LIKE any good farmer Tom O'Halloran takes great pride in watching his crops grow well.
He's had a lot of opportunity to do so on "Una", his family mixed farming property upon which he is the third generation to farm.
It is a family link which stretches back 116 years to his grandfather - also Tom - who grew wheat on the property, about 25 kilometres north of Wagga Wagga.
In 1939 - the year Tom O'Halloran was born, his father (again, another Tom) started growing sub clover and today the cropping area of the property grows both canola and wheat.
"Una", at 405ha (1001ac), has about 260ha (about 650ac) dedicated to cropping with about half each dedicated to canola and wheat.
The balance of the property is grazing land upon which Tom O'Halloran and wife Fay have run crossbred ewes and Dorset lambs.
Normally Mr O'Halloran is running about 1000 ewes, but is down to 600 at the moment as he winds down in preparation for retirement - the reason for the sale.
It will bring to an end not only a long family association with the property, but also a personal association for Mr O'Halloran.
He left school at age 15 and since then, for 60 years now, he has been working on "Una".
Mr O'Halloran said he will miss two key things when he sells his property - which has been listed for sale by tender with Sally Douglas, Landmark Harcourts Wagga Wagga, closing on October 9.
"I do love to grow things, so I will miss that," he said.
This passion has gone well beyond crops and livestock.
Over the years he has implemented a tree planting program - including pine - to form three tree lines across the property to serve as windbreaks and livestock shelter areas.
These trees were grown from seedlings by Mr O'Halloran.
He said he would also miss the people he had dealt with over the years: his livestock carrier, his agents and his agronomist, for they have been a key part of operations on the property. The property has been subject to a fertiliser program with applications of lime and gypsum.
The property is gently undulating with soil types typically red loams, and there are also some granite outcrops.
On the property's cropping country, this year about 138ha (348ac) of wheat was planted as well as 113ha (286ac) of canola.
Also, just under 7ha (17ac) of barley was planted.
Infrastructure includes steel sheep yards, timber cattle yards, a three stand shearing shed, three machinery sheds, and three flat bottom silos.
The property's homestead this year celebrates its 100th anniversary, and offers three bedrooms and is set in an established garden.
Mr O'Halloran said this garden features a pop-up sprinkler irrigation system.
The property itself has five dams, as well as troughs and 117,000 litres of water tank storage capacity.
Contact Sally Douglas, 0428 826 645.