Geoff Larsen is 80 years young, still visits his farm every day, and has no intention of slowing down any time soon.
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Mr Larsen started his farming career on a dairy farm near Moss Vale, and worked there until he and his lovely wife Margaret saved enough money for property in Cootamundra. It was then that his love for breeding Hereford cattle began.
“Dairy farming is very hard work.” Mr Larsen said. “But we realised that if we wanted to have our own place one day, we had to earn enough money to set ourselves up. We saved like mad and bought our land here in Cootamundra and have never looked back.”
“Farming techniques have changed a lot over the years,” Mr Larsen said. “We used to have to do everything by hand, but the advancement in farming equipment nowdays makes the jobs a lot easier. The farming industry is an ongoing development, my sons are much more computer literate than I am, but I still think nothing beats a good eye when it comes to choosing breeding stock.”
“With all the breeding stock information that is available on the internet, combined with an experienced eye; nothing beats experience; you have the best of both worlds.”
Mr and Mrs Larsen have moved into town now and have handed the reigns over to their two sons, who live on two of the four ‘blocks’ that make up the family farm.
“I am still pretty ‘hands on’ with the farm,” Mr Larsen said. “I go out to work every day. I miss living on the farm, looking out a window and seeing the cows, but this gives me more time to do my volunteer activities.”
Mr Larsen’s ‘volunteer’ activities include Rotary, being Chairman of the Church Council and has been President of the Cootamundra Show Society for seven years.
“I was on the Wingecarribee Shire Council for 21 years, Mayor for seven,” Mr Larsen said. “But farming is my life. You have to have a passion for it. I am proud of the reputation we have built up with our Stud hereford cattle.”
“I suppose I will slow down one day,” Mr Larsen said. “But I made 100 on the cricket pitch – I’d like to do that again.”