The 28-year-old is the operations manager on a local Wagin mixed cropping and sheep enterprise, and often finds himself alone for long periods with plenty of time to think.
That's when he gets on the phone, hands-free of course, and calls his mates for a chat.
"It's the territory of the job - it can be isolating when you're by yourself in the paddock day after day, and so I like to look out for my mates and keep in touch," Mr Stallard said.
It's a sentiment that ties perfectly with this year's Wagin Woolorama theme of Let's Get Together, that notion of coming together after what has been a particularly trying past few years with COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, and also challenges in running farming and regional businesses.
Since moving to Wagin in 2017, Mr Stallard has immersed himself in the local community, getting involved with a number of volunteer organisations to enable him to connect with other people and maintain relationships outside of work.
He has helped out at Woolorama each year, whether that be setting up or packing up, or manning the entry gates, and has also been heavily involved in local volunteer groups such as the Wagin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, where he is currently the lieutenant, and also the Wagin Action Group (WAGs) - a locally run not-for-profit organisation for men under 40 that fundraises and invests back into the community.
"A group like WAGs is great because it provides young men with an excuse to catch up, while also giving back to the community," Mr Stallard said.
"We really need to make it a habit, whether it's in a formal group or by making a phone call, of checking in with our mates and making sure they're ok, so things hopefully don't escalate if they are feeling alone."
Mr Stallard is also easily recognisable around the local community in his brightly coloured Trademutt workshirts, a workwear clothing range that supports TIACS, which provides free mental health counselling for predominantly tradies, truckies, farmers, rural and blue collar workers.
As well as being an advocate for mental health, he is also hoping to demonstrate that you don't have to grow up in a regional area to make a career there.
Born and bred in Greenbushes in the South West, he chose to attend the WA College of Agriculture in Denmark, which kickstarted his love for agriculture and ignited a desire to pursue it as a career path.
During his studies at the college he also attended the Woolorama for the first time, competing in cattle, sheep and shearing sections, and enjoyed the experience so much he kept coming back each year thereafter.
Upon finishing school Mr Stallard started his career in agriculture, working on a potato farm at Albany for a season, and then over a harvest period on a family farm at Kojonup.
He then pursued an apprenticeship in Perth, but soon found the city life wasn't for him, and in 2017 he found himself back in Wagin working as an agricultural mechanic.
"But I found myself longing to be back farming, and a job opportunity came up on a local mixed cropping and sheep farm so I took it," Mr Stallard said.
He has since earned himself the title of operations manager on the property, which involves him providing all of the maintenance and repairs to the machinery, and purchasing new machinery, while also performing the day-to-day tasks onfarm.
"I'm really passionate about agriculture - I love the challenge that each different season has and having to adapt our management practices to achieve the best outcome for the season, while also trying to find ways to improve our system, our soils and our operation for the best results long-term," Mr Stallard said.
"And I also really love just driving tractors."
Mr Stallard said he was looking forward to his ambassador role at this year's Woolorama, which will include awarding prizes, attending official functions and co-ordinating the Young Farmers' Challenge, as well as mixing with the broader community and sharing his story.
"I took on this honour of becoming the ambassador for two main reasons - firstly to promote positive mental health which I'm passionate about, encouraging people to pick up their phones and ring their mates, just to check in and see how they're going," he said.
"I also want to promote agriculture, as it's an industry I'm proud to be in, and I want people to know that you don't have to be from a farming background to make it your career.
"I think Woolorama is the perfect place to promote these values because it provides a good excuse to come and catch up with your mates that you haven't seen for a while, to exchange the highs and lows of the previous season, as well as showcasing the innovations and ideas that keep our industry moving forward into the future."
