A passion for produce has united the Barratt family of Inverell, formerly Tenterfield, with a common desire to present the very best their northern region has to offer in the Sydney Royal Show's district exhibit.
Peter Barratt, the second of three generations to be involved in the grand display, was this week presented with a Show Champion of Champions award for his 46 years of involvement that began aged 14 with a tap on the shoulder from Cliff James of Lismore who then asked his father Bill if the young lad could assist at the Royal.
"I'd never been to Sydney and we caught a train from Glen Innes, with Mr James in first class while I went in economy," Mr Barratt recalled. "He told me to wait for him under the clock at Central railway station but he forgot me. I thought to myself, what would mum say? So I stayed there and waited. It seemed like ages but after 20 minutes he remembered and came back."
Despite the traumatic start to the show Mr Barratt said the experience "sucked me in from the start".
During Australia's bicentennial celebrations Mr Barratt was part of a team that delivered that year's district exhibit, featuring a mural fabricated from coloured wool, to Edmunton Alberta for the Klondike Days Festival.
These days Mr Barratt's wife Kathie and daughters Gabbie and Indira spend the better part of 12 months preparing for the exhibit by sourcing produce on-farm, and also growing a remarkable diversity in their own back-yard garden.
In winter they grow up to 60 samples of grasses and come summer there is heritage corn, grains, pumpkins and melons. Within that menagerie is some Lucerne, cut by hand with a sickle every three weeks and dried in a special cupboard to create the perfect bale.
"I love being involved," says the Barratt's daughter Gabbie. "I feel I can make an influence. I can be part of the outcome."
This year, with wetter than usual weather, the traditional grain growing regions struggled to find product fit for the judge but in the north a wet start to summer ended up finishing quite dry and as it turned out select hays and grasses, wool and grain - those products that comprise half the point score - went the way of the northern district.
"This year we had the biggest melon and gramma; best hazel grass, wool and grain," Mr Barratt said.
What is sorely needed are more volunteers to help collect the great variety of produce at harvest, and to source pasture grass.
"At the moment half of our committee comes from the city but we really need more helping hands from the country who want to be involved," Mr Barratt said. "At the moment we can't find enough people."
To help promote the cause the Barratt's daughter Indira has created an Instagram page called Northern_District_Exhibit to promote the cause, including accolades for Glen Innes members who have given so much of their time - like Lyn Cregan and Brian Winter from Glen Innes and Jack Alt from Deepwater.
Further reading:
Have you signed up to The Land's free daily newsletter? Register below to make sure you are up to date with everything that's important to NSW agriculture.
