An Ode to Guy

For Guy Shoemark, farming and family go hand in hand. The Shoemarks come from the NSW town of Condobolin, also known as ‘Condo’ to the locals. They’ve been farming there for more than 100 years. Both born and bred on a farm, Guy met his wife Heidi at university, where soon afterwards they took over the running of her family farm.

Now, the whole family is involved in keeping the farm thriving. Not only does Guy’s dad Neville work with them, but the couple also have three growing boys who help out whenever they feel like it. “We don’t want to be here just next year,” says Guy. “We want to be here in 20 years’ time, or 30, 40 years’ time. I want to hand it on to my boys.”

The work stays exciting as each day brings different challenges. “It’s always shifting with the seasons,” says Guy. Last season had heavy rainfall, generating record-breaking amount of wheat for the Shoemarks. However, this season was very dry so things were tough. But it’s simply the love for farming that keeps him going. “Nothing ever goes to plan. You do everything the best you can, but Mother Nature always throws something up. You’ve definitely got to have the heart for it because sometimes it can knock you around a bit.”

To thank Guy for his hard work, and celebrate 90 years of sourcing grain from Australian farmers, Kellogg’s commissioned a giant mural painted by the artist Mulga, also known as Joel Moore. We chose Mulga for his unique style of intricate line work, quirky characters and bright colours that we knew would stand out in rural Australia.

Mulga illustrated an animal that Guy sees every day on the farm: an emu. For Mulga, the hardest challenge was to sketch the emu on the bumpy corrugated iron of the silo, where the emu proudly sits. He was concerned it could look more like a seagull, however the finished product has proven to be a hit.

When he first saw his mural Guy couldn’t stop smiling, and was gobsmacked at how the emu’s bright colours can be seen in the distance from the road. “It’s a great piece of work. It’s something different and exciting. Kellogg’s coming out and appreciating us and acknowledging that we help them. It’s really cool, I reckon.”

We’re delighted that Guy is stoked with his mural. And we hope this vibrant emu will stand over his property for years to come, splashing colour over the field of yellow wheat behind it, as a small token of our thanks.

Ode to Farmers.

Ode to Guy.