My grandfather loved country music.
His favourite was Slim Dusty and anyone who knew him knew that he kept fistfuls of the old cassette tapes and CDs in his glovebox.
At the Sydney Royal Show a Slim song drifts into my head.
It's the dry-humoured ballad of an old man, maybe Slim himself, who recalls the first time his dad took him to Sydney way back in 1943.
He remembers his dad scolding him on his "high-heeled riding boots" - "they'll call us bush galoots" - and on the trip he replaces them with a "pair of lace-up shoes."
In the lyrics it's clear the divide between city and bush is as old as time.
Sure, we country-folk might be a little more fashion-forward nowadays (or is it just that the RM Williams boot is now trendy on Pitt Street too!) but in every other way the gap is there.
In healthcare, in education, in infrastructure and telecommunications, the gap is there.
And in the knowledge of how animals are fairly raised and food is ethically grown, the gap is there.
I think the Sydney Royal Show provides a wonderful opportunity to bridge it.
"Our story is one of courage, innovation, resilience and sustainability," Royal Agricultural Society of NSW President Michael Millner says.
Since 1882, the RAS has been a pioneer for Australian agriculture
"We are one of the oldest organisations in the country - even pre-dating the NSW parliament by 30 years."
Every year the event displays rural Australia to hordes of Sydneysiders and for some it is their only chance of seeing the livestock industry face-to-face.
With its close to 700,000 visitors, could it be one of our best tools to promote the best of the business?
A 2018 report 'Australia's Shifting Mindset on Farm Animal Welfare', commissioned by the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, found 95 per cent of Australians view farm animal welfare to be a concern and 91pc want at least some reform to address this.
The results were a reflection of 1521 respondents.
But I watch as city children and adults alike learn a little more about us.
A stud Merino breeder lets a little girl pat their ram on the nose, "did you know his horns are made from the same thing as your fingernails?"
And crowds pass through the poultry pavilion every day to chat with some 170 exhibitors.
This year there are no pigs - a direct impact of Japanese encephalitis.
People ask questions and they start to see the highs and lows of a life on the land.
And when we all go home, when the cattle are put on trucks and when the rams are loaded, we must continue to show our city cousins our very best.
And we must advocate.
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A quick tally of the 227 Members of Parliament between the Senate and House of Representatives reveals that only four are listed as having a previous occupation of 'farmer, grazier or primary producer'.
That's 1.76 per cent.
These sorts of numbers paint a picture of what we have been arguing towards in the agricultural space for years.
With a lack of direct experience backing the members within parliament how can we expect fair and just policy decisions?
Is this an issue we can tackle with the problem solving ability that rural life requires of us every single day?
I think we have the knowledge, and certainly the soundtrack, to bridge the gap.
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