For Jodie Green, watching one of her Poll Merino ewes lamb and then immediately start to lick the lamb makes all the hard work worth it.
But for the passionate breeder, Aloeburn Poll Merino stud, Boree Creek, being deeply involved in producing a sheep perfectly suited to Australian conditions - something she believes in to her core - wasn't originally part of the plan.
Jodie grew up in Canberra, but after attending college, raising her children, and even working as a relationship manager for Bankwest in Orange and retail lending and branch manager for Bendigo Bank, opportunity knocked.
Her husband Andrew got the chance to go back to the family farm at Boree Creek in 2012. The Green family had been breeding sheep for decades, and already had the Aloeburn Poll Merino stud.
In 2015 they started tagging lambs at birth and monitoring maternal traits in ewes. And Jodie found her passion. The Aloeburn flock has now grown to 7000 ewes across nearly 7000 hectares, growing a hardy sheep that produces a beautiful fleece and is suited to the Australian environment.
"I love that we are able to produce food and fibre for the world, and that we are producing an animal that can thrive in our climate."
Jodie is most thankful to work with her husband and son Tom everyday and that there is opportunity for all of their children to be involved in the business.
"Andrew is my number one supporter. There is nothing he thinks I can't do."
