A Caragabal farming family with deep roots in the district is the latest to be featured in Weddin Landcare's Over the Fence Visual Story series.

The newest film profiles Stephen, Melanie and Trevor Cooper, who operate Myall Park, a mixed farming enterprise about 40 kilometres west of Grenfell.

Produced by filmmaker Stuart Walmsley, the documentary explores the family's commitment to innovation, sustainability and maintaining a thriving multi-generational farming business.

The Coopers bring a diverse range of skills and perspectives to the farm.

Trevor contributes decades of agronomic knowledge and experience, Stephen provides practical farming expertise and Melanie's environmental background helps shape the business's long-term direction.

According to Weddin Landcare, the family's willingness to embrace continual improvement has been a key factor in the success of their operation.

Over recent years, the Coopers have made significant changes to improve soil health and build resilience against increasingly variable climatic conditions. Their efforts have included addressing soil acidity constraints, adopting strip and disc cropping systems to maximise ground cover and water-use efficiency, and implementing diverse crop rotations to reduce disease pressure, weed burdens and reliance on fertilisers and chemicals.

The documentary also highlights the importance of independent advice, with agronomist Kirrily Condon featuring in the film to discuss the family's approach to continuous improvement and sustainable production.

Stuart said the story is as much about community as it is about farming.

"Melanie is one of the most community-focused, proactive people I've met in the course of my work," he said.

"She has been the Weddin Landcare Coordinator since 2020, volunteers on countless local committees and is exactly the type of person who holds regional communities together."

Stephen represents nearly a century of family farming at Caragabal, while Trevor has long been recognised as a progressive and innovative farmer.

Together, Stuart said, they demonstrate how different generations and viewpoints can work towards shared goals.

A particularly unique element of the film is footage captured decades ago by Trevor's father, Clarence Cooper.

The historic vision provides a glimpse into life around Caragabal when the district was made up of smaller family-run farms and local communities were larger and more vibrant.

The issue of rural population decline is another theme explored in the documentary.

As farms grow in size to remain economically viable, fewer families live and work in rural districts, creating challenges for schools, businesses and community organisations.

Weddin Landcare said maintaining farming families is critical, not only for the strength of regional communities but also for the ongoing stewardship of agricultural land.

The Over the Fence project showcases local farmers who are adopting practices that benefit both productivity and the environment.

Melanie Cooper summarises the future direction of Myall Park in a single word: "diversity".

The Cooper family's story can be viewed on Weddin Landcare's YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/pBodUZM5zEY

The Over the Fence project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.