Sparking growth

After a sudden career switch, Andrew Russell found a passion for the family business, local grower groups and the future of farmers from Victoria and beyond.

Story Kate Newsome 

For Andrew Russell, staying put has never meant slowing down. Just over 25 years ago, ‘Russ’ jumped on the opportunity to return to his agricultural roots by joining his wife Sue’s family farming business in north-east Victoria. With a love of learning and an eye always on the horizon, Russ has helped build up the family businesses and became a leader at agriculture’s cutting edge – representing and rooting for fellow growers on a national level.

“I have a bit of a motto in my life,” Russ says. “If I want to make a difference, then you get in there, you put your boots on and you actually do some work. You become part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

Russ was the son of a Geelong ag service provider and grandson of dairy farmers near Noorat, Vic. Nearly every weekend growing up, he and his family would drive down in the dark on Friday night to work as relief milkers. “I love agriculture,” he says. “I love living rurally. I love rural communities. But I’ll be brutally honest, I don’t know if I ever wanted to be a dairy farmer.”