Caitlin Menadue, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Minlaton’s Michael and Rebecca Thompson have been named finalists in a national cropping award recognising excellence in Australian agriculture.

The recognition places the Yorke Peninsula pair among some of the country’s leading producers, with winners to be announced at a gala ceremony in Melbourne on February 13.

The awards, presented by The Weekly Times and Coles, celebrate standout farmers across six categories, including cropping, dairy, beef and innovation.

Mr Thompson said the couple were “excited and grateful” to be included as finalists.

“There are plenty of good farmers around the place,” he said.

“Meeting people and hearing about what they do is always inspiring — you get to learn a lot and it’s very useful.”

Both Rebecca and Michael spent their childhoods on their respective family farms before they moved to Adelaide after completing year 12.

They stayed in the city for around five to six years before deciding to move back to Mr Thompson’s family farm to slowly take over the operations from his dad.

“Dad was slowing down so we moved back to be closer to family,” Mr Thompson said.

Mr Thompson began driving trucks on neighbouring properties which he describes as a “great introduction to farming”.

In 2015, the pair rebranded the business to M&R Agriculture but said they didn’t start gaining full traction until 2017/2018.

From there, they focused on land acquisition and expansion as they ventured into cropping.

“Dad had livestock and only a very small crop operation,” Mr Thompson said.

The Thompsons invested time in selecting suitable machinery and integrating modern technology into their daily operations.

They now focus on precision agriculture, which Mr Thompson said helps them make data-informed decisions.

“We’re doing better with the technology at hand,” he said.

While they worked to establish themselves in the industry, the Thompsons enrolled in the Farm Owners Academy, where they gained the skills and knowledge to set clear goals for their business.

“Farming is about taking risks,” Mr Thompson said.

“It was 2019 when we hired our first employee because, in our mind, we couldn’t afford the help.”

Once they hired the employee, Mr Thompson said he found he had more time on his hands, opening more doors for him.

Now, they have five employees.

Off the farm, Mr Thompson is a member of the Minlaton Ag Bureau where he previously held the role of president.

They also created a fire group chat, which began on WhatsApp but recently moved to a new platform, where farmers in the area can post if they see smoke or flames.

“As farmers, we always see smoke and you can’t tell if it’s far away or close by,” Mr Thompson said.

“Farmers who are near the area can get to the point quicker and help out until CFS gets there.”

Mr Thompson said the group now had around 400 to 500 members with the number continuing to climb.

“The farming community gets along really well,” Mr Thompson said.

“There are enjoyable aspects to farming — whether it’s working on the land or managing the business side.

“It also offers diversity and flexibility for employees.”

He said that, when they were starting out, other local farmers were generous with their support.

“Having a mentor and people willing to help out, helped us heaps.

“You have to be open minded and accept that something can fail, it’s a normal thing.”

For more information about the awards’ finalists, visit theweeklytimes.com.au. 

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 10 February 2026.